Hi everyone as you can guess by the title of this post I'm newto SUP. Due to a back injury I'm looking at getting into SUP as part of my rehab and am looking at getting a board that will be good for flatwater paddling that will be able to ride a few waves once I'm ready to get into the surf. This could be a way off yet though because I had surgery nearly 4 weeks ago.
I've checked a few boards out online and am looking at something between 11 and 12 feet that will glide along in flat water nicely.
I'm around 90 kilos and have a good deal of surfing experience although I'm sure paddling and catching waves on a SUP is going to be a whole new ball game.
Boards I'm interested in are Laird Pearson Arrow 11 or 12 feet, Naish Nalu 11'6 or Starboard Big Easy or Atlas. I'm leaning toward the Surftech because I can get a pretty good deal on one of those. Has anyone here had any experience with any of these boards ?

I'll start with what I recomend.. IMO.. You don't need a board 11 or 12' long.. I think a board like my 10' Mana would be perfect for what you want.. It's lighter and shorter and even more stable than the boards that you have suggested.. If you already have a bad back you don't want to risk more injury lifting a big 11-12' board.. I'm your weight and I paddle my 10' Mana often.. It's not the fastest board on flat water but that won't matter.. It will still be fun to paddle and more fun than the others in the waves... The 10' Mana is a very good price in the AST version and a local shop has a brand new one in their rack selling for less than $1200.. Here's a couple of pictures of mine that I took while paddling yesterday.

DJ

Thanks for that . I saw one of those today in a shop and they are pretty chunky looking. Once I'm ready I might get along to a demo day somewhere.

I'm with DJ on this one (who could argue with DJ!) I am 125 kgs, but also new to SUP and I got the Naish Nalu 11'6 and it was/still is a beast at times, its taken me 8 or 9 weeks to find stability on chop. I demo'd the Mana 10' and it was heaps more stable but just didnt float me, so at your weight I think you will be fine.

You might also consider the PSH Hull Paddlers, good price with a paddle, I tried the 9' and as the 10' was weeks away wasnt going to wait for it to come in.

So for my 2 cents worth, the Mana or maybe try the PSH

See you on the water soon!

But he did state the majority is flat water paddling.
The Nalu in 11'6" or 11'4" will be more efficient than the Mana.

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BrisKites said...

But he did state the majority is flat water paddling.
The Nalu in 11'6" or 11'4" will be more efficient than the Mana.

I agree and I was waiting for someone to say that.. but I don't think the difference is much.. You're not racing and when paddling at a casual pace there's not much in it IMO.. I've owned the 11'6" and 11'4".. loved them both.. but I think they are very 'old school' in sup design now.. I think most people stand a little too far back on the Mana and if you do that they tend to yaw alot with each stroke.. but if you move forward a smidge so the tail lifts slightly off the water you get much better tracking and much less yawing and better glide.. The other thing is fins.. The 11'6" and 11'4" have a whopping big fin and the Mana only has little ones.. I think if you were going to only paddle flat water it might be a good idea to swap the little 7" center fin with a bigger 10" fin.. and maybe even take the side fins out... I'm happy paddling mine just as it is.. Another board to consider is the new 10'10" Nalu.

DJ

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BrisKites said...

But he did state the majority is flat water paddling.
The Nalu in 11'6" or 11'4" will be more efficient than the Mana.

Maybe, but it will also be more effected by wind, and chop, is a big beast to carry and I should know I own one and paddle it 3 times a week, its a love hat relationship at times lol

That looks like it paddles pretty good. I have a mate who has a 10 foot Mana so once I'm better I'll have a paddle on that. Theres plenty to look at though. I dont even have a paddle but have been told to get a good one straight off.

Aw com'on DJ, whats wrong with oldschool

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BrisKites said...

Aw com'on DJ, whats wrong with oldschool

Nothing.. .. I'd love to add an old school style 11'4" to my quiver.. even though I did find them hard work to turn on the heel side..

DJ

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smh said...

That looks like it paddles pretty good. I have a mate who has a 10 foot Mana so once I'm better I'll have a paddle on that. Theres plenty to look at though. I dont even have a paddle but have been told to get a good one straight off.

Yes.. Defiantly get a good paddle..

Even something like the cheaper Naish paddle with the white blade (8" wide) and skinny shaft (glass/carbon) is the least quality to get.

DJ

Yeah Thanks DJ. I will probably get a good carbon paddle straight away because I only want to pay once instead of wanting something else 6 months down the track.

