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beached56 said..
i don't know anyone SUPing a board 7'6"*26, not even small women. how can that possibly be considered 'standard'?

A bit late but, some facts to ponder:
- if you dont try narrower, you dont progress. If you stay on a 33", trying a 31" will always feel too unstable. It takes some time on narrower boards to gain balance
- light/short riders are often intoxicated by the advice they read of heavier riders of "29" is too unstable" and do not dare try narrower boards
- if you own more than one board, having one of them be the "challenging" one is a sure way to boost progress, while keeping easy boards to avoid frustration. You can have a 26" board if other(s) are 29"+
- not everybody want to go narrower: if you are not interested in fast rail-to-rail in hollow waves, or developing a smooth longboard style, going narrow is not worth it.

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colas said..

beached56 said..
i don't know anyone SUPing a board 7'6"*26, not even small women. how can that possibly be considered 'standard'?

A bit late but, some facts to ponder:
- if you dont try narrower, you dont progress. If you stay on a 33", trying a 31" will always feel too unstable. It takes some time on narrower boards to gain balance
- light/short riders are often intoxicated by the advice they read of heavier riders of "29" is too unstable" and do not dare try narrower boards
- if you own more than one board, having one of them be the "challenging" one is a sure way to boost progress, while keeping easy boards to avoid frustration. You can have a 26" board if other(s) are 29"+
- not everybody want to go narrower: if you are not interested in fast rail-to-rail in hollow waves, or developing a smooth longboard style, going narrow is not worth it.

I think one other point is looking at where you will surf the board most of the time. I got my SUP so i could still get a wave when the SB and LB where not really an option. I then progressed to a much smaller board but still kept a lot of width (for my size). The reason i kept the width is that we get lots of windy small surf days where i surf 90% of the time. Sure when i go down the coast to glassy 4 foot surf my board struggles a bit but i just cant justify a smaller width board for maybe a couple of weeks surfing it per year. I've seen plenty of guys having to paddle to stay afloat on super short boards or sitting out the back on their boards waiting for the waves as they cannot stand still without sinking...not really my cup of tea BTW Im 75 kg, have a 10'5 x 32 and a 8'2 x 32....

I'd have to agree with this a bit, Loz79, though I also think Colas is right.

I've just sold my minion and my main boards are 8x29 and 8'5"x29 starboards. Down here we get chop/joggle on the water most of the time, there is often a groundswell with a predominant windswell or chop on it, and often two separate windswell/chops. It's a bl00dy nightmare on a narrow board for my height, and I also can;t justify a 28" board for those 5-6 days a year when there's a gentle wind and schmick clean conditions with swell.

But it isn;t just a matter of width - the whole board affects stability. I agree with COlas that you need to push it, and sometimes you surprise yourself. With these parallel rail/Tomo shapes, I reckon you need to go as small as you think you can handle and then another notch down. Mine was too big for me - I hadn;t tried one before I ordered it so I had 100 litres when I should have had 95, and it wasn't right for me. With all the new stuff and interest it'll be interesting to see where these boards are at by the end of the year for the 2016 models!

cheers

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Tang said...
I'd have to agree with this a bit, Loz79, though I also think Colas is right.

I've just sold my minion and my main boards are 8x29 and 8'5"x29 starboards. Down here we get chop/joggle on the water most of the time, there is often a groundswell with a predominant windswell or chop on it, and often two separate windswell/chops. It's a bl00dy nightmare on a narrow board for my height, and I also can;t justify a 28" board for those 5-6 days a year when there's a gentle wind and schmick clean conditions with swell.

But it isn;t just a matter of width - the whole board affects stability. I agree with COlas that you need to push it, and sometimes you surprise yourself. With these parallel rail/Tomo shapes, I reckon you need to go as small as you think you can handle and then another notch down. Mine was too big for me - I hadn;t tried one before I ordered it so I had 100 litres when I should have had 95, and it wasn't right for me. With all the new stuff and interest it'll be interesting to see where these boards are at by the end of the year for the 2016 models!

cheers

Yeah I agree, it's gonna be very interesting to see what's considered "normal" when looking at board sizes n volumes with these new designs...I'm defo keen to demo one at some stage and am certainly open minded about them..

