Mid 40's, 175cm 95kg on the way back to 82kg over the next 6 months hopefully. The fat piles up so fast these days! Chrissie holidays have bloated me.

Been for one SUP session on a mate's 10'2" SUP with a Malibu style outline on flat water and found it pretty easy and really enjoyed it. Not a big name brand, can't remember it. Been riding shortboards in the surf since a kid.

Will do a fair bit of flat water work. Long outings on Lake Macquarie to burn the fat (I live on coast in Newcastle area). However I reckon I will give in to temptation and have it in the surf as soon as I can. Not really looking for barrels or going vertical. I would want something that will pick up little crumbling runners really easy and cruise straight to the beach in front of 1 foot of foam.

Ideally though it would allow me into a green wall and hang in the face. I've seen waves push through Swansea Channel that don't quite break that I reckon a SUP might eat up.

Realistically I am going to go used and spend around $1k.

Do I go a baord with a Mal style outline like;
Naish Nalu 10'6.5" (160 litres)
Fanatic All Wave 9'6" or 9'10" (174 & 191 litres)

or do I go a shortboard outline like;
Naish Hokua 9'10" (155 litres)
Fanatic Pro Wave LTD 9'3" (134 litres)
PSH 9'11" Ripper (volume unknown, PSH Website doesn't seem to publish volumes)
PSH 9'11" Hull Ripper (142 litres) *got my eye on a used example of this, seller quoted volume.

Are the short board style SUPs too "tippy" for long sessions on flat water, especially if there is a bit of chop? Would you be pushing the proverbial uphill using a wave board in this way? That's why I thought maybe get a really big shortboard style SUP and the extra volume would allow the flat water work to be OK.

Note I have used new boards in my examples as I can access the specs easily. Who knows, maybe I will buy a new one.

My mind is boggling at the options. The construction methods must vary a lot too I am guessing. I want it light so I can carry the thing easily. Who uses the more advanced construction methods?

I go down to Sydney's Northern beaches regularly as I have family and mates there, so anywhere between Newcastle and Manly is easy for me to get to for demos and purchases.

Thanks

Judging by what you've said I can pretty much guarentee you're going to get "hooked" by the SUP bug and want to be surfing a lot more than flat water paddling. Just be aware that you will find the boards A LOT less stable in the surf than in flat water.
I would stick with a longboard outline and go for at least 10 foot long and 30 inches wide. That should give you enough length to paddle flat water and enough width for stability in the surf. The best way to find out what you like is to demo as many boards as you can.
Also, I've found it's best to stick with the better known brands as you'll get a better trade in when you want to change boards.

The 10'6.5 Nalu would be perfect for your needs,the longboard shape great on the flat water and surfs as good as the other boards mentioned.But you might struggle to
find a second hand one everyone seems to hang on to them it's a board you would keep in your quiver and a shorty for full on surfing

The longboard style SUP's have more volume up the front which makes them a bit more stable"BUT" they catch the wind a lot more.I've been out in windy conditions on a mal shaped SUP and have been unable to turn it because of the wind blowing it the other way and the wind will also get underneath the front while trying to paddle into waves which I found very annoying.

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gumballs said...
The longboard style SUP's have more volume up the front which makes them a bit more stable"BUT" they catch the wind a lot more. I've been out in windy conditions on a mal shaped SUP and have been unable to turn it because of the wind blowing it the other way and the wind will also get underneath the front while trying to paddle into waves which I found very annoying.

That was why I was thinking maybe go for a large shortboard shaped SUP. However the general wisdom seems to be that I should go for a Mal outline to get started if I want to do any flat water work.

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enuenu said...

gumballs said...
The longboard style SUP's have more volume up the front which makes them a bit more stable"BUT" they catch the wind a lot more. I've been out in windy conditions on a mal shaped SUP and have been unable to turn it because of the wind blowing it the other way and the wind will also get underneath the front while trying to paddle into waves which I found very annoying.

That was why I was thinking maybe go for a large shortboard shaped SUP. However the general wisdom seems to be that I should go for a Mal outline to get started if I want to do any flat water work.

The volume at the front definitly makes the board more stable and you probably won't be going out in crap conditions like me.I was just trying to give you an idea of the difference the 2 types of noses can make.SUP's are a lot bigger than normal boards and for their size they are very lightweight so wind becomes an important part of the deal,pointy noses don't catch the wind (as much).My avtar is on my first board a 10' 6"naish nalu it's an old board and not as well refined as the new ones but the round nose was making it hard work getting into the waves against that offshore wind.

I'm also around Lake Mac and had the same idea - bought a 10'5" Starboard Drive and found it good on the lake and OK in the surf. Now have a 9' for surf and a 11'2" for the lake / family (sometimes take it out in the surf on tiny days too).

As has been said on this thread lake and sea are really different and smaller boards that you feel stable and comfortable with on the lake will be a real challenge in the surf especially with a bit of onshore bump.

