new to sport

thinking of starboard avanti i weigh 116kgs wanting for cruising & surf any thoughts

How tall are you?

I was looking at the avanti for quite a while before I got the Fanatic Fly 11'6. I am 6'4 and also 115 kg. I find the Fly as stable as anything. I was able to try out the avanti a couple of months ago, and while it is incredibly stable, I felt the width was very noticeable. The fly has been a lot of fun in the surf, it picks up the little stuff with ease, and now I am just getting the hang of having to stand way back on the tail in the bigger surf (I've only had it a couple months). I also looked at the Atlas, which was nice and stable as well. Of the three, I definitely prefer the Fly. I know there aren't many around, but if you can get your hands on one to demo, it's worth it. Also, I believe that for cruising, the fly or the atlas would be better options. For surfing, the Fly is meant to be the best option-I say this not from personal experience, but from extensive research and asking others who have paddled all three of the boards mentioned. In other words, those are my findings and opinions, not facts set in stone.

The 11'6 is 33" wide. The model I have has the insert for a centre fin for added stability when windsurfing.