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Tang said...
I'd have to agree with this a bit, Loz79, though I also think Colas is right.

I've just sold my minion and my main boards are 8x29 and 8'5"x29 starboards. Down here we get chop/joggle on the water most of the time, there is often a groundswell with a predominant windswell or chop on it, and often two separate windswell/chops. It's a bl00dy nightmare on a narrow board for my height, and I also can;t justify a 28" board for those 5-6 days a year when there's a gentle wind and schmick clean conditions with swell.

But it isn;t just a matter of width - the whole board affects stability. I agree with COlas that you need to push it, and sometimes you surprise yourself. With these parallel rail/Tomo shapes, I reckon you need to go as small as you think you can handle and then another notch down. Mine was too big for me - I hadn;t tried one before I ordered it so I had 100 litres when I should have had 95, and it wasn't right for me. With all the new stuff and interest it'll be interesting to see where these boards are at by the end of the year for the 2016 models!

cheers

How tall and heavy are you Tang?

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colas said..

beached56 said..
i don't know anyone SUPing a board 7'6"*26, not even small women. how can that possibly be considered 'standard'?

A bit late but, some facts to ponder:
- if you dont try narrower, you dont progress. If you stay on a 33", trying a 31" will always feel too unstable. It takes some time on narrower boards to gain balance
- light/short riders are often intoxicated by the advice they read of heavier riders of "29" is too unstable" and do not dare try narrower boards
- if you own more than one board, having one of them be the "challenging" one is a sure way to boost progress, while keeping easy boards to avoid frustration. You can have a 26" board if other(s) are 29"+
- not everybody want to go narrower: if you are not interested in fast rail-to-rail in hollow waves, or developing a smooth longboard style, going narrow is not worth it.

colas, i agree with all you say. but i recall in another thread you mentioned that taller guys really do need wider boards. I'm not huge, but am 6'3", and find a narrow stance is difficult. but my point was really that i don't consider 26" wide a 'standard board'. seems 29" to 31" is more standard (outside of my own personal preferences), and by 'standard' i wasn't including this new breed of Tomo-esque shapes. BTW, I have acclimated to 8.4 * 31" L41 SIMSUP ST. It was a struggle at first, and now, it's much easier and that thing surfs damn well. But I keep my SB Hero (9*33) for those choppier/bigger days.

So that's it, now I know, don't wanna progress ,just wanna drive home with a smile.

Just got into Sam's place (Windsurf n Snow) to check out the Slate. What an awesome looking little board, now the problem is though that no one can give you an accurate description of what it is like to ride one. I'm sure that like many we hear and watch lots of vid's of really good surfers smashing it on these potato chips of boards or super lightweights that can stand up on a surfboard without their ankles getting wet.

I would love to get some reviews and some opinions from average everyday crew that aren't sponsored or maybe don't surf daily. I would think that is a much better way to review a product. I am, right now, not convinced that these boards are anything but a fad and may disappear into the ether in a years time or less, but, and here is the rub, I have been wrong (so many times) in my life to date :).

I really would love to get a demo on one of these boards, but we are based in Canberra and trying to get one of the manufacturers to bring a board down for demo is pretty close to impossible, so I must live my life vicariously (when it comes to opinion) on here with the breezers.

So lets get someone that is around the 90-100 kg that surfs ok and get some feedback off them, I reckon that would be super worthwhile.

You will need to wait for those reviews....theres always a lot of froth and hype about any new designs.

someone send me one.... I'll review it.

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supthecreek said..
someone send me one.... I'll review it.

I'd believe your reviews much more than the hype STC. A very good surfer I know has been riding the smaller Slate.....says it is very fast down the line but takes a while to dial in a diff kind of surfing. He reckons the bigger ones will be popular.

