After 3 year and after hundreds of waves with two marvellous Shroom's (first 8.7 and then 8.3) in wich I improved a lot my skills and my strenght I feel need more. Some days ago, casually I tried a not recent Gong 9 x 31 x 140 lt, with a very thin tail a sharp nose, catching in few minutes two small wave in a good day not too much choppy. Something inside me changed... another unverse opened to me... My short beloved Shroom seems to me so too slow...
Now I thougt to the big slow winter waves and the great difficulty in catch them and the difficulty to escape from the closing.
With this traditional board the acceleration an the speed was so surprising! The more speed makes catch the waves so easy and the thinner shape cut sharply the wave so good.
Also coming back to the lineup was so effortless with a few stroke. These are the advantages but I felt the board more unstable than my very comfortable concave deck Shroom and now I am in almost the best shape in the the year, well trained and with some kilos left.
So I'm looking for a new faster board with more volume, less width and a little more long than my Shroom 8.3 x 126 lt but I have some fear that my next board would be too much unstable for me especially during the winter.In my places there are a so much boring proners and few very good supper and it's very rare try a board suitable for me. I'm 51 yo, 6.3 tall and 90kg and I love the concave deck and usually sup in the little messy, troubled, italian waves... I'm not a pro, I don't do manouvres, I enjoy cutting the waves not too big. Any nice suggestions?

Ciao Linkus, i would suggest the sunova speed ! i have one in 8.10 and other boards (longboard or pointy nose for surf) but i always keep coming back to the speed as it is a swiss knife , its stable for the med chop, fast, can turn if required , im not trying to sell a brand but just surfed for 3 years in the medd and know the sh...conditions (wind waves basically), im sure other brands (gong or other have good boards for those conditions) but the speed is so polyvalent, there is no need to have a pointy low volume sup if the sea is going to be mush most of the time...you can use it on a lake if you want ( i did many times and the speed glide!), always wanted to try a shroom but not possible , but i feel its a surfing board more than a polyvalent board, its made for one single purpose and conditions IMHO....

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Linkus said..
the speed was so surprising!

Yes, that's the Gong magic rocker. The first time I tried one from him, I got hooked with these shaper 11 years ago, especially in the Mediterranean sea where you need these fast rockers (and I am not alone). And this is because the Gong shaper surfed a lot in Marseilles and in Corsica. No board designed in countries with powerful oceanic swell can work as well in the Med, in my experience (but I never tried a Sunova). On the other hand, most Gong boards may not be the best ones for tackling 20s-period Pacific swells. Compromises...

In the Med what works best is either longbaords SUPs, as you found out, or short and wide ones, fish-like (E.g: In the Gong line, the Mob, in Sunova, the Shroom). The short ones enter planing at low speed, so you surf slow waves in full planing mode, and the long ones can work even out of planing mode (displacement mode). In between they are often in the uncomfortable zone around the start of planing on waves of 5s period as is common in the Med.

For the stability, I guess you will have to learn to place your feet closer to the center, as explained in:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Mastering-lateral-balance-on-a-small-SUP-board
This will also make domed decks comfortable, with the benefit of their thinner, more sensitive rails. You do not need concave decks, or pads with raised edges like the early FCS pads, if you stay away from the rails.

Disclaimer: I am a Gong ambassador.

Speed: the name is the program. Anchorpoint how are yours dimensions and skills? In Gong I see the Karmen 8.9 x 31.5 x 140 lt or the Mob (my son had one 3 years ago, the first model, very good shape but not very strong) but it seems to me too similar to the Shroom. The Karmen is quite similar to the board i have tried. The Gong constructon now seems to be very strong and also the price is amazing. Also my son wants something faster than his Hypernut that has the same slowness of the Shroom.

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Linkus said..
Speed: the name is the program. Anchorpoint how are yours dimensions and skills? In Gong I see the Karmen 8.9 x 31.5 x 140 lt or the Mob (my son had one 3 years ago, the first model, very good shape but not very strong) but it seems to me too similar to the Shroom. The Karmen is quite similar to the board i have tried. The Gong constructon now seems to be very strong and also the price is amazing. Also my son wants something faster than his Hypernut that has the same slowness of the Shroom.

