Big boys (105 kgs)- What are your favourite boards. Why?

If surfing is your thing - check Supthecreek's (Rick Weeks) video's on Youtube. He's tested / owned many boards, is around that weight, rides most days and explains the differences of boards out there very well.

I (like many out there) have just ordered a Sunova Speeed in 9'2.

Starboard Wide Point 8 foot 10 inches...32 wide

Great surfboards and can hold us big boys and surf really well...

Deep JC 9'2" × 31". Stable for big ar5es and awesome in the surf. Tough too.

Any and all of my custom Surfire boards.

9'0" x 30' x 4 diamond tail 126 litres
9'10" x 29.75 rounded pintail gun 137 litres
10'6" x 30 x 4 rounded pin mal shape 140 litres.

Covers all conditions and wave sizes.

Sunova 8'10 Speeed but I'm only a little fella now 100 Kgs

I weigh in at 102 dry weight no wetsuit and ride a8'7 sunova flow 120 liters and love it actually thinking of ordering a 8'4 flow for Bali later in the year. Just cause you are 100+ kg does not mean you have to ride a fat board just need to get a good stable board and paddle lots to get use to it

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ShireSUP said..

Sunova 8'10 Speeed but I'm only a little fella now 100 Kgs

+1 at 108kg

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Toomanyboards said..
Starboard Wide Point 8 foot 10 inches...32 wide

Great surfboards and can hold us big boys and surf really well...

perfecto

I'm 105Kg x 1,90m and very happy owner of a Naish Mana 9'5 GT 2015 bought following Supthecreek and DJ's advice.
The board is very stable and I find it is perfect for my crappy windy waves. The wave count could be endless if I was in better shape.
Also have a french Gong Asyl 9'1, which I feel is faster in terms of speed (scarfini fins), but I am able to surf it only when the waves are very regular and not too windy.
Basically I find myself bringing only the Mana to the beach...
If you feel like you would like to paddle longer distances you might want to find something else.
Hope it helps.
Ciao

I agree with Slugga. Just because we big does not mean we have to ride a big fat board.
I'm 102kg, 6'6 and now ride a Naish Hokua le (8'10x 27.75 @ 107 litres)
Took a lot of swimming time to get used to it, and now it's fine...

I've got the 'classic' FatBoy board, the Starboard Avanti... It's what got me into SUP in the first place!

And what about race boards?

Ive had a 8.10 speed now for 2 weeks and I'm blown away .. Coming off a hyper nut 8.0 and always been on wide boards i can say i really love this shape .. I could never go back to a wide board i reckon ..

Im 96 kegs ... You would prob be fine on this board but i hear the 9.2 surf s just as sick //./

At 6'5, 103 kg and paddlesurfing since 2010, I feel pretty comfortable on 120-125L boards in most conditions and could probably step down to something smaller on cleaner days. The JP Surf 8'10 has been my go to for most surf, but I'm looking to get a 8'8 Speeed. I will be holding on to my Starboard 9'8 Pro as my fallback board for big days, really small days, and cruising. That 9'8 is a good surf shape for big guys that has gone away.

And then....
age plays as big a role as weight.
Younger can handle narrower and less liters.

I started out at 130 kg... got as low as 92 kg, currently 106 kg (68 yr old) so I have run the gamut of boards, searching for stable performance.
I only review boards that I like.... Allave, Prowave, Mana, Alana (Nalu), Hobie RAW, and Sunovas.

Here is my Youtube channel where you can find my reviews for some "Big Boy" boards from many companies, over the past 2 years


My search has settled on Sunova's now, because the performance is so good.
They all have very foiled rails and feel initially tippy, but are oddly stable.
Sunovas change the game.

Here is a list of Sunova's that I find ok for me in summer, no wetsuit... all are about the low end of comfortable for me (except the Skate... super easy)
they work so well there is no real reason for me to go too small.

In order of stability:
8'8 SkateXL - super easy 135 L (I may opt for the 8'10 Skate - not XL- at 143 L - for my year round easy board)
8'3 Shroom - quite easy - 126 L
8'11 Flow - easy - 131 L
8'10 Soul - easy - 137 L
8'10 Speeed - somewhat challenging - 130 L (but super easy to paddle)
9'4 Acid - fairly challenging - 136 L

Out of all of them, the 9'4 Acid is the best performance... noticeably better..... but also the most demanding and it wears me out fastest.

OK what makes them stable then? I thought width, but some of you are riding 30" and under........

