I want to buy my first Sunova surf SUP soon, but could really need some advice.I live in the north of Germany and will mainly surf smaller waves (beach breaks) that'll be far from being perfect ;-). As I´d like to take the board on holidays (where there are better conditions like in France, Portugal or Spain) I´ll appreciate an allround wave board that can handle different conditions.So far I don´t have much wave experience (only tried surfing once many years ago and solely kitesurfed the last couple of years) and really started with SUP this year (bought my first touring iSUP then).
Unfortunately I won't be able to test a Sunova before buying.

The only german retailer recommended the Speeed. Everything I´ve read about it sounds great, but I wonder about the size and if it will be ok for a beginner as well?!? On the other hand I don´t want to buy a new board as soon as my skills improve, so it would be great if the board will be fun from the beginner to intermediate or even advanced state.
Rider weight will be between 70 and 85kg (I`ll share the SUP with my husband).

Really looking forward to your replies,
Nathalie

Hi Nathalie - welcome to SeaBreeze!

It is always tricky when you are new to a sport and when you may occasionally use it in different conditions - and when you have to share it with someone 15 kg heavier...

The Speeed is a good board because it combines stability with surfability. Even though you may want to move to a smaller board after a while, the Speeed should hold its value. If you buy a second-hand boards you could learn on it first, but the Speeed will always be good board to hold on to because it can be used as a mini-nose-rider and you can use it on flat water, or when it gets choppy and you need stability.

For you an 8'10" Speeed could be good, but if your husband is also new to supping/surfing you'll need a bigger board; the 9'2" or even the 9'5".

(It may be worth mentioning that Sunova now have the Shroom that may be well suited to mushy beach breaks, but I have not ridden it so I can't recommend it.)

(BTW: I don't sell them and have no other interest - I have two Speeeds, two other Sunovas, and a few other brands.)

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Jason/cse

Hello Nathalie.
I am male 56 years old now & been surfing SUPs for about 3 years now. When I finally got my 8ft 3" Sunova Soul SUP after my first two SUPs, I new I made the right choice. I still absolutely love it!
My first SUP was a 9ft 6" that I Iearnt on for about 1 year.
I have been riding the Soul for about 2 years now & it still is in excellent condition. I have surfed it when I first weighed 86kilos & it floated me easily. I would recommend its 110 litres as perfect for someone at 80 kilos & still good for a better surfer at 90 kilos. If you are lighter the stability is better & it still would be easy to turn. I am now around 78 kilos plus or minus 2 kilos & I find it very comfortable in stability. Even better to surf. I also have a JP Wide body at 8ft 2" that is 32 inches wide at 126 litres which is even more stable in choppy conditions but is not as good to surf in any conditions compared to my Sunova Soul. This is my opinion on the Sunova Soul.
Strong quality construction, light & easy to carry at 8ft 3", catches waves easily, surfs through choppy waters easily & doesn't throw me off, very controllable & turns which ever way you want it to. It glides through flat sections & will just keep going on a fat or unbroken wave when you put your weight forward. Crouching down low makes it go even further. I do this to see how far I can ride the wave. And it goes a fair way. If I want to cut loose & go crazy, it is so easy to turn on the back pad. But most times I am just a carver with sweeping turns & I rarely get my back foot on the back pad & it still does carving turns. I have heard the Speeed only turns better if you get your foot back on the pad. The Soul is my go to board in very small waves to waves well overhead. Also good on flat water too. So in my opinion it really is the great Allrounder. .
But even if you pick the Speeed at around the same size, l don't think you will be dissapointed.
Have fun

Totally understand your position OP.

I recently bought a Sunova Speeed 8'10 and absolutely love it.

It did take me a little while to find out what type of board i needed for my breaks, and also for exploring other breaks too, but this forum and Standupzone forum have many many topics, pics and videos made by some fantastic people that soon enough you'll decide on the right board for you. I'd suggest you spend a little time reading and watching before buying one. There are the basics to cover, ability, weight, breaks you will mostly use it on, experience in recovery in difficult conditions and such but you already know these and the experience of kiting will help you no end.

As for the brand Sunova, there isn't a bad board in their range. The range is stock full of fantastic boards made for all conditions and locations, made by very passionate people and designed by one of the best in the business.

I wouldn't recommend one board from their range for you, but I am extremely happy with my Speeed.

Enjoy choosing.