92 kgs, 1.78 cms , intermediate level (10 years Sup surfing)

I also enjoyed the Speeed for those reasons - stable with the wide nose, and fun slicing across the waves. If your priority is to go fast in pretty and not to do turns, etc., then the Speeed works well. I rode the 8'10 speed when I was around 90-93 kg and 6'3" (193 cm).

I love the Acid for really slicing across the waves, but I suspect it may not suit you for other reasons.

I have not surfed in your conditions though.

Speeed is a great option . But don't rule out an OVERSIZED Acid . I am 60kg and love the 9'1 in almost any conditions because I don't go in large surf . Paddling into onshore winds is a breeze on the 9'1. Plenty of stability in the sweet spot because over 30 wide. Great paddler as well for a performance shape.
If I sold all my boards except 2, the ones I keep are the 9'1 Acid and 711 Speeed

i love my shroom .

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Gboots said..
Speeed is a great option . But don't rule out an OVERSIZED Acid . I am 60kg and love the 9'1 in almost any conditions because I don't go in large surf . Paddling into onshore winds is a breeze on the 9'1. Plenty of stability in the sweet spot because over 30 wide. Great paddler as well for a performance shape.
If I sold all my boards except 2, the ones I keep are the 9'1 Acid and 711 Speeed

Great point. I have been surfing my oversized Acid lately, the 9'4, and it has good surprisingly well in smaller waves. I always love the way it slices across the wave.

I love my Shroom too! But the thin tail makes an huge difference. May be a Placid useful for me, the Acid seems to me too extreme.

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Linkus said..
I love my Shroom too! But the thin tail makes an huge difference. May be a Placid useful for me, the Acid seems to me too extreme.

Hi Links ,i have a placid and acid ,had a flash ,flows ,creek ,

if you want a fast paddling face cutting board ,the 9,1 125 litre acid is hard to beat .it can be ridden from the middle of the board too and can be turned from that point ,
I ride a lot of reef breaks ..and the acid i have found ,has a really nice bite on the face and holds a very nice straight line ,unlike any board i have ridden ,i have only ridden the speed a few times ,but did find you have to get your foot on the tail to turn it properly .
The acid is not that hard to ride ,but i think both speed and acid would fit your needs .

Some good points Tardy. I have oversized version of both Speeed 88 (my first proper performance sup) and the Acid 91.
I don't surf anything over head high (unless it happens by accident )
At 60-62 kg both are way too big for me on paper.
I have smaller boards but the above still get a lot of use . I assume Linkus is riding a lot of onshore wind swell. I reckon an oversized speed is harder to control with onshores compared to an oversized Acid. The oversized Acid also has more width but at same time is also longer and easier to turn from middle . You can also kill off any unwanted speed by stepping back on the Acid . The Acid also is an awesome paddler into wind because of that sexy nose .
I have a smaller 711 Speed and I reckon these boards need to be ridden shorter . I now only use larger Speeed in smaller weak waves or fatter waves . Anything above 2 ft and I would choose smaller Speeed over larger as it can get out of control due to parallel outline and high volume .
The oversized Acid is easier to control in terms of down line speed. It feels more stable when I need it to and loose enough when required to turn . If J m had to have one board it would still be the 9'1 Acid. No 2 would be the 711 Speeed

nice combo boots .

my 8,7 flow is my little board .

In my messy, choppy, troubled Mediterrenean sea the stability is essential. Yesterday my Shroom was the best board in the mess. I need some with a similar stability but a little bit faster. SupTheCreek.... Where are you?

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Linkus said..
In my messy, choppy, troubled Mediterrenean sea the stability is essential. Yesterday my Shroom was the best board in the mess. I need some with a similar stability but a little bit faster. SupTheCreek.... Where are you?

ha ha... sorry linkus.
I have been following this thread closely.
I was interested to see some suggestions and your consider your response as I pondered a useful recommendation.
Board choices are so very personal, and what works for one, may not work for each.
I usually torment people for lots info when the come to me, so I can give them a fair answer that will suit them.