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supthecreek said...
And then....
age plays as big a role as weight.
Younger can handle narrower and less liters.

I started out at 130 kg... got as low as 92 kg, currently 106 kg (68 yr old) so I have run the gamut of boards, searching for stable performance.
I only review boards that I like.... Allave, Prowave, Mana, Alana (Nalu), Hobie RAW, and Sunovas.

Here is my Youtube channel where you can find my reviews for some "Big Boy" boards from many companies, over the past 2 years

My search has settled on Sunova's now, because the performance is so good.
They all have very foiled rails and feel initially tippy, but are oddly stable.
Sunovas change the game.

Here is a list of Sunova's that I find ok for me in summer, no wetsuit... all are about the low end of comfortable for me (except the Skate... super easy)
they work so well there is no real reason for me to go too small.

In order of stability:
8'8 SkateXL - super easy 135 L (I may opt for the 8'10 Skate - not XL- at 143 L - for my year round easy board)
8'3 Shroom - quite easy - 126 L
8'11 Flow - easy - 131 L
8'10 Soul - easy - 137 L
8'10 Speeed - somewhat challenging - 130 L (but super easy to paddle)
9'4 Acid - fairly challenging - 136 L

Out of all of them, the 9'4 Acid is the best performance... noticeably better..... but also the most demanding and it wears me out fastest.

What is the 8'3 shroom? Are we now mixing shrooms with the acid and speeed?

+ 1 on the Shrooom

A certain team rider mentioned I was gonna be in love and poorer, but I can find nothing on it............

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Mark _australia said..
OK what makes them stable then? I thought width, but some of you are riding 30" and under........

The basic rule is width and length. That said, I have found that every part of a board contributes to its level of stability. Thickness, outline, rocker, rail shape and bottom shape. The deck is a major factor too. If you have a board that has a rolled deck that is very thick in the middle then very thin at the rails, it will make the board tippy. If your deck is flat, that helps with stability. One board I had, 9'2" Fanatic Prowave, should've been very stable if you looked at just the dimensions. 9'2" x 4.25" x 30.5" but the bottom shape was very exaggerated with a huge hinge in the entry leading into a very deep double concave. That made the board very twitchy in the lineup.

^^ OK well I am fkd then
cos a 9 x 30 is totally unusable for me in 8kn crosshore and waist hi waves.

102kgs Supping for ages just got a Starboard wide point airborne 8'8" 2016 after riding a wide point 8'10" for 12 months prior.Love the 88 so far but shoulder injury has me on the beach for past 2 x weeks n itching to get the 88 back out there!!!88 is way more stable than I thought it would be although it sits lower in the water than the 8'10" n way more responsive on the waves up to head height Ive surfed it on,
Robbo

I have the avanti by starboard and its too big for your weight I think, I am 130kg. Saying that it glides onto waves like the bomb, its soooooo easy to catch waves on its ridiculous, you can catch them like without even trying, I reckon a thinner board you could duckdive would be much better.

Jacob & Shire... i will start a "Shroom" thread when I get the vid sorted out

What about Naish X32le - 8'8
I'm around that weight and my mate has the 8'3 .I have ridden mine in all conditions from small to well overhead and the only thing I can fault this board on is at 32 inches wide it lacks a bit of drive in a 6foot plus fast wave,I think all the positives (late take offs ,stability , manoeuvrability ) make up for this as its not 6 foot everyday
Not a board you want if you are into laid back nose riding but if you like to surf the wave its great (last board was a 9'3 Prowave)

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supthecreek said...
Jacob & Shire... i will start a "Shroom" thread when I get the vid sorted out

Good stuff can't wait to see it

What about race boards & downwind boards for us fat blokes?

I've got a 14x29" Glide and an ACE GT – both great choices for the - ahem - larger gentleman!
The Allstar 14x28" is another good board. So to is the NSP 14x29"...

Its not about being fat.
At the end of the day most boards are designed to operate at their peak for the X percentile.
When someone is above 100kg they are outside the bell curve for most designs. Period.
It then becomes a game of finding a board that can handle the extra weight standing on it without destroying its performance.
Been there and done that-a lot.

For flat to mild conditions nothing, absolutely nothing, competes with the Ace GT.
The vertical tail doesn't drag through the water and the relatively flat rocker line/parallel rails translate to descent speed through the water.
There is more form and parasitic drag because you are sinking the board deeper into the water but your corresponding extra strength will inevitably overcome this.
In mild downwind conditions (or long period, windy downwind swell) they absolutely hammer.
Super stable.