The Speeed works great in North sea conditions as wel as better surf like France or Spain.
With my weight 88 KG I went for 9,2 and absolutely love it so the 8.10 would be ok for you both.
I know I can surf a smaller Speeed but the 9.2 is never holding me back and surfs unreal from hip high to solid overhead

Hi Nathalie.... I have been pondering this all day.... but I need to know more. So I'll be guessing a bit, If you don't mind

Claimer: I am a proud Sunova Pimp. 100%

I am guessing you are young and athletic, since you are thinking past the "start-up" stage and thinking "advanced" in short order.

1st of all.... whatever you get will suit your husband more than you after the 1st semester.
2nd.... you will be getting another Sunova when you are ready for stage 3.

Start-up on SUP surfing, with no prior experience, has challenges that are usually better learned on a board with a measure of comfort.

Sunova has at least 4 boards that you can consider. Some easier, some harder. I am going to lay out 4 boards and their advantages.
From hardest to easiest overall.
All remarks are aimed at a TOTAL beginner

Speeed - size for size.... the tippiest of the bunch. The lower volume ones for your weight range are pretty narrow for a beginner.... even a light one.
Best paddler, nose makes take-offs super easy, turns best from the tail, so not particularly beginner friendly at first.
I would recommend a 9'2. You could struggle away on an 8'10, but the 9'2 surfs just as good for your purposes.
You will never outgrow the Speeed, but you may outgrow the size. Great in all conditions.... but the narrower ones require skill in chop.

Soul - very straightforward surf SUP with no surprises, moderately stable size for size, Easy paddler, turns from anywhere on the board, will grow with you as you advance, but will not give as much advanced performance as the Speeed or Flow.
I recommend the 8'11 with an eye to the future, but you could go 9'5 to ease your learning curve

Flow - Size for size it is the most stable IMO, paddles with more "yaw" meaning it's hardest to paddle straight of this group. The outline curve that makes it turn easily when paddling, will be a challenge for a beginner paddler.... it is also makes the board super easy to turn from the middle, and that
should help you progress faster. The wider tail adds to overall stability and catches waves super easy. It is fast and responsive on the waves.
It will keep you happy into advanced SUP surfing in small to head high waves.
I recommend the 8'10 Flow, but I wouldn't go any bigger.

"The One" - 9'5 - this is a little known board at the moment. It is the same shape as the 9'5 Surf from last year, but in a new construction. It is the biggest board in the bunch, in all ways. Wider, more volume, thicker rails, generous nose and tail to aid in stability.
"The One" is a great paddler... awesome for flat-water as well. By far, the most stable of this group. Big enough to take the dog for a casual paddle.
It is similar shape to the Soul, with more foam around the edges for extra comfort and ease of use.
The one" surfs great... turns easy and carves well. it is fast and lively... I enjoy this board a lot..... not the same performance of the others in this
group, but enough for years of growth. A great "goto" board when conditions get sloppy. Small to overhead surf.
I recommend the 9'5 for you and your husband.... more numbers than you need, but it will be the easiest to learn on, and the bonus of a flat-water
board as well. See my video from last week.... "Sunova Skate and "the One" video" or the 9'5 Surf video on the link below

Or hit up my YouTube channel to see all these boards in videos



Don't know if this helps, but it may help understand the good points of each.

Hi, all the above advice is great, but I think you may need to begin on a much stabler board first.

The reason is that we need big boards for the first steps to progress fast, and then for fun in the surf get down in size to the above recommendations (e.g: something in the 8'6" to 9'6' range). Especially in Germany in winter, you do not want to fall too much :-)

My advice is thus to begin on an inflatable, something stable, 10'x32" or more, like http://gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.sf/fr_FR/?ObjectPath=/Shops/box1707/Products/GON6SUPINFCHIP10
Be wary that the bigger the inflatable, the longer it takes to inflate, though.

This way you can learn the SUP basics: balance and paddling technique, which takes some time, and then choose your rigid board with more insight. You can keep the inflatable as a spare board for SUPing together or lend to friends, or just carry in vacations just in case. Or have in the car trunk for a fitness paddle after work in summer. Or sell it, inflatables do not ding and can be sent easily in the mail, so they are easy to resell.

Youre right Colas, but she wrote " I don´t want to buy a new board as soon as my skills improve "
Sure you can sell most boards second hand but if you wanna buy someting good to begin with it's not inflatable .
In totaly dig why people buy these things but I just hate the performance in waves and also downwind.
So for me there is a huuuuuge gap between the Speeed and the inflatable.
In holland they used to say a difference like apples and peaches, if you translate it's silly but you get the picture.

Thanks for all your replies !!!

