Hi All
just a thought after renting a big board 10x32 on hols in Tenerife.

Are we we making it to hard to have fun on a SUP by going smaller and smaller?

I have done done it with windsurfing/ kiting/surfing. Bought gear for ideal conditions and boards the Pros would ride.
When really just want to go out and have fun on any day. I love high performance but at risk of limited wave time.

May be I will take out the bigger board# this summer for some easy surf fun.

Managing a big board out of water is also an issue for consideration e.g storage , transportation , weight.
its a compromise . Ideally you have a two boards as a minimum.
I have an 88 Speeed and 12 ft Venom and an inflatable 9ft starby.
To be honest the 12ft Venom is my favourite but a real hassle out of water and no way I am taking that to the local beach break . The 88 speeed is just so practical but tough work in bumpy conditions . Would love to add an in between board for more than ease. Something a bit wider but not necessarily longer

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rgmacca said..

Are we we making it to hard to have fun on a SUP by going smaller and smaller?

Yes.
Went smaller, shorter, narrower.
On my way back up. More wave time. Less swearing. More smiling.
Not a pro.
Living the stoke.
Without foiling.

it's the Peter Principle applied to SUP. we keep promoting ourselves to the level of our incompetency.

It's taken 3-4 years for my dumb arse to work out I can't ride much under 130 litres..and still have fun
but your right Macca ..you need to know your limits ..

the question is can you have fun on a bigger board ...sure you can .

it just depends on how far you push your high performance level ..
with out compromising the fun factor .

i only have one board ..

Tardy, please don't keep me in suspense....What is the only one board? I'd love to have a quiver of ONE that would suit 90% of conditions.
Cheers, Captain Jimbo

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CaptainJimbo said..
Tardy, please don't keep me in suspense....What is the only one board? I'd love to have a quiver of ONE that would suit 90% of conditions.
Cheers, Captain Jimbo

Ha ..at a time in the water ....

i got 8 sorry to disappoint ..

8.10 flow is my medicine .quite happy paddling it around ,or heading out in 1- 6 foot ..the most versatile board I've ever owned.

Well, it depends what you want out of SUP. Some people just want pain and misery under the guise of "a challenge" :)

But in general the answer to the Q surely has to be "yes"? Handling bigger boards is a skill all of its own, and IMO there's nothing like a skilled rider on a versatile board to hoover up all the stoke, day in and day out.

I see much the same in racing locally near me, with lots of "ex-racers" going back to boards that are a little bit wider for everyday use, to maximise the performance/fun ratio.

i spent a lucky couple of days with DJ and PT Woody recently (*amazing* hosts, btw) and because DJ is a big guy and was very kindly lending me his boards, I got to paddle a couple of Naishes that were bigger than I'd normally paddle. I was instantly reminded of how much fun the bigger boards are. Possibly they are a better workout too because you can stay out longer, and commit more of your body to the stroke.

Agreed Area10.

There's just as much skill in running up and down a bigger board making it turn and keeping it trimmed.
It all comes down to what pushes your buttons or floats your boat.

I also own an 8'10 flow Tardy, perfect match of stability and performance for me. Just love it

Well i did my back on a bigger board cause it was so much harder to turn and paddle ... Somewhere in the middle i thinks perfect

Just had a great surf on my 8'10" Speeed this morning. Nothing over 4' and most waves about 3'. I now love this board but once the wind gets up and it's a bit choppy out there, the Speeed is harder work than I want. The Flow sounds perfect...Thanks Tardy

I think there is a lot to be said about the versatility of longboard style SUPs. I have a number of boards but if I had to have only one board it would be my 9'0x29.5x113L Laird performance longboard SUP. It has enough glide to catch bumps on small days, is super maneuverable, and at my 85kgs is very stable for me. I have taken it out in 1 foot conditions to well over overhead and it continues to perform. With this board, I don't find a need to take a longer board out--in fact I sold a 9'6 version of the same board after I surfed this one and have never felt a need to take my 10'6 into the surf though I keep that one around for introducing beginners to SUP.

805StandUp as a further to what you wrote is this ugly thing the holy grail for the average SUSer ?

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Gboots said..
805StandUp as a further to what you wrote is this ugly thing the holy grail for the average SUSer ?

Lol... the nut does remind me of Mr. Peanut that used to advertise for Planters in the US. Interesting concept... shortboard tail in a longboard size. I have never tried one but I know that Marco from Starboard who posts here said he loves it and so does the person in Maui that I bought my Hypernut from.