Hi everyone,
A few day's ago it was a small wave forecast, so I decided to drag out my beat-up old longboard. I had such a great time, I found it easy to catch waves and was very satisfied with my wave count.
It got me thinking about SUPs.
At the moment I only have one SUP it's an all-in-one 7'4". It's hard to ride as I lack the skill and endurance. The first 20 minutes are okay but after that it gets comical.
I did try a long inflatable NSP a few weeks ago, there was a bit of wind and chop and I found it very hard to ride. The rails just seem to float out of the water and it's just all a little weird.
Big second hard boards don't come on the market very often and I was a little bit surprised to see a 2014 JP Fusion up for sale.
It's got a mast base insert so if I want to practice some windsurfing moves.
Is it worth buying? Am I going to find it slow and lethargic compared to my 7'4" or will it be like surfing on my longboard (catching waves with ease and having a great time)?
It's 152L and currently, I am on a 116L my weight is 86Kg,
Do you have a longboard-style SUP for small waves and a shorter board for larger waves?
Thank you for your time.

They are quite nice boards paddle on the flat nicely and surf pretty well easy to pump
good board to learn on imo

Assuming your longboard is a prone board not a SUP, seems like it'd be ideal to get a longboard SUP rather than a large board with curvy outline. I find longboard SUP slow and lethargic if trying to do turns in really small waves (though a blast to trim/walk etc) but so fun to turn in medium stuff that's not too steep. If it were me I'd wait for like a 9' performance longboard, but I'm space limited- if it's cheap and you have room in garage then having an all arounder couldn't hurt and would still be much better than only the 7-4 . Cheers

That's the thing space...
The current longboard (prone) sits on the top of the rack, it's a pain to get out and takes up the length of the car so I don't normally take it to the beach. If I got another 10-footer then it would go in the same position in the rack and maybe I would feel the same way.
I bought an 8-foot board mini mal (prone) a few weeks ago and it usually comes to the beach with me along with the 7'4" Hypernut. I then either go surfing or SUPing.
Maybe a 9'8" is too much of a tank. The breaks I go to are river mouth and sand. I normally go when they are around a meter to a meter and a half. Some days it's flat and then I like to go for a paddle up the coastline and back.
I saw a 9-footer board a while ago with a volume of around 105L (I think). When it comes to selecting a board is volume one of the most important things to look for?
Also the shape, I like longboards (prone) as they can get me on almost any wave but once I am on it, I find I am up the front of the board to keep it going. It's not very radical and maybe as the season progresses I will want something a little shorter (hence the 8-footer). If I look for a more shortboard design how much harder will it be to get those smaller waves?
I presume that in general terms the longer the board the easier it is to get onto a wave but at what point does the length become too short (7'4" seems to be the answer with these smaller sets). Don't get me wrong I like the 7'4" for winging and it's a board that I can reliably take to the beach and do something with. It's a bit like a multitool (leatherman) it can do everything but just not well.
Any suggestions on where to go from here?
What board recommendations?
I've got decent balance, can paddle a board and I'm fit and healthy. 86kg 6'2" (192cm). In my 40's. Wave size on the small size too totally flat.

Hi Henners

One thing about SUPs is that even many shortboard shapes have enough surface area to glide easily on small or weak waves with enough speed to make some nice turns.
BUT.... shape is everything.
Good boards work, others deliver lackluster performance.

When I am letting people try my boards, I always ask to ride theirs, so I have surfed a majority of SUPs out there.
Jp was one of the boards that was always fun to surf, when others were not.

While the 9'8 JP is pretty big for you, that is ok.... since you are a longboarder, you know how to move around on a board to turn and trim. A good big board can be a blast in small surf!

I ride boards as long as 14' but spend a lot of time on 9'5 x 34 at 177 liters and love it in small surf.... like I said, a good board will deliver regardless of length.

At 75 years old and 106 kg, my favorite shortboard SUP is 8'8 x 31 at 138 liters (G/F = 1.29)
It is great even in small waves and it has good glide and rips turns.... so you could go much smaller with the right board.

