I riding a 30.5 wide board at the mo 120 flow ..only when its good offshore weather .,I'm thinking of going for a 29 wide board ,what issues can I expect .? Tippy ?
but it does have good volume 130 litre
maddog 8.11 x29 .naish .
Am i going to regret it and have a hell of of time or is this a good thing .
I also have a 8.10 flow at 31 and a bit ,but I find it too big ,volume is good but doesn't seem to bite the wave .
i do like it ,but it really has to be ridden on the tail all the time .to turn .

hoping the Maddog the one for me .looking for a good bigger all rounder that rips .
and it s yellow .

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..
I riding a 30.5 wide board at the mo 120 flow ..only when its good offshore weather .,I'm thinking of going for a 29 wide board ,what issues can I expect .? Tippy ?
but it does have good volume 130 litre
maddog 8.11 x29 .naish .
Am i going to regret it and have a hell of of time or is this a good thing .
I also have a 8.10 flow at 31 and a bit ,but I find it too big ,volume is good but doesn't seem to bite the wave .
i do like it ,but it really has to be ridden on the tail all the time .to turn .

hoping the Maddog the one for me .looking for a good bigger all rounder that rips .
and it s yellow .

You get used to it. Bit tough the first few times but gets easier with practice.

Volume depends how heavy you are. If the board has too much volume they become tippy as they sit too high in the water. You want the water lapping around your feet as it acts as a shock absorber and have a narrow stance, just less than shoulder width and slightly in surfing stance. People used to wide boards tend to stand like they have a massive set of coconuts; a wide stance is very unstable as a slight weight change easily pushes the rail down. When in a narrow stance it is harder to push the rail down so the board feels more stable. For me at 105kg that is about 125 to 135l. Everyone has their own sweet spot. Demo if you can.

spot on what Hilly says on two things:
you want the board rails at least in water as it stops it bobbing and being corky. My worldwide always felt corky as rails and deck was out of water, was terrible for stability if choppy or lumpy. My speeed rails are always in water and if im still my feet and it holds the board flat instead of bobbing around.

and stance, haha i try to tell the few local guys i see regularly in water to help but they dont listen. exactly what Hilly says, like they got a bit set of coconuts between their legs, wide paralell stance, feet out near rail, ok for 32" wide boards but go narrower and ur in trouble. I watch them try to paddle onto waves like that and looks so awkward.
Best thing i learnt from pros on internet and watching local guys like Wes and other good cats was front foot in line with stringer slightly offset, heel bout at handle (for sunovas). This controls front/aft movement. Rear foot on 45 degree angle out, toes in line with front foot heel, rear foot heel on stringer. This controls the sideways movement. This is your paddling out, around, standing stance. Then go to semi surf stance to catch waves before stepping back to the tail to slay.

Tardy, if you think the flow does NOT turn well if not on back of board, you may struggle going to a smaller board. Firstly performance boards are designed to be ridden with rear foot back on the tail pad. sure if its fatter you move rear foot forward somewhat and towards rail to bottom turn but get it back and turn properly. Bert designed the flow to enable you to not have to always be right back. Then again maybe it is the width OR thick rails that is making you feel like it wont turn.

Thanks guy s ,I am stuck between a rock in a hard place .
i like the 130 to paddle out and have a easy time ,but prefer to surf the 120 flow ,which I find demanding in slop .

is it the volume that makes it easy or the extra width ..

i do have a 8' 8 x 32 which is a rocking chair compared to the 130 flow and it has 10 more litres .and wider ...but it rocks and as you say it's corky ...so the rocker comes into the equation too..

maybe I could end up with a custom flow 8'8 , 30.5 and 127 litres

would be perfect for my 96 kgs .and age

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..
Thanks guy s ,I am stuck between a rock in a hard place .
i like the 130 to paddle out and have a easy time ,but prefer to surf the 120 flow ,which I find demanding in slop .

is it the volume that makes it easy or the extra width ..

i do have a 8' 8 x 32 which is a rocking chair compared to the 130 flow and it has 10 more litres .and wider ...but it rocks and as you say it's corky ...so the rocker comes into the equation too..

maybe I could end up with a custom flow 8'8 , 30.5 and 127 litres

would be perfect for my 96 kgs .and age

IMO, stability is more about surface area than volume or width. The volume is really just letting you know whether you will be sinking the board or not. Have you considered an 8'8 or 8'10 speeed ? The specs look to suit your 120-130l, <30"width, stable + performance. good luck.

