I recently bought a Starboard Avanti 11'2 and have gone from flat water to surf almost straight away. I have surfed for 35 years and found the transition to SUP a pleasure. I bought the Avanti to flat water paddle with my puppy Scottish Terrier but find now that I'm surfing 90% of the time and dog SUPing a bit less (poor Ashby:( Anyway, looking at trading the Avanti in for either a Naish Mana GT 9'5 or a Starboard Whopper Jnr 9'5. I want something I can throw around better in the surf (from 1-5ft) but also manage a flat water paddle with the dog. I know it's hard to have a one board for all but looking for input as to which board would the most manoeuvrable in the surf and possibly handle up to 5ft point breaks? I'm sure both would be ok for flat water with my puppy. I'm 95kg.
From my experience don't be too keen to go too small right away. I've a Naish Nalu 11'0; plus Starboard Wide Points 9'5 and 8'10. Someone once said to me find the board you want then go one size bigger, only wish I'd gotten that advice earlier. I'm a 100kg, and an intermediate to good surfer.
Anyway, my two cents I suggest you go for the 10'0 Whopper, and carbon if budget allows :-)
Select to expand quoteBretto74 said...
From my experience don't be too keen to go too small right away. I've a Naish Nalu 11'0; plus Starboard Wide Points 9'5 and 8'10. Someone once said to me find the board you want then go one size bigger, only wish I'd gotten that advice earlier. I'm a 100kg, and an intermediate to good surfer.
Anyway, my two cents I suggest you go for the 10'0 Whopper, and carbon if budget allows :-)
Good advise.. I hate seeing people talked into the smaller option.. You want to have fun learning without the frustration of thinking I'll get there one day..
I'm also about 95kg and you should be fine on either the 9'5" Mana or new 9'5" Whopper.. The Starboard is 33" wide compared to the 32" Naish.. You should try and demo first because even though it's only one inch it feels much wider.. Some will like that wider feel and done won't.. Personally I don't like going wider than 32 but that could be because I'm used to it..
I think that they have both 9'5 options for demo so will be doing that. The Whopper has a nicer looking rounded pin tail compared to the Mana's wide squareish tail which I don't think would be as good when it's a bit bigger also?
Would go for the 10 foot whopper......proven biggish surf capability and a go to board for those choppy sloshy days that you need a stable paddling platform :)
and of course you would have sexier boards for the more gentile surf conditions. A whopper is a whopper....don't know where a small whopper fits into the picture?
