Hi there
I'm 59kg, 5'7". Just getting into SUP; and a 10' Starboard Whooper has been offered to me at a good price. I'm clueless as yet!
Could anyone advise me on this being a good choice. Or is it too basic.
I'd like a board that can do my local flat water, but manage the sea when I go there. I'd also like a board I can actually surf On too, as I know there are cross overs... Is this one?
Thanks tenfold!

Hi Karmarroc,
I had the same dilemma about 3 years ago, and ended up with... ... Whopper! Great first board, it's a keeper too. I have owned a second board for almost 1 year but love coming back to the whopper. Mainly for surf and I don't do much on flat water, but yes, I love it. I am 5'11" and 77kg. I can also throw the whopper to any friends or family and its great as an all-purpose board with length and width.

For others I would go the Mana or even the JP but go and demo everything! And for the record I have no connection to any of them and know that everyone are different with what "feels" right.

Mottman

The Whopper is huge and you big for you at under 60kg's!
Anything around the 160L mark or less will work great, low rocker with a bit of nose lift...
The Naish 10'6" Nalu is an amazing all-round board especially for someone of your size as a 1st time paddler!

Marcel

Thank you Both for replying!!

Too big in what way?

Can I also surf with this board?
Thanks!

I am with Marcel. The naish 10'6.5 is a board you can start with and advance with. It has lower rocker than the whopper, so is a faster paddler, and it has less volume so it is better on the wave. It's the best all rounder i have come across... You will lose some stability, especially in the chop, but it is still a very stable board. Easier to carry too. The naish handle is the best in the biz. I have one and i love it. There are other great boards that would suit you just as well, but the whopper is an aircraft carrier for a 59kg person... Good board for all the old fat buggers on here though.

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wavelength said..

but the whopper is an aircraft carrier for a 59kg person...

Absolutely!

If you live near some SUP stockists go and demo a few so you have a better idea - and then buy second hand - or if you find something you reckon is great then go for it.

I'm quite new to SUP and similar size. I find most larger, wider boards feel very stable, but hard to manoeuvre.

I have a 9'10", 29 inch wide board.
Wider boards (e. g. husband's 31") don't feel so good with paddle stroke for me (if 10"+) and I'm a little taller than you.

Seriously, though, try out some boards. It's the only way to tell.

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Karmarroc said..
Too big in what way?
Can I also surf with this board?
Thanks!

The Whopper is a great board for anyone to learn to paddle on, super stable and enough glide to get you moving. I've seen anyone from 30kg kids through to 100kg+ guys learn to paddle on them, so it would easily be do-able.

But as others have said, for your weight its a BIG board, at 34" wide, and although you would be able to paddle it pretty easily and probably catch waves, you would most likely struggle turning it, because you need a bit of weight behind you the throw it around, and without that extra weight, it would make the board harder to manoeuvre and control in the surf.

I got my first board almost 5 years ago. As a comparison, it was 10'6x28" (narrower than many of the all-around options available today, though there weren't nearly as many board options then) but that was enough board to get me going on flatwater and in the surf and I was around you're height & 88kg at the time.

If you can get the Whopper at a very good price (I'm assuming you're talking second hand?) you may want to consider it anyway, as it would get you on the water and moving straight away, and there's usually pretty good demand for selling them, if you wanted to upgrade in the not to distant future.

If you're going through a local shop or Starboard dealer, I'd consider looking at the 10'5"x30" drive (if your planning to do more flatwater than surf) or the 9'8"x30" Element (if you'll be spending more time in the waves than on the flat).

You're best option will be to demo as many boards as you can, or even hire a board a couple of times (if you don't know you're local sup shop, its probably worth paying the a visit) as you'll get a feeling pretty quickly about what feels comfortable for you.

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cel23 said..

The Whopper is huge and you big for you at under 60kg's!
Anything around the 160L mark or less will work great, low rocker with a bit of nose lift...
The Naish 10'6" Nalu is an amazing all-round board especially for someone of your size as a 1st time paddler!

Marcel

The Whopper is 168L so not far over the 160l mark you suggest as an upper limit.

I've said it before and I will say it again volume is not a determining factor. Yes take it into consideration but at the end of the day it is how the volume is distributed.

For example the 9'6 Fanatic All Wave is 174L but probably a better choice than the whopper.

I agree with Ali something like the 9'8 x 30 Starboard Element or the 8'10 All Wave would be a better choice but if the price is right on the whopper it will be a keeper.

Lots of good advice here. Im 80 kg and have Fanatic 9-2 allwave ( 160l) and 30 wide, and a 12-6 Bark competitor.
The whopper is too big for surfing at 60 kg, and too wide as a decent flatwater board.
Think hard about whether you will focus more on flats/ocean/fitness or waves, and get a board that leans that way.
I paddled a Naish 10-6'5 side by side with my Fanatic and in my sloppy wind waves, it was better. Tracks better, more speed On wave. A bit tippy compared to aw, but at 60 kg, you wouldnt have any problem, but it will be limiting on flat distance paddles.
If you are really going to go more on flats/ocean , id get a 12-6 or 14 ft board like a Fanatic Falcon or similar, learn to paddle On that in flats and ocean, and save more money and get a 8-5 to 9-0 sus board for real waves later.

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TomW059 said..

Lots of good advice here. Im 80 kg and have Fanatic 9-2 allwave ( 160l) and 30 wide, and a 12-6 Bark competitor.
The whopper is too big for surfing at 60 kg, and too wide as a decent flatwater board.
Think hard about whether you will focus more on flats/ocean/fitness or waves, and get a board that leans that way.
I paddled a Naish 10-6'5 side by side with my Fanatic and in my sloppy wind waves, it was better. Tracks better, more speed On wave. A bit tippy compared to aw, but at 60 kg, you wouldnt have any problem, but it will be limiting on flat distance paddles.
If you are really going to go more on flats/ocean , id get a 12-6 or 14 ft board like a Fanatic Falcon or similar, learn to paddle On that in flats and ocean, and save more money and get a 8-5 to 9-0 sus board for real waves later.

Your 9ft 2 Allwave is 31.5 inches wide........loads of stability.