You know I was just thinking that today ...
I had my 8.7 in rough today .and surfed it well but feel off a lot ...I had to go where is was more off shore and clean .
to stay up right ..
I think the nose of the speed could make this board very stable .is this the case ..?

as the rider weight ratings on the speed are higher that the flow .

i reckon I brought the wrong board..

Hi Tardy
I have owned the speeed 8/10 and its a great board but I found it less stable than my infinity 8'5 b-line which is approx 15litres less at my weight 98kg. I personally think it's about shape and how they distribute the litres.

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..
Thanks guy s ,I am stuck between a rock in a hard place .
i like the 130 to paddle out and have a easy time ,but prefer to surf the 120 flow ,which I find demanding in slop .

is it the volume that makes it easy or the extra width ..

i do have a 8' 8 x 32 which is a rocking chair compared to the 130 flow and it has 10 more litres .and wider ...but it rocks and as you say it's corky ...so the rocker comes into the equation too..

maybe I could end up with a custom flow 8'8 , 30.5 and 127 litres

would be perfect for my 96 kgs .and age

Hey Tardy. I was keen on the 8'10" flow but knew it was more volume than i wanted. I ended up with the 1st version of the 8'10" flow which is 119.4 litres whilst keeping the outline I wanted. It surfs really well, love it, but likes a bigger wave than i thought. My minion, which is a similar shape to the speed loves the mush and is super stable in the slop. IMO it's the "footprint" of a SUP that provides its stability. Trying to keep the volume down without going too far, not straddling coconuts (haha), and developing a narrow semi surf stance whilst paddling helps a hell of a lot too.

I agree that shape is critical, i have two boards the same volume, one 7.6 x 26 x 4 surf shape, one 6.10 x 26 x 4 square nose sort of minion shape. The 6.10 is slightly more stable, they are both 85 litres and i weigh around 73kegs.....

I'm slowly narrowing it down to a few factors .
I had 9'1 x32 .good width good shape to much volume .
8,8 x32 ,too much rocker slow on waves ,hard to paddle on waves
8'10 mana ,good paddling 30,5 wide ,but easy to nose dive ,
flows ,don't nose dive as easy .best so far .but not %100 happy .

minions sound interesting ..

i was watching my mates paddling today on their 32 wide board ...yes they look like cowboys with their stance .
i generally have a narrow stance with one foot slightly forward ...

For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

Select to expand quote

Loz79 said..
For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

Interesting loz ,anyone else feel this way ?

because I was thinking go shorter and wider but not to wide ....like a 8.5 .with 30.5 wide .
Rather than 8.11 /29 .

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..

Loz79 said..
For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

Interesting loz ,anyone else feel this way ?

because I was thinking go shorter and wider but not to wide ....like a 8.5 .with 30.5 wide .
Rather than 8.11 /29 .

Agree with that. Short wide boards feel wrong to me especially in solid waves.

i have laird 9 surfer (vol 119) and stubbie 8 2 (vol 106) - both similar width around 29. i weigh around 78-80 kg

Enjoy both, but prefer longer board as well.

i think i could go to one board quiver for my suping in mostly small surf beach conditions by reducing width of laird to less than 28 and taking out thickness so i end up with volume of around stubbie (and weight)

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..

Loz79 said..
For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

As always, it depends on the kind of waves. On at least head high waves, long and narrow is the best solution, as the length can fit easily in the waves.

But I found that you must take also your height into account. I am short, and I am less efficient with a board over 8', as I have then to move too much on the board for turns. A big guy will have no issue on a 8'6". But there is no question that narrow boards are nearly mandatory in the power if you want to do some vertical surfing.

Also, you can "cheat" a bit in having a board narrow only in the rear part, and keep some width just forwards of the handle, to have both the hollow wave performance and some stability.

Here s a couple of photos of the wave I surf...just a small day ,but still has good power and can be a fast reef break.
Everything is point me toward a 29 wide board ..with the Maddog 8.11 I will still have the 130 litres .

