Hi. First post so here goes. Moving to a river and beach location. Looking at a SUP for 70% flatwater 30% surf. I am 83kg 57 year old with average surfing ability. Questions:
1) will the 9'6" be big enough and suit both conditions
2) do I spend $1000-$1200 on a second hand Starboard or $1000 on a new board (Atlantis Halo?)
any comments appreciated.

G'Day Scottc,

Everyone will have differing opinions as to board recommendations and they will probably all be equally valid.

A 9'5" wide point is an excellent board to start with in the surf, however a 10'5" wide point goes better on flat water and will still be fun in the surf.

there are plenty of other all-round boards that will serve you well in both flat water and in the surf . A Naish Nalu would also be good. Brenno has one for sale in 'buy and sell'.

Good luck...I'm sure there will be lots more advice to follow.

Hi Scott. I have both a 9'5 and a 10'5 WP and they are quality boards. If you are 70% flatwater I would go the 10'5 WP due to the extra glide. It does go well in surf. Cheers Paul

Hi,
I'm same size as you, I've ridden the 9'5 widepoint, but went for an NSP 9'8 coco instead. Found the NSP was a little better on flatwater which is your 70%, but still ripped in the surf. I also found the NSP to be lighter and more stable. Just a thought.

Just chipping in.......if you are doing far more flat water than surfing I would look at a different board than a wide point.......something with less rocker.

Welcome, any board that gets you back on the water is worth it. If I can add I have the waterborne evoke in 7'11 purely for the surf. If you were thinking of the halo, also check out the evokes too. They are all 32" wide which will help with initial stability till you find your legs and come is heaps of sizes with corresponding volumes. Bit cheaper than the halo and I reckon just as good. Well made too and I've upgraded from the bamboo to the carbon just for extra strength. Happy paddling!!

Thanks for al the comments. Lots of thougjts there. Probably go bigger than 9'6". Biggest factor is to have fun without too much hard work. Will get serious when back from fifo swing. Cheers all.