Mate, the surftech 11 Pearson Laird is right on the money for what you are after, another consideration would be an 11.2 Starboard Blend. Something around the 11ish mark will be so much fun for you and totally appropriate for your requirements. If you wanted to go smaller than 11 then a 10.5 widepoint would also support you no problems and is a fantastic paddling and surfing board. Even a 11.6 Nalu would be a really fun board and do a great job for you but it is a tad heavy compared to other boards around - still a good one if you find a cheap second hand one though.
For what you want a 10' Mana is totally the wrong board and I am pretty sure you will hate it. Compared to the others you are looking at, it is slow, tracks badly, is heavy/awkward to carry and load/unload, will be way harder on your back because is a pig to paddle straight and catches wind and side chop more and has so much rocker that it is just not designed for what you want. If you were over 100kg and wanted it purely for surfing then it would probably suit you just fine, but otherwise - dont waste your time or money. IMHO.
Just an afterthought - maybe even check out an 11.6 NSP - very cheap new and a really fun and tough board that paddles and surfs well for a big, stable board.

Thanks Billboard . I'm pretty keen on either the Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer and can get a pretty good deal on one of those or the 12 foot Starboard Atlas or Big Easy. I just want a big glider for now because I will be doing a lot of flatwater paddling and catching a few little runners later on. I want to keep a big board for training but am sure I will be looking for something shorter for surfing later on.

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smh said...

Thanks Billboard . I'm pretty keen on either the Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer and can get a pretty good deal on one of those or the 12 foot Starboard Atlas or Big Easy. I just want a big glider for now because I will be doing a lot of flatwater paddling and catching a few little runners later on. I want to keep a big board for training but am sure I will be looking for something shorter for surfing later on.

The atlas and big easy are great boards but very very slow in the flatwater as they are really heavily rockered for surf conditions. The Pearson is so much lighter than the starbys and a fantastic allrounder - if you can afford one you will not be disappointed - you will keep it forever - they are well designed and very well made.

Test for yourself, but I find the 10' Mana to be an excellent first board. The Starboard 10'5" Drive is also a good one, maybe the Wide Point, but the Drive is going to glide a lot better if it floats you okay. Again, test.

I'd be a bit hesitant going for anything around 12'. It's just a bit of a nowhere size - heavy, tough to surf and doesn't race well. You'd be better off bumping up to a genuine 12'6" race board if you're going that big. They're far better at catching the runners that you mentioned, they glide like crazy and in my experience, they're lighter and just generally way better. I'd look at a Starboard Race. You can get it in 27, 29 or 31" width. Or a Fanatic, the red carbon version, an exceptional board. Ridiculously light weight, won't give your back any grief.

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billboard said...

smh said...

Thanks Billboard . I'm pretty keen on either the Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer and can get a pretty good deal on one of those or the 12 foot Starboard Atlas or Big Easy. I just want a big glider for now because I will be doing a lot of flatwater paddling and catching a few little runners later on. I want to keep a big board for training but am sure I will be looking for something shorter for surfing later on.

The atlas and big easy are great boards but very very slow in the flatwater as they are really heavily rockered for surf conditions. The Pearson is so much lighter than the starbys and a fantastic allrounder - if you can afford one you will not be disappointed - you will keep it forever - they are well designed and very well made.

I can get a good deal on the surftech board so I might check that out. I'm pretty sure I can demo one as well.

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PTWoody said...

Test for yourself, but I find the 10' Mana to be an excellent first board. The Starboard 10'5" Drive is also a good one, maybe the Wide Point, but the Drive is going to glide a lot better if it floats you okay. Again, test.

I'd be a bit hesitant going for anything around 12'. It's just a bit of a nowhere size - heavy, tough to surf and doesn't race well. You'd be better off bumping up to a genuine 12'6" race board if you're going that big. They're far better at catching the runners that you mentioned, they glide like crazy and in my experience, they're lighter and just generally way better. I'd look at a Starboard Race. You can get it in 27, 29 or 31" width. Or a Fanatic, the red carbon version, an exceptional board. Ridiculously light weight, won't give your back any grief.

I reckon the try before you buy option might be the go. I'm probably going to end up confused but theres a lot out there. I hadn't really thought about a race style board but if I get a chance I'll have a go. The only board I've ever tried was a 12 foot laird softop down at the local river. It was really stable. Thanks everyone for the advice.

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billboard said...

