I have had the chance lately to demo surf sups in different makes around the 110 litre range which has been a lot of fun. The board i have liked the best is the starboard pro 8'5 closely followed by JP 8'6 surf. Both in the top of the range models. The thing is the starboard carbon is very expensive and I do like what they have done with the starlite construction which is very affordable. Considering around this time of the year the JP's are coming down in price for the pro, given that I liked the starboard better, I'm getting hung up comparing a pro to a starlite which is about 1.5kg heavier. Should i get hung up on weight and construction over preference?

Were you able to demo both construction types in similar conditions? Could you notice a difference? And what is your weight?

I ask because if 110L is a high performance board (i.e. you are closer to 90 kg than 60 kg), then the extra weight translates to a board that needs more force (i.e. it has more swing-weight) to turn on the wave. (This is always true, but it will impact you more if you are going for ultimate performance.)

I once bought a board that came in two weights; the heavier was said to be more durable. When I was carrying it 800m down the beach, and when I had it in the water, I wished I had the lighter version.

I just bought a 106L board and its light weight was a factor in the decision. Apart from the above issues, every kg lighter it is allows me to be 1 kg heavier for the same stability.

I only ride naish ,but if I was deciding on a GT or a GS heavier version
the GT is worth every penny more .i find they surf better
lighter under foot ,sharper turns ,seem to catch waves easier due to lightness.
it hurts parting with coin and starboards are one of the most expensive .BUT very good .
In saying this Im sure the JP will be good to ,but is it what you want .
1.5 kg is alot on such a small board .
but full carbon boards sometimes are softer and you have to be more careful with them .

I'm 85kg. Don't really want to go any smaller board as i want a little comfort as well. I think your right in that the board i demoed was a carbon and it felt so light and responsive. The starlite wasn't available for demo but was in the shop and weight i thought was noticeable. So i was just seeing opinions if this would translate in the water which sounds like it would. I have a mate who has upgraded his boards recently for that reason.

Honestly, I am not super fond of Carbon boards..... I always chose the heavier Fanatic HRS over the Carbon.

I'd give the Starlight construction a go.

Yeah, i have been looking through older posts to find what people have said about starlite, and most are positive. Even supboarder mag on youtube reviewed a hypernut in starlite and mentioned how light it felt for a non carbon board, and finished saying they were super impressed with the starlite. To be honest, the construction is not the issue, its just purely if after a while i wish i had gone lighter.

I am in the same situation as you as I am looking around for a new board. I rode the 8'5 starby pro carbon model and then the 8'0 starlite construction in the recent run of decent swell on the goldy . I am 88 kgs and have been supping for nearly 10 yrs.

The pro is really light and fast on the wave. The starlite 8'0 surfs really good as well. The extra weight on the wave wasn't an issue IMO. it felt nice and settled on the wave and didn't feel as stiff as the carbon pro. Both models are the same shape.

The price of the carbon model is up there, and is hard to justify parting with 3k for a short Sup. The lightness of the board is enticing though.

I couldn't decide.... so walked away not knowing which way to go either.

I would go the starlite construction. You will perhaps find that that added weight will help with stability in less than good surf conditions. For the money difference its a no brainer IMO...