Hello people,
firstly thanks for this forum it has some very nice information, but today I need a specific advice. I am 175 cm tall and have 75 - 80 kg. Never surfed before but keen to learn it this summer on SUP. I need a board that can surf good and also paddle good in flat water since I live in country without real swell.

I have two used boards options to buy:
1) Naish Mana 9.5, 2012 190L, ( 9'5" x 31" x 4 3/4" )
2) Naish Mana 8.5, 2014 132L - distressedmullet.com/2013/11/20/naish-mana-8-5-gt-compact-all-around-wave-review/

So I am really scared that 190 L is not good for surfing and 132 L is too less for flat water. Sadly I have no option for 160 L used board at the moment :( What are your thoughts?

Thank you

the 9,5 will be your learning board for catching ,and riding waves ,i learnt on a 10 mana .get out there and have fun .

when you get better you have the 8,5 .your covered.

If you don't have real waves, the 9'5 will be better, no matter what your size.
Plus learning on an 8'5 would be a real chore unless you are very young or extremely athletic.

The numbers on the 8'5 do put you near the beginner level "Weight to volume" ratio, so that may not be out of the question.

I'd say, for flat-water and small waves, the 9'5 is a good call.
The 9'5 Mana is a good board.... designed by Harold Iggy
The 8'5 was not.
Harold Iggy's 9'5 and 10 Mana's are better than smaller 8'5 IMO

G'day Matic
im 46, 75kg and never surfed.
purchased a mana 9:5 twelve months ago and completely loving it!
Sups right in saying flat and smaller waver a good call. For sure it lacks a little glide of a long board but on the waves loving it. As a learner gives stability out back , allows me to catch and ride but still keeps me honest in learning skills and technique. I'm playing with finn position stance etc before thinking of downsizing...but even if I did , wouldn't sell it. Dynamite board

Heads up for the 9. 5 mana which is 163 litres from memory, I have a 2014 GTW and love it, I am 95 kg so need a bit of size and live in Nth Qld which has no real swell waves only wind ankle slappers, love this board, I am an old surfer no waves are no problem . When I go down south for a wave fix I will use this board in any size waves, it's a real gem. Will be your best board to learn on.

Hi Matic - Dont be afraid of the volume - you will enjoy the glide, its one of the resons alot of us got into supping and it will be great fun in the right surf and conditions that you will start to learn in. Enjoy

One board will never be enough - plan to purchase more.

Hey guys!

I changed my mind and bought and inflatable for flat water for easy transport. I still have this big wish to learn surf on sup this summer (september ) and I have a new offer for used sup (good price, I am student ;D)
www.gong-galaxy.com/en/shop/
Length : 7' = 213,4cm Width : 31 1/2'' = 80,1 cm Thickness : 4 13/16" = 12,3cm Volume : 120L

Do you think I can learn on such a small sup, it looks pretty wide. Again I am 75 kg, 177cm high, 22 years old and pretty athletic do all kind of sports such as tour skiing, mountain biking, slack lining (even on the cliffs) so I know what it takes to learn something. I train flat water tricks and pivots quite a lot so I won't be totally out of comfort when I come to waves.

Also what do you think about this sup in windy and choppy waves (Mediterranean Sea).

Thank you

Select to expand quote

matic1234 said..
https://gongsupshop.com/GONG-SUP-70-NFA-120-WOODCKFUSION/en
Length : 7' = 213,4cm Width : 31 1/2'' = 80,1 cm Thickness : 4 13/16" = 12,3cm Volume : 120L

It is a very bad idea. This is a great board that will float you and will be very stable, but it is much too short for you at your level.
- It will have a huge row effect, you will need paddling technique to be able to paddle efficiently a 7' board. It will take time to learn.
- As it has a very limited paddling speed, you will need to be perfectly placed relative to the wave to take off, and for this you need surfing experience to read the waves. Especially in mediterranean short and weak waves.
- it will be especially hard in chop, where chop will kill your paddling speed even more, and make finding the proper take off placement even harder.

You should begin with a longer board. Something in the 8'6" / 9'6" range. At least 30" wide, and about 130/150 liters.
Hey, I guess that even your inflatable will be better to learn SUP surfing than a 7' board.
I have seen people with no surfing experience trying to start SUP Surfing with 7'4" and 7'6" boards in Med. They never made any progress until they switched to 9' boards. And experience in sports not related to waves wont help.

This 7' NFA is a ultra fun board once your have you SUP skill up to par, however. A killer machine for the mediterrenean waves. But you must know how to SUP and surf first. I'd say that you could ride it after a hundred of surf sessions. Also Gong shapes are much more efficient for mediterranean waves than boards designed in Hawaii, there is no comparaison (The Gong shaper was based in Corsica for many years).


PS: If you are French, I would suggest to go read the Gong forum (and even ask questions). It is the most active and informative place for SUP surfing discussions in French.