The atlas and big easy are great boards but very very slow in the flatwater as they are really heavily rockered for surf conditions. The Pearson is so much lighter than the starbys and a fantastic allrounder - if you can afford one you will not be disappointed - you will keep it forever - they are well designed and very well made.

The Atlas is stable as a table and glides much better than you would think BUT it's a big wide beast and heavy, especially getting it off and on the car - if your back is crook I reckon that would be a deal breaker. It's really built for cruiserweights (like me) and at 90kg you probably don't need to go that big. That said, I'm wondering with your back rehab if you might not be better erring on the side of stability rather than going too narrow/low vol to start with? (I have a dodgy hip and tippy boards play merry hell with it).

In any case, Demo Demo Demo.

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HumanCartoon said...

billboard said...

The atlas and big easy are great boards but very very slow in the flatwater as they are really heavily rockered for surf conditions. The Pearson is so much lighter than the starbys and a fantastic allrounder - if you can afford one you will not be disappointed - you will keep it forever - they are well designed and very well made.

The Atlas is stable as a table and glides much better than you would think BUT it's a big wide beast and heavy, especially getting it off and on the car - if your back is crook I reckon that would be a deal breaker. It's really built for cruiserweights (like me) and at 90kg you probably don't need to go that big. That said, I'm wondering with your back rehab if you might not be better erring on the side of stability rather than going too narrow/low vol to start with? (I have a dodgy hip and tippy boards play merry hell with it).

In any case, Demo Demo Demo.

You pretty much nailed it there with the stability bit. Thats really what I'm after. I know that I'm not going to get a good surfing board by going that big but at this stage surfing isn't that big a priority. I just want to get out there and paddle and get a few waves later on. I know that its going to be a lot less boring than swimming laps in a pool which I'm doing now.

My in put after trying many boards in the last five months. I am about 76kg started with an Oxbow 9' 4" x 30" wide Vol 150L Scout excellent board and stable but decided to go for a smaller board so bought a 9' x 29.5" 140L Coreban Fusion - excellent board.

Now the local Angulo guy has lent me a 9' 8" x 31.5" Vol 150L Angulo Surfa, this must be as easy as it gets not only super stable but fast to catch waves and surfs well. I am doing things I have not done before and staying upright in all sorts of conditions. Late take offs no problems in up to head high wave faces I have had so far. Now on session 3 today with more to go this week.

At 90kg this board would be worth a test as it will suit your needs IMO.

Non-surfer here, so not sure if my comments will be relevant...but;

I bought a Nalu 11'6" about 7 months ago (first sup) - absolutely stoked with it. Excellent flatwater (lakes, harbour, river) and also started playing in the waves a couple of months ago & now interested in waves...

I took a mates Starboard Element 9'8" for a test drive in some small (2') waves yesterday with a 20kt offshore wind and found it really stable (at 106kgs - with no surfing experience - had a ball!) although paddling into a headwind to catch small waves was hard work, but at my weight - won't hurt me. My main likes on the element are the high volume & w/surf rig option (also footstrap option I noticed).

I've finally decided to get a Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer. I know the Surftech distributor pretty well and he has a slightly freight damaged one he will give me at a fraction of the cost. I can paddle it in the flat water and get out in some small waves when I'm ready and at 32 wide it should be nice and stable. Cant go wrong there I guess.

Enjoy your new ride and hope it aids in the rehab.
Good thing about getting the board cheap is not taking a header on the difference between purchase price and resale when you feel ready to move onto the next sup chapter.

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Cuttlefish said...

Enjoy your new ride and hope it aids in the rehab.
Good thing about getting the board cheap is not taking a header on the difference between purchase price and resale when you feel ready to move onto the next sup chapter.

Thanks mate I really liked the look of that board of yours but I wanted something really stable and easy to start out on. I know that I'm going to want to go shorter down the track but I will more than likely hang onto a 12 footer to train on in the river and also to take my little spinning rod and soft plastics with me when the flatties start biting. All I need to do now is get myself a good paddle.

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smh said...

I've finally decided to get a Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer. I know the Surftech distributor pretty well and he has a slightly freight damaged one he will give me at a fraction of the cost. I can paddle it in the flat water and get out in some small waves when I'm ready and at 32 wide it should be nice and stable. Cant go wrong there I guess.

Nice choice, looks a good fit. Now go buy a good'n light paddle and get amongst it. You'll ache from your toes to your nose after your first couple of outings (but in a gooood way )

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HumanCartoon said...

smh said...

