What do you find is too light for wave riding? Not strength, I mean too light so it becomes flighty?

I don't think I encountered anything "too light", since in the real world there is a necessary minimum strength, hence minimum weight, especially with SUPs that are submitted to hours of all the rider weight on his feet, and paddle hits. Plus the pad weight, fins, ...

But I guess people that often go out in chop and big waves - not me - could use heavier boards. I guess you could just add weights to the board for sessions in chop... it seems to be done

www.quantumsurfphysics.com/single-post/2017/08/12/adding-weight-to-a-surfboard

Theoretically, a board weight adds momentum, which helps smooth out the ride and mask the small temporary mistakes. I have read that it can happen in prone shortboards in extremely ultra-light exotic construction, but I do not think you can get this kind of lightness in SUPs without having a one-heat disposable board.

I thought in a sandwich board, where it is easy to achieve 5kg not the factory weights around 7-9kg, that many people don't like that feel off the top. Bit of breeze coming up the face can move a big board a lot if its too light.

My lightest is 5.5 and it's my favorite in terms of feel, but standard surfboard eps construction which gives about the right amount of damp and flex. Trade off is strength. Possible issue with sandwich carbon is they can feel bouncy or rigid. I don't see an issue with weights as low as 5kg as long as you're not going super fast in big surf. There is a big advantage in swing weight if your trying to do performance turns on a long sup, +- kg probably hard to notice on the water for most of us.

Tiny waves - Heavy longboard style sup to keep momentum in mini waves. Old PSH 12er was perfect.
Knee to head and a half - As light as possible shortboard or longboard sup, extra weight effects performance.
Bigger than head and a half - Well glassed longer narrow tailed sup, weight is less of a performance issue.

Weight is your friend in windy conditions.

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Mark _australia said..
I thought in a sandwich board, where it is easy to achieve 5kg not the factory weights around 7-9kg, that many people don't like that feel off the top. Bit of breeze coming up the face can move a big board a lot if its too light.

My lightest board is a 7'8" 105L carbon sandwich that weights 4.7kg naked (5.5kg with pad+fins+railsaver)

No issue taking off with offshore winds, as the nose is pulled in and it is not too long.
And the feel on the water, especially completing top turns and cutbacks is incredible.
The boards feels glued to the feet in manoeuvers in the critical sections.

This said, ultralight boards are another world in small waves, and especially small but punchy waves.
Pumping them is noticeably much more efficient to generate speed.
For above waist high, or when generating speed is not mandatory, I am quite content with a 7kg with pad "standard" board weight.
The added impact resistance is then more significant than 1.5kg less

Thanks gents
lots of good thoughts

I forgot: you must be very careful with utralight boards in offshore winds after a wipeout. They tend to fly and land back on you :-)

Meh
I am really bad, and heavy boards hit hard hahaha

my 8'9 Kanga is 7,2 kgs ,I like the lightness and it feels floatier ,my 8'8 flow is 8,4 kgs ,a smaller board in volume .but its solid and strong

been up on rocks a few time and again yesterday in the Maldives after snapping a leg rope in big surf
it survived again,
does heavier weight mean strength ,I presume .

No heavier doesn't mean stronger ... thus my question as I heard some folks saying if strength is the same a lighter board can be too flighty off the top with a bit of an offshore. I've almost considered deliberately building heavier that's not necessary for strength but to keep the slightly more planted feel

Seen the weight on the new TwinFin by Starboard???

The Acute build is being carried through to some other models as well,I'm hearing Pro ,and spice .so far.

Wow it is crazy light in the smaller sizes. can't wait til I see inside one and I suspect I shall soon enough