Demo days are the go - try as many as you can because I bought the Drive on what I read, not on riding it and only had it a few months. Depending on where on the lake you could have a go on the 9' and see how that feels.

All depends were you surf and if your into longboards or shorties,having a few longboards and old mals the 10'6.5 nalu is perfect for me,don't really have a problem with the wind getting under them but when this deo's happen it can aid you getting up to the nose

Thanks HG, hoping to attend a demo day in Feb. Might take you up on the offer if that doesn't work out.

I've always surfed shortboards. I think I have to try larger wave SUP boards on flat water to see how "tippy" they feel to me. The word "quiver" is entering my mind already and i don't even own a SUP yet! Steady on....

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I've always surfed shortboards.

Me too but it's a head thing more than anything else - only once I got a mal did I see how much fun certain days can be and the SUP is just another step again. Used to be fiercely protective of being a short boarder but it's all surfing and limiting yourself to one thing I've discovered only limited the fun I could have been having. Always been a surfer but now surf what I feel will be most fun on the day.

If demo day falls over or even if you just want to have a crack PM me.

Cheers again HG. No Mal prejudice here :) I'm into fun these days. My go-to board these days is a super thick & wide 6'4" McCoy.

The more I think about this whole SUP thing the more I think I should get a dedicated flat water board to start. Maybe some massive beast. I think a dual purpose board will compromise too much and not do either really well.

A lot of the clips where I see SUPs ripping on perfect uncrowded waves I reckon I would surf. Pros in any nature sport always get dropped into perfect uncrowded conditions! Reality is, if I surf the SUP it will be in small junky conditions for a bit of fun. That's what I'm thinking at the moment anyway. Good waves attract crowds and that is what I am running from.

So if I get a big SUP for cruising the lake, I wonder if a "pointy" nose on a big beast might be better than a Mal outline if the lake was choppy. Maybe I would even go in a few races. My major reason for getting into SUP is to get some good hard fitness work while having fun. Running dunes etc is something my mind cannot tolerate for more than a few weeks.

Maybe something like these?
Naish Glide 12'6"
http://www.naishsurfing.com/Glide%2012.6%20GS/
Naish Glide 12' Touring
www.naishsurfing.com/Glide%2012%20GS%20Touring/
Naish Javelin 12'6"
www.naishsurfing.com/Javelin%2012.6%20GX/#tab-2 - and get into some racing or offshore wind swell riding
Fanatic Ray
www.fanatic-sup.com/content/products/sup/ray/index_eng.html#.UQR-Mx2TyYQ
Fanatic Falcon
www.fanatic-sup.com/content/products/sup/falcon/index_eng.html#.UQR9vh2TyYQ
C4 14ft V1 used
store.newcastlesup.com.au/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=USED+C4V1140BW - good deal?
C4 14ft V1 new
store.newcastlesup.com.au/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C4V1140BW - are these prices fair dinkum?


I think I could maybe ride offshore wind swells on these things, catch a few runners? I'm realizing this really is a multi faceted sport/passtime.

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enuenu said...
Cheers again HG. No Mal prejudice here :) I'm into fun these days. My go-to board these days is a super thick & wide 6'4" McCoy.

The more I think about this whole SUP thing the more I think I should get a dedicated flat water board to start. Maybe some massive beast. I think a dual purpose board will compromise too much and not do either really well.

A lot of the clips where I see SUPs ripping on perfect uncrowded waves I reckon I would surf. Pros in any nature sport always get dropped into perfect uncrowded conditions! Reality is, if I surf the SUP it will be in small junky conditions for a bit of fun. That's what I'm thinking at the moment anyway. Good waves attract crowds and that is what I am running from.

So if I get a big SUP for cruising the lake, I wonder if a "pointy" nose on a big beast might be better than a Mal outline if the lake was choppy. Maybe I would even go in a few races. My major reason for getting into SUP is to get some good hard fitness work while having fun. Running dunes etc is something my mind cannot tolerate for more than a few weeks.

Maybe something like these?
Naish Glide 12'6"
www.naishsurfing.com/Glide%2012.6%20GS/
Naish Glide 12' Touring
http://www.naishsurfing.com/Glide%2012%20GS%20Touring/
Naish Javelin 12'6"
www.naishsurfing.com/Javelin%2012.6%20GX/#tab-2 - and get into some racing or offshore wind swell riding
Fanatic Ray
www.fanatic-sup.com/content/products/sup/ray/index_eng.html#.UQR-Mx2TyYQ
Fanatic Falcon
www.fanatic-sup.com/content/products/sup/falcon/index_eng.html#.UQR9vh2TyYQ
C4 14ft V1 used
store.newcastlesup.com.au/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=USED+C4V1140BW - good deal?
C4 14ft V1 new
store.newcastlesup.com.au/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C4V1140BW - are these prices fair dinkum?


I think I could maybe ride offshore wind swells on these things, catch a few runners? I'm realizing this really is a multi faceted sport/passtime.

