Hi all , I'm an older & heavier surfer (56yo & 110kg) & for various reasons I've traded my 9'4 longboard in for a 10'6 x 32 Evoke Sup (about 180 litres) but
I'm startin? to think I need a bigger board. In calm water I'm quiet stable but as soon as I get out among a bit of chop & small waves I just cant stay on this thing. I've been out about 5 or 6 times & have been catching waves on my knees then standing up to surf. I'm very impressed at how well this board glides on small/full waves but at the moment I really can't see myself being able to catch waves standing up. As much as I try to relax,keep my paddle in the water & look at the horizon I feel very unstable in the surf zone & continue to fall of when trying to stand to paddle. Once I'm on a wave & surfing I'm fine.
Starting to think I might need something with a bit more volume to begin with.
Any suggestions/advice greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

My first board was a 10ft Evoke (I was 85kgs at the time - supping regularly sure does take some weight off). At first I found it a bit unstable in choppy conditions, but as I got more experienced this disappeared. 10.6 should be ok once you get a bit more experienced at supping

The learning curve is steep early on.

Time in the water is the most important thing. I'd practice on flat water for a bit... practice turns, imagine turning and paddling for a wave on both sides, deliberately put your feet in the wrong position and see if you can stay balanced, sink the tail and turn etc.

I learned on a 10' Evoke at 110kg. First 3-4 sessions were scratchy, after that - easy.

Lazy Pete yes u might be right i,m 70 and 110 kgs I ride a 10' x 34 193 liters Sunova speed and a Custom 10' x 34 sunova 193 liters love both boards really stable and surf unreal with is every thing

Thanks for your replies. I'll try to spend a bit more time on flat water and see if it helps. I'm just very keen to get surfing on this thing ASAP !

keep at it Pete ...paddle it everyday until it comes part of you ,and your foot placement comes natural ..it is probably on the small side for learning for your weight but it will come with practise ,i learnt on a 10 mana 33 wide 193 litres ..out grew it fast ,

sometimes i have weeks of crap surf ,so i paddle my 8'8 around in flattish lagoon waters 1 hour every day ,so i keep in touch with the small board motions .it keeps me ready for the surf when it comes good ...

Have you tried crouching a bit instead of standing? Bending your knees and getting low whenever you get the wobbles (plus paddle in the water) really helps. The fact that you are able to catch some waves suggests that the board is big enough for you.

Also, are you often paddling when it's windy and therefore choppy? Avoiding windy conditions whenever possible makes life easier. There's a reason why surfers prefer to go out at dawn.
Good luck!

Thanks , yeah I'm trying to get down low & using my paddle for balance but still going arse over tit fairly regularly.
I'm surfing in a protected little bay & it's not usually very choppy. I'm quiet happy catching waves on my knees but I really want to master this whole SUP surfing thing.
I'll just persist.
Cheers.

Hey LazyPete,
I should have also added to my comments about practicing, a wide stance is actually counter-intuitive. Try and stand with your feet no wider than shoulder width - ideally narrower than shoulder width. It actually helps with balancing on the board as much as you think it wouldn't.

Also, on longer boards - when paddling for waves I crouch a little bit and keep my legs parallel until i'm on the wave. On short sups you can't do this but on longer boards it lowers your centre of gravity and makes it smoother and easier to get on waves.

Good luck.

Righto mate , thanks. I'll try all of the above.
Cheers.

Hang in there Pete!
I started on a 36" wide board that was 130 liters
And still, I fell at least 100 times the first day

Here's why we fall at first:
As kids, we can wobble all over the place and never fall because we are climbing trees, running all over the place, skateboarding.. All the things that keep our small twitch muscles in shape.

As adults we walk on flat floors, flat parking lots and never do anything that requires us to activate our small twitch muscles, so they go dormant.

As SUPsters, we re-awaken these small muscles in our feet and calves.
Our bodies relearn how to balance properly when faced with wobbling around on the water.

Hint: Want a quick way to relax on your board?
Smile ??
You will be amazed how much a smile relaxes your body. while a grimace will tighten you up.

