was a late starter to surfing , and after a few years got really tired of the crowds and the attitude.Seen some blokes having a ball on sups ,laughing their tits off one day while i was sitting in the line up sulking.So went home googled it and i purchased my old Kalama and i was hooked.

I have a prone surfing background. Sups were popping up all over the place on the Gold Coast but I'd never given them much thought. Then late last year, after a rediculously long flat spell, I was checking the surf at Cabarita. There was plenty of size in the swell but it was high tide and really fat. So much so that nobody, even the longboarders were getting any waves. Then this guy paddles out on a sup and just gets wave after wave after wave and really surfed them well. He obviously was having a ball and after about half an hour paddled back in, suitably satisfied. It was then I thought I had better have a go on one.

Th0m0

Struggled with crowds and old rugby injuries made prone surfing a pain in the neck.
IceT got one it looked a good option for small days but has now taken over.
Gotta love it.

Great response guy's,I was thinking of posting this some weeks ago!
As a serious longboarder and bought yep, my second SUP last week,
I got into it because of the history of surfing thing ,that started with
SUP'ing

I think its a great sport / hobbie and the SUP'ers in and out of this forum
are cool folk Oh ,how much I have learn't from you guy's and really
enjoy your posts/pictures and video's ,oh and dogmans music [}:)]

keep it coming

mac

cranky said...



Next question you should ask is " what has SUP done to your surfing" My surfing is crazy at the moment, my 7'3 feels like a 5'3 and I have never felt so sure footed.

Now that's a good one cranky, without blowing my own triumph,my 9.4's are going off.SUP has improved my surfing 10 fold and after 30+ years it is so refreshing!
Still a kookinator on a sup,mac

I used to travel one hour to my "local" break only to find the surf prediction totally wrong or good swell didnt coincide with time off from work,now i don't even bother too much about swell predictions,if theres a wave great but if not i'll just do some flatwater cruising and still get water time.wind speed is now a more important figure.

I have "surfed" since the 60's and was pretty full on in the 70's. Shift work in the computer industry and working with surfers meant I could go surfing every day.

The only problem was I was seriously short sighted and not very strong in the upper body. I literally could not see waves coming. I really struggled with too short boards and never got good at it. (I did have some great times on a surf mat and in those days you could get barrels at Bells and everybody shared waves and got along.)

Windsurfing and contact lenses came along and I found a sport that I was good at and didn't have to drive for hours to get to.

Kiteboarding and laser eye surgery seriously upped my water time.

Longboards came back and a friend shaped me one and I found that I could actually surf ok. Still the crowds were a problem and the need to drive down the coast was tedious.

SUP appeared and the idea of something that I could use on the bay or in the surf appealed. I tried out a couple of Naish from SHQ and Starboards from RPS and bought a Starboard 11'2".

SUP removes the tedium of waiting for waves and eliminates the main problem I have always had. On a prone board if I have to paddle too hard to get a wave I don't have enough strength left to leap to my feet. SUP uses muscles that are stronger and I'm already standing. Problem solved!

I wouldn't call myself a good SUP surfer but I can do it and get my fill of waves and feel satisfied after pretty much all sessions. I can also get enough waves to feel myself improving and not just battling.

Been surfin a shortboard for 25 yrs Never liked mals but wanted something different than floundering around on a 18" wide x 2.5 " thick. Had a shoulder op and needed someway to work it and seen Mitch Thorson at the Margaret River mouth about 18 months ago standing up and paddeling Said to my mate "whats all that about?" checked it out and here I am

I have ridden short boards for 25 years, never a long board, and like you Brooko was introduced by Mitch Thorson one day on his original fibreglass boards.. super heavy. Figured it would be good exercise around Perth as the waves are usually c..p. Ended up surfing better and better waves on the SUP to a point where if the waves are cranking I don't know if I would prefer the SUP or a short board.......depends on the wave i guess but jeez i love it!

started surfing at at 10yrs old on 5 foot surfoplanes at south steyne,always been a longboarder,started losing the stoke 5yrs ago but annie kept me going down the points,she still has the grommy stoke and surfs everyday,then when sup surfing started in noosa i watched it happen and thought what a wank,someone lent annie a paddle she tried it on our 11.8 infinity tandem board,yep we even got to a pretty good level in tandem,we almost always sup surf now but have a longboard surf occasionally.i was only going to sup on flat days and never surf one,you all have heard that one.now i am the co-founder of noosa beachboy surfing club and have the stoke back thanks to the new challenge of sup.
nothing like an early paddle from firstpoint to teatree.get a few waves paddle back and catch a couple at nationals/littlecove/firstpoint

woooohooooo JB mel

good to see your still charging

hope to see you guys @ mambo

if i make it?

Hey dogman,

Yep, we will definitely be at Mambo again. I think that event was partially responsible for my currrent unhealthy addiction!.

We are going up to Snowy at Manly in a couple of weeks as they have a 3km flat paddle that I am keen to try. Would have done the surf event too but it is already full.

Look forward to catching up some time
Mel

JB Mel

might see you at the snowy

again if i make it

Funny Rod, they are the same reasons I lost interest in surfing after nearly 40 years being a fanatic. Always rode shortboards, did whitewater slalom canoeing with a single paddle for 12 years, then competitive goatboating for 18 years but always surfed.

Got sick of the skis, but must admit, I loved the ability to catch lots of waves (in the nicest possible way of course ).

SUP is the best of everything. I love C1 paddling, love standup surfing, love being able to compete with Mals and it's new and exciting. Have completely got my surf stoke back after 4 years Mtn Biking and hardly surfing!

I figured out one of the reasons it is so addictive apart from all the above. On my shortish SUP (9'3 ripper) it feels like you are riding an indo gun - lots of drive and speed - even when it is 2 foot!!

Exactly right Dogman. I am surprised how tight the things will turn though. Watching all the vids you guys put up here (and the Hawiian ones) is very motivating, gotta love technology!