Hi All.

I am 5'7" and weight 76-78kg. I had minimal experience with prone surfing prior to starting SUP surf.

SUP hobby started with consistent 2.5-5km paddles on a "Robert August 11' x 28 x 4 3/8 board (Volume is 265L). Paddled 2-5km, 3-4x per week for a year. Started catching waves the past few months on the above board.

A mate lent me a "8'10 x 29 & 115L, SMIK, Hipster Twin longboard shape with swallow tail". Awesome board; however, massive progression from the Robert August above...

I went out during clean conditions. Tons of falling etc...but, managed to get around 10 decent sized waves (in 2 hours) & actually ride the face (no turning or anything yet) .... Was on a high for about a week after this session lol.

I've continued to try the SMIK board for the past 2-3wks; However, if it isn't super glassy, I'm falling 800x . I can paddle it....but, waiting for sets/turning/preparing for a wave i struggle massively to balance. I think the board is too advanced....

I am thinking about purchasing a board between a ratio factor of 1.6 (125L) to 1.9 (146L). Potentially around 8'10-9'1 and between 29-32 wide....Maybe a Sunova Ghost or Placid within the above dimensions...??

Do you guys think I'm on the right track here with this?

All suggestions welcomed

I appreciate any feedback

Thanks :)

HI Nate
I've been suping for about 10 years and still find 29 wide boards difficult for me in surf ,even though I still have one
I much prefer a 31 wide board ,I also might suggest the 8'8 flow x 31 wide x 126 litre ,it is designed as a all-rounder
and surfs pretty good in most surf conditions ,I have other boards also but always full back on this one as a trusted
board .I did enjoy my days on the 8'7 placid but the 8'8 flow surfs better in my opinion .Not yet ridden the Ghost ,
But it looks like a easy board to surf with the widened Nose and tail .

Thanks Tardy - appreciate the reply/advice. I'll have a look and see if i can demo it. Cheers mate.

Hey Nate I got the Hipster twin 8'10" swallow at 32" x 145L and it would be perfect for you right now esp if you can handle yours in good conditions, cos this thing goes off whilst being stable in all conditions-width/stability is no problem at all and its a great board to springboard (boom tish) to the next level when ur there. Who'd of thought a longboard would be less stable though I see smik has released a pro version their hipster twin, but its still wider than urs. Ur in Smik country why don't you give Scott a hoy he's great to deal with

I like a few boards for you depending on a couple of factors.

If you're after a 'traditional looking' shortboard outline board - my favourite pick would be a Sunova Ghost in 8'10". Flatter rocker, wider nose and tail (that makes it stable) and a forward fin placement with a hip means that it will still turn and go when you don't have your rear foot over the tail. This allows you to drive with your front foot and not have to step back a long way to still get it to turn. It's a fast easy turning board - perfect for regular guys learning the craft.

The next board i'd look at would be the Jimmy Lewis Destroyer 8'10. A hybrid (wide) nose, flatter rocker all round performance board. Plenty of range to be able to surf in and stable to paddle.

I also like a 9'6 Sunova Steeze if you like the longboard feel without having something super narrow. Or the Sunova Surf 10'. Or Starboard Longboard 9'5". A longboard nose will basically mean you can go 1-2" narrower in mid width for similar stability.

I'm not so much of a fan of the Hipster twins for beginners. You really do need your foot right back over the fins to snap turns, and they typically go way better on bigger walls / waves with power. Maybe a board for later in your sup journey.

As you're in WA, It might be worth chatting to Scotty @ Smik to get a custom made. If you do want to go down that route, play the width and volume conservatively. I know guys who have tried customs from them and a few have had to move them on as they were too low in volume and width (stability) for their level.

The Hipster twin gets my vote. It was the board that really unlocked the secret for me, combination of being pretty stable at over 30inches wide and also you can either rail it in turns or it can be pretty loose and skatey.
I am similar height and weight to you and have had several of them now in fact currently have a 7'10 and an 8'0. Surfed the 8'0 today in fact. big fan of Scotty's shapes.
if it's not clean conditions width really helps so go wider than 30inches for sure.

Hi Nate
you are on an exciting journey, enjoy the ride!!
the Ghost and Placid are both very stable, easy to surf boards. the Placid is slightly more stable size for size, but while I am a fan of the 8'10, I am not a fan of the 9'1 Placid. Both the 8'10 Placid or 8'10 Ghost should give you the stability that you are looking for, while offering easy turning and wave catching ability.

the Ghost is faster and snappier.

if you want to get into a more detailed discussion, please email me at
supthecreek@gmail.com

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backbeach said..
Hey Nate I got the Hipster twin 8'10" swallow at 32" x 145L and it would be perfect for you right now esp if you can handle yours in good conditions, cos this thing goes off whilst being stable in all conditions-width/stability is no problem at all and its a great board to springboard (boom tish) to the next level when ur there. Who'd of thought a longboard would be less stable though I see smik has released a pro version their hipster twin, but its still wider than urs. Ur in Smik country why don't you give Scott a hoy he's great to deal with

Thanks backbeach. Heading to a stand up paddle surf shop that distributes Smik boards tomorrow. I'll suss out the 30+ with and ~145L. Appreciate the suggestions

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Hoppo3228 said..
I like a few boards for you depending on a couple of factors.