As mentioned by others, standing with your feet closer to the handle is actually more stable.
a wide stance will exert maximum pressure to the outside rail, causing it to sink lower in the water.

Volume on the rails wants to bob quickly back to the surface, which throws your weight to the opposite rail and drives THAT rail under..
The result is a LOT of big "corrections" are needed.
Like a car "oversteering" on ice..... the skids get bigger and bigger until you crash.

Feet close to the middle will lessen the amount of wobble, by reducing the leverage you have to push a rail too far underwater when you "correct" to either side.
You can't apply too much pressure to the outside rail, so this limits the amount of wobble.

Also:
Feet in parallel stance only give "side to side" stability

Adopt a "semi-surf stance" when practicing on flatwater
What this does is add more 'front to back" stability

I'll include several pics from my hat cam, that show where my feet are from different perspectives

the standard "Parallel stance" gives good "side to side" stability



In the surf, a "modified surf stance" will add "front to back" stability,
by giving you the ability to lean forward and backward to roll over waves,
and makes it easier to lean forward when paddling for a wave











Enjoy the struggles.... you are learning something that will change your life!
Yewwwwwwww

oops... my first board was 230 liters, not 130....

Just a little note here. Are you actually falling off or just feel a bit unstable. SUP's can have quite tippy feeling primary stability but the secondary stability takes over as the board leans more and you stay on. You can feel it being tippy, stiffen up and lose it.
As wierd as it sounds I have found in sloppy confused conditions that too much primary stability can actually chuck you off as quickly as a tippy board. I have a 14x28" SIC RS. In predictable smooth conditions it is a rock, boat wakes are a non event. But when you get into sloppy conditions the board wants to stay level with the water surfaces, no matter how unlevel that is with the Earth. It literally just chucks you off.
Some primary instability will allow the board to have an easier transverse motion in sloppy conditions. That is where the secondary stability will keep you on the board, as long as you keep you legs bent and don't fight it..

Again, lots of great advice here. I'll try positioning my feet a bit closer and see how it feels. I guess I'm just being a bit impatient to master this form of surfing.
Hey supthecreek , i've been enjoying your YouTube clips , looks to me like you're livin' the dream !
After surfing short & then longboards for many years I've moved to a little coastal village with a regular small/full wave which is perfect for sup surfing.
I figure , if other heavier blokes can do it on lower volume boards there's no reason I can't do it on this board.
As everyone has said , time on the water will do wonders.
Oh , and I'll try to smile more instead of swearing and cursing.
Cheers.

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LazyPete said..
Thanks , yeah I'm trying to get down low & using my paddle for balance but still going arse over tit fairly regularly.
I'm surfing in a protected little bay & it's not usually very choppy. I'm quiet happy catching waves on my knees but I really want to master this whole SUP surfing thing.
I'll just persist.
Cheers.

Was that you out at pebbles on Friday after lunch?

Don't think so , where's Pebbles ?

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LazyPete said..
Don't think so , where's Pebbles ?

Crowdy Head, Mid north coast. There was another guy matching your description paddling around on his knees so you're not alone out there.
I also struggled for stability on my first lower volume boards but pushed myself in all conditions and it does get easier. I still fall off a few times each surf but don't find I need to be on my knees much any more.

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surffeenz said..

LazyPete said..
Don't think so , where's Pebbles ?

Crowdy Head, Mid north coast. There was another guy matching your description paddling around on his knees so you're not alone out there.
I also struggled for stability on my first lower volume boards but pushed myself in all conditions and it does get easier. I still fall off a few times each surf but don't find I need to be on my knees much any more.

Nah , but close. I'm a bit further up the coast from Crowdy.
Great to hear I'm not the only one paddling for waves on my knees. Hey , if that's what I've gotta do to catch waves then that's what I'll do.
Cheers.

Your weight should never be a hindrance. The truth is, being a bit heavier than average people your age might entail some benefits. The largest one you see in the stores is not necessarily the best one for you. So, consider matching your weight to the appropriate width range of the deck. You can either ask the store personnel or seek feedback from other buyers.