I need advice

which shape prone board is the easiest to paddle?

around the 35l volume.

is it the flattest, thickest, thinnest straightest?

im very confused

Just curious.why is paddle speed so important?

There's ease of paddling and there is ease of catching waves. Those are different things. I've been on a 28 liter board that catches waves better than my 32 liter board. Paddling it long distances was worse though.

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TooMuchEpoxy said..
Just curious.why is paddle speed so important?

Paddle speed is no concern. My concern is how much energy I use paddling.
I normally catch a bit of white water and have had no problem catching waves.

my session ends when my shoulders get too tired.

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Hdip said..
There's ease of paddling and there is ease of catching waves. Those are different things. I've been on a 28 liter board that catches waves better than my 32 liter board. Paddling it long distances was worse though.

What is the big difference in shape between the two. It sounds like your 28 litre is a better shape

Well I think paddle speed in the forward direction is important to catch waves myself. Obviously if you are chipping into whitewater only maybe not. From the many prone boards I tried there's a cost benefit to fitting more volume into a shorter board. Eventually they become "boaty" and your paddle power is lost through side to side movement rather than forward. Too long and the swing weight / length for turning and pumping is compromised. Then of course is the overall bottom (double concave at front, flat at bottom) top (slight recessed deck) and outline (too wide at back catches when turning, too narrow and it becomes squirrelly to me and releases too early). Also how the volume is distributed through the length of the board (want most from front half up). Also how much rocker.

I found the north swell to have the most the characteristics I was looking for. Saved me a custom job. Although the 4'4 38 litre paddles more like a 36l to me and could have done with slightly more length I feel. They put too much unnecessaey rocker in it as well - if custom would have been slightly less to give essentially more water contact and forward paddle speed.

4'6 seemed to the magic length on some of the boards I tried.

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The north swell looks good

im 75kg

i am currently proning on my wing board:
Cabrinha Code. 4'8" X 23" X 4.1" X 58L And I can link three waves max. I believe a lighter board will pump better. But I worry about my paddle fitness

The north swell is a similar shape to the code.

can you tell me how much the 4"4' swell weighs?

I've found that there's 2 kinds of boards, shorter and wider vs longer and narrower. A shorter wider board with a wide tail block is going to have more for the white water to impact, getting you up to speed quick. Good for short period
muahburgers. You sacrifice paddle speed though. The longer narrow boards with more of a pintail are going to paddle faster, better for getting up to speed to match longer periods swell that you need to be in before it's breaking.

You see a lot more of the longer narrow boards on the market because those industry leaders live in places with that long period swell. Kind of annoying considering mushy wind swell is better foiling and most of us have that kinds of wave.