Hi there, I have been paddleboarding flat water for a year or two and getting confident with my stroke, turning, stability on choppy water etc. My hubby and I bought a joint board when we started out, a Naish Mana 10. I've since tried out another board, which was pretty basic, but it was much faster in the water so I got the taste for an upgrade. I haven't tried waves yet, but I'm keen for small ones now.
I'm 6'7" and 68kg. I'd love a light(ish) board, as I find the Mana quite heavy, and tricky to carry down to the water on my own if its windy. My three year old son also likes to ride on the board, so reasonable stability would still be important.

Last weekend I checked out these two, but yet to try a demo in the water:
Naish Alana 10'6
ECS EVO 10'

The Alana looks amazing, but a bit on the weightier side (and pricey, but happy to save up for it if it means I end up with a much better board in long run). The ECS EVO answers the weight criteria, looks a little less pretty, but could be a good all round board. I've seen some conflicting talk on here re credibility of reviews of the ECS boards tho.

Are these boards good choices for me? Are there others I should be considering?

Really appreciate any help on this :)

I've been riding an ECS 8'6" PW2 in brushed carbon for 18 months. I surf it two to three times a week on average. It's still in excellent condition and I'm very happy with its performance, strength and durability.

It was implied in an earlier thread that people making favourable comments about ECS boards had a vested interest in that business. I have no association with ECS. I paid retail price for my board. I'm happy with it and would buy another without hesitation.

Hi Nicnac
Ok lets see if i can help you out here a bit.

If you want a light board and you think the Naish is to heavy then why bother looking any further with it as it's already got a negative in your eyes which is never a cool way to start out on a new board. There might be carbon versions of the Naish in this model but the price will forsure be higher.

ECS boards i'm not really going to comment to much as i have not seen enough of them to make a call for you. It really comes down to trust and do you have it in the guys you are buying the board from and believe what they are telling you. Their production boards come from china which might sound bad but in the real world is not so bad depending if they have all quality controls in place which only they can tell you and then for you to believe or not.

A Question i would ask if i was buying a board.

How is it made?
If they advertise PVC or Carbon you need to ask how much of each as this is a very tricky line a lot of companies cross, Unless it says FULL carbon or full PVC i would say it only has a small amount of the advertised material, seen this happen for many years and now more so with cheaper brands coming in to the market place. Is it moulded or not? These questions can make the price go up and down depending on the answers.

Do they stand behind their product?

If you want a light board then you might need to pay a bit more to keep quality in it as well.

Other board suggestion, there are heaps, will they be better than the choices you have already then this is only something you can answer as 99% of crew on here think what they have brought is the best board ever which by the way it could be but i would never trust some person i have never met or seen surf or paddle!!

If you are going through a good shop then trust the guy selling you the board if you believe what he is saying if not look else where!!

Hope this helps

Jacko

Welcome to the forum!

If I am reading your question correctly, you would like more speed on flat water, but you would like to have a try surfing.

There are boards that are 12'6" long that are fast, but still wide enough and have enough rocker, etc. that they are fun in the waves. But they have a different design to boards like the Mana. Of course, the light ones are more expensive, but worth it IMO.

I am personally not familiar with ECS, Mana, Alana, and boards of that style - so I can't offer any other thoughts.

Thanks everyone for such speedy responses!

Yes I'm definately looking for more speed in the water and to surf small waves. I think flat water will still be my dominant use, even if I start enjoying waves, but hard to tell for sure.

Thanks for all the tips re dealers and board composition.

I wouldnt discount Naish totally because of weight, we have loved the Mana. The preference is just to be more on the lighter side if a board fits all the criteria. I live close to Sydneys northern harbour, but still need to get across a road, down a short hill, steps then a driveway before I find myself at the water. If toddler in tow that can be tricky. Unique need probably, but just trying to be realistic and ensure getting out on the water is easy. Mostly I would be on my own tho.

I'm really loving being out on the board and want to kick the enjoyment up to the next level, but at the same time try and invest in the board that will have a bit of longevity if possible.