Since I have never surfed the Mediterranean, I needed to read your replies to some board suggestions.
Your needs are specific and, as colas said, you need a board that will function well in the waves you surf daily.

Some thoughts for you:
- Length and width are only numbers. Shape and rocker count as much as either.

- Height can leverage a bigger board than weight may appear to dictate.

- IMO, surface area is king when looking to "carry speed" easily over mushy waves, that is needed for maneuvers.

- age and determination are as important as any other factor.

Like everyone else, I am always partial to the newest boards I am currently passionate about... so I need to go back to school.

I just took 4 boards out of storage and loaded them in my van, so I can do a fresh stability comparison and get a feel for how they all interact.
9'6 Steeze
9'4 Acid
9'2 Skate
8'3 Shroom

There is no surf, so I will be flat-water testing with my Kook Hat Cam running.... in the rain
I refer to my own stability tests all the time, when answering questions for people.... it's so hard to remember exactly how one board compares to another.

I have also been preparing a video that would be useful for this thread... but not sure if it fits.

I'll see if I can get a video of the test up tonight... and hopefully I'll have some suggestions for you!

And the Placid?

The Placid was high on my list.... it's the video I am making.

I will let Supthecreek be the Sunova expert and speak just to my own experience. I find that the Sunova Creek is the perfect compliment to the Shroom. While I have multiple boards, if I were to have only 2, they would be the two. Mush, chop give me the Shroom. A little better wave, give me the Creek.

"How would it be if I wanted: The outline of the SKATE, the performance of the FLOW, the rocker of the ACID, and most important the tail of the SPEEED."

Like you stability is critical to me. The Creek is a high performance board with stability features built in and the board is fast. Whats great about the board is you never have to take advantage of the Speeed tail for turns. The board turns from the middle and has very good down the line speed but if you do want to get on the tail and turn, the Creek come alive. So you can progress with the board.

"GENERAL GOAL | THEME OF THE BOARD A high performance board with "stability tools" built in. Designed to handle challenging conditions and still deliver maximum performance..."

Creek doesn't give himself enough credit for the Creek. it is a fantastic board for anyone looking for added performance with some stability built in.

Sunova's final statement on the board;

"The outline, rocker and Speeed tail combine to give an incredibly organic synergy to this board.....

The Creek is a very fast, full on ripper, that is solid in juice while stable enough for wonky conditions, winter gear or larger riders. A great travel board.."

Thanks castaway, I appreciate your comments!

The Creek is for sure, a contender for Linkus, in his troubled Mediterranean sea.
No doubt that the Creek is a very fast board... but IMO, to get that speed, you need to be on a big enough Creek.
My 9'1 is stable enough for me, but I will choose my 9'4 every time.... it has the right surface area to give me lift and speed in low power conditions.

Linkus, I did the stability test between many of the boards suggested here, to make sure they would give you more stability than your 8'3 Shroom.

At your height, you can go with more length and width and still get the performance upgrade you are looking for.
In low power waves, surface area is king IMO.
An oversized performance board will give you more performance than a shorter one in your conditions.

Performance boards that do very well in low power waves:
An Acid, that has good surface area for your size.
In your case the Acid 9'4 x 31.5 at 136 liters should be the right size to give you the performance you want... and will be similar to the stability of your 8'3 Shroom... the narrower nose and tail will be a different challenge for you, but there is ample width on the 9'4 to make it reasonably stable for a 90 k rider.... but not as stable as the other board listed here. But it will give you great performance in your waves.

The Creek 9'4 x 32 will be both stable and give you great performance in low power waves.
Still one of the fastest boards I have ever ridden.... and easy to ride in most every condition.


