Simple question. Am busy doing some research into SUPs and Naish Boards seem well rated. The website is slick but not very good with simple info for us newbies. What are the acronyms for in the various ranges such as Nalu?

GTW
GT
GS

Also is the premium price worth it for a 1st board. I am guessing there is a bit of a learning curve and it would be pretty lucky to pick the board that matches your style on the 1st pick. Would it be preferable to buy something sub $1000 like the Evoke or Atlantis and then once you have some milage and know a bit more about what suits you to go for one of the more premium brands? Don't want to get in a brand punchup but more of a general premium V budget for 1st pick?

Age : 40
Weight : 86kg
Height : 187cm (6.2ft)

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FortyPlusone said..
Simple question. Am busy doing some research into SUPs and Naish Boards seem well rated. The website is slick but not very good with simple info for us newbies. What are the acronyms for in the various ranges such as Nalu?

GTW
GT
GS

Also is the premium price worth it for a 1st board. I am guessing there is a bit of a learning curve and it would be pretty lucky to pick the board that matches your style on the 1st pick. Would it be preferable to buy something sub $1000 like the Evoke or Atlantis and then once you have some milage and know a bit more about what suits you to go for one of the more premium brands? Don't want to get in a brand punchup but more of a general premium V budget for 1st pick?

Age : 40
Weight : 86kg
Height : 187cm (6.2ft)

Welcome to the forum ..do you believe ..you get what ya pay for ..
it's the construction ,the good glues used the good quality Decking ,good stainless bolts ,fins glass instead of plastic .
the tested shapes ,good warranty .All my mates have bought other brands ,and wish they have payed extra after one year .as theirs look like crap
and my naish looks great ..
Jp ,sunova ,starboard .and naish .my brand to name a few ..all are more expensive ...yes ...
do you want a board that last or just a 1 year hack .

some people are very happy with a cheapie ...if your not going to use it much its fine ...if your serious about SUPING .spend the extra.

its up to you and what you can afford ...September is a great time to buy a good quality SUP at a great price .

I say spend the extra , after all your worth it .

The acronyms you mention refer to the different materials they are made of. The more expensive ones are lighter but generally a bit more fragile. GS is the standard level construction and should be fine for you.

Spend your money on a decent brand, not something that no-one will want to buy off you in a year or so (sometimes less) when you decide to upgrade.

Buy used if you can.

You are what you paddle

Boards have a hard life so I recommend you buy new and shop around for a good deal. Buy floor stock from a shop and take it home on the day. A couple of years back I purchased a new board for several hundred dollars less than the same boards where being advertised for on seabreeze second hand.

See you on the water

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FortyPlusone said..
Also is the premium price worth it for a 1st board.

I think not.
- If you never surfed before, you will be surprised how easy a rigid board dings, and may not be used to inspect it regularily and fix the dings before they take water and destroy the board slowly. This is why we tend to recommend inflatables to people that are not used to take care of surfboards.
- Although boards rails are now more sturdy, you will ding the rails with the paddle while you are learning, reducing its resale value
- After a while, you will want to resell it for a model best adapted to your tastes (surfing, racing, touring, ...). When reselling beginner boards, you will find that people expect some "standard" price, irrespective of the list price. This means an expensive board will lose a lot of value on resale, and cheap ones not a lot.

Best is to get a used board (with some advice: some people ask astronomic prices for second hand boards), or a cheap but reputable brand (basically where your money goes to the construction rather than marketing)

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colas said..

FortyPlusone said..
Also is the premium price worth it for a 1st board.

I think not.
- If you never surfed before, you will be surprised how easy a rigid board dings, and may not be used to inspect it regularily and fix the dings before they take water and destroy the board slowly. This is why we tend to recommend inflatables to people that are not used to take care of surfboards.
- Although boards rails are now more sturdy, you will ding the rails with the paddle while you are learning, reducing its resale value
- After a while, you will want to resell it for a model best adapted to your tastes (surfing, racing, touring, ...). When reselling beginner boards, you will find that people expect some "standard" price, irrespective of the list price. This means an expensive board will lose a lot of value on resale, and cheap ones not a lot.

Best is to get a used board (with some advice: some people ask astronomic prices for second hand boards), or a cheap but reputable brand (basically where your money goes to the construction rather than marketing)

Yep. I agree with Colas.
My first board was an NSP 11'. I had it for around 3 years and between the whacks it took from my paddle and the slips and spills the first couple of times I loaded it on to the roof it took a beating. I bought it used for $1,000 including paddle, bag and leash. I was always glad I didn't spend more for it as it would've made the whole experience a little less enjoyable I think.
I ended up selling it last winter for $750. I'm now looking for a new board and I know exactly the type of board which suits me.
I say either go the budget board option from a reputable seller (like The Surfboard Warehouse or similar) or get a good name used board.
Good luck!

I also don't agree re the big name boards are better. One of my best mates bought naish and his developed bubbles that looked like delaminating on the bottom after a month and he babied it. It also took about 4 months to get it warrantied and a new one. I'm not bashing their product at all as any brand board can develope problems and I've surfed it and it's a great board.
I just don't agree that they are worth 3 times the price. Yes I know the arguments that they keep the sport afloat with comps and prize money etc but I simply can't afford that for a board.
Other competitive companies do their research, come up with their designs and pump them out of the factories in Thailand and China, where the majority of boards come from.
I'm currently riding my 4th board from the surfboard warehouse and will pick up my 5th (a new vex) in a couple of weeks and can't wait. I've only ever had one drama which was fixed by complete warranty replacement in 2 days after I told them.
I've also sold each board for at least 2/3 of the cost no problems at all to help pay for the upgrade to the next one.
All I want to say is don't put the surfboard warehouse in the same basket as other cheapies (there are some bad ones out there who have gone bust or renamed themselves overnight) just because they sell boards cheaper than the big names. They have quality, great priced products that they take pride in and stand by their warranty.
My 2c worth anyway.

Unless you know exactly what you want or are loaded, a second hand board will mitigate the financial risk of a first board, you can sell it again without losing too much whereas selling a new board you'll lose a lot more. Buying second hand can also mean getting three or four boards for the price of a nice new one. Stick with the big brands, they all know how to make boards and they'll be easier to sell again. I'm on my fifth board and I think I'm ready for a new one now, it's taken me that many to work it out. Mind you, I still have four of them. I can stop any time I want....