Hi all,
Keen to get some advice on the best suited SUP board for myself.
I`m 98kg 6`0ft and have surfed all of my life and and live 500m from the beach in Bunbury but want to switch over to SUP Boarding as I`m nearing 40 years of age.
I want to get a board for small 1-3ft waves as well as use it in the estuary, river, flat days etc for a bit of fitness? I`ve had suggestions of the new Mana GT 10', JP Fusion 10' 8" and also the Starboard Whopper 10' though this is my least preferred option at this stage? I`ve now also seen that Naish have the new 9' 8" Odysseus?
I`m keen to get some tips as to the best board as I think although I need some buoyancy at my size, don`t want to get something too big that I regret buying in 3 months time?

9'5 or possibly 9'1 Fanatic Allwave would also be worth a look. In the JP - at your weight and with some surfing background you might be better served with the 10'2 fusion rather than the 10'8

Odyssey is the only board that will cross-over into the flats - it has flatter rocker and multiple concaves which makes it much more suitable for flatwater + it will be the most stable. If the SUP surf bug bites you'll want to upgrade any of those boards in due course anyways.....

The 9'1 Fanatic allwawe definitely looks like a smaller option with 160L volume?
I think you`re correct in saying the 10'2 fusion with 170L volume would be better suited than the 10'8.

PeterP - you`ve ridden the new Naish Odysseus and reckon it might be a good fit compared to say the new Naish Mana?

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Cheesy said..

The 9'1 Fanatic allwawe definitely looks like a smaller option with 160L volume?
I think you`re correct in saying the 10'2 fusion with 170L volume would be better suited than the 10'8.

PeterP - you`ve ridden the new Naish Odysseus and reckon it might be a good fit compared to say the new Naish Mana?

I have not ridden the Odyssey as it has not arrived here yet - but I've ridden the 10'10 Nalu which is what it is based on and that is an incredible starter board - hands down the most stable board on the market. Odyssey is shorter but it retains the width and some of the concaves which work so well on the 10'10 for stability and tracking straight. The new Mana 10'0 is more wave oriented and will be better suited if you were just going to do waves, but seeing you want some flatwater performance the Odyssey would be my choice.

Thanks for the advice on these guys.
It looks like the Naish Odysseus are starting to come into the shops so I might look to track one down?

Hi cheesy I am 105kgs and 6'4 I started out on a JP 10'2 fusion then went to a whopper and am now on a JP surf 9'2. I am also a long time surfer aged 32, suping for 1.5 years. When I first started out I thought I would be doing a lot of flatwater paddling but I soon found that surf was my main focus. The JP 10'2 is a great board and stable enough for a bigger guy to learn on I surfed this board mostly at Cottesloe but also up north and around Margaret river. It is very solid fast and lively in waves 3 to 6 feet but a bit stiff in smaller stuff. Within about 5 months I had outgrown this board and wanted something I could turn better. I then went to the whopper as they are a super fun board they let you into waves super early and are easy to turn. I had that for about 4 months then made the step down.

If you are like me then as you get into suping surf performance will become much more important than flatwater performance. When I first started I thought I would need a board that was massive and easy to paddle but in reality I probably could have started on a smaller board than what I did. Also being down in bunbury it's not gonna be long before your gonna want to head down to Margaret river and you need a decent surf shape to handle the waves down there.

The odyssey looks like a good cruiser but I am a bit dubious about its surf performance. If I was you I would probably be looking at a 9'5 mana ( the 2014 32") or 9'5 wide point a 10'2 JP fusion or a whopper.

These are just my opinions and I'm not really an avid flatwater paddler

I'd be choosing between the new 10' Mana and the 10'10" Nalu.. with the Mana being better in the waves and the Nalu being better on the flat.. But they will both do both..

Think more about the surf aspect first
I can't convince myself that I need a dedicated flat-water board. I'd rather have more surf SUP's, so I use all my surf SUP's in flat-water.

Last year I paddled flat-water over 120 days... a lot of the time was on my 8'10 Allwave.
I weigh 95 kg and am 65

My average paddle trip is 2.5 hours. In winter, that means in wind, ice and snow.

I love paddling my shorter SUP's... since I have only done 2 races ( both on short surf SUPs) I don't really care if I go a little faster, plus, it improves my surf performance and paddle technique.

I think for a starter SUP, you would be very happy with the 10' Mana or the 9'6 Allwave....both surf very well for boards that are stable and paddle flat-water just fine. Also.... I have lots of time in on the 9'5 GS and the 9'5 GT.... I feel NO difference between them. I buy GS only.

Check out "My winter SUP movie" on the Stand Up Paddle pages... lots of shots on my 9'5 Mana (GS & GT), 9'4 Hobie RAW in winter surf & flat-water conditions... in full winter gear, I gotta be 112 k

What ever you get, give yourself a bit of time on flat-water first and when you jump into the surf... have patience... there is a definite learning curve to taking off, standing on a SUP..... you will LOVE it!

