I'm 145lbs good wingfoiler.
I'm considering a Kalama E3 to learn Supfoil in small mushy waves (and use it for super marginal days winging).
Gofoil foils.

Is 5'4 26" 104L , has a front fin, too small to learn on?

I have non existent SUP skills other than huge beginner boards on flat water.

Kalama's are great boards but that's not a board to learn on. You want something longer and wider, trust me on this the learning process is agony out in the ocean. Get yourself an older design first up and get some hours under your belt first before you go a semi pro model.

Easiest for me to get an E3 so I don't have to change gear.
Maybe not that small.
What size do you suggest?

Easiest for me to get an E3 so I don't have to change gear.
Maybe not that small.
What size do you suggest?

Select to expand quote

Piros said..
Kalama's are great boards but that's not a board to learn on. You want something longer and wider, trust me on this the learning process is agony out in the ocean. Get yourself an older design first up and get some hours under your belt first before you go a semi pro model.

+1. Getting an oversized high performance board like E3 to learn on is not optimal. To fully benefit from E3 you should on a smaller size than 104, which would not be a good learner.

I agree with others, you will have a hard time learning on narrower and shorter sup. You need to learn how to paddle on one side straight and the balancing. But looking at their website, they make wide DW version 6'1x26" and 6'5x27.5 if you really can only get Kalama board. I been sup foiling on 5'4 homemade sup(i'm 175lb) and I want a longer board now so i can get on wave earlier before break. On short foil sup, you really need steep wave(almost breaking) or get push by white water plus good strong paddling skill on one side.

I would have to disagree with some of the above. I'm
the Australian importer of Kalama performance and have the E2 and E3.. yes they are a high performance board. Your 145lb - 65kg. If you have SUP & foil skills just don't go 5'4 to start as you will not have the glide/ initial stability your after. Great board the 5'4 winging & SUP I use mine at 83kg for both but have been on a paddle board since 2008.
I would suggest for you either the wider DW boards for glide purposes or the 5'10 E3. Make it easier on yourself. They release so quick from the water and once up feels like nothing underneath you. Everyone entitled to their opinions based on number on a website sure, but I ride the boards, sell these boards and know how they are underfoot. Sounds like you have your heart set on one and I don't blame you either. Enjoy !

I'm 90kg wet and have been SUP surfing a 8'5" Naish Mana GT for several years, I bought this "smaller" performance board because I didn't want to buy the standard 10 foot barge and then sell it when I got the hang of SUP surfing after years of short board surfing.
when I first got that board I struggled to stay on it in the surf and got bounced off by nearly every bit of chop, backwash or just fell off paddling for a wave. I got really frustrated and thought I'd made the wrong decision
then I just went and did a heap of paddling on that board in flat water (lake) and that confirmed that I could paddle the board and not fall off. Did tail turn drills, J stroke paddles etc
I then went back in the surf and Wallah! no problem staying upright in waves, chop etc and progressed really fast from there


Recently started the Foil journey and thought SUP would be the easiest transition as after several years of SUP surfing I'd be sweet
Ended up with a used 6'6" Blueplanet EasyFoiler around 112 litres and found that I fell off all the time in the surf and most of my energy was used in climbing back on the board after every fall, not talking about actual foiling, just trying to stay upright paddling around waiting for suitable waves.
So I went did the flat water paddle practice thing and worked out to stand pretty much over the centreline of the board and more bent knees plus getting used to the slow side to side rocking motion of having mast and foil underwater and that your reactions need to adjust to the delay. So back into the surf and didn't fall off quite as much but still not as comfortable as paddling a regular SUP. Then that board got a massive delamination bubble and was going to cost big $$$$ to fix, I was really bummed and pissed off that I had to spend more money on gear (ha, ha.)
Anyway, at that time the E3 was just released and something about that board clicked with me so I was able to snaffle a 5'10" 123l E3 SUP
Dyl from Kalama Australia suggested if you go shorter don't go less volume at the same time
I can stand and paddle the E3 absolutely fine on flat water and can stay upright in the surf if its not choppy. Paddling for waves can be tricky, really need the J stroke dialled to be in the right position and angle

SUP paddling a 5'10" board is quite a challenge but very satisfying when you get it right. I also use the 5'10" for prone foiling, wing foiling and flat water SUP cruising with just a mast (no foil) so it doesn't just go round in circles
Moral of my little story, start bigger and easier and get the basics nailed. If you try and learn on inappropriate gear you will get extremely frustrated and your progress will be slow or none at all, increasing your frustration and "non froth"levels

I've recently bought a very cheap 5'2" prone board to try and it's been a revelation. I've progressed very quickly on the prone and feel that I should have learnt prone before SUP, but that's another long winded post

Thanks those comments are all super helpful.
Keep the feedbacks coming.
This would be my second foiling board to eventually Supfoil more.
My current only board is for winging (and hopefully learn to prone), a GoFoil 4'9 22.5 wide 60L I use from 8 knots to 40+knots winging.