Also, boards with less rocker give paddle power and speed on soft waves.... even in shorter sizes.
Boards like:
The Steeze is a very popular board in Florida, which has conditions similar to the Mediterranean.
9'2 x 30.5 at 137 liters is a board that would suit your waves very well.
It surfs like a fun shape... not quite longboard, and not quite shortboard.

Skate 8'10 x 32 at 141 liters is worth a look as well. Flatter rocker, wide tail, means easy to catch waves and carry speed down the line without a lot of juice. It's a very good board in softer waves... but not great in steep waves.

You asked about the Placid
I really like my 8'10, but was not wild about the 9'1 (nose felt too big)
The 8'10 is one of my favorite performance board, BUT... it needs a little power or size.
I can ride bigger soft waves with it, but in smaller soft waves, I will use something else.
As long as I have some push in the wave, the Placid is super loose and fun to surf.
It paddles in easy and has enough speed to rip on, but I wouldn't put it in league with the fastest boards.
My 8'10 Placid is definitely more stable than my 8'3 Shroom and easier to paddle

Bottom line, I agree with castaway.
I think my choice for you would be the 9'4 Creek.... it ticks all the boxes and is a proven performer.
A little less performance than the Acid... but light years more stable.

If your waves have some size and push, then the 8'10 Placid is also a great choice and will give you some added snap!


Here are the boards I compared to the 8'3 Shroom

Dear SupTheCreek, I will read your words almost 20 times....

Hi linkus.. Ill throw in my 2 bobs worth as I have a few of the boards you are looking at.... firstly
55 Y/O, 96+/_ Kegs, have been SUP surfing for 6/7 years, surf mostly beach breaks of varying quality....
Own 8'3 shroom, 9'1 creek and 10' style..the shroom is my crazy fun board have ridden it in all types of waves and conditions its super fun and easy to ride you've just got to really push with your back foot to turn the little beast. I probably should/could have gone smaller.
The creek I have owned since they first arrived in Oz, I have taken it to Indo, hawaii and around Oz. Was my go to, will handle anything board until I bought the style. Still love the creek when it gets bigger and cleaner, It took my surfing to a greater level when I first bought it. Its light, well made and looks a treat and designed by a top guy !!!!!
The style is almost the perfect board for my location. Again I have learnt so much on this board, ride it in any conditions from small ankle slappers to well overhead. It rips like a shortboard and you can style it and walk the board. Probably dont need all the 10" and would love this board in say a 9'6 or smaller as long as it didnt lose the glide and fun factor.
This has been the perfect quiver for a while now, although I do have a new 8'8 flow on the way and would really love to try the new casey revolution...the search never ends!!!
Back to your origional question... if you want speed, stability and a ripping board for all conditions at your size and age the 9'1 creek would easily fit the bill.

"Still love the creek when it gets bigger and cleaner" This was my suspect: one of greatest board ever but more suitable for oceanic conditions, not the usual mine.

Been using my "they're too big for you " boards lately and having a blast. 88 Speeed and 91 Acid .
What I have learnt is that unless you are surfing waves of magnitude it pays to have some volume and length on the proviso that the board has a performance shape in terms of rail, nose and tail etc
Seriously I have had a blast on these boards lately plus it makes you get the footwork happening if you want to manoeuvre along the wave face .
Freakin love these two shapes . If I could add another board i would consider another blasphemous addition based on my 60kg weight .....the 911 Insane . I reckon it would be awesome in small stuff despite what the website says

If you like the acid you will like the Insane Boots ,they are a bit more tippy ,with the very very rounded rails and 9,11 29.5 wide

but because the length they are fun in small waves ....the speed they gather is something else ...on the tail you can still snap it around .