Hi Cheesy,
On April 6th we have a flat water sup event on the Collie River (Eaton Foreshore) sponsored by YOB Australia, they are going to bring down some demo boards if you are keen to come along and try some out. A rare opportunity for us in Bunbury to try boards out with out having to commit to a day trip to the metro.
Cheers

Guys - thanks heaps for the responses and support thus far.
Unfortunately (Well - not really) I`m heading to Kalbarri 2 days before the Sup Event is on at the Eaton foreshore.
I`m now thinking the 10' Mana is going to be best suited and as you`ve pointed out, I`m sure the wave bug will grow in me to get more involved as I get more confident.
The Mana has good volume and width but looks like it is also very manouverable which ticks all of the boxes for me at the stage I`ll be at as well as being a board I can grow into?
Now I`ll see if I can track one down before I head to Kalbarri on the 4th April?

Sorry to be a pain Cheesy as you reckon you have chosen a SUP but I reckon you will outgrow a 10ft Mana very fast - it is a BIG board! 33 wide and 190 litres volume is a hell of a lot for someone who has surfed all their life....reckon you will want a bit more feeling/challenge from a board. Can't help thinking you are going to be selling this sooner than you think....got to be other boards out there that are better all rounders which are not so big.

Just my opinion of course....if you can demo then that is the best thing to do...save you cash!

And as for those few words about you nearing 40 so need to be SUP boarding......being on a SUP doesn't mean you are past it

Another option to look at is the Jimmy Lewis range of boards, in particular the Striker 9'5 x 31" which rips is small surf has awesome glide and stability with out the corky volume.

Jimmy's Kwad is a high performance user friendly board that also rips, the 9'7 x 31" is 157lts and the 9'11 x 32" is 175lts

If you want to look outside the box at boards designed by a legend with 45yrs of shaping under his belt and hands down the BEST construction in the industry then give us a call!!

We are looking at getting these awesome boards into more riders hands so are offering some great package deals at the moment.

Cheers
Jason
Jimmy Lewis Oz
www.jimmylewis.com.au

I agree with what others have said go a little smaller, maybe the 9'5 mana which is 32 wide if you go too big you will be bored of it within about 4 or 5 months

Just looked at the Jimmy Kwad and Striker are certainly wave orientated options.
I`m pretty sure the Stand Up Surf Shop in Fremantle had a 9' 5" Mana they let you demo so I might angle in on taking that for a test paddle to see if it is a suitable board? I`m certainly happier to start on the lower volume / length if it works well.

Hey Cheesy,

I just ordered the 10 8 fusion so will let you know how it goes.

I am similar size but have zero surf skills and I want to get my young son on board so wanted so extra stability.

Stand up surf shop have the Allwaves on demo too. I saw them yesterday, looks like a nice board!!

So many choices it's not easy

OK Stutho - sounds like a plan and hope your board rides well.

Hey Cheesy,

I am maybe 8kgs lihter than you but similar story, prone surfed all my life but blew my knee big time a year and bit ago. 41 years young and thought **** it, get a sup, so enter the 9'5" mana....great fun and you will easily handle it. I reckon I was ready for a new board after 8 months though, i just have decided how small to go lol....

Its a good choice i reckon as well as the board the other guys have recommended.

In my case it was a steep learning curve when you start SUP - not on the wave but everything else including getting the wave? Give it a couple of months and you have cracked the basics and I can guarantee you will not want a big board then....unless you want an all rounder. You can nose ride these things much easier if you get the right shape. I am getting on the nose of my JP 8 ft 8 when I want to and you will have much better surfing skills than I. One of those 9 5 Striker boards by Jimmy Lewis look ideal for what you said and based on the idea you will no doubt end up in the surf more than flat. The smaller mana too. Good luck.

Cheers guys - definitely convinced to go for smaller with the 9' 5 Mana in mind.
Certainly thankful for the advice or else I`d be angling in on something far too big and it sounds like I`d be upgrading fairly quickly to something smaller anyway.

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Cheesy said..

Cheers guys - definitely convinced to go for smaller with the 9' 5 Mana in mind.
Certainly thankful for the advice or else I`d be angling in on something far too big and it sounds like I`d be upgrading fairly quickly to something smaller anyway.

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Cheesy said..

Cheers guys - definitely convinced to go for smaller with the 9' 5 Mana in mind.
Certainly thankful for the advice or else I`d be angling in on something far too big and it sounds like I`d be upgrading fairly quickly to something smaller anyway.

I'm 95kg and 6'4'' and love my new 9'5'' Mana..

Got a cruisy Ben Howard soundtrack going on there too DavidJohn.
Nice work.

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DavidJohn said..

I'm 95kg and 6'4'' and love my new 9'5'' Mana..

You mean your new Alana:) DJ, does your Alana hit the advertised weight of 24.5 lb?

9'5" Striker would be ideal for what you're after. There are a couple in Bunbury and they paddle and surf really well