Hi all. I'm getting back into SUP surfing and I'm realizing that the boards I used to be comfortable on are a bit too much work now. It didn't help that I gained 9 kg & a few years. I'm 52 this year, 185cm/110kg plus wetsuit, and I'd say I'm in decent shape for a guy my size. My most stable board is my L41 ST 8'4"x31"x4.5" 136L. It floats me but the tail is in the water and on choppy days (which is often) I'm worn out quickly. It's the side to side stability that's lacking. It also doesn't help that I can only get out 1 to 4 times a month.

I've narrowed it down to the 9'2" Wedge (160L) or the 9'3" Spice (153L). They're priced reasonably (LS version) so I'm not going custom this time. I'll keep the L41 for clean days but the new board will be my daily driver. I want to have fun so I'm not worried about going as short or low in volume as I can.
Anyone able to compare the two? I really like quads so I'm leaning towards the Spice (Wedge is only a thruster in this size) but worried about stability since I'm used to fuller nose/tail boards. I only surf San Diego CA beach breaks (knee to slightly overhead) and there's typically chop and cross currents.
Anyone notice that Starboard's recommended rider size is wonky? A 9'3" Spice (153L) has a recommended rider weight of 100-130kg vs a 9'2" Wedge (160L) has a reco'd rider weight of 50-100kg. More volume but less rider weight for the Wedge?

Thanks for the input!

A small tip for stability when transitioning to boards with more pulled-in nose & tail: your feet may be too far apart.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Mastering-lateral-balance-on-a-small-SUP-board

There's a couple vids on YouTube from starboard and Supboardermag if you haven't seen them, outlining differences

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Kisutch said..
There's a couple vids on YouTube from starboard and Supboardermag if you haven't seen them, outlining differences

Oh yeah - watched every vid I could find and read all the reviews. Bought the Wedge today; it was an easy decision because the shop sold the Spice a couple days ago. They gave me a good trade-in value on one of my boards so I didn't bother shopping around.

Hey Supaddict, this may be a bit late but I surfed an 8'7 wedge for a year and a 8'2 spice for about four months, mostly Tourmaline and La Jolla Shores, with the occasional Sunset Cliffs session, from one foot to double overhead. I think you made the right choice - I loved the wedge, the only downside being that the nose rocker makes it feel like you push water once in a while. It's a great board for San Diego. On the other hand, I just couldn't get into the spice at all. Anyway, congrats!

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SoCalYokel said..
Hey Supaddict, this may be a bit late but I surfed an 8'7 wedge for a year and a 8'2 spice for about four months, mostly Tourmaline and La Jolla Shores, with the occasional Sunset Cliffs session, from one foot to double overhead. I think you made the right choice - I loved the wedge, the only downside being that the nose rocker makes it feel like you push water once in a while. It's a great board for San Diego. On the other hand, I just couldn't get into the spice at all. Anyway, congrats!

Great to know! With the longer length I'm not noticing a lack of glide. Could also be that my L41 ST is 8'4"..

I mainly surf the Shores or Mission Beach. Maybe I'll see you out there! What do you typically ride?

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SUPaddict said..

SoCalYokel said..
Hey Supaddict, this may be a bit late but I surfed an 8'7 wedge for a year and a 8'2 spice for about four months, mostly Tourmaline and La Jolla Shores, with the occasional Sunset Cliffs session, from one foot to double overhead. I think you made the right choice - I loved the wedge, the only downside being that the nose rocker makes it feel like you push water once in a while. It's a great board for San Diego. On the other hand, I just couldn't get into the spice at all. Anyway, congrats!

Great to know! With the longer length I'm not noticing a lack of glide. Could also be that my L41 ST is 8'4"..

I mainly surf the Shores or Mission Beach. Maybe I'll see you out there! What do you typically ride?

I'm usually on an 8'7 SB Pro, which I find has the ease of use of the Wedge but a fair bit more speed when things get beefier. I'll keep an eye out for you!

have heard the wedge has gone the way of the chock wedge.
discontinued

Loved a choc wedge !

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oldbarsup said..
Loved a choc wedge !

choc malt was the best