Gday guys.
New to supping and absolutely addicted and new to the forum here thought I'd get some input from you guys.
After purchasing an 11"2 (222 litres ) ECS Evo in March I have already decided I would like something a bit smaller and more nimble I guess. The board has some traits I don't love such as you have to be most the way down the bottom to turn it and in slight chop it can bounce up and down a bit. Also when catching whitewash it just blasts you out of a cannon and can be hard to stay up.
My age is 30 my height is 180cm and current weight is 130kg ( working to get to 110kg by November ish) and I would say I'm def a step up from beginner. ( can bottom turn catch backhand spend most my time standing up ,walk up and down the board etc )
i guess this leads me to my question. Based on 110kgs and experience what boards would you recommend. In my area there is no one who stocks Sunova so I can't just try out. ( I have been looking at the speeed 173L )

173 lts is a lot of board for 110 kg to have in the surf dont loose any weight and ya will b fine

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LastSupper said..
173 lts is a lot of board for 110 kg to have in the surf dont loose any weight and ya will b fine

My board atm is 222L and I can somewhat tame it. However 172 is a massive drop down I thought it would give me a good ratio of approx 1.5 x weight. I see a lot of people disregard the ratios however not all of us have access to test ride these boards and it's all we can go off. Maybe 160L is a better size ? This will open up quite a few different boards in the Sunova range. Was looking at the speeed

I'm about 107-110kg and have sup'd down to 124L, currently running between 130-140L.

I actually wouldn't recommend a Speed as it's very specific in the way it surfs (I've had 2).

I'd look at about 150/160L as a general guide based on 110kg early intermediate.

I'd either look at a Starboard Widepoint 9'5" / Jimmy Lewis Worldwide 9'3" / Sunova The One 9'5" if you wanted a surf shape...or, if you prefer a longboard type of board a Sunova Surf 10'6" / Sunova Steeze 10" / Naish Nalu 10'6" / Jimmy Lewis Striker 10' - All of these are great boards.

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Hoppo3228 said..

I actually wouldn't recommend a Speed as it's very specific in the way it surfs (I've had 2).

I will counter this by saying Wallie sounds a lot like me... height, weight, age and experience.

I went from a 9'10 Allwave (191lt) to a 9'5 Speeed and i gotta say that yes, its different... but when it needed a repair i pulled out a 9'6 prowave that i had erroneously purshased too early in my SUP life - a board that i had never been able to surf - and got on it straight away after less than a year on the Speeed.

It will suck for a month. And then it suddenly won't. I really believe that at your level, the Speeed will teach you so much more about surfing off the back foot than any other board.

Thanks boys really appreciate your input especially being big boys the feedback is relevant. I can see where you are both coming from. From the Sunova products I really like the idea of the surf 10'6 159L as I like to walk towards the nose. Or possibly the speed 9"5 as it is so much shorter with similar litre rating and may teach me to stay further back on the board forcing me to learn how to do proper turns. From the feedback I've read the speeed seems a bit unsteady between sets. And the feedback I've seen on the surf is very minimal. I have a funny feeling this won't be my last board so perhaps I should keep an eye out for something used in either of them.

Speed has a domed deck and quite a bit of rocker. For me it was very specific in what waves suited and how you should surf it. in soft small waves it certainly didn't go. in steep reefs with some power it was good though.

I have a custom surf at 10'4 x 28.5 x 140L. it's great for the rolling points where I usually surf.

IMO it's really worth considering the Steeze as an all rounder, if you are set on a Sunova.

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Hoppo3228 said..
Speed has a domed deck and quite a bit of rocker. For me it was very specific in what waves suited and how you should surf it. in soft small waves it certainly didn't go. in steep reefs with some power it was good though.

I have a custom surf at 10'4 x 28.5 x 140L. it's great for the rolling points where I usually surf.

IMO it's really worth considering the Steeze as an all rounder, if you are set on a Sunova.

Gday mate. The only thing that worry's me about the Steeze is the literate of 150 might scare me off. I initially thought that Sounded like a great all round board but the litreage wasn't something I had even considered droppping down to. Might have to try and drop some more weight to 100kgs

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wallie2444 said..

Hoppo3228 said..
Speed has a domed deck and quite a bit of rocker. For me it was very specific in what waves suited and how you should surf it. in soft small waves it certainly didn't go. in steep reefs with some power it was good though.

