I'm looking at getting a narrower longer gun for bigger waves and am interested in peoples experience with them. I'm 90kg and on my SB 8'5" by 29" 2011, riding double overhead waves the board is hard to bottom turn and bounces about a lot.
Having a board 27-28" wide seems to makes sense to cut through chop and bury in the turn, while keeping the length down to get it on a plane may be important ... (I've only ever flown with short boards)
There seems to be a few guns out there:
SB 9'6" by 27" looks great but for my weight I'm thinking I need something a little more stable for the exposed reefs.
Naish 9'8" 27 1/8" looks similarly small.
Naish 10'8" by 27 1/2" a bit too big.
Jimmy Lewis Baby Bomb 10' by 28" looks about right but haven't heard anything about it on forums.
I would consider a custom board but haven't found shapers making performance SUPs in WA (any suggestions?)
I'm interested in what other people (around my weight) use in bigger waves 
Psh 10 6 x 28 is very good. A mate down south has the baby bomb and loves it but he is light. At 105kg I like the extra length to give you paddle power into the wind. Greenroom has the 9 6 x 27 and it looks like it goes well.
Demo as many as you can over summer and get one for next winter.
Hi - I have the starby 8'5 pro - im 85 kgs - my step up board is 9'8 pro - its the perfect step up size at my weight - i used to have a 9'1 but it was too close to the 9'8 in performance and the 9'8 has a touch more glide in speed - its a super directional board - really holds its rail on face and also when paddling in holds its line - the 9'6 looks really nice but the 29 wide on the 9'8 is good enough at my weight i think - if you want something for the uber big stuff - 10'3 gun is sick
You need to remember that when the waves are big, it's rarely glassy clean, and bump free anyway.
If you can prone surf at all, I would recommend considering getting a custom longboard gun.
Think 10'0 x 22 x 3"1/4 for 90kgs plus wet wetsuit. Heavier guys could go for 10'0 x 22"1/2 x 3"1/2.http://www.mctavish.com.au/surfboard/g2-longboard-gun
A 10'0 paddles like a 9'6. Basically you cut 4 inches off the nose and 2 inches off the tail, and it wouldn't make 2/5ths of stuff all difference as to how it paddles.
A 10'0 in this style board is far easier to manage in big surf. You can easily eskimo roll it, and get right back on. Plus, if it is windy off shore, it's much easier to get into waves when prone paddling anyway...
Disclosure - I love Longboarding, and I believe longboard guns are more practical in big waves, compared to SUP's.
Hi Snorton.
I'm close to 90kgs ride the 8'5 naish for short board and had the Jimmy lewis 12' bombora gun.
While it was great having the paddle power getting into bigger waves dropping in and starting your bottom turn I was wishing I had some thing smaller.
I sold it and now looking at the baby bombora.
Those new Naish Guns look like "Super-Guns", in terms of wide point in forward, and a quite pronounced "Pin Tail". A real Pin Tail, not just a Rounded Pin, Semi-Gun style.
Another thing that is important to look at, is the amount of tail rocker. And the amount of final tail rocker through the final 1 to 1.5 feet of the board.
Tail - Final tail rocker adds to your maneuverability (tough word to spell!!
)... But minimal final tail rocker should deliver you more speed, but the board will likely feel much "stiffer" through turns, including off the bottom. Especially if paired up with bigger fins. Pin Tails also tend to have this feel/effect.
Fins on Guns... for small waves, bigger fins can usually give you more drive. But if you are on a big wave, the actually drop should give you all the speed you could possibly want, so the big fins are going to stiffen things up a little when you turn... I would suggest slightly smaller side fins in big waves (compared to your regular side fins). The side thruster fins should also be set-up with less toe-in, but that's usually the shapers responsibility.
Note - Toe-in seems to have been eliminated on the new JP SUP's.
Disclosure - my preferred big wave weapon is a 9'6 McTavish Longboard Gun.