That's a bit of a change from the criteria in the initial post.
I think you have to work out what you want to do?
I am new to this sport and I agree it was a minefield trying to select the right board.
Your first post, sounded exactly like me a month ago however I didn't change my ideas to the "dedicated flat water" concept.

If you change your mind again, just some advice from my minimal experience reference short style versus long board: I went with the advice not to go shorter or thinner than 10' x 30" (I bought a Naish Nalu 10' 6.5")
I am glad I did as flat water paddling was a breeze on the Nalu but my first couple of attempts in the surf would be described as SUFO (Stand Up Fall Off)
I have some surfing and kiting background - not great but proficient.
I have never spent so much time in the water as I did that first outing. It was the bump of the chop and cross wave action that threw me, no real problems into wind or at right angles to the swell. The second session improved significantly and each time I go there is more improvement. I still struggle turning the board to position to catch the wave - that cross wind, wave and chop still unbalances me.
You learn to use the paddle as a crutch so to speak and use the wind to blow you around and the trick I guess is to practice quick turns so there is less time facing that cross wind, swell and chop until your balance improves.
Sorry it's a bit of a long reply, but if you go back to thinking along the lines of your initial post I would listen to what most of the crew are saying about initial board size and shape. The long board shapes about 10' + are a pretty safe buy for a good cross over from surf to flat water paddling.

Thanks a lot for the input. The more opinions the better . Yeah, I'm all over the shop! As I read more about the sport my ideas are changing. I guess if I get a quality board and want to change I can trade it in or sell it OK.

I see 3 categories;
Surfing SUP
Flat water SUP
Ocean SUP

What would be the disadvantages of those long pointy beasts that can do the ocean stuff? I reckon I could catch little waves on them and do the flat water work in choppier conditions. I saw a vid on the C4 Website of a bloke riding runners for ages beyond the surf zone. Looked like a heap of fun. Would keep it close to 30" wide.

Been checking some photos from Jamieson Park, where I first tried a SUP.

www.facebook.com/JamiesonParkPaddle/photos_stream
Seems like the "pointy" type SUPs were the most used for the flat water work. Maybe just because it was a race.

The only thing that would move me from say the 10'6.5" Nalu or similar would be that the wide nose makes them harder to handle in any chop, I think.

I'll get there eventually. No rush. Looking forward to doing a demo day. I think I need it.

I had a 12'6" Fanatic as well - had the idea I'd paddle most mornings and do downwinders. Did a few mornings and a few downwinders and length and pointy nose did help going into chop. Never quite got hooked on the long distance paddling and prefer time in the surf. The 9' is fine on the flat water for an hour or so paddling and if I'm spending more time I still have the 11'2" - both have more a mal outline and I believe these help with stability / balance. I've even fished from the 11'2" when we were up at Forster.

Definitely try before you buy. I was able to try a heap on flat water , then a few in the surf. I found, the wider nose gets you on to the wave easier.
I ended up with the Laird 10'6" and the other option was the Naish Nalu 10'6.5". I went for the Laird as it's rails are thinner and its a bit less volume. But I'm your height and weigh 74kg. I paddle flat water for exercise with my wife, 4-5 times a week and she is on a 12' SUPatx, so I have to work to keep up, which is perfect. I think for a surf sup, that still will paddle flat water well, the Naish would be a great choice. Hey I agree, a mate has suggested Swansea Channel.

If you have surfed definitely go the PSH 9'11 Ripper at 31". It is such a steep learning curve if you have surfed. You will be so sick of the flat water after two more paddles and be looking for lumps to chase down.

Make sure it is a Ripper NOT a Hullripper. The volume of the Ripper 9'11" is 145ltr with most of it under your feet as you get more comfortable on the wave you will find it grows with you.

I am biased as I started on this board 6 months ago and still step back on it if the conditions are less than ideal.

If your focus is getting fit and losing weight, I suggest you get a 14ft race board. They are great for training and fitness but make knee high waves a lot of fun to surf because they catch ANYTHING. Especially the type of waves you described in Swansea Channel that don't quite break. It also gives you the option to do downwinders, race socially, time trials, touring/exploring lakes & rivers etc.

If you want to surf a sup in decent surf, get a specific board just for that.

If you still want one board that does a bit everything consider something like a PSH 12ft gun.

Yes it seems you can surf the "pointy" boards

I think that is a 12'6". I guess the 14 footers catch open ocean swells even better but maybe a bit more unwieldly in the surf zone than a 12'6".

Are there craft categories for SUP racing? Like say Lasers in sailing. Do they get the stewards out to check dimensions? Just wondeing as maybe I could go in a few races if I had a SUP that fitted into a category and was competitive in the category.

I have heard of the BoP races. I think you have to have a 12'6" for these but not sure. Is Bop the major race type held in Oz? Take another example, the 20 beaches downwind race in Sydney. Could you use any SUP you want in this type of race?