For shorter period swell or ocean conditions go for an SIC 17'4" unlimited.
They are surprisingly nimble and quick in the flat but the rocker limits ultimate speed in the flat.
Give them downwind conditions and wind above 25 kts and you'll understand what a downwind religious experience is.
If I could only have one board this would be it.
Also very stable.

If you are limited to a 14' board then the choices are limited if you desire speed.
Yes, there are many 28"+ boards from manufacturers such as Naish, Starboard, NSP, et al but they are generally too heavy, slow or both.
At 105kg you need at least 300L and preferably 320+.
NSP make a fast, stable 26" dugout that is recommended as it is fast downwind and is as stable as most 28" boards. Their 28" and 29" are too slow for big boys unless you are paddling in big offshore conditions.
The 2016 Fanatic Falcon is arguably the fastest DW board on the market (although its on the small side volumetrically for a 105kg rider unless the conditions are BIG).

There are also options such as a custom from DC or Deep both of whom make good boards.

At the end of the day its going to come down to understanding the conditions you will spend the majority of your time in and matching a high volume board to those needs. Remember its stability before ability, compromise to maximise budgetry enjoyment, and time on the water. And if you love paddling paddling in BIG downwind conditions you could ride a 30" wide plank and have fun.

Happy paddling.

14' x 29" NSP DC Cocomat. I'm 100kg and I DW it, surf it, flatwater race it, long distance ocean paddle it. Nothing I can't do on that board. Also have an 11'6" Naish Nalu which is its predecessor.

However I've gotten a bit too used to it and I'm looking for an additional, faster board for flatwater racing. I've been working on technique but it can only move the Cocomat so fast. There are a few boards I like but without the ability to demo them its a bit hard to work out whether they'd float me or not. I note the earlier comment about the Ace GT but its 17' long, looks like it would be a prick to climb back on.

Anyone 100kgs got a fast 14' flatwater board they can recommend? Or at least a preferred width - 27"? 26"?

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Husat said..
14' x 29" NSP DC Cocomat. I'm 100kg and I DW it, surf it, flatwater race it, long distance ocean paddle it. Nothing I can't do on that board. Also have an 11'6" Naish Nalu which is its predecessor.

However I've gotten a bit too used to it and I'm looking for an additional, faster board for flatwater racing. I've been working on technique but it can only move the Cocomat so fast. There are a few boards I like but without the ability to demo them its a bit hard to work out whether they'd float me or not. I note the earlier comment about the Ace GT but its 17' long, looks like it would be a prick to climb back on.

Anyone 100kgs got a fast 14' flatwater board they can recommend? Or at least a preferred width - 27"? 26"?

You've no doubt seen DJ's DW vids - he's variously on a Jav or Maliko, at 6'5 or so and around 100kg with wetsuit he goes orright on them. Couple of 100kg(ish) guys down our way are happy on their Starby allstars too. Couple of that SIC boards would do what you want as well. At 100kg your choices aren't all that limited.

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supthecreek said..
And then....
age plays as big a role as weight.
Younger can handle narrower and less liters.

I started out at 130 kg... got as low as 92 kg, currently 106 kg (68 yr old) so I have run the gamut of boards, searching for stable performance.
I only review boards that I like.... Allave, Prowave, Mana, Alana (Nalu), Hobie RAW, and Sunovas.

Here is my Youtube channel where you can find my reviews for some "Big Boy" boards from many companies, over the past 2 years

My search has settled on Sunova's now, because the performance is so good.
They all have very foiled rails and feel initially tippy, but are oddly stable.
Sunovas change the game.

Here is a list of Sunova's that I find ok for me in summer, no wetsuit... all are about the low end of comfortable for me (except the Skate... super easy)
they work so well there is no real reason for me to go too small.

In order of stability:
8'8 SkateXL - super easy 135 L (I may opt for the 8'10 Skate - not XL- at 143 L - for my year round easy board)
8'3 Shroom - quite easy - 126 L
8'11 Flow - easy - 131 L
8'10 Soul - easy - 137 L
8'10 Speeed - somewhat challenging - 130 L (but super easy to paddle)
9'4 Acid - fairly challenging - 136 L

Out of all of them, the 9'4 Acid is the best performance... noticeably better..... but also the most demanding and it wears me out fastest.

Hi STC,

Where does the 9'5 Speeed fit in on the stability ratings?

If you are light on on experience and/or time in the water (I don't get to paddle every day) are you better off going to a bigger version of the board others are riding?

Thanks