Tardy IMHO I think you are over thinking it. Having so many boards already you are confusing yourself. I reckon a two board quiver is the best. One you are comfortable on in any conditions (AKA a bit if width) and one for those days when the waves are pumping (AKA pulled in nose and tail) and challenges you a bit. I reckon the plan shape is what gives you stability. Forget volume and look at the outline. fuller nose and tails will give you better stability with still the performance you want if you don't go too high volume.

For E.G My two board quiver is

Smik Hypster Twin 7'8" x 28 x 95L (fuller nose for stability and small waves performance and super stable)

Smik Custom 8"0" x 27.5 x 94L (fully pulled in nose and tail for when its glassy and pumping. I find this board tippy but ok and it good to challenge oneself.
Either way get out there and enjoy yourself.

Select to expand quote

colas said..

Tardy said..

Loz79 said..
For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

As always, it depends on the kind of waves. On at least head high waves, long and narrow is the best solution, as the length can fit easily in the waves.

But I found that you must take also your height into account. I am short, and I am less efficient with a board over 8', as I have then to move too much on the board for turns. A big guy will have no issue on a 8'6". But there is no question that narrow boards are nearly mandatory in the power if you want to do some vertical surfing.

Also, you can "cheat" a bit in having a board narrow only in the rear part, and keep some width just forwards of the handle, to have both the hollow wave performance and some stability.

"you must take also your height into account"
I'm with you Colas, thinking the distance between feet when positioning body in a surf stance is very important . this distance has to be inkeeping with the length of rail you can cover. The front foot has to stand on the tail as Hilly said but the front foot has to stand just behind the widest point. In case of a larger wave front foot stand further back the widest point up to the stiffness you want going down the face.
Getting narrow is not a final purpose for me because a SUP board will never rip like a shorty due to its necessary dims and volume to be paddle stand up.
IMO SUP shape would never look like for example this narrow proportion of this shorty on which I'm working on by now.

Select to expand quote

Bender said..
Tardy IMHO I think you are over thinking it. Having so many boards already you are confusing yourself. I reckon a two board quiver is the best. One you are comfortable on in any conditions (AKA a bit if width) and one for those days when the waves are pumping (AKA pulled in nose and tail) and challenges you a bit. I reckon the plan shape is what gives you stability. Forget volume and look at the outline. fuller nose and tails will give you better stability with still the performance you want if you don't go too high volume.

For E.G My two board quiver is

Smik Hypster Twin 7'8" x 28 x 95L (fuller nose for stability and small waves performance and super stable)

Smik Custom 8"0" x 27.5 x 94L (fully pulled in nose and tail for when its glassy and pumping. I find this board tippy but ok and it good to challenge oneself.
Either way get out there and enjoy yourself.

Wow you are on small boards.yeah I don't ride the x32s anymore ,and their up for sale.
i would be happy with one all rounder.
i really think I'm going to go for a custom ...as I think I've narrowed it down to the right width ,volume ,style and shape .
unless I see those numbers I think I would be happy with. 30.25 /125 litres /8'8.
Still big compared to yours ,

will probably be a sunova again .i thought I had my 2 magic boards ...120 &130flows .the 120 's a keeper
the 130 needs trimming down .for me .i will sell the 130 for a custom .

i see your boards are quite close on detentions ,only 1 litre difference ,and very similar size .where mine is a 10 litre difference and wider by inch .and a half.

you obviously know what you like riding ...I'm still searching .but very close to the right quiver .

one more board and I'm done .

Select to expand quote

Kami said..

colas said..

Tardy said..

Loz79 said..
For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

As always, it depends on the kind of waves. On at least head high waves, long and narrow is the best solution, as the length can fit easily in the waves.

But I found that you must take also your height into account. I am short, and I am less efficient with a board over 8', as I have then to move too much on the board for turns. A big guy will have no issue on a 8'6". But there is no question that narrow boards are nearly mandatory in the power if you want to do some vertical surfing.

Also, you can "cheat" a bit in having a board narrow only in the rear part, and keep some width just forwards of the handle, to have both the hollow wave performance and some stability.

"you must take also your height into account"
I'm with you Colas, thinking the distance between feet when positioning body in a surf stance is very important . this distance has to be inkeeping with the length of rail you can cover. The front foot has to stand on the tail as Hilly said but the front foot has to stand just behind the widest point. In case of a larger wave front foot stand further back the widest point up to the stiffness you want going down the face.
Getting narrow is not a final purpose for me because a SUP board will never rip like a shorty due to its necessary dims and volume to be paddle stand up.
IMO SUP shape would never look like for example this narrow proportion of this shorty on which I'm working on by now.

