Greetings from Greece guys. I am writing this, in hopes of some of the experienced giving a me some help. First things first

height 1.88 / 6'3"
weight 93-98kg / 200-220 pounds
Age: 38
current board: Naish nalu 11'4" GT 2014 (30 width 180lt)
level: Paddling: advanced Surfing: Intermediate
surf: mainly wind generated mushy stuff near beach shores... typical Greek stuff.

so now that I think I have given you all the data let's get down to it:
I was looking for a surfing board for next season but after a board in the ribs scenario with minimal damage my fears of having a big board in 2 meter swell just got a reality.

first question: is wearing a vest a problem? I am talking about SUP designed like Naish Sup Vest

Second:
I really enjoy the board, having fun with it and it is a lovely 1st board! I am having no real problems with balance or surfing with it.

But I really feel that having a big board in such bad conditions can be a potential hazard and definitely the main reason for wanting a dedicated surf board for those days.

was thinking either a JP slate or a Hokua X32 maybe a Naish Raptor..... and dropping to 120 liters due to width.

In general it's very very hard to test any of these boards so I am looking for some advice.

What would you propose for a board and any thoughts on safety in general.

thank you for the time and any advice!

Well met!

The Naish x 32 88 140 litres is an awesome board for me at 85 kgs , and. I also have the nalu 11 4 but prefer the 88. 120 litres would probably be too much of a drop for you.

Hi Cowboy,

great to have you on board. I wear a Goru impact vest all the time surfing. Provides a bit of float and very good rib protection. I also wear a Gath surf helmet. I am fortunate to be out in the waves quite a bit and every year seem to hit my head once or twice. Out surfing today. Very crowded. Perhaps more than one hundred out at Cox Bay. I was run over by a surfer on a foam board and clunked my head once on my own board. Mostly I try to surf alone early in the morning. Your head/brain is your most valuable asset. Think about protecting it. I am bald also and the helmet keeps the sun off. The other interesting advantage is "the helmet effect"........I charge harder wearing a helmet! Also I cycle to the beach, statistically this is likely the riskiest part of a morning surfing and I wear the Gath helmet. Be safe.

Bob

Thanks for feedback so far!

@Tomooh does the width affect you negatively?

@FRP thanks for the welcome and the Vest advice. Does it cause any issues when trying to duck a wave? Or float you faster and catching a board?

No that 32 is the best board I have ridden I like it so much that I may buy a second one as a backup. I tried other sizes in the naish x 32 range and did not like them as much as the 88 though.

My vote is also the 8'8" X32

Hey there Cowboy!
Great info.... it's exactly what we need to make reasonable suggestions.

When I switched from surfboards to SUP, I weighed 125 kg and had to ride a BIG board.
I am a good surfer and was going in some pretty heavy waves.

I started to understand that the big board was going to hurt me.... badly!
I had already been hit by it too many times.

In bigger surf, I realized that 11' was too long to escape, because I couldn't get away from either the nose or tail.

So: I decided to lose weight and get on a smaller board.
On a bigger wave, I can bail off the front or back of a 9'6 MUCH easier than an 11'er.

I have never worn a vest... in any surf, so I rely on 54 years surf experience.

I'd suggest that you try around somewhere around 130 liters and keep enough width to be comfortable.
Smaller isn't always better... especially in Mediterranean conditions.
Get something that will give good glide and carry speed.
Speed = maneuverability.... especially in low power waves.

I rode a 9'5 this week when all the good guys were on 8'ers..... they struggled to make soft sections that I was carving through.

hey cowboy .
seem you have a naish outlet need you ,my i suggest the 9,5 Hokua 145 litres ,it is 30 wide same as the 11,4 nalu .

I am 96-98 kgs ,I still have a 8,8 x32 ,but i kinda liked the 9,1 better ,it seemed to have more glide being longer.
the 8,8 however is looser ..

i now ride 9,1 sunova acids

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supthecreek said..
Hey there Cowboy!
Great info.... it's exactly what we need to make reasonable suggestions.

When I switched from surfboards to SUP, I weighed 125 kg and had to ride a BIG board.
I am a good surfer and was going in some pretty heavy waves.

I started to understand that the big board was going to hurt me.... badly!
I had already been hit by it too many times.

In bigger surf, I realized that 11' was too long to escape, because I couldn't get away from either the nose or tail.

So: I decided to lose weight and get on a smaller board.
On a bigger wave, I can bail off the front or back of a 9'6 MUCH easier than an 11'er.

