Looking to buy a board and hoping for some newbie guidance!
I live inland and visit the southeast coast (US) several times a year where I'm typically stuck renting and surfing traditional ~9' boards or whatever plastic, flatwater BICs the local shops have laying around. No more! Unfortunately these areas don't have places to demo true sup surf boards so that's not an option. I'm buying blind.

I'm late 30s athletic, 5'-9", 160 lbs (~72 kg). Not looking for a flatwater board... really only care about surfing whatever conditions exist at the time of my trips. Maneuverability is important. I'd give up some stability for easy turning.
Reading around the forums it sounds like the JL Destroyer is highly recommended as a single quiver board. Also, it seems like the 8' 115L fits my size... but surely not my skill level or experience.

Based on the above, would stepping up to the 130L Destroyer be a good selection? Any advice/guidance on board & volume selection?

Thanks!

Hi Nash

I will be in Ft Pierce area from late November through April, so if you are around then, hit me up.... I have a van full of demo boards.
Not exactly your size, but you can demo and get a feel for a number of boards at one time.

supthecreek@gmail.com

I would get the super Frank 8 or 8'6 lean. I have one and it's so much fun. Had a 8'5 destroyer and it was probably too good for my skill set but I found the super Frank a lot more playful. Or get a 10 foot Longboard style sup.

Thanks for the offer, supthecreek! Wish I was in the area to have been able to take you upon that. Honestly I'm not good enough yet to get full value from testing a bunch of boards but after some practice I'll definitely take you up on that when I'm in the market for my next board. PS I'm really liking your video reviews.

I ended up getting the 8'0" super frank (wide). @jvriesinga, your comment is what I needed to hear regarding the destroyer.
I'm very happy with the board after my first trip! Spent hours every day getting my legs, learning the j-stroke and pivot turns. I'll be curious to see how different it feels during fresh water lake practice in preparation for my next trip to the coast!

Thanks again, guys!