Hi all, seeking advice from the knowledgable as looking to purchase board number 3 in a wood/bamboo finish. It needs to be 10-11' for glide (to keep up with my paddling other half on his 12'6 fanatic fly). It needs to be wider than 30' & thicker than 4.5' for stability on the GC Broadwater (constant motorised activity) and, preferably with the ledge handle. Favouring an all-rounder style of board for small wave catching & if possible weighing less than 11kg. (I am a hefty 46kg & have $1500 cash). All posts will be well appreciated!

How about a Naish Nalu 10'6.5 or 11'4? I think the GT (wood finish) versions are around $1700 new, and maybe around the 13Kg mark I think. Another one worth having a look at is the starboard blend which I don't think comes in a veneer finish but is apparently a nice board. I haven't had any experience with this one.

I agree the 10'6 Nalu is a great board and paddles flat water very well for a wave board.

The 10'10" Nalu is worth checking out.

DJ

The Starboard Blend (that foamballer mentioned), or alternatively the Starboard Drive (are both great boards that fit nicely in the size range you're looking at. They do come in the the 'wood' construction (which for the 2013 models has a wood grain deck, white deck pad, red rails and red hull). If you're after a full wood finish (not just the wood grain deck), if you're lucky you might be able to find a second hand (2011) model of either of these in the TAC construction (but I think they're pretty hard to come by?).

I think you would find the 10'5" Drive a little easier to turn on waves than the Blend, although the extra length of the Blend would offer a bit more Glide on flatwater. Even though both are a little thinner than 4.5", they should offer ample stability and floatation for your size.

These or the Nalu's DJ mentioned would meet your needs.

Another option you could consider (although not in the specs you've listed) is the Starboard 12'6" Touring in either 29" or 30" width. They will offer a bit more glide than a round nosed all-rounder but would still be fun catching small waves (if you don't intend to surf anything bigger).

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A bit off the topic, but interested in whether you've had a chance to try out any/many different boards on the broadwater (in terms of size, whether in a wood finish or not)? At 46kg, an 11' x >30" x >4.5", sounds like a very big all-around board for your size, and I would anticipate (I don't know for sure, because I haven't been as light as you for a very long time) that it could be a lot of work to manoeuvre anything bigger than 0.5-1ft surf?

Just my opinion, but for you're size, I'd be avoiding going much wider than 30", and you'll probably find that 4" to 4.25" thickness is sufficient. The differences only sound small, but 0.25-0.5" thickness (or more) and/or 1-2" extra width can add a lot of extra volume to a board, which you probably don't need for floatation or stability and could make it harder to handle in the surf.

There's a Coreban Icon and an EZ both in "pure" construction on the Buy and Sell site. Both in VIC (I noticed you are in QLD) but both in your price range and both excellent all round boards.

Great advice & many thanks to all. I recently sold a 10'6 Alana which i loved, reason being I paddle across the Broadwater to work so carry a small bag of stuff which of course gets wet when the wind & tide are against us & with the occasional boat wash. I do have the stuff in a wet bag but it has been washed overboard once causing a bit of stress. Tried to carry a backpack, too uncomfortable on a 30. -40 minute paddle.Board before Alana was Lahui Kai 12'6 ( to keep up with 12'6 Fanatic) . Loved it too, however in more than 10 knots copped windage on & off the water & the narrow lines made it tippy indeed. ( The small waves i mess around in are on Wavebreak, Broadwater boatwashes, & when we get away Cotton Tree, Noosa river & DI Point. )
Ali Cat, to answer your question regarding demos here, not a lot since Roar departed. And because of working weekends, it is difficult to get to Surffx demo days at Budds Beach. From research, I saw that the veneer finish not only looks lovely but in some models give the boards a lighter construction. And hey I bet you stand a fair bit taller than 153cm :) .
Thanks again, really want the next board to be just right. But have been told its most likely unavailable.

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Ali Cat said..

The Starboard Blend (that foamballer mentioned), or alternatively the Starboard Drive (are both great boards that fit nicely in the size range you're looking at. They do come in the the 'wood' construction (which for the 2013 models has a wood grain deck, white deck pad, red rails and red hull). If you're after a full wood finish (not just the wood grain deck), if you're lucky you might be able to find a second hand (2011) model of either of these in the TAC construction (but I think they're pretty hard to come by?).

I think Auswind had run out models of the Drive and Blend in TAC construction on their website.

Try this Link, it was underneath the threads......http://www.paddlesurfing.com.au/Home/SUP-Boards/SUP-SPECIALS. Lahui Kai used to be the dealer for SupAtx might be worth ringing Mick Di Betta and demoing one. They are light, stable and can be surfed. They ding relatively easily but can be fixed easily. The Boardworks Raven 10'6" Tourer looks nice.

I'm looking at a surftech generator 11'6 x 31.5 x 4.5 . 188 litres I think and it looks like it surfs nice as well and has a bamboo deck. a little bit more than $1500 though but not much more.

Also don't forget the option of some stick-on deck plugs and some bungee elastic cord to make some webbing to hold your web-bag on the deck.
Some touring boards come with this option but it is easy enough to do on the boards that don't and will save the anguish of bag overboard again.

Thanks again for the replies, great advice, & more options that I had not previously considered. I now like the idea of a touring model & have taken notice of the bungy set up on the bow, which will be much better than how I have been lugging my gear! Ali, yes I have paddled the fly race often & after getting off my Alana recently was like stepping on to a solid plank! Big difference.. Very comfortable deck grip & a great find for a 2nd hand in mint condition, previous owner was a female team rider who obviously looked after her boards :) Sold by Steve or Jason at Roar Labrador. He loves it, but too heavy for my liking & doesn't have the easy ledge handle for small fingers & frequent carrying. Starboard & Naish both have an amazing range of beautiful styles so we may have to buy more than one new board!