I have never worn a vest... in any surf, so I rely on 54 years surf experience.

I'd suggest that you try around somewhere around 130 liters and keep enough width to be comfortable.
Smaller isn't always better... especially in Mediterranean conditions.
Get something that will give good glide and carry speed.
Speed = maneuverability.... especially in low power waves.

I rode a 9'5 this week when all the good guys were on 8'ers..... they struggled to make soft sections that I was carving through.

Hello and thanks for the feedback! I am glad that my feeling about board size is not some type of newbie paranoia. Actually I got hurt by trying to bail the board from the front after a going over a 2 meter wave that decided to break when i was almost over it and thought to bail forward and over instead of on the side and getting laundry washed...bad idea with an 11'4". Caught my left rib on the nose and got a decent sprain thank god not a fracture.

About boards, considering that the waves are always wind oriented with rough sea can do you suggest a few boards? JP Surf pro 9'2" / JP slate 8'10" / Hokua 8'8" X32 or anything that comes to mind? I will still use the Nalu for the small stuff and I really don't want to go too small

I have a Guru Impact vest that I wore after my ICD was installed. Hitting that gadget could have had serious consequences.

I know guys who use them in big waves and they make a nice vest in summer!

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CowboyGR said..
Thanks for feedback so far!

@Tomooh does the width affect you negatively?

@FRP thanks for the welcome and the Vest advice. Does it cause any issues when trying to duck a wave? Or float you faster and catching a board?

Hi Cowboy

With the vest no significant issues ducking under a wave if I am off the board. Will float me a bit higher in the water when getting back on the board. It is slim enough that I wear it under my wetsuit. I also have a Patagonia impact suit but don't use it as very difficult to get on. Risk of injury is to me interesting. I used to kayak and surf kayak a lot. As my skills increased I don't think the risk ever decreased as I kept taking on more challenging conditions. It all needs to be kept in perspective however. The greater risk of injury to you is not surfing, it is likely driving to the beach in your car. That said we have had two surfing deaths this year here. The first was a young guy, head injury and drown. The second, an inexperienced older surfer that drowned. I suspect if you poled this group there would be few of us that have not sustained some type of traumatic injury surfing. Shallow water (beach or reef) with breaking waves requires respect. There is a thread here or on the surf zone that talks about how to safely fall off a board. Worth reading.


Bob

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FRP said..

CowboyGR said..
Thanks for feedback so far!

@Tomooh does the width affect you negatively?

@FRP thanks for the welcome and the Vest advice. Does it cause any issues when trying to duck a wave? Or float you faster and catching a board?

Hi Cowboy

With the vest no significant issues ducking under a wave if I am off the board. Will float me a bit higher in the water when getting back on the board. It is slim enough that I wear it under my wetsuit. I also have a Patagonia impact suit but don't use it as very difficult to get on. Risk of injury is to me interesting. I used to kayak and surf kayak a lot. As my skills increased I don't think the risk ever decreased as I kept taking on more challenging conditions. It all needs to be kept in perspective however. The greater risk of injury to you is not surfing, it is likely driving to the beach in your car. That said we have had two surfing deaths this year here. The first was a young guy, head injury and drown. The second, an inexperienced older surfer that drowned. I suspect if you poled this group there would be few of us that have not sustained some type of traumatic injury surfing. Shallow water (beach or reef) with breaking waves requires respect. There is a thread here or on the surf zone that talks about how to safely fall off a board. Worth reading.


Bob

Thanks for the advice and pointer to the article....

Hey Cowboy. Our stats are very similar. I went from an 11'4 nalu to a 9'5 x 31 mana. I found it to be a good transition board. Im now looking at either a 8' 8 or 9'1 x32 hokua.

Good luck with your search!!

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touralie said..
Hey Cowboy. Our stats are very similar. I went from an 11'4 nalu to a 9'5 x 31 mana. I found it to be a good transition board. Im now looking at either a 8' 8 or 9'1 x32 hokua.

Good luck with your search!!

Hello there, I see you have a common teacher! That Nalu such an amazing first and all around board.....

about the Mana...how long did you stick with it before jumping to something for performance?

Hey. Ive only had the mana for about 4 months. I have the sup bug so have been trying to get at least 2 surfs a week.. i havent bought another board yet, but am looking daily. With summer around the corner i will be un the water alot more so i think i will adapt to it quite quickly...

Hey cowboy. My latest buy... 9.1 x 32 hokua!