I have a custom surf at 10'4 x 28.5 x 140L. it's great for the rolling points where I usually surf.

IMO it's really worth considering the Steeze as an all rounder, if you are set on a Sunova.

Gday mate. The only thing that worry's me about the Steeze is the literate of 150 might scare me off. I initially thought that Sounded like a great all round board but the litreage wasn't something I had even considered droppping down to. Might have to try and drop some more weight to 100kgs

You could always ask Sunova for a custom with more litres or length etc... It costs 5% more for custom dimensions...

I was 109kg on the weekend and 140L is plenty - too much even...

Any board you buy is gonna have a learning curve, as long as you accept that, it's worth struggling a little bit initially... especially for the added performance you get when on a wave.

Good luck mate,
Jarrod

G'day Fellas been thinking pretty hard about it and have decided i will definitely have to buy something used.
After trying a mates board today for around 5 minutes in the surf with choppy conditions (9'2" Evoke 148L ) i found it near impossible to get to my knees on, let alone stand up on.
In saying that if i am wanting a board to use this winter (at 130kgs ) en route to target weight of 100kg ish i will require a decent litreage.
I have managed to find a 2017 model sunova surf. It is 10'2" x 33 wide and 180 litres. It appears the nose comes to a point. a less rounded nose then this years model and a different size to what is available this year ( it is not a custom build )
Being new to the sport can you blokes give any insight into the 2017 model or is there something you recommend to look at when i view it other then the general condition. It appears to the be the xxx Tec construction.
Thanks in advance guys really love the forum.

Hi Wallie

I am not an expert but have bought and sold several used boards. Check for:
1. repairs
2. Dings especially anything that penetrates through the balsa
3. If there are any 3rd party stickers remove them and check under them. Can be used to hide dings and repairs.
4. I f This board has as clear rail tape great......likely taken care of board
5. This board also has RSP hexatraction......great product and a bonus
6. Check fin boxes and handle for cracks and repairs
7. Check fins for dings
8. Extras such as board bag, extra fins, paddle you can try to negotiate for if it is a motivated seller.

the Sunova boards are very well made, durable, maintain value, reasonably light and great surf shapes. This is a board that you could Last a lifetime and though you might progress to a smaller board could be a keeper.

Good luck!

Bob

Thanks Bob,
Really appreciate the reply. All very good points you bring up !
Would be good if someone could comment on the shape of the board and maybe confirm why the change of shape etc in the 2018 model vs 2017 ? I guess being a bit more pointy it would be a little less stable up in the nose.

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wallie2444 said..
G'day Fellas been thinking pretty hard about it and have decided i will definitely have to buy something used.
After trying a mates board today for around 5 minutes in the surf with choppy conditions (9'2" Evoke 148L ) i found it near impossible to get to my knees on, let alone stand up on.
In saying that if i am wanting a board to use this winter (at 130kgs ) en route to target weight of 100kg ish i will require a decent litreage.
I have managed to find a 2017 model sunova surf. It is 10'2" x 33 wide and 180 litres. It appears the nose comes to a point. a less rounded nose then this years model and a different size to what is available this year ( it is not a custom build )
Being new to the sport can you blokes give any insight into the 2017 model or is there something you recommend to look at when i view it other then the general condition. It appears to the be the xxx Tec construction.
Thanks in advance guys really love the forum.

Hi wallie,
Sunova guy here....
I was just at the Sunova factory in Thailand for a month. Literally staying at the factory
The Sunova 10'2 x 33 has not changed.
It was called the "Surf" but the name was changed.
mainly because I suggested it

The 10'6 Surf was a completely different shape than the other 3 sizes, so I suggested they make the 10'6 it's own model.
so... the 9'5, 10'2 and 10'11 became "the ONE"... same exact shapes, same construction

I rode the 10'2 x33 the ONE for several sessions in Thailand last month. (exact same board as the "SURF" in your pictures)
There were dangerous Jellyfish all around me at an offshore reef where I was solo surfing, so I wanted to be on a big, stable board.
I am 104 kg and 70 years old. Super stable and way more float than I needed.

I had a blast on this board... I had also surfed it in Florida last winter and was very happy with how well it surfs!
Someday I hope to have one in my Demo fleet, because it will suit a LOT of people.