Your G/F (Guild Factor) on the Hypernut is only 1.23 so combine that with short length and that is a bit of a stretch for someone 6'2 in weak waves.

Get something you can afford, but just make sure you check around to make sure it is a respected SUP shape.

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supthecreek said..
Hi Henners

One thing about SUPs is that even many shortboard shapes have enough surface area to glide easily on small or weak waves with enough speed to make some nice turns.
BUT.... shape is everything.
Good boards work, others deliver lackluster performance.

When I am letting people try my boards, I always ask to ride theirs, so I have surfed a majority of SUPs out there.
Jp was one of the boards that was always fun to surf, when others were not.

While the 9'8 JP is pretty big for you, that is ok.... since you are a longboarder, you know how to move around on a board to turn and trim. A good big board can be a blast in small surf!

I ride boards as long as 14' but spend a lot of time on 9'5 x 34 at 177 liters and love it in small surf.... like I said, a good board will deliver regardless of length.

At 75 years old and 106 kg, my favorite shortboard SUP is 8'8 x 31 at 138 liters (G/F = 1.29)
It is great even in small waves and it has good glide and rips turns.... so you could go much smaller with the right board.

Your G/F (Guild Factor) on the Hypernut is only 1.23 so combine that with short length and that is a bit of a stretch for someone 6'2 in weak waves.

Get something you can afford, but just make sure you check around to make sure it is a respected SUP shape.

Thank you very much.
It's all getting a little bit clearer. I think I will just keep watching the second-hand market for something between 8 and 9 feet. Then research what people say about it and then post on Seabreeze to get more info. I would very much like to try other people's boards but most of my mates are between 60 to 75kg. Which kind of puts me into the "buy and try" position.
The hyper nut is super sensitive, I find that I constantly have to be aware of what I am doing as soon as I get too excited and try to turn to catch a wave then I could end up in the water or start thinking about other stuff.
Do you mind if I contact you directly via Seabreeze messages if I find something that I think might be right for me?

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Henners said..

supthecreek said..
Hi Henners

One thing about SUPs is that even many shortboard shapes have enough surface area to glide easily on small or weak waves with enough speed to make some nice turns.
BUT.... shape is everything.
Good boards work, others deliver lackluster performance.

When I am letting people try my boards, I always ask to ride theirs, so I have surfed a majority of SUPs out there.
Jp was one of the boards that was always fun to surf, when others were not.

While the 9'8 JP is pretty big for you, that is ok.... since you are a longboarder, you know how to move around on a board to turn and trim. A good big board can be a blast in small surf!

I ride boards as long as 14' but spend a lot of time on 9'5 x 34 at 177 liters and love it in small surf.... like I said, a good board will deliver regardless of length.

At 75 years old and 106 kg, my favorite shortboard SUP is 8'8 x 31 at 138 liters (G/F = 1.29)
It is great even in small waves and it has good glide and rips turns.... so you could go much smaller with the right board.

Your G/F (Guild Factor) on the Hypernut is only 1.23 so combine that with short length and that is a bit of a stretch for someone 6'2 in weak waves.

Get something you can afford, but just make sure you check around to make sure it is a respected SUP shape.

Thank you very much.
It's all getting a little bit clearer. I think I will just keep watching the second-hand market for something between 8 and 9 feet. Then research what people say about it and then post on Seabreeze to get more info. I would very much like to try other people's boards but most of my mates are between 60 to 75kg. Which kind of puts me into the "buy and try" position.
The hyper nut is super sensitive, I find that I constantly have to be aware of what I am doing as soon as I get too excited and try to turn to catch a wave then I could end up in the water or start thinking about other stuff.
Do you mind if I contact you directly via Seabreeze messages if I find something that I think might be right for me?

Hi Henners

I'd be happy to help you!

It would be more reliable to contact me by email, since I work all day, every day rebuilding my house, then I pass out!
I am very spotty checking on Social Media.... heck, I barely surf anymore

Just remember to send me pics and all the stats on the board you are looking at.
Good deals don't last long, so timing is important.

supthecreek@gmail.com

Select to expand quote

supthecreek said..