They look like dogs to paddle and get outback.

Your Pro Wave still shredding it for you?

JP Slate 7-2 x 28 and the Naish Raptor 7-0 x 31. Two very different boards haven't surfed either yet.

Loz79, Tang, beached56, you make very valid points. Myself I even sold this week my 27" board, was not worth it for me, even if I am short.

Also this 27" was my "outer reef" (long) SUP, bit of an illogical quiver choice as there can be chop out there and going back to change boards is a pain.
I may get another narrow one, but more suited to the hollow clean conditions I can get.

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Piros said..
JP Slate 7-2 x 28 and the Naish Raptor 7-0 x 31. Two very different boards haven't surfed either yet.

Bet they are both fun!

Bit of fun today trying out the different boards and fin set ups

Hi what are the sizes & widths etc. of all the boards in the photo (to compare ?:-)

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Tang said..
I'd have to agree with this a bit, Loz79, though I also think Colas is right.

I've just sold my minion and my main boards are 8x29 and 8'5"x29 starboards. Down here we get chop/joggle on the water most of the time, there is often a groundswell with a predominant windswell or chop on it, and often two separate windswell/chops. It's a bl00dy nightmare on a narrow board for my height, and I also can;t justify a 28" board for those 5-6 days a year when there's a gentle wind and schmick clean conditions with swell.

But it isn;t just a matter of width - the whole board affects stability. I agree with COlas that you need to push it, and sometimes you surprise yourself. With these parallel rail/Tomo shapes, I reckon you need to go as small as you think you can handle and then another notch down. Mine was too big for me - I hadn;t tried one before I ordered it so I had 100 litres when I should have had 95, and it wasn't right for me. With all the new stuff and interest it'll be interesting to see where these boards are at by the end of the year for the 2016 models!

cheers

I think there is a mindset here where some people who perhaps struggle on a conventional shaped SUP which is say 28 wide cant imagine that they could go narrower with these Minion/Vanguard shapes and be more comfortable or at least not as uncomfortable as they would imagine. I think people need to think about this aspect a bit more and understand that
it is not a direct translation.

Well Rob , what is your comparison verdict , naish looks like a big boys board , slate how did it go ? Compared to your conventional JP board ?

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ghost4man said...

Tang said..
I'd have to agree with this a bit, Loz79, though I also think Colas is right.

I've just sold my minion and my main boards are 8x29 and 8'5"x29 starboards. Down here we get chop/joggle on the water most of the time, there is often a groundswell with a predominant windswell or chop on it, and often two separate windswell/chops. It's a bl00dy nightmare on a narrow board for my height, and I also can;t justify a 28" board for those 5-6 days a year when there's a gentle wind and schmick clean conditions with swell.

But it isn;t just a matter of width - the whole board affects stability. I agree with COlas that you need to push it, and sometimes you surprise yourself. With these parallel rail/Tomo shapes, I reckon you need to go as small as you think you can handle and then another notch down. Mine was too big for me - I hadn;t tried one before I ordered it so I had 100 litres when I should have had 95, and it wasn't right for me. With all the new stuff and interest it'll be interesting to see where these boards are at by the end of the year for the 2016 models!

cheers

I think there is a mindset here where some people who perhaps struggle on a conventional shaped SUP which is say 28 wide cant imagine that they could go narrower with these Minion/Vanguard shapes and be more comfortable or at least not as uncomfortable as they would imagine. I think people need to think about this aspect a bit more and understand that
it is not a direct translation.

It's not that I can't ride 28" wide short boards, it's just that I choose not too. My point is that I ride boards to the conditions, I've had some great days on my boards in crappy surf while watching others on way undersized boards struggle like hell. Sure if the conditions where I mostly surf where better id be on a narrower, shorter board but unfortunately we mostly get gutless chop!...