I've finally decided to get a Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer. I know the Surftech distributor pretty well and he has a slightly freight damaged one he will give me at a fraction of the cost. I can paddle it in the flat water and get out in some small waves when I'm ready and at 32 wide it should be nice and stable. Cant go wrong there I guess.

Nice choice, looks a good fit. Now go buy a good'n light paddle and get amongst it. You'll ache from your toes to your nose after your first couple of outings (but in a gooood way )

I had a look at a few paddles last week and couldn't believe the difference in weight of some of them. The guy in the shop showed me a Quick Blade carbon paddle and I couldn't believe how light it was. It was pricey though but I only want to pay once so I'm likely to get a good one and I wont be wanting a better one six months down the track. When I did a few river paddles about 2 years back I noticed my calves were a bit tight after. On the subject of paddles what would be a good one to get ?

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smh said...

HumanCartoon said...

smh said...

I've finally decided to get a Laird Pearson Arrow 12 footer. I know the Surftech distributor pretty well and he has a slightly freight damaged one he will give me at a fraction of the cost. I can paddle it in the flat water and get out in some small waves when I'm ready and at 32 wide it should be nice and stable. Cant go wrong there I guess.

Nice choice, looks a good fit. Now go buy a good'n light paddle and get amongst it. You'll ache from your toes to your nose after your first couple of outings (but in a gooood way )

I had a look at a few paddles last week and couldn't believe the difference in weight of some of them. The guy in the shop showed me a Quick Blade carbon paddle and I couldn't believe how light it was. It was pricey though but I only want to pay once so I'm likely to get a good one and I wont be wanting a better one six months down the track. When I did a few river paddles about 2 years back I noticed my calves were a bit tight after. On the subject of paddles what would be a good one to get ?

Mate - firstly congrats on the board choice - absolutely brilliant board. As far as paddles go I am a huge fan of starboard enduro paddles. You should be able to pick up a full carbon in a blade size to suit (suggest a 525) for around $425 or the green blade version of the same paddle for around $375. I have one of each in the slightly smaller blade size (475) but mine are purely for surfing so I can get away with the smaller blade. The bigger blades 525 and 550 are ideal for a bigger guy or bigger board and will give you heaps of power and be very gentle on your body - especially your back and shoulders. I have used quicblades/kialoa/c4/naish and others and the starboards are by far the best value for money in my opinion - I actually prefer them over the others, period (and they are cheaper)

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billboard said...

Mate - firstly congrats on the board choice - absolutely brilliant board. As far as paddles go I am a huge fan of starboard enduro paddles. You should be able to pick up a full carbon in a blade size to suit (suggest a 525) for around $425 or the green blade version of the same paddle for around $375. I have one of each in the slightly smaller blade size (475) but mine are purely for surfing so I can get away with the smaller blade. The bigger blades 525 and 550 are ideal for a bigger guy or bigger board and will give you heaps of power and be very gentle on your body - especially your back and shoulders. I have used quicblades/kialoa/c4/naish and others and the starboards are by far the best value for money in my opinion - I actually prefer them over the others, period (and they are cheaper)

agree about the starboard enduro, they are very forgiving and are crazy light in the carbon version. I have a carbon 550, goes just right with my Atlas (but I'm bigger than you and I don't have a crook back). Early on I tried a few of the majors and kept coming back to the enduro. I had a 525 and liked it but cut it too short so passed it on to a shorter mate (I regret both actions, the 525 was really nice). I'd hazard a guess and suggest a 525 for your size and board. My 5'2 missus has a 475 and she likes it but she really only cruises the flat in summer.
All that said, I'm waiting for the new Fanatic paddles to land, I'm told they're very nice and the price point will be v.good.

Just like boards, DEMO DEMO DEMO

Jeez now I am confused with the paddle bit. The full carbon quickblade comes in at $490 does that sound right ? Trouble is there are really not many places I can check out SUP gear around my area but I'm going up to Sydney next week so I'll try and find something up there. I'll keep those suggestions in mind though because I dont have a clue about paddles. Back to the board I'm sure it will be a good board but I've also been advised to try the 11 footer before committing to the 12 footer.

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smh said...

Trouble is there are really not many places I can check out SUP gear around my area but I'm going up to Sydney next week so I'll try and find something up there. I'll keep those suggestions in mind though because I dont have a clue about paddles. Back to the board I'm sure it will be a good board but I've also been advised to try the 11 footer before committing to the 12 footer.

"Going up to Sydney" sounds like you are on the South Coast or Illawarra, Where are you based, can possibly offer some demo suggestions