Help! I've gone down way too many rabbit holes to openly admit in an effort to find a board that fits my needs, ability and frame.

I've been mostly flatwater paddling regularly for quite a few years but have been so hungry to get into SUP surfing. My current isup 11"32 was initially purchased to accommodate SUP'ing with my best mate -the dog. He LOVES it but it's time to find something just for myself and a little more versatile and manageable.

I'm 5"3, 54kgs and pretty athletic. I don't know whether being female changes much in terms of selection. My surfing experience is pretty limited - attempts over many years but nothing regular to progress my skills dramatically.

I had my mind stuck on a Sunova Style 9"6 (incredibly difficult to find in stock) as it also seemed decent on flatwater too but it was recently suggested I look into the Starboard Longboard options. I also read an interesting article on the Sunova Creek. I just want a fun board that I'll want to hold onto for a while. I've read too much and there's a lot of advice for heavier framed people. I really just want someone to tell me what to get ??

Thanks Gboots. That's helpful advice!

If you want a board you will keep even after you progressed and are ready for a 65 liter board :) I would recommend a high performance longboard shape. It will be stable, easy to learn the foundations of surfing and you can keep it forever to practice beautiful art of longboard surfing. Many options to choose from

9'0x28 Starboard
9'0x28 Kalama Performance
9'0x28 Infinity New Deal
9'0x28 Sunova Revolution and many more.

At your weight and height there is no point going over 28 in width and much more than 100l in volume.

I would also argue that if you don't mind struggling a little bit for the first few sessions (you said you are athletic) you could start at 26 or so versions of these boards. A 9x26 wide longboard sup will always be one to keep in your quiver even when your primary sup is 7'5x25x70l :)

Bigger shapes like 9x30 will be by definition transitional and you will be selling them after a few sessions- so if you want to go this route don't buy new, find a cheap used one.

Amazing. Thanks so much for your suggestions Iam, BigZ and SupChickadee. BigZ - thanks particularly for your advice re: size, use and longevity.

My first hardboard sup was a 711, 32 wide 132 L Evoke.
Stable but very hard to catch waves . I then added a 12 ft 28 wide Venom. Awesome but to big for beaches and a pain to manage out of water . Next i sold Evoke and added 88 long 28 wide Speeed. Fantastic board which i still have (but rarely use now). An 88 Speeed catches waves easily and paddles nicely . Easy to carry. But hard to get back right on tail for lightweights

I'd suggest looking at a Jimmy Lewis Destroyer. Great board for a single board quiver, it does it all. They are nice and light and have some sizes that would suit. Perhaps the 8'0" would be good for you if you don't want to go too small. I'm around 72kgs and ride the 7'7", so that could be an option as well.

micksmith said..
IMO at your weight, height, self proclaimed description of being pretty and athletic , I'd suggest demoing the infinity new deal line, start with the 8'x28", my daughters have jumped on my starby 8' pro and were able to balance and paddle no problems on flat water ( they don't sup or surf ) both would be around your weight and and over
30 yrs.

I would second that. If you don't want to go a longboard path an all-around mid length like Infinity 8x28 or JL Destroyer 7'7x29 would be a great choice. As you progress it would stay in your quiver as a "choppy, messy, I should not be supping :)" board. Both boards are incredibly stable, bullet proof, and very light. Very similar construction, built in arguably the best board sports outfit - Kinetic factory in Vietnam.

That is why I keep my 8'5x30.5x130l Destroyer - a backup when my 10x28x121l Kalama or 8'5x30.5x121 Infinity Blurr are too much work. By the way, Dave Kalama's boards are virtually the same construction as Infinity and JL, light and bullet proof.

NatureNut said..

Help! I've gone down way too many rabbit holes to openly admit in an effort to find a board that fits my needs, ability and frame.

I've been mostly flatwater paddling regularly for quite a few years but have been so hungry to get into SUP surfing. My current isup 11"32 was initially purchased to accommodate SUP'ing with my best mate -the dog. He LOVES it but it's time to find something just for myself and a little more versatile and manageable.

I'm 5"3, 54kgs and pretty athletic. I don't know whether being female changes much in terms of selection. My surfing experience is pretty limited - attempts over many years but nothing regular to progress my skills dramatically.

I had my mind stuck on a Sunova Style 9"6 (incredibly difficult to find in stock) as it also seemed decent on flatwater too but it was recently suggested I look into the Starboard Longboard options. I also read an interesting article on the Sunova Creek. I just want a fun board that I'll want to hold onto for a while. I've read too much and there's a lot of advice for heavier framed people. I really just want someone to tell me what to get ??

Hi NNut
Enjoy the research... it's always one of my favorite phases of a new board!

There are lots of great suggestions here, by folks who have been at this for a while.... but I know it can get a bit daunting, sifting through everything.

Over the years I have developed some questions and interviewing strategies to help me suggest the right board for people.

Each person is different, so a deeper dive really helps get folks headed in the right direction.
Full disclosure: I am a Sunova something... not quite sure what, but I am in the mix somewhere

Please email me if you want some help wading through of all the info and choices.
supthecreek@gmail.com

Thank you all so much for taking the time to provide some suggestions and advice. There's a lot to take in here but it's certainly made me re-think what I should realistically be looking for. Cant wait to be getting out on Far South Coast NSW waters on a new board soon. P.S. @MickSmith - I never said I was pretty I'd never self-proclaim that one, haha!

Please report back on how it goes and good luck! - I'd like to get my wife into SUP surfing but too hard to get out together often with little kids. She is something around 5'5" and 60kg, paddles flatwater/light whitewater for fun and is into fitness. She had a perfect first time on a 10-6 x 30" (160L?) Naish Nalu cause it was super stable and caught waves early, but she couldn't really carry it to beach, especially in wind (we surfed a glassy spot behind jetty on a windy day). Also she pearled on a couple late entries and almost got whacked by board. I fell on that board learning and injured my ribs. But day two she was riding down line on tiny waves having a blast.

In theory she should be able to surf a 120l board and she has no problem paddling my 110L surf sup on a river with moving water, but she tried my friends 9x28 118L in surf and struggled a bit. I have no idea what I'd get her if I was going to get a board, tricky trade-off between something super light that's not a burden to carry/handle in whitewater vs. stability (and guessing how stability will change during progression). Also some of the boards that come in small sizes might not be in the optimal shape. Like for a longboard it's gonna be a performance shape that's maybe less stable, not necessarily what a person wants in first board.



cheers