Hi what are the sizes & widths etc. of all the boards in the photo (to compare ?:-)

Left to right :- 7-6 x 28 115 L , 7-3 x 27 95L , 7-2 x 28 103L , 8-6 x 28 112L , 5-9 x not much 40L.

Conditions pretty tough 4ft 15kn cross shore wind and choppy . The J-P 7-2 is really short when you first stand on it but has good side ways stability but not as stable as the 8-6. Surf wise I was skating all over the shop on the slate. Dropped in 5th fin and came good but soon realised I did not have my back foot on the tail kick. You have to that to get the board to bite. Swapped around and really for those conditions the 8-6 was the pick , but if it had been clean the 7-2 would have shredded.

I really like the look of the Gulliver shape. Dunno why, but it just looks right.

Ok all you "Surf Slaters", I demoed the 7'x28" last weekend at the Sunny Coast on a 2 foot beach break and earlier on in fairly big fattish Currumbin.

I'm around 87 kg around 5'10, I think from memory and the wrong side of 50. I answered my own question regarding stability compared to my 2015 8'6" wave pro.
IMO I think the Slate was slightly tippier than the 8'6", maybe even leaning towards the 8'2"x28" Wave Pro. Paddling, about 3 strokes per side before changing sides, and I have a big paddle, so not that much different to the 8'6". Getting out over whitewater pretty easy, pops up and over. Paddles onto waves with very little effort.

At Currumbin I had just put my back out, so could only stay out for a couple of waves, but I loved the way it surfed, could pretty well ride off the rear pad without moving my foot. Because of the fuller wave, I was able to get pretty comfy on this board. I found it a bit harder to get it dialled in with the smaller waves up at Coolum,
but only a pretty short session also.

For me, I want to try the 7'6"x29' for a bit more stability, just worried about the 115 litres being too much. Basically I'm just looking for something pretty short to throw around on the wave with a touch more stability than my 2015 8'6" so that I can stand around in lumpy with a touch more comfort.

Hope that all helps

Nice review Bigman. Zeus the gully board is very thin nose a tail and has super pulled over rails , but that cost you foam. I drowned it. Porchey the guy that rides is only around 80 kegs and he rips on it. He also has it set up as a 5 fin but the 5th is a nubster.

Gee that Gulliver looks almost identical in shape to the JP, the Naish to me looks a bit silly but I'm shure it will apeal to the guys who want a stable table.
It wll be interesting to see how you like the Slate Piros when you get a decent session on it, was out at the Alley yesterday arvo on my 8'6", the sweep was bullsh!t.
I ended up proving that paddling prone is better in a sweep, paddling standing up, could only just keep up with the shortboarders.

HI the board on the left next to the Gulliver - the 7'6" x 28 x 115lt what make is that (it looks about right to me :-)

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Piros said...
Nice review Bigman. Zeus the gully board is very thin nose a tail and has super pulled over rails , but that cost you foam. I drowned it. Porchey the guy that rides is only around 80 kegs and he rips on it. He also has it set up as a 5 fin but the 5th is a nubster.

Piros, the Gulliver comes in bigger sizes though right?

Sorry grenfell, I've been off line. I'm a bit over 6'4" and around 85kg. The minion was 110 litres, too, not 100.

wish I could have a go of those boards in Piros photo!

and ideally you would of preffered a 105l?

I'm 6ft and 90Kg and grappling with what to get. I jumped on the 103l Slate and too much like hard work straight off the bat.

Think I might go a custom at about 110l+.

Hey Grenfell, I'm waiting for the 7'6"X29"x115 L,struggled a bit on the 7'2"x28"x103 L.
It wasn't the volume, just the size.

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bigman said...
Hey Grenfell, I'm waiting for the 7'6"X29"x115 L,struggled a bit on the 7'2"x28"x103 L.
It wasn't the volume, just the size.

Yeah sounds like a good idea. .. waiting on some thoughts from a shaper re: a custom myself. Will see what he comes back with.