I will put together a review of the ONE 10'2 x33 (SURF) for you soon, but here are some pictures from the videos
first pics are Florida.
second set is Thailand

Thanks for your input Rick.
Im a big fan been watching alot of your videos ??. Nice photos mate. Where is your local break ?

as for the board I was looking at above I gave it a miss as I think it is too similar in shape to the board I have and I am looking for something a bit more performance based for my 2nd board. Ideally I would like to find a used custom Steeze or surf(new shape) around 175L. Because I like the idea of getting up to the nose.
However I figure this will be a rare find. I might have to get a 9'11" speeed. (174L) which seems to be a bit more common. Do you still ride your 9'5" speeed ?
I haven't considered other brands as the Sunova just really appeals to me and I would like to try it out.

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wallie2444 said..
Thanks for your input Rick.
Im a big fan been watching alot of your videos ??. Nice photos mate. Where is your local break ?

as for the board I was looking at above I gave it a miss as I think it is too similar in shape to the board I have and I am looking for something a bit more performance based for my 2nd board. Ideally I would like to find a used custom Steeze or surf(new shape) around 175L. Because I like the idea of getting up to the nose.
However I figure this will be a rare find. I might have to get a 9'11" speeed. (174L) which seems to be a bit more common. Do you still ride your 9'5" speeed ?
I haven't considered other brands as the Sunova just really appeals to me and I would like to try it out.

I am on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (North East USA)

I traded off the 9'5 Speeed last year, it was a great winter board, but I got a 9'2 Speeed and my 9'4 Creek, so I moved it on.

At your age, you can push the limits a bit, but just remember that your "weight to volume" on the 9'11 is only 1.3, which is in the "advanced" range, and the Speeed is much tippier than the SURF/ONE.... but like I said, you ar young and that changes the numbers in your favor.

Gday guys. Still haven't found something I liked. However after a chat today with my local sup store he has mentioned their is some 2017 Naish quests 10'8" available for $1500 incl a cover.
From what I can tell this is a nice board that would suit nose riding etc which appeals to me ( anyone wanna throw a review in ) however at 164L and only 30" wide they recommend a max user weight of 100kgs. Any of you bigger blokes riding these ? Can anyone comment on the tolerance etc of these numbers or even the Nalu 10'6 (160L).
As of today I'm 124kgs so heading in the right direction but still well over their "recommendation "
cheers.

hey wally .
i think it will be tippy for you ..
have you thought of the 10 mana ...33 wide 190 litres .
or 9,6 quest .i think getting in the waves you will need some width .

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Tardy said..
hey wally .
i think it will be tippy for you ..
have you thought of the 10 mana ...33 wide 190 litres .
or 9,6 quest .i think getting in the waves you will need some width .

Thanks heaps mate. Appreciate it. I think I'll just hold off then for a while and try and get a 10 ft sunova Steeze once I hit around 110kg mark. ??

Finally pulled the trigger on a 10'6 XL style. Get it tomorrow night. Can't wait straight out Thursday morning before work

Also thanks again everyone for their input. Ideally I woulda picked the Steeze however at 121kgs I liked the idea of the extra width and length of the style XL.
One more thing Do any of you blokes use hexatraction ?
Cheers,

Good to hear Wallie

Hexatraction on two of my boards. RSP rail tape on all of them. Great product and does not detract visually from these beautiful boards! Good durable grip for both bare feet and boots. Purists seem to prefer wax. I wax my longboard but much prefer Hexatraction on my SUPs. A bit pricy but worth it. Lots of reviews and application tips here and on the "Sup Zone" if you look through past posts.

Cheers

Bob

How's it going Wallie
Great to hear you've got yrself a Style.
I was going to respond last night but had to put the kid in the bath and in to bed then catch up with the missus and before I knew it I was plum tuckered out and ready for nigh nighs myself!
I reckon you've made an excellent decision purchasing the Style XL. I picked up a 10'6 XL up a few weeks back and I'm still grinning.
I'm 107 kgs and it floats no worries. They're very stable boards BUT they're not pigs. The Style will definitely teach you a lot about how to surf off the back foot and how to get up the nose - they're performance boards but forgiving. It will also allow you to develop as a wave rider in to your own style (no pun intended). They're beautiful boards and I reckon if you persist and get yourself in the water in any conditions you'll be stoked at how fast you progress. Don't be fooled by the length - it's 10'6 but they don't feel like it. They really are that good.
Don't try to shred in the first week - take the time to learn the board.
I got down the beach late in the arvo a couple of weeks back and the wind was a nasty on/cross shore bugger. There were waves but they were blown out and messier than a four-year olds bowl of weeties.
There was no appeal and no-one was out. But I thought man, bugger it, I'm gonna get out amongst the wind and chop and see how I go.
At first it was pretty hard work paddling in to the chop but kept going and stuck it out and ended up getting waves (ugly and horrible waves) - the Style is a deadest winner - and a keeper. (wax all the way for me man).

