Hi all I need assistance with my next purchase.

I'm currently on a Hobie 7'11" at 105 litres. While this board is great on a wave in glassy conditions I struggle in chop and have started losing the stoke on it. I did demo it first however the conditions were ideal.

I am only 65 Kg and my level of talent is really not up to fighting with this board any longer.

Currently looking at something around 130 litres (stop laughing you lot) however I just want the fun back again for me anyway.

I have narrowed it down to the Starboard Pocket Rocket 8'5", Naish Mana 8'5" and Fanatic All Wave 8'6". All these boards get pretty good reviews.

Comments please and let me know if there is something else I should be looking at.

Cheers, Gav

105 litres is more than confortable for your 65kg.

This means that it is the shape of the Hobie that is the problem for you: too narrow, not enough width in the section in front of your feet, rails too thin at midsection?...
Try to go wider, especially in the area between your heels in paddling stance and 2 feet forward of them, not floatier.

For instance, in the Gong line, the board on the right is MUCH stabler than the left one, at similar width & volume...

Spot on Colas. Very wise words of wisdom and a lot of people agree with your thoughts. I've seen you on YouTube paddling those short SUPs in relative slop and you look to do it easily.

Here is a picture of the Hobie. All what you say is true. Great when it's calm but you only spend about 20% of the time on the wave and the rest is paddling or standing still so in chop it is very difficult to stand, for me anyway.

All of the boards I mentioned have the same shape more or less when compared to the Gong SUP on the right. I don't believe the Gongs are available here in Oz.

I will try to demo some different types to really nail the right one.

Cheers for the advice.

I have a starboard pocket rocket and it's a super fun and very stable board. I'm 5'11 and weigh 75 kg. It's a few years old now so not sure how it measures up against the latest model. It's set up as a quad, surfs great off the tail and the big nose on it makes it fun to nose ride as well. Down side is if you are surfing fat waves the big nose with lots of rocker slows it down making it harder to catch the wave. More suited to beach breaks and peaky waves.
I also have a Jimmy Lewis 8'11 striker which you might also want to consider. Same volume and weight as the pocket rocket but less rocker and a lot more glide. Not quite as loose off the tail but catches waves earlier and more easily. It's super stable and is my preferred board on most occasions because my local breaks are mostly fat rolling mal waves.

Cheers Mick I'll check the Jimmy out as well.

Hobie's are not very stable. Most are narrow, with massive deck dome. Both of those features make them less comfortable than boards with flatter decks and more width. No need for more volume. Demo more boards and you'll figure it out quick.

Brands that have gone to flatter decks in recent years are, Fanatic, Naish, Starboard. You might not think deck shape matters, but it does regarding stability.

Thanks NC. Yes very true. The domed deck, thin rails and general shape are all factors affecting overall stability. I don't want to use this as a Hobie bashing exercise because essentially they are a good board and in the right hands and conditions they can be a weapon.

Very wise words of wisdom for sure in precedent posts, but can you imagine 2 boards instead of one ?
First one, kind of all around as other forumers advise to you, to paddle and cruise around in any conditions and get some waves in crappy condition in case of it which happens too often
Second board , can be last starboard model for example Starborn 7'4" or a custom with similar dimensions , i reckon 80 liters will be very confortable to paddle glassy day and allows your 65 kg to attempt a carving bottom turn around your digged paddle .

hi mate
if i where you i would contact Dan Cleary (DTM), he made me my second sup, i told him what i wanted and he put it in a board, my current board is a pop-out and is no where near as good, i know where i will get my next board from, i wasn't the best surfer but getting a custom board progressed my surfing out of sight, there is a current thread in the board review section of some of his current boards, just something to think about

Jarryd

Cheers Kami I have a 9'6" tug boat already at 155 litres which is great for slop however I want a more performance oriented SUP for all conditions.

Thanks Jarryd I've seen the posts and Dan's gear gets a lot of praise from fellow Breezers. I will demo a few pop outs and then, once I know what I am comfortable on with room to improve, I will consider the Custom path.

Quick update I got a hold of a Starboard Pocket Rocket in brushed carbon after demoing a few. Lightweight, surfs great and a hurricane would find it hard to knock me off. Stoked. Cheers for the input.

Gav