If you're after a 'traditional looking' shortboard outline board - my favourite pick would be a Sunova Ghost in 8'10". Flatter rocker, wider nose and tail (that makes it stable) and a forward fin placement with a hip means that it will still turn and go when you don't have your rear foot over the tail. This allows you to drive with your front foot and not have to step back a long way to still get it to turn. It's a fast easy turning board - perfect for regular guys learning the craft.

The next board i'd look at would be the Jimmy Lewis Destroyer 8'10. A hybrid (wide) nose, flatter rocker all round performance board. Plenty of range to be able to surf in and stable to paddle.

I also like a 9'6 Sunova Steeze if you like the longboard feel without having something super narrow. Or the Sunova Surf 10'. Or Starboard Longboard 9'5". A longboard nose will basically mean you can go 1-2" narrower in mid width for similar stability.

I'm not so much of a fan of the Hipster twins for beginners. You really do need your foot right back over the fins to snap turns, and they typically go way better on bigger walls / waves with power. Maybe a board for later in your sup journey.

As you're in WA, It might be worth chatting to Scotty @ Smik to get a custom made. If you do want to go down that route, play the width and volume conservatively. I know guys who have tried customs from them and a few have had to move them on as they were too low in volume and width (stability) for their level.

Cheers mate. Heading to a SUP shop tomorrow. Hopefully they have a few of these boards. I'll also consider a custom. Heard good things about SMIK and their team. Thanks for the advice

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Whassup said..
The Hipster twin gets my vote. It was the board that really unlocked the secret for me, combination of being pretty stable at over 30inches wide and also you can either rail it in turns or it can be pretty loose and skatey.
I am similar height and weight to you and have had several of them now in fact currently have a 7'10 and an 8'0. Surfed the 8'0 today in fact. big fan of Scotty's shapes.
if it's not clean conditions width really helps so go wider than 30inches for sure.

Thanks Whassup. Right on man. Leaning towards the hipster twin but wider and slightly more volume than the current one I'm borrowing. Checking out a SUP shop tomorrow. Might look at the custom options from SMIK!

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supthecreek said..
Hi Nate
you are on an exciting journey, enjoy the ride!!
the Ghost and Placid are both very stable, easy to surf boards. the Placid is slightly more stable size for size, but while I am a fan of the 8'10, I am not a fan of the 9'1 Placid. Both the 8'10 Placid or 8'10 Ghost should give you the stability that you are looking for, while offering easy turning and wave catching ability.

the Ghost is faster and snappier.

if you want to get into a more detailed discussion, please email me at
supthecreek@gmail.com

Thanks Supthecreek. I appreciate the feedback and suggestions. Randomly, I was watching a bunch of your YouTube vids in addition to the Ghost 8'10 review tonight.then, checked seabreeze & had a message from u. Heading to a shop tomorrow that deals with Sunova and Smik. I'll see if I can demo a few. Might also fire u off an email. Thanks for reaching out and awesome work with all the vids!

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Tardy said..
HI Nate
I've been suping for about 10 years and still find 29 wide boards difficult for me in surf ,even though I still have one
I much prefer a 31 wide board ,I also might suggest the 8'8 flow x 31 wide x 126 litre ,it is designed as a all-rounder
and surfs pretty good in most surf conditions ,I have other boards also but always full back on this one as a trusted
board .I did enjoy my days on the 8'7 placid but the 8'8 flow surfs better in my opinion .Not yet ridden the Ghost ,
But it looks like an easy board to surf with the widened Nose and tail .

Thanks Tardy! Definitely gunna check out the flow, placid and ghost in 30+ width. Heading to a good lil SUP surf shop tomorrow to suss it out & potentially demo. Cheers

If you can paddle the 115L one stick with that and get a second hand board that you can sell easily as you progress. You don't need to go big on volume or over size the board if you are light and reasonably fit.

In the SUP world people get hung up on dims and volume and fins . (see threads on here) but ultimately it's more about the time spent on the water paddling and getting your balance and core paddling skills strong. Then you'll be able to surf or stand up on (almost) Anything.