I reckon you'll be stoked mate!

Yow!

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MangoDingo said..
How's it going Wallie
Great to hear you've got yrself a Style.
I was going to respond last night but had to put the kid in the bath and in to bed then catch up with the missus and before I knew it I was plum tuckered out and ready for nigh nighs myself!
I reckon you've made an excellent decision purchasing the Style XL. I picked up a 10'6 XL up a few weeks back and I'm still grinning.
I'm 107 kgs and it floats no worries. They're very stable boards BUT they're not pigs. The Style will definitely teach you a lot about how to surf off the back foot and how to get up the nose - they're performance boards but forgiving. It will also allow you to develop as a wave rider in to your own style (no pun intended). They're beautiful boards and I reckon if you persist and get yourself in the water in any conditions you'll be stoked at how fast you progress. Don't be fooled by the length - it's 10'6 but they don't feel like it. They really are that good.
Don't try to shred in the first week - take the time to learn the board.
I got down the beach late in the arvo a couple of weeks back and the wind was a nasty on/cross shore bugger. There were waves but they were blown out and messier than a four-year olds bowl of weeties.
There was no appeal and no-one was out. But I thought man, bugger it, I'm gonna get out amongst the wind and chop and see how I go.
At first it was pretty hard work paddling in to the chop but kept going and stuck it out and ended up getting waves (ugly and horrible waves) - the Style is a deadest winner - and a keeper. (wax all the way for me man).

I reckon you'll be stoked mate!

Yow!

Awesome to see your still grinning mate !! I ended up with the teal coloured one as I preferred it to the natural look !
leash on. Fins in. Hexatraction on order. Alarm set !!
not sure if to hit the beach tomorrow or just the river to get a feel for it so I don't embarrass myself

Wallie!!! mate - how good does that look??!!!!
That is one fine lookin' stick ya got there brus!!!
Congrats on the purchase man - that thing is an absolute gem.
Struth - you'll have to keep us updated on how she goes for ya man.

Good times brother!!! Get stuck in!!!!

well done willie ...its all about style mate .
I'm getting a custom sunova ,,soon ...no 4

Tardy ....Sunovitis has hit hard

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Tardy said..
well done willie ...its all about style mate .
I'm getting a custom sunova ,,soon ...no 4

Number 4 ?!? How did you get the Mrs to agree to that ?!? I've got my 2nd board since starting to SUP in March. I'm not very popular right now so I have no idea how long I should let the dust settle before getting number 3 maybe 12 months ?
Would love to hear from people with experience in this field

G'Day fellas. Just a quick Update on the board. Only spent 45 min on it this morning before work.
Very impressed to say the least.

Now I understand what STC means when he says tippy but stable. Seems to be quite stable but has a tiny bit of tippyness to it which is exactly what I expected coming down 65 Litres.

Took me a little while to find the best place to stand but once I did this board has great glide and tracks very straight !! It has quite a long centre fin which I could feel straight away could be shorter to allow for a smaller turning circle ( I think i May leave it though to assist with stabilising until I feel more comfortable with the board )

Deck grib is quite hard and not foamy like others I have used. I guess this would assist with the longevity of it ?
and on first use some of the gaps between the deck pad were just in the wrong position ( right under my toes or feet.Time will tell if this is a problem )

will have ave another update once I've taken into the surf this weekend !!
Cheers.

YES ,they don't seem to have a sense of humour when it comes to you buying boards .

i work on the theory ,just bring it home ,they can't make you take it back.
your ear hurts for a few days ,but comes right .

it would of been no.5 if i hadn't of sold my 130 flow last week ,
someone just come up to me out of the blue and said i want that board ...ok ..$$

We work hard ,we deserve it

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wallie2444 said..
Number 4 ?!? How did you get the Mrs to agree to that ?!?

Simple: Just have the Missy also have a hobby involving gear...
At 43 now, waiting for the 44 & 45th next month :-)