im going to be purchasing a new board soon and i dont want to waste my doh on the wrong board.I currantly ride the 11.6 kalama and i actually love this board in waves but want something a bit more drivey and something i can progress on.I am late to surfing so im not a ripper and never will be  basically a bit above kook level
LOL.I have had a demo on Naish 9.6 thanks Jacko if your reading and a ron house 9,8 but i think its to small for me im 85-90KG and 6,1, and i prefer the glide of the bigger boards ideally i would like to support australian made too but i like the reviews of the psh allrounder,caus i still want something i can paddle around aswell as just surf.I aslo dont mind paying more for great quality so i want somethings that,s gonna last as my wife wont let me keep buying new boards.One more thing i dont mind getting in the bigger stuff when its on , so is their a board that can do all this for me?Any advice help appreciated.Oh one more, i have had a paddle on the Naish 10.6 and didnt like it.

Cheers
Andrew

Cheers

Oh and i reckon you have the board you want and dont even relaize it, i have had the big kalama out in some biggish stuff 5ft yellow rock & 5 -6ft beachies 5ft water tower.

G'day
I had the same thing a couple of months ago. I also had the kalama that I loved (I think its the best surfing large board out there) but I wanted to down size abit. Tried a couple of sub 10 footers that surfed unreal and were plenty stable due to their width but were lacking the glide that I was after to reach waves further away.
For me SUP is about getting away from the easly accessed peaks with the rest of the humans and finding some waves to myself. Rip and slash is not my thing on the SUB (I ride a regular shortboard when conditions suit).
I ended up getting the Jimmy Lewis 10.4 and have been more then happy with it. Like the kalama I down sized the fins abit as I felt it was a bit stiff with the standard set up and moved the rear fin as far forward as I could.
This board handels drops well and feels as easy as the kalama to paddle into waves. I like to try and ride long boards with flow rather then rip and slash so the JL suits my style. build quality seems good. I also weigh around 85 kgs.
Don't see many JL boards on the east coast but the guys in the west seem to be charging big waves on them.
I also looked very closely at the PSH boards and think I would have been very happy with one aswell.
Came down to getting a good price on the JL and not being able to demo the PSH.
I think the brands should look at the 10 to 11 foot range and give us boards that surf well but can cover some distance with ease.
They seem to be pushing the short performance fish style boards that require performance waves. I think this will only lead to more tension/less fun as there is allready enough people fighting for these waves on regular boards.
Good luck in your search for the right board for YOU
Nev

Try a Naish 11'4" Its the shnitzzer!!! Surfs great, turns really nice, has thinner rails and is really stable as well. It also is great in bigger stuff it is very siprising how hard you can turn it when you get on the tail. I have the 9ft 6in Naish too and I am still getting the hang of it. I am 95kg and it takes a bit more skill to get the most out of it but I am getting there.

highly recommend the Jimmy lewis 10.4 for surf..., i'm a bit heavier than you and now dialled into it . Also have never surfed before... it's ok for paddling around in the flats, it's got a bit of glide but at the end of the day more surf orientated, with it's surfy pintail, thrusters, and sensaitonal rails and rocker.

i upgraded from one of the 11'6 naish boards, which are huge in comparison. I was a bit worried about the size drop at first, but it's amazing how quickly you adapt in this sport and i'm the slowest learner...

The very first wave i caught, i new u had made the correct decision . these boards will do you for knee high to head and the rest. Construction is very solid with a glossy finish and one of the best sup pads around, but you do have to watch the sides for chipping with the paddle, good idea to protect sides with clear tape and tape your paddle blade.

plenty of other good boards out there, i'm just lettin u know i'm stoked with the JL.

good luck teatrea

thanks fellas , Nev your thoughts are mine , i too think their is a lot of focus on going shorter with sup which is cool if your into that but i think the bigger boards have a lot of advantages , expecially the give and take , you know some times it wil take you and some times you can put it where you want it.And brooko you might be right i might already have the right board , but im gonna get another one any way as the misses has given me the green light , and i have to take advantage before she changes her mind.

you have all given me more to ponder and research thanks.

I am 110kg I have the JL 10 8 it is a fantastic all round board that rips in the waves, consider the Starboard 9 8 as well. I might get one of those for small beachies and the wife to use. The 9 8 has a handle which is good for the vertically challanged (wife)