Hi nicnac

No matter what you get, crossing a road and going down to the beach with the wind up and a toddler is going to be very hard, trust me I have 4 kids!!
I have a Mana GTW which is lighter than the standard model, more expensive but lighter, so if you go up a size you will need carbon because it will naturally be heavier than the mana you already own. Or you could buy an inflatable carry it on your back with bubby in hand and blow it up all on your own with no wind concerns blowing you,all over the road.
The bigger the board the more the wind will catch it so try the Alana for size and shape and see if they have an equivalent in carbon?

Hi Nicnak.
The pop up handles on the Sunova and SUP ATX boards make it easier to carry the boards longer distances and are definitely better than normal handles when it's windy as your hand wraps right around the grip. You can also use the handle as a ledge to hold the paddle so you have your other hand free to hold your kids hand. The Sunova XXX balsa boards are very light e.g my Soul 9'5 is 9.5 kg.

Hi NicNac, wow 6'7", getting up to my height!!!

If you're on the Northern Beaches i recommend you go and talk to Sam Parker at WindSurfnSnow. He got me going when i was deciding what sort of board i should get, he's also got a ton of demo boards to try.

Another option to potentially look at is a board carrier. I know that board can get a bit unwieldy (especially with a kid in tow) but some sort of sling or similar would allow a lot more freedom of movement. Something like this…:

www.oceanearthstore.com/stand-up-paddle-boards-sup-acc/sup-carry-strap/

See you out on the water!

Thanks everyone for all the great pointers. Lots to consider in terms of board make, handles, carriers etc. Really appreciate the pointers, will let you know what I settle on.

Todzilla you alerted me to a massive typo on my height , which is actually 5'7"! Made myself rather taller and slimmer haha!

Thanks Todzilla for the tip re WindSurfnSnow. I was trying to remember where we got first board, and I'm pretty sure this was the place - it was near narrabeen beach.
I see they have a naish nalu 10'6 for demo, so I'll try that. Bit more than I was planning to spend, but might be a good comparison against the rest, and if its amazing I will save the pennies.

They're in Collaroy (opposite the golf course) so pretty much the Southern end of what becomes Narrabeen. They've got boards there to demo and generally have a few at Jamieson Park Paddle on Narrabeen Lakes as well. It's worth paying the extra dollars i think if you get a board you really love. You'd hate to look down in a couple of weeks and think "If only i'd bought the other one…" And with a bigger name board often the chances of a better/higher resale value are greater.

Hi ninac - if you are going to demo a Naish Nalu it will give you a very good indication of what a Naish Alana is like, very similar. As Todzilla pointed out, the well known brands like Naish have better resale and you'll find a lot more feedback on them. I have a Nalu and love it, easy to catch small waves with, good all-rounder. I get beaten on flatwater time trials but it's not really a flatwater race board, you need something longer and with a flatter rocker for that, always a compromise. I may get shot down but if you're looking for something less expensive, have a look at Bicsup boards, they're well designed and the Acetec range is tough as nails.

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Husat said..
Hi ninac - if you are going to demo a Naish Nalu it will give you a very good indication of what a Naish Alana is like, very similar. As Todzilla pointed out, the well known brands like Naish have better resale and you'll find a lot more feedback on them. I have a Nalu and love it, easy to catch small waves with, good all-rounder. I get beaten on flatwater time trials but it's not really a flatwater race board, you need something longer and with a flatter rocker for that, always a compromise. I may get shot down but if you're looking for something less expensive, have a look at Bicsup boards, they're well designed and the Acetec range is tough as nails.

I'm considering an AceTec Wing. Seems like a good board.

Thanks everyone. I demo'd a Naish Nalu and a Fanatic Fly last weekend. I liked the way the Fly moved across the water, but the Naish was alot lighter and easier to manouver overall, I loved the way it turns.

Of course, I had to like the wood version best, so now annoyed with myself for liking a rather pricey board! So I think I will sit on it till the upcoming Sydney SUP Festival where I might get a chance to try some other boards, hopefully including a starboard and bicsup. If the Nalu is still winning after that I will hand over the cash.

Thanks again for everyones help, much appreciated!