Yes,that makes sense .I'm always up for learning ...I have learnt so much of this forum .
its cost me some money ...but the fun out weighs the wallet.

One u get to 29 and under the boards surf so much better .. for me it's worth the extra work by a Mile

It seems to me that it's unanimous that narrower boards are better to surf ...
I'm stubborn ...and ...think I should take the dive .and listen to everyone's advise ..
I'm what yah call I advancing Sup surfer ...kinda don't know what I want ,but willing to try anything .
I really feel now I should get the Maddog 8.11 ,29, 130 litre ..new out this year ..
at 5.10... 96 kgs ..I think it could be it .
and could solve some frustration on reef break waves ..
It's a little longer than what I wanted ,but it might compensate for the lose of width .
and it come out as a quad ,which I like surfing best .if I want to advance I need to get the right gear .
thanks for all the advise so far .

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..
It seems to me that it's unanimous that narrower boards are better to surf ...

and could solve some frustration on reef break waves ..

Yes they are and it should.

Are you talking about this board?

Yeah hilly.thanks for posting photo.

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..

Bender said..
Tardy IMHO I think you are over thinking it. Having so many boards already you are confusing yourself. I reckon a two board quiver is the best. One you are comfortable on in any conditions (AKA a bit if width) and one for those days when the waves are pumping (AKA pulled in nose and tail) and challenges you a bit. I reckon the plan shape is what gives you stability. Forget volume and look at the outline. fuller nose and tails will give you better stability with still the performance you want if you don't go too high volume.

For E.G My two board quiver is

Smik Hypster Twin 7'8" x 28 x 95L (fuller nose for stability and small waves performance and super stable)

Smik Custom 8"0" x 27.5 x 94L (fully pulled in nose and tail for when its glassy and pumping. I find this board tippy but ok and it good to challenge oneself.
Either way get out there and enjoy yourself.

Wow you are on small boards.yeah I don't ride the x32s anymore ,and their up for sale.
i would be happy with one all rounder.
i really think I'm going to go for a custom ...as I think I've narrowed it down to the right width ,volume ,style and shape .
unless I see those numbers I think I would be happy with. 30.25 /125 litres /8'8.
Still big compared to yours ,

will probably be a sunova again .i thought I had my 2 magic boards ...120 &130flows .the 120 's a keeper
the 130 needs trimming down .for me .i will sell the 130 for a custom .

i see your boards are quite close on detentions ,only 1 litre difference ,and very similar size .where mine is a 10 litre difference and wider by inch .and a half.

you obviously know what you like riding ...I'm still searching .but very close to the right quiver .

one more board and I'm done .

Tardy yes my boards are similar in volume but IMHO don't focus on the volume look at the outlines as this is where you get performance and or stability from not so much from volume. Find a volume that floats you just and then play around with the plan shape/outline. For eg my last two board quiver was a 8'2" by 28.5 x 105l and a 8"10x 27 x 105L the 8"10 has a much more pulled in nose and tail for quicker rail to rail transitions that the 8'2 and it worked in waves with more push/power

The naish board you looking at looks pretty good but i's recommend speaking to a shaper that can build you a custom, then you can get exactly what you want. They are cheaper too. I'd choose a Smik custom but then I am biased

Agree with Bender, you have your comfy board, now go radical. Looks like you go thru boards so hey if a narrower board dont work for you then sell it in 6 months.
OK so here is my tips.
It seems you dont know what you want so do NOT go custom unless you really know the shaper.
I would not buy that mad dog, i dont think it will give you any more performance to the sunova flow. volume is higher, so rails will be fuller than flow mate and will be thincker im sure and corky.
If you want to go narrower and high performance then you should be looking at something equal to or lower in volume to your flow, i.e. 110-120 litres. fullish nose if you are worried about stability then decide how pulled in a tail you think you can handle.

