Well well, here I am in the SUP forum asking for board size advice! Don't tell anyone! 
As an experienced shortboarder and kiter, I would like one for small swell and light wind days. Go for a paddle, take the dog for a swim, some fitness, etc. The missus will have a go now and then also.
My profile:
- 69kg
- 5'8
- Missus is 10kg lighter.
There is a second hand McTavish for sale. 9'6. Would this suit? Too small for a first time cruiser? http://www.mctavish.com.au/surfboard/96-performance-sup
OR should I just get a second hand NSP (or they are cheap new anyway).
There is a bit of volume difference between the two boards. 150L to 205L.
I am not limited by the two mentioned boards - just what I have seen around. There is also a Hokua which appears similar in size to the McTav. Both are listed as "performance boards". Do I need an "allrounder" instead?Cheers!
Being a surfer helps with your knowledge of waveselection and balance, but SUP is a completely different thing.
The Hokua and Mc Tavish are fun to play with in waves...but not for a beginner and probably (for a while till you really see the light) you wanna go surfing anyway in the waves these boards suits best.
Sups are a bit like surfboards, the longer the board the more glide it got and a rounded nose ads stability over a pulled up pointy nose. So if you just wanna cruise and play in the waves: get an allround board. If you doubt you gonna like the waves you might wanna try a long distance board.
Long distance and Racing is a completely different sport as surfing but a really really good workout and excellent training. If you take a stable one they are great carriers too, just not that good in the waves.
I,m a wavesailor and SUP a lot in the waves, pretty fit. Bought last januari a racer and started to paddle 2-3times a week and lost 5kg in half a year and gained some muscles that I haven,t seen since i was 18 :)
I live in Holland-Europe where we have seldom good waves and I know a lot of Surfers who started to tour and race just to stay fit for when the surf is on.
Thanks for the reply Jero.
I will look for an allrounder as I won't really be surfing on it. More for a cruise when there is no surf/wind, so glide will be a good attribute to have.
Just thought that for my weight one of the 9'6 wave boards might be ok as an allrounder.
Bene I am fairly new to SUP ( about 10 months ) but I reckon if you enjoy surfing it won't be long before you want a SUP you can surf with .
I currently have 2 boards , 1 x 9 foot 2 130 liters and 1 x 9 foot 5 146 liters . I weigh about 10 kg more then you but can use both mine for cruising or surfing . One is a longboard type and one a short board shape .TBH I find the flat water cruising pretty dull but on flat days have paddled my 9 foot 2 along the coastline and enjoyed it .
IMO a board like the Hokua or McTavish might take a bit longer to get going on 1st up but in the end you would get a lot more fun out of it . A bloke I know has a 9 10 Hokua as his first board and he is surfing it up to head high now after 6 months and loving it .
Just started myself. I surf and kiteboard and weigh about 74kg. Where I surf the waves are pretty mellow.
Try a few out. I did and started with a 10'3. Being used to a long board I found it very sluggish in waves. After testing a few more I decided to go for a LSD (Luke Short Design) 8.10 115Liters. I still paddle it for fitness when there are no waves around. Practice in the on shore winds a bit for balance or reduce to just one small fin when it is flat. Bit more tippy but again good for balance as well as paddle technique I found. Try the one you want to buy out (as well as one size smaller just to see how that goes) and keep in mind that the specs don't say much about how the board rides and how stable it is. I used a few boards with similar specs but every one of them was very different to ride. I chose the LSD that has the same specs but less volume (thinner rails so superb in waves) I had the same thoughts as you; just cruise around a bit etc. After trying more and more boards I found that I had completely changed my mind on what I wanted from a board in only a few weeks. I went from' I want to cruise with the family' to 'stuff that I want to rip'. Cause we don't get big and powerfull waves for me the SUP has taken over from the long board.
In short: try before you buy. be open minded and find out what you really want from it. You may be surprised with what you will end up with.
Good luck and have fun finding the right board for you.