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Jimbo83 said..
If you can paddle the 115L one stick with that and get a second hand board that you can sell easily as you progress. You don't need to go big on volume or over size the board if you are light and reasonably fit.

In the SUP world people get hung up on dims and volume and fins . (see threads on here) but ultimately it's more about the time spent on the water paddling and getting your balance and core paddling skills strong. Then you'll be able to surf or stand up on (almost) Anything.

Thanks Jimbo83. Good call. The 115L is a mates board, but I recon I'll buy a similar volume board (likely a SMIK hipster twin or Sunova Flow) and persist with it. Getting the same advice from a few local SUP surf mates.. Basically, I need to suck it up lol. I'll keep my eye open for a second hand, slightly higher volume board for rougher conditions. Cheers.

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NateL said..
Basically, I need to suck it up lol.

Only to a point. If it is too hard you will progress extremely slowly.

You do not learn surfing by starting on a shortboard.

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colas said..

NateL said..
Basically, I need to suck it up lol.

Only to a point. If it is too hard you will progress extremely slowly.

You do not learn surfing by starting on a shortboard.

I agree going to small will not do you any favours , I think 125 -135 litres is a good starting point for your weight .you will have more good times than bad .Question is do narrower boards surf as good as wide ,of course they do .I see some dudes on the 32 wide boards (spice) ripping just as hard .modern day shapes are so good now .So don't be scared to buy a over size board as they still come useful on small days .as you will end up buying another .if you are 78 kgs plus a wet steamer add 5 kgs 115 will put you right in the small board category .and like Colas said will slow your progress .There is much to learn going into waves ,timing ,reading the swell ,turning sharply to catch the wave ,not running over people a little bit more foam goes a long way in progression .I still really enjoy riding my 140-5 litre boards vs 125 keep in mind I'm 98 kgs ,if you watched some of creeks videos he still seems to ride just as good on his big boards as small .
I think demo a few board is the best for you .enjoy the ride .its so hard with so many choices ,like the north freo Sup shop have .

I agree.. my guess is you will settle on a board around 110-125L, however you will get there much faster by getting a more stable board and get used to it (waiting in the line up, getting through white water, turning and take off).
Also as mentioned.. different boards offer different stability and performance for the same volume.
Several manufacturers make boards for beginners getting into surfing eg starboard wedge and fanatic allwave. What they have in common is volume, width and flatter rocker... making them stable and easy to catch waves. Have a look at these then look at other boards mentioned to spot the similarities.
I always initially buy second hand to try out a new style of board.. saves you thousands... then buy new.
Personally i think you should get a higher volume board 125-135 that's 31-32 wide with a flatter rocker (unless your local is a really steep break then get a higher volume Flow or Smik Spitfire). You will progress much faster than going too small/narrow). Then keep that as your rough water board.. then buy something higher perforance later.
My preference these days is wave count and comfort over full on performance.
Another tip.. if you want to get a lot better at turning, take off and stability... try doing HIIT on flat water on a SUP (paddle as fast as you can until your heart tells you to stop, then paddle super slow until heart rate drops, and repeat).. this revolutionised my supping. You will catch way more waves in no time.
Let us know what you pick.
Cheers
Tim

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colas said..

NateL said..
Basically, I need to suck it up lol.

Only to a point. If it is too hard you will progress extremely slowly.

You do not learn surfing by starting on a shortboard.

Cheers Colas. I appreciate the advice.

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Tardy said..

colas said..

NateL said..
Basically, I need to suck it up lol.

Only to a point. If it is too hard you will progress extremely slowly.

You do not learn surfing by starting on a shortboard.

I agree going to small will not do you any favours , I think 125 -135 litres is a good starting point for your weight .you will have more good times than bad .Question is do narrower boards surf as good as wide ,of course they do .I see some dudes on the 32 wide boards (spice) ripping just as hard .modern day shapes are so good now .So don't be scared to buy a over size board as they still come useful on small days .as you will end up buying another .if you are 78 kgs plus a wet steamer add 5 kgs 115 will put you right in the small board category .and like Colas said will slow your progress .There is much to learn going into waves ,timing ,reading the swell ,turning sharply to catch the wave ,not running over people a little bit more foam goes a long way in progression .I still really enjoy riding my 140-5 litre boards vs 125 keep in mind I'm 98 kgs ,if you watched some of creeks videos he still seems to ride just as good on his big boards as small .
I think demo a few board is the best for you .enjoy the ride .its so hard with so many choices ,like the north freo Sup shop have .