What sort of riding do you do? i.e. top to bottom, big man hacks sliding out tail or longboard style setup wallk up front then step back and hack? Or do you just get on and ride down the line? reason i ask is yeh looks like a fun wave, and a wave you could do any of the above styles i mention above. BUT if you just cruise there is no point going smaller and narrower if you aint gonna drive it hard and ride it top to bottom. you will be wasting effort and not reaping rewards.
If ur into just riding down line or longboard style n cruising, what about the sunova style 9 footer or similar? fully thin rails and about 110-112 litres i think. I have the 10 footer as my big board, it is too big but wife uses it and hey its a fun mess about board when tiny. Even tho it is 130l and 10 foot, it is 29 wide and thin rails, in fact pretty thin throughout. another option to fully confuse you.

Hi caution .i'm top to bottom ,I like doing floaters .

I felt I was going backward riding the 130 flow .it was great in straight lines and carving type turns .
just is too big at the lip .i would say 130 litres or the 8.10 size is the biggest I would ever ride .but happier riding less.

i think you could be right ...maybe a fuller nose may solve my stability issues .

i just don't bend as good these days ..my spin ain't that good after ruptures ....the more I fall the less surfing I do ,as it stuffs me .

if I'm at eas with my stability ,I can surf for 2-3 hour .

i don't know any shapers .but feel 120-130 litre boards are my limit .sorry to say .farken old age mate .

i know there's a board out there for me .just finding it ..but I reckon it will be a 125 board .that doesn't rock around .

i was thinking more of a shorter board for the short turns at the lip will give me the looseness ,but maybe still keep a bit of with for stability .Tabou make a 125 /31/8.6 ...maybe a good choice .has quite a bit of nose rocker ,I'm heading west in 3 weeks I'm gonna give it a demo before I buy anything .. .it seems to be the home of smik,sunova ,tabou and starboard over there .

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..

Kami said..

colas said..

Tardy said..

Loz79 said..
For me once I narrowed my boards the performance went through the roof, I would much prefer a longer narrower board than a shorter wider board....

As always, it depends on the kind of waves. On at least head high waves, long and narrow is the best solution, as the length can fit easily in the waves.

But I found that you must take also your height into account. I am short, and I am less efficient with a board over 8', as I have then to move too much on the board for turns. A big guy will have no issue on a 8'6". But there is no question that narrow boards are nearly mandatory in the power if you want to do some vertical surfing.

Also, you can "cheat" a bit in having a board narrow only in the rear part, and keep some width just forwards of the handle, to have both the hollow wave performance and some stability.

"you must take also your height into account"
I'm with you Colas, thinking the distance between feet when positioning body in a surf stance is very important . this distance has to be inkeeping with the length of rail you can cover. The front foot has to stand on the tail as Hilly said but the front foot has to stand just behind the widest point. In case of a larger wave front foot stand further back the widest point up to the stiffness you want going down the face.
Getting narrow is not a final purpose for me because a SUP board will never rip like a shorty due to its necessary dims and volume to be paddle stand up.
IMO SUP shape would never look like for example this narrow proportion of this shorty on which I'm working on by now.

Yes,that makes sense .I'm always up for learning ...I have learnt so much of this forum .
its cost me some money ...but the fun out weighs the wallet.

Time is worth more than money . Keep living the dream ??

A day at work followed by a 2 sup session.living the dream Gboots.

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..
A day at work followed by a 2 sup session.living the dream Gboots.

Perfect

Select to expand quote

Tardy said..
i think you could be right ...maybe a fuller nose may solve my stability issues .

I would definitely encourage you to go this route.
Something with a "semi-Tomo" nose but pulled in tail. It will be less stable than a full tomo shape, but the pulled in tail will be easier to manage in power. And a somewhat pulled-in Tomo nose paddles much better, and is noticeably less cumbersome in turns.
And get a main width that is just wide enough for confort.

To give you an idea of a semi-tomo nose, it is the one of the Gong Fatal:



The Gong Fatal itself has a quite powerful tail (similar to Slater sci-fi boards), so you may want a smoother tail for more all-around performance, personally I love the classic round pin + V feel.

I like the square/diamond nose because it makes the rails up front more parallel, and thus digging a rail on take off is not a big issue as it does not exerts too much yaw. But I do not like the full wide square nose as you must always take care not to bury them in turns. A somewhat pulled in square nose does not trip you when touching water in turns

The new Jimmy Lewis "Super Frank" is also an example of a wide nosed (but not squared at the tip) but with tail pulled in shape. I I guess you can find a lot of others.