Henners said..

supthecreek said..
Hi Henners

One thing about SUPs is that even many shortboard shapes have enough surface area to glide easily on small or weak waves with enough speed to make some nice turns.
BUT.... shape is everything.
Good boards work, others deliver lackluster performance.

When I am letting people try my boards, I always ask to ride theirs, so I have surfed a majority of SUPs out there.
Jp was one of the boards that was always fun to surf, when others were not.

While the 9'8 JP is pretty big for you, that is ok.... since you are a longboarder, you know how to move around on a board to turn and trim. A good big board can be a blast in small surf!

I ride boards as long as 14' but spend a lot of time on 9'5 x 34 at 177 liters and love it in small surf.... like I said, a good board will deliver regardless of length.

At 75 years old and 106 kg, my favorite shortboard SUP is 8'8 x 31 at 138 liters (G/F = 1.29)
It is great even in small waves and it has good glide and rips turns.... so you could go much smaller with the right board.

Your G/F (Guild Factor) on the Hypernut is only 1.23 so combine that with short length and that is a bit of a stretch for someone 6'2 in weak waves.

Get something you can afford, but just make sure you check around to make sure it is a respected SUP shape.

Thank you very much.
It's all getting a little bit clearer. I think I will just keep watching the second-hand market for something between 8 and 9 feet. Then research what people say about it and then post on Seabreeze to get more info. I would very much like to try other people's boards but most of my mates are between 60 to 75kg. Which kind of puts me into the "buy and try" position.
The hyper nut is super sensitive, I find that I constantly have to be aware of what I am doing as soon as I get too excited and try to turn to catch a wave then I could end up in the water or start thinking about other stuff.
Do you mind if I contact you directly via Seabreeze messages if I find something that I think might be right for me?

Hi Henners

I'd be happy to help you!

It would be more reliable to contact me by email, since I work all day, every day rebuilding my house, then I pass out!
I am very spotty checking on Social Media.... heck, I barely surf anymore

Just remember to send me pics and all the stats on the board you are looking at.
Good deals don't last long, so timing is important.

supthecreek@gmail.com

Thank you very much. If I see a fusion in around the 8 foot range and the price is right then I will just buy it. But for the questionable ones I will send it on through. Thank you very much and I hope you get a few more days out on the water.

I have an 8'10 Fanatic Prowave and decided to buy a performance longboard to catch more waves, especially bombies etc that are often a bit fuller. Went for the Sunova Revolution 10x28 which is narrower than the prowave and similar volume. I haven't used the prowave since, the Revolution is so good on the wave and the length helps to catch everything. So... I'm an advocate for performance longboard SUPs.

I've been patient.
Just as the windsurfing season is about to kick off, a Starboard converse came on the market.
2017 blue carbon9'"?30"?4.1" 142L a few chip marks, no repairs, does not look abused, a starboard original day bag and only 1hr drive from the house.
All that for about $500USD.
Wife was asking a few questions over the last credit card bill and I was trying to lay off spending any more cash.
Hummmmm owww bugger it. I bought it, picking it up tomorrow. I'm like a kid, the night before Christmas.
I think it will be a good board for catching those sloppy waves.

Correction it is starlite construction.
I went for my first session today. That extra length and volume makes so much difference.
I was far more confident catching waves. It was harder to turn around but that is just going to take a bit more time to understand where I have to stand to get the board to come around faster.
Very happy with the purchase.

The JP wood of about that age is a nice solid board.

BUT the Mast base attachment screw is a threaded brass insert, that is placed in something resembling hot glue and is the worst POS idea I've ever seen.

If you do use it, run a tap thru to ensure its really clean threads and be really careful. If your base jams up in it, its major surgery.

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Mark _australia said..
The JP wood of about that age is a nice solid board.

BUT the Mast base attachment screw is a threaded brass insert, that is placed in something resembling hot glue and is the worst POS idea I've ever seen.

If you do use it, run a tap thru to ensure its really clean threads and be really careful. If your base jams up in it, its major surgery.