Currently we do own two inflatables. The Naish Alana 11'6"" and SIC Air Bullet 14 (28.5'' wide). The Alana is super wide and stable, the Air Bullet feels more "wobbly", but I get along fine with both SUP. Though I really like them they aren´t ideal to get into SUP surfing .

Unfortunately we are not that young anymore (end-30's), but I hope it won´t be too late to start and hopefuly progress (a little at least...). As I´ve spent some time in waves while kitesurfing and always enjoyed it I now want to try it with a SUP as well.
In regards to our humble wave conditions we don´t need the "top end performance board", but it would be great if its a board than can handle these conditons and makes the most out of it.

Summarizing your posts you´ve recommended the Speeed 9'2'', Flow 8'3"" & 8'10" and "The One 9`5"".
As we already own two flatwater boards the flatwater and allround capability isn´t the main factor. I don´t want to buy too small and make it too difficult to progress, so the 9'2'' and 9'5" sizes sound good. If we really get into surfing, we can still buy smaller but for the beginning I want to be on the safe side.

So now narrowing it down to the "One", "Speed" and "Flow". Still a tough decision and too many choices ...

@"flowmaster": good to know that you are using the board in similar conditions. Did you already had a surfing background before buying the Speed?

Hi Flow not trying to hijac thread but been meaning to tell you we have been trying out the c drive fins in the speeds.Excellent combo.Although we are usually in ptetty clean waves.Check out the website regards Rich

Hi Kitechick.
I've ridden the speeed and One and currently own a flow 8'10 and a Soul 9'5. 77 kg and 5'7" Been sup surfing for 2 yrs and am at intermediate level. I'd say the Soul is the most versatile, it works in any conditions and really improves confidence as its so forgiving and feels smaller than it is. Similar to the One but just a bit better for surf. The flow 8'10 is an increment more advanced in surf but has a slight stability trade off. The speeed at 9'5 is stable but needs more effort to turn unless you can get back to the tail. Good luck with your Sunova journey

I have an 8'8 Speeed on its way in Santas sleigh (The wife said I need to get a present on Christmas Day to open with my kids)

I am not a great surfer and I was initially looking more at the flow, as I liked the idea of turning a little easier from the middle and not having to worry as much about thinking about my back foot placement. However once I actually got to demo the speeed, I was like

After only a very short time in the board I was feeling more and more confident in what I could do with it.

A few things that stood out at me and have been mentioned in other reviews, the board became more stable as I paddled for waves and really dug in (I think supthecreek describes this better in one of his reviews). The board really is named appropriately as it is super fast, which I found made it super fun and helped in in lots of areas. You do have to get your foot back, however I found this really easy, as I was coming down in board size and the speed of the board made it feel like I had more time.

The speeed is a much better board than my ability but not beyond my ability. If you are anything like me and want to get better and don't mind working for it, I could see the speeed as a really good board for you.

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Kitechick21 said...
I want to buy my first Sunova surf SUP soon, but could really need some advice.I live in the north of Germany and will mainly surf smaller waves (beach breaks) that'll be far from being perfect ;-). As I´d like to take the board on holidays (where there are better conditions like in France, Portugal or Spain) I´ll appreciate an allround wave board that can handle different conditions.So far I don´t have much wave experience (only tried surfing once many years ago and solely kitesurfed the last couple of years) and really started with SUP this year (bought my first touring iSUP then).
Unfortunately I won't be able to test a Sunova before buying.

The only german retailer recommended the Speeed. Everything I´ve read about it sounds great, but I wonder about the size and if it will be ok for a beginner as well?!? On the other hand I don´t want to buy a new board as soon as my skills improve, so it would be great if the board will be fun from the beginner to intermediate or even advanced state.
Rider weight will be between 70 and 85kg (I`ll share the SUP with my husband).

Really looking forward to your replies,
Nathalie

Why are you limiting yourself to Sunova? I can't understand why you wouldn't consider the other brands out there, and there are plenty of them.

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MickMc said..
Why are you limiting yourself to Sunova? I can't understand why you wouldn't consider the other brands out there, and there are plenty of them.

Hi Mick, I did a lot of online research lately and considered other brands as well (like Starboard, Naish, SIC, Fanatic, etc.). Unfortunately german retailers mainly sell inflatables nowadays and hardboards are rare and expensive. After reading so many rave reviews about Sunova I got interested.
I really like the fact that they are supposed to be light boards but with a strong construction. If the performance is great as well why should´t I buy one? The price is even less than for a Naish or Starboard SUP.