Also note that guys were successfully riding big waves on Single Fins for many decades, before the advent multi-fins. If you are even in Torquay, take particular note of the Ian Kanga Cairns Waimea Gun that they have in the museum.
Test rode the jimmy lewis limited edition gun today.
only small fat waves but enough to get a feel.
at 10'6*28 1/2 135 litres seems about right for my weight 88 kilos.
Fast positive feel and loose enough so it should perform from 6 foot up.
For me that literage seems about right to handle the water movement you get in bigger surf.
Snorton, i ride the starboard 8'0" as my main board and I use the starboard 9'6" x 27 when its big and fine the stability fine, havent had it past 6 foot yet but its got plenty of paddle speed and rekon I could paddle it past the size that i would be physically comfortable to be belted in (or drown). The longer guns definetly make paddling in easier.
Sam you are still welcome to try my 9'6 Gun.
Owen and Marco had a paddle on it at Metts on Monday. Hardly Gun worthy waves but it gave Owen an idea. He had no worries paddling it.
Not sure how much he weighs?
Order a wood or AST. You won't have a problem. Just make sure you get a dedicated leggy
Hey Snorton, I'm 80+ kg and have a custom 9'1" x 27" but is only about a 100 litres.
The trouble with all the popouts is that the volume on em is pretty high IMO. I reckon the less volume the better when ya trying to get down a monster. Unless you are surfing massive open ocean bombies I don't know why you would want to go much bigger than 9 foot for up to 3 x OH.
Hey Simondo isn't the term Longboard Gun an oxymoron 
Just like Hilly said there is nothing wrong with having some volume under your feet.
Snorty if your 90kgs and ride the 8'5 x 29 which is 123L then I dont think you will have any problems with the 9'6 x 27 at 117L.
Ive seen you paddle the 8'5 with ease. Come down next week and give it a whirl
Cheers for the responses.
Hilly - I think I saw you out the back on that board a couple of weeks ago – it looked good. You may have seen me bouncing along some faces and going for a big swim up sh!t creek with this useless paddle
Fm1 – I thought about the 9'8” but I've got the feeling taking some width and thickness out could be pay off once I get used to it.
Simondo – nice pic. I agree SUPs are more difficult in larger waves but that's the challenge, taking the good with the oh sh!t! Anyone want to buy a Redline?
glennc – I'm interested to hear how you get along if you get the Baby Bomb or Ltd ed JL
Scotty Mac –That 8'0” is a tad small, wondering how heavy you are you?
Goatman – Sounds good, do you know any WA SUP shapers?
Owen – I definitely would like to have a go some time, next week? ... ooh. Just got to get the planets to align and get down there… swell, wind and no deadlines at work
My board of choice now is the psh vacuum bag 9 7 x 29 ripper. Will handle anything.
Jacko is bringing in his own boards soon they will be interesting.
snorton , i am 88kg. Wouldnt go bigger, pretty comfortable on the 8'0". Going to upgrade to 2013 which is less volume but flatter deck apparently. See you ride the 8'5", i hear is a good board.
Goaty is right to a point BUT, i posted this pic and I am on a 8'2" I shaped myself. If I was on my 9'6" x 27 that day, i wouldnt have missed a wave I tried to paddle on that was heaps bigger than that one, the length gives you way more paddle speed so to me, 9'6" is fine and longer takes away limits.
Not to be disrespectful but that wave does not require a gun. It is fat and only about double overhead.
This needs a gun
^^^I dont recall giving you permission to use my photo Hilly^^^
And yes the gun worked a treat out there even though I was skull dragged for what seemed like 100 metres at about 10 foot under water.
Finally surfacing which probably looked and sounded like a kittens first gasp of air. (have you ever seen a kitten being born? Hahaha. Sorry my wife is a vet nurse and Ive seen a few. Quite a disturbing image really. Me or the kitten
)
I really like the first breath after a hold down
Just need someone to take some pics from the water.
Next time your down I will bring out my Olympus.
- No! 
I'll take that ride all the way to the grave with me...
looks like I don't need a gun 