It lacks a mast base screw. :(
But saying that, about two weeks ago, I started taking the Hypernut out on light wind and small wave days and it is an absolutely fantastic board for "slogging". I can balance on it just fine, but it does lack a little bit of volume and length Infront of the mast track. So tacking practise is a little bit hard. Catching small waves, even dumpy waves is a lot of fun.
I saw a previous post where it was discussed putting a makeshift mast base into the carry handle but it would be way to far back.
My plan would that on light wind days to take Hypernut, SUP and the mini-mal board (as you know currently repairing it), and a few sails to the beach. That way I have a better change of getting a good session.

After writing all of the above, I went and checked the starboard catalogue. I think it says the Converse does have a mast base screw. There was a odd little badge where the screw would be which says Converse on it. It's raining here. But when it stops I am going to just see if it can give it a little pry. It might just be a cover for the screw. That would be a welcomed surprise.

If there is a screw. Then I will make sure to keep it clean and tap it to make sure the threads are clean.

Nope. The badge is a badge and it says starlite on it. I did not want to be too lethal but it did not come off.
I might just write to starboard to confirm. So knowing them, I'll get back to you on a few months.

If I remember well, the mast insert was an option on some models, so some Converse had them and not others.

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colas said..
If I remember well, the mast insert was an option on some models, so some Converse had them and not others.

Thanks.
Would there be much of an increase in weight with a fitting or without?
Cause if I walked into a shop and only wanted a SUP, it would not be a deal breaker if I saw an option to fit a sail.

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Henners said..
Would there be much of an increase in weight with a fitting or without?

There was some increase in weight and in price if I remember correctly. Price could have been be the most important factor.

Note that most starboard distributors did not carry the whole range, as it was too extensive. So, depending on your country, the option could not be available if the distributor did not think there was the market for it.

Henners - confused.... as you said "Big second hard boards don't come on the market very often and I was a little bit surprised to see a 2014 JP Fusion up for sale.
It's got a mast base insert so if I want to practice some windsurfing moves."


And I had a JP of different model same age and it had a brass mast base insert (one threaded thing)
Anyway the JP one is reallllly insufficient

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Mark _australia said..
Henners - confused.... as you said "Big second hard boards don't come on the market very often and I was a little bit surprised to see a 2014 JP Fusion up for sale.
It's got a mast base insert so if I want to practice some windsurfing moves."


And I had a JP of different model same age and it had a brass mast base insert (one threaded thing)
Anyway the JP one is reallllly insufficient

Confused... sounds like you know me well.
The board I ended up buying was a starboard converse. The size was right but from the pictures I could not see if it had a mast base. Other potential buying where starting to ask questions so I frantically hit the buy button. Again and again and again. The price was too good, great condition, and close to home.
The JP was just a little bit too long, storage/transport would of been a bit of an inconvenience. I think the end.price of the auction was well out of what I wanted to spend and what it was worth. I think it also needed a few repair and some fins.
I do wish the converse had a mast base nut, I was out today and I think I could of been slogging instead of paddling.
I still had a bucket load of fun. Maybe if I practise then later I can get back onto my smaller board and sell it on. Cause my place is becoming the home for unloved boards. I think I got a problem...... I need a garage









.

Note that it would be quite simple to have your local shaper or ding repairer add a mast rail or inset.

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colas said..
Note that it would be quite simple to have your local shaper or ding repairer add a mast rail or inset.

I think I will have to trash it up a little before making the leap.
I have found a decent surfboard repairer but he's ticker is not the best and only wants to do small jobs.
There is a guy that I have heard of who is good with windsurf boards but he's about an hour away. Might have to go say hi.

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colas said..
Note that it would be quite simple to have your local shaper or ding repairer add a mast rail or inset.

I've started watching videos and combing seabreeze for other threads on how to do it.
Sent out an email to chinook asking who the wholesaler in this country is so I can buy a mast track.
I've got plans to DIY it!
Thanks Colas for the suggestion now I can't get it out of my mind.
This board has opened up so many many more days for fun in the water. I think SUPPing is just the greatest but I think I can make it even better with sail power.