Therefore I am really happy that I narrowed it down to one brand but still have a tough time deciding between one of there models ...

Cause they are the best

@ Luckyloo Nice to hear you took the advice, C drive fins are the best as wel

@ Kitechick yes I surf for a long time and 7 years on a sup. Been trying a lot of different boards over the years.
I bought my Speeed after reading so many good reviews from it and from the Sunovas construction.
In real life the look even better than from the pictures , construction is very strong no dents or damage and it's my every day board.

Can only say that I'm a happy customer

Btw the portugese Sunovas guys have a camp where you can try different shapes. Gaffas is on this forum.

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Kitechick21 said..
I really like the fact that they are supposed to be light boards but with a strong construction. If the performance is great as well why should´t I buy one? The price is even less than for a Naish or Starboard SUP.

Therefore I am really happy that I narrowed it down to one brand

I am sorry to present you with other options :-) but since you are in germany, as online brands you also have Gong, That are cheap, light and strong. A full carbon PVC sandwich board is only 1100€, and a wood layer construction (called Bamby) is 750€, plus port from France.
All weights are on all the boards descriptions (naked boards), guaranteed within ±5% (otherwise they are sold at a discount)

The drawback is that they are sold online only, not via retailers so you cannot demo them. They have a huge active forum however to trade advice, but with posts mostly in French (English posts are welcome). In contrast, Sunova have retailers in Germany.

Gong was the first to have production SUPs worldwide, and is one of the major innovator in the sport, for instance with short SUPs. And since the shaper is from Brittany but lived a long time on the mediterranean sea, his boards can work in weak waves too.

Disclaimer: I am a Gong ambassador.

PS: I also read very good things of Sunova, and the shaper do not hesitate to share his knowledge on the web, which is always the sign of a great brand. I don't think you will be disappointed by getting a Sunova; As I said, I only wanted to make you aware of other options in the light+strong+cheap+innovative approach.

PS2: I started suping at 49, I have friends who started at 60, do not worry, you do not need to start young to enjoy and progress in SUPing!

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flowmaster said..
Btw the portugese Sunovas guys have a camp where you can try different shapes. Gaffas is on this forum.

Are you talking about the "Mauka Lodge"? Discovered it yesterday and it looks tempting. Maybe something for our June holiday ...

yep that's the one

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Kitechick21 said..

MickMc said..
Why are you limiting yourself to Sunova? I can't understand why you wouldn't consider the other brands out there, and there are plenty of them.

Hi Mick, I did a lot of online research lately and considered other brands as well (like Starboard, Naish, SIC, Fanatic, etc.). Unfortunately german retailers mainly sell inflatables nowadays and hardboards are rare and expensive. After reading so many rave reviews about Sunova I got interested.
I really like the fact that they are supposed to be light boards but with a strong construction. If the performance is great as well why should´t I buy one? The price is even less than for a Naish or Starboard SUP.

Therefore I am really happy that I narrowed it down to one brand but still have a tough time deciding between one of there models ...

Yes it's tough deciding and I'm not saying you shouldn't buy one, just trying to say you should be careful of the hype that can be generated at certain times about certain brands. You say they are light because they say they are light, but they are the only big name manufacturer that doesn't publish their weights ..... or do they? I can't see any weights of boards anywhere on their website. Not saying they're not light, but boards can come out at different weights and some other manufacturers will guarantee weights to within about a 5% variation or it is cheaper. Yes they have lots of shapes .... as do the others. As to cost, I don't think they're any cheaper than many other good brands and dearer than some. You can get cheaper Starboard if you don't get carbon and the Sunova aren't carbon. They say they are equivalent to carbon because of the weight, but they don't tell you the weight. Round and round we go. I'd be keeping my eye out for a good deal on any of the top brands, including Sunova, or look in the second hand section. Just saying you're unnecessarily limiting your options.

That's why I'm around..... I have been weighing all my boards, on a digital shipping scale, for the many brands I have reviewed over the years.

Claimer:
100% Sunova mascot

The weight (without fins) of my
8'5 Speeed = 7.25 kg (16 lbs)
9'5 Speeed = 8.89 kg (19.6 lbs)


Yup... not carbon. Better.
So smooth, they feel like your surfing on pure glass.

Hey Guys Im also new to this forum,Ive Sup surfing for a year now been riding a Allwave 9,1x31 which has
been great to learn on,Ive also had my eye on the Sunova speed esp the 9,2.
Just wondering if that would be a good step down board from the Allwave,which my 73kg frame can turn easily.
thoughts?

The one you have youre eye on would do