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Gboots said..
Been using my "they're too big for you " boards lately and having a blast. 88 Speeed and 91 Acid .
What I have learnt is that unless you are surfing waves of magnitude it pays to have some volume and length on the proviso that the board has a performance shape in terms of rail, nose and tail etc
Seriously I have had a blast on these boards lately plus it makes you get the footwork happening if you want to manoeuvre along the wave face .
Freakin love these two shapes . If I could add another board i would consider another blasphemous addition based on my 60kg weight .....the 911 Insane . I reckon it would be awesome in small stuff despite what the website says

It is very personal and what works for one person may not be optimal for another but in my biased opinion I don't agree that you can only see the benefits of smaller boards in bigger and smoother conditions. With a little bit of technique, smaller boards (1.1-1.3 Guild factor) perform as well in small conditions as much larger boards. However; the difference in the "waves of magnitude" is major, assuming that the "waves of magnitude" don't mean Mavericks, Jaws or Nazare.

I don't buy that you will have as much fun (and performance) on 1.8 board vs 1.2 board in anything bigger than ankle biters.

The waves were 1-2ft . Not big but not ankle snappers. I also have an 80L Flow. Fun once on the wave.....once on the wave are the key words . Also need to be nearer to the pack on that board . My 94 L Speeed 711 I believe is the best fit for me and that is at 1.5. Volume is just part of the picture . As I said shape , length , rail profile etc play a bigger role in my opinion. I don't surf waves of magnitude

good point bigz .

This winter i have ridden some of the biggest waves since I've been Suping .only because i have had the right size board to do so with minimal concerns of making it down the face and having the speed and board size to do so ,9,11 insane .Paddle speed from board length and the very rounded rails of the gun ,the only other time i use this board is to just paddle around and ride 1 foot close outs ,which can be fun ,how every if i was in 4-5 foot perfect surf ,I Would not want to be on the gun ,and waste such good waves when i could be shredding on the 8,7 flow or placid ,Because thats the best fun of all ..

but thats just my view ,some of my friends are just happy on bigger boards just riding the waves not really into top to bottom surfing ,
but thats cool too,I would not be happy with just 1 board now a days ..3-4 is good ..and maybe another on its way .
my 8,7 's get used the most .

I Think it is probably the hardest thing to tell a person what board to buy ,but all we can do is suggest what has ben working for us .

we are just lucky we have so many to pick from ,which can be very confusing ...I just seem to out grow boards or there's something i dislike about them ..in time ,be it board speed ,width or size ...its taken **** loads of $$$ to get to screw it down to a few that are keepers .

I have too many boards but they all have their purpose. At my dims I really should get custom, but I can't justify it ahead of other costs in my life . Also there is no certainty of getting it right when you go custom . It's a guesstimate . At 60 kg I reckon the best way to reduce volume is not by length or width but rather by thickness . That though could impact structural integrity . My boards would all need to be a it thinner because I need sufficient length and width for the surface area benefits. The old Starboard Airborne is the direction i should head if i want low volume

Anyone used a Superfrank in these conditions? Shorter models, or 9'+ (all w 5 fin setup) could both be effective and versatile options?

After almost one year I resume this subject. In January I bought two Gong Karmen, one for me 8.9 x140 lt and one very small for my son. Very good shape, light, fast and very nice in bigger and stepped waves in which the Shroom has some limit. But after some sessions the very low quality of the construction was evident: the finish was crumbling and the customer care was only a mail factory. I recommend always: buy at the shops. However I sold off the board and the holes on it to get rid of it quickly and in June I found a JL Super Frank 8.6 x141lt. I deeply love it. It's so simply beautiful. The board construction: lighter than Karmen and absolutely bulletproof. I did almost 200 km, Garmin says, in these months and caught a lot of waves and the board has some insignificant signs. Sparkling white, the best colour for a board. I always cover my boards on the beach but this this board in the sun does not heat up. For me, 52 yo x 90kg and 192 cm is quite stable but it's extremely fun and fast. Probably in the winter I will have some problems with some more kg and the wetsuit. It catches everything easily and cuts the waves is a piece of cake. I prefer tri fin instead quad because you can turn faster in short period waves and the board is a bit softer. It's all perfect? No.

There is an Achille's heel that is the pad. The scales are for goofy not for regular because the steps of the pad are facing right and sometimes if you don't move well in the center the right foot you can slide. In July I sold my beloved Shroom for a very good price and the buyer wrote to me that he is having a great time riding it.