Just bought a 2012 Simon Anderson 11x 30 x 4 3/8 (165 litres). The new model has a wood finish deck. It is a thruster set up and has futures sides. First impressions is it looks sweet. I have taken it out in various conditions from 2ft windblown slop to super clean 2-3 footers. Unfortunately no bigger stuff yet. It is super stable for my 108kg frame and performs really good with the Scarfini futures (wetfins.com.au) and naish 7 inch centre fin. It cuts back unreal and you can turn it super hard on the bottom turns with ease. I was a bit nervous after going up from a 10' McTavish quad fin but was super happy with it's performance and stability. I was after something more stable but not losing in performance and I think I scored. I recommend the scarfini fins as well which are a fibreglass carbon mix which I bought locally, and my old naish fin (dolphin shape) worked a treat. Only down side is a 2 inch crack on the rail after the first surf near the tail which appears to be a manufacturing fault but nothing else since. All in all though I am very happy and recommend a demo if you are the larger guy after something that performs a bit more in the surf. Can't wait to get it out in some solid waves one day, c'mon Huey!! Pic of board coming soon when rain stops.....

Thanks for your comments. I have a 10' Simon Anderson Carrier which I really like, and recently started looking around for an additional board around 11'. The SA Water Buffalo seemed like the kind of board that if I went on a road trip and could only take one board, it might fit the bill for flat waters and small surf. Couldn't see one in a retailer though, so am interested where you got it.

I'd like to see a pic of board. Is this the new SA range style?

Yeah I 've got the water buffalo and love it. To me its a great allrounder without any of the dounsides that that normally come with that title.

Unfortunately mine didn't last long. About a 1/2 to a dozen surfs and this is what happened in 2 ft surf. Waiting to see if I get any joy from the manufacturers...........

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sepirott said...

Unfortunately mine didn't last long. About a 1/2 to a dozen surfs and this is what happened in 2 ft surf. Waiting to see if I get any joy from the manufacturers...........

Oh mate....what a bummer!!!
I don't reckon there is a feeling much worse than dragging a board up the beach with a piece in each hand ....except maybe when one of your kids hurts themselves.
There is not too many (if any) boards of that sort of length that can survive being
put into the wrong place at the wrong time.
The laws of physics are a b@#ch.
It's a nice clean snap.....was it guillotined by the lip or speared into the bottom??
It it's any consolation it should repair OK when it dries out.

I know Deano it sucks the big one, and the lip got it, boy wasn't it a hassle getting it up the beach. To top it of I creased my backup sup as well the following surf, for the third time mind you on that one. I am on a roll. The SA really went well also which makes it even more of a bummer. Going to do the repair thing but like my other board never the same. The minister of finance is not very happy either..........

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sepirott said...

I know Deano it sucks the big one, and the lip got it, boy wasn't it a hassle getting it up the beach. To top it of I creased my backup sup as well the following surf, for the third time mind you on that one. I am on a roll. The SA really went well also which makes it even more of a bummer. Going to do the repair thing but like my other board never the same. The minister of finance is not very happy either..........

AAAHHHGGG! that pic made my balls shrivel up. I've got the same board.... I love it

If a snap is repaired properly it shouldn't feel greatly different to new.
Just make sure the repairer doesn't just take the easy fix and bog it up with epoxy with a filler in it.
If they do that it will probably just snap again right next to the previous one....and surf like a pig.
This is similar to how it should be done, minus the softtop
boardlady.com/softsnap.htm
All new laminations are the same as the original skin.....no hard spots and there is continuity throughout the skin.....minimal weight gain or change to flex and performance.
It is worth paying a few extra bucks to make sure it is done right!!
Good luck.

Thanks Deano, we are actually going to put some lengths of carbon fiber rods into the foam to strengthen it before the re-glassing it. See how it goes...... We will post pics when we do it.

Cheers, Spiro

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sepirott said...

Thanks Deano, we are actually going to put some lengths of carbon fiber rods into the foam to strengthen it before the re-glassing it. See how it goes...... We will post pics when we do it.

Cheers, Spiro

although that seems like a good idea to strengthen it at the break using the method you mentioned......it's not!!
Doing that will greatly effect the flex of the board and kill it.....this is one of the reasons people say a repaired snap never surfs the same again.
I'd be prepared to put money on where it will snap next.....either end of the carbon rods!!
Check that link out in my previous post......that web site has plenty of good info for repairs.
It's worth repairing an expensive toy properly.

I hear you Deano, I was thinking the same thing, I will talk it over with my repairer before we start. Only reason we were thinking of doing it was because I have repaired my 12 ft'er the standard way after a snap and it just keeps snapping, in small waves even. Never the same I know, especially when they are over 10 ft I think. Flat water only from now on I think for my snapped boards, Surfed all my life and never had dramas with snapping boards until I started surfing sups.

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sepirott said...
Surfed all my life and never had dramas with snapping boards until I started surfing sups.

I'm the opposite......lost count of snapped shortboards over the years (super lightweight things).
And every time it happens you just know you've done something stupid.
Folded a carbon sailboard in half once too. Landed a jump flat and put the rig through it......very expensive stupidity!!
I've never snapped a longboard or SUP cause I'm much more cautious of where I put them in relation to the wave.
Every type of board has its limits.
Sounds like you have learnt the hard way, more than once, of what not to do with a SUP (or longboard).
If it happens to you again you wil know before you even get to the surface and see it.....better still you will foresee it and avoid it!!
Get it fixed, get back out there and enjoy it!!