Cheers Tardy
Demo'd a SMIK 8'10x32x145L from north SUP shop. Went out to Avalon beach and was hanging at 3rds break for 3 hrs.
Felt VERY stable out there during somewhat challenging conditions according to the locals (peak moving a lot, choppy conditions and big sets)
Waiting for sets, turning and paddling over white wash was comfortable . I did get caught ALOT trying to get back out with sets dumping on me and had some epic bails off waves.. However, managed to get onto the face of a few at decent speeds and longer rides . not much turning yet.super happy with the rides I did get
Gunna demo a Sunova flow 8'8x31x126L next. then demo a mate's hipster twin 8'8x30x115L..
Hopefully after that I'll have enough demos under my belt to make a definite decision.. So far an 8'10x29x115L was a bit too advanced. the 8'10x32x145L was very stable..
Thinking something in the middle might be the starting point aligning with u and a few others in this thread have basically stated.
Thinking it'll end up being somewhere around an 8'8 - 8'10 x 30-32 x 120-135L to start
Pretty awesome to have this SUP board form to bounce ideas off and get advice. I definitely appreciate it. Thanks everyone

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thuffam said..
I agree.. my guess is you will settle on a board around 110-125L, however you will get there much faster by getting a more stable board and get used to it (waiting in the line up, getting through white water, turning and take off).
Also as mentioned.. different boards offer different stability and performance for the same volume.
Several manufacturers make boards for beginners getting into surfing eg starboard wedge and fanatic allwave. What they have in common is volume, width and flatter rocker... making them stable and easy to catch waves. Have a look at these then look at other boards mentioned to spot the similarities.
I always initially buy second hand to try out a new style of board.. saves you thousands... then buy new.
Personally i think you should get a higher volume board 125-135 that's 31-32 wide with a flatter rocker (unless your local is a really steep break then get a higher volume Flow or Smik Spitfire). You will progress much faster than going too small/narrow). Then keep that as your rough water board.. then buy something higher perforance later.
My preference these days is wave count and comfort over full on performance.
Another tip.. if you want to get a lot better at turning, take off and stability... try doing HIIT on flat water on a SUP (paddle as fast as you can until your heart tells you to stop, then paddle super slow until heart rate drops, and repeat).. this revolutionised my supping. You will catch way more waves in no time.
Let us know what you pick.
Cheers
Tim

Cheers Tim! I'll definitely start that HIIT workout mate. Kills a few birds with one stone. skills + sport specific fitness. Good call. We own a Strength & conditioning gym + strength rehab clinic with physios & chiros). Might drag a few members out with me for an ocean workout. You are talking my language!

Demo'd the Smik Hipster 8'10x32x145 and had a lot of fun. gunna try the flow 8'8x31x126L next week. then a mate's hipster 8'8x30x115L. after this, I recon I'll have a good idea on a starter board. I think it'll basically align with what u guys are saying

great your our there demoing ,and that's great news your getting the feel of the surf .after demoing a flow ,creek acid, flash ,I went and got a custom 8'8 flow made .now in its 4 th year still going strong .126.3 litres x 31 wide x 8'8 .you may find it tippy at first as the rails have been reduced ,but the bite on the face of the wave is really cool .keep the nose facing out to sea when waiting ,its when you are side on is where it feels a little tippy ,as the wave holds it down ,but its a small price to pay for it feeling more like a surfboard .I hope you like it

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Tardy said..
great your our there demoing ,and that's great news your getting the feel of the surf .after demoing a flow ,creek acid, flash ,I went and got a custom 8'8 flow made .now in its 4 th year still going strong .126.3 litres x 31 wide x 8'8 .you may find it tippy at first as the rails have been reduced ,but the bite on the face of the wave is really cool .keep the nose facing out to sea when waiting ,its when you are side on is where it feels a little tippy ,as the wave holds it down ,but its a small price to pay for it feeling more like a surfboard .I hope you like it

That is a thing of beauty mate. Looking forward to the Flow demo! Cheers for the tips with it.

Hi All

Lost my previous "NateL" account. Had to make a new one "NCL".

Wanted to update the thread with the final board decision.

Thanks again for your suggestions around boards etc. Massive help.

Demo'd the following:
8'10 x 32 x 145L hipster Twin
8'6 x 31 x 135L hipster Twin
8'10 x 29 x 115L Hipster twin long board shape

Ended up purchasing the Sunova Flow Casey 8'8 x 31 x 126L from Freo SUP shop.

This board has been suggested a few times and falls within the dimensions i was looking for without going custom.

Stoked to finally dial a board in!

Thanks again

Nate

Hey Nate,well done man ,its a great choice ,the nose on this board makes it easy to use ,Sunova call it the bull nose
great for catching waves and rarely goes under due it its well thought out rocker .it really is a great allrounder and my most
used board ,here's short vid I made ,enjoy mate

?si=xxD7SW7cCNo-SO1C

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Tardy said..

?si=xxD7SW7cCNo-SO1C

Awesome vid man. Looks like an epic spot to surf.