Been on a JP 7 4 for a little while ,due to one thing or another have only had about a dozen surfs on it , out of those a couple with real smooth conditions . Was all good on good days but with a bit of water moving around ie back wash , rips ,or chop Im spending a lot of my time on my knees which isnt ideal . On a wave I love it , it surfs like a shortboard .
So a question how long should one give it before letting panic set in , and or would stepping back up to the 8 2 version be a cure all having an extra 5 litres of volume

Five litres isn't going to make a material difference unless you are too heavy for the 7'4". I'd say it's more width and volume distribution than just an additional five litres. Sub 8' conventional shaped boards are more for those that fall into the more advanced category, if you feel you're there or close might be worth it to keep going. How long depends on how much you feel you're progressing, how much you weigh, how good your balance is. Sometimes going too small takes away the fun factor if most of the time is spent fighting to stay standing / be comfortable. I guess that's where the idea of more than one board comes in too, I'd say very few have a one board quiver that's sub 8' (conventional shapes).

Frequent and regular practice will see your balance improve - A dozen sessions not really being enough. If you can take two boards out each time.... start the session with the shorter/narrower board... until you feel fatigue starting to set in - then switch to the more stable ride for the remainder. That way you progressively build up your skills.
So.. no, dont panic! Much more time required!

Hey Paperboy

A couple of things,

1:) Surf stance is essential when addling short SUP's, as there front to back lateral movement to contend with aswell as the sideways movement.
2:) How long is your paddle -. should be head height..The paddle needs to be super light, to help with the balance..
3:) Make sure your fins aren't too small... a medium to medium / large fin will help.

Persevere,, I went to a supershort 7"3 Naish from an 8"0, the balance does come.... and its worth it...

Good luck

I have the same size JP & also a Gulliver Box SUP at 7'3". I find these boards very different with respect to balance & surfability. I feel myself being able to relax on the Gulliver almost taking the parallel rail design for granted in terms of just how stable it is. The JP surfs much better (IMO) and can handle the bigger & more hollow stuff better but it is far more difficult to manage. I find having my feet slightly staggered & closer together (less than shoulder width apart) a bit easier to manage however he biggest help I find is to lower my centre of gravity (almost crouching) usually steadies the wobbles. As they say practise makes perfect.

My advice is to persevere with the JP for the cleaner days & perhaps (pending funds) get a board with a bit more volume for the choppy days.

Good luck.

Hi paperboy follow what every one say . ShortSUP is like pushbike when young : lot of fall and not much wheeling ...dont give up or panic keep practicing but dont knee because time you spend on your knee doesn't reinforce muscle groupe you need to keep balance . As well as you are coming out in your new physical envelop you must do some stretching .
As HGfish said it's not the volume of buoyancy making balance but repartition volume and width. This why Minions and others of that kind are so stable compared of their minimum dims.
PS, I currently SUP on 6'5" <28" 84liters to my 77kg . So dont panic and have fun .

First, do not hesitate to do flat sessions with it. The miles paddling on it will train your body and will progressively show in the waves.

The volume of the board relative to your weight is quite important, especially close to the buyoancy limit, but I found the main factor is the width.
With age kicking in, too narrow will just never be fun. But with enough width, it is surprizing how I can handle low volume and short lengths.
Your "width limit" will depend of your height, age, ability, and will reduce with training...

I would resell a board that is too narrow for me, but will perseverate otherwise...

What is the volume ratio for a medium level sup. I weigh 90kgs on a good day. I am looking at the 7'11 all wave I currently Ride a 8'10 Prowave
cheers

Hey chief I'm 80 kg tall and lanky I'm on a 7 11 pro wave love it..I've mucked around on all waves and I found the 711 all waves to be super stable to paddle and surf wise it felt to big for me on the wave but if I had a few more kgs it would of been perfect

I have the JP 7.4 and the JP 8.0.

There is a noticeable difference in ease of handling choppy conditions between the two, so the JP 8.2 would be even more so.

At 75KG and only average fitness, both are ok in pretty much all conditions for a time. But thats the thing, whilst I enjoy the quicker turning of the 7.4 after an hour I start getting tired of fighting balance on the 7.4. & wave count goes down and so does the enjoyment.

When I was in the mode of leaning what I could do on a SUP the 7'4 was worth the fight and do love it. But now I am back to surfing short boards mainly and only rarely paddle a SUP so always take the 8.0. Is just more comfortable and still surfs very well.

I always have found it interesting how quickly you can learn to handle reduced volume and what seems ridiculous on the first paddle can become pretty comfortable after a few sessions. But, if you had it for a few decent surfs in varying conditions on the 7-4, and you are hesitating going out because you are struggling every time, step up the volume.

The extra comfort of being comfortable helps you catch more waves, move around the break and crowds with confidence and surf bigger surf with ease.

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bjhjames said..
helps you catch more waves

Yup, that's the main point: If you miss waves, it will destroy your learning curve.
Falling when not focused is one thing, but if you fall trying to catch a wave and being well-focused, I think the board is too hard and it is counter-productive.

Chief149, take your total weight in kg: you + board + paddle + wetsuit (a wet wetsuit can be a good 5kg). This gives you the "base level" buoyancy in liters.
Pros use generally ±5 liters off this base level.
Good SUPers would use +5 to +15 liters depending on conditions
Intermediates would use +15 to +25
Beginners should use more than +40

So, for 90kg, a base level would be ~105 liters in winter. 120 to 130 liters should be OK (depending on chop, board width, ...)

Thanks guys , a bit of encouragement goes a long way.
I went for a paddle the other day and took notice of what was going on a bit more ,paddling around was fine ,standing still quiet tippy with side chop and water movement , it feels to me almost like it floats to well every bit of water movement seems to make it pop up and thats what throws me , but i think I can get over that. The thing I realized was my biggest issue is actually paddling into waves , I seem to be bogging down the front and when I try to compensate I sink the back but again I reckon I can get over that with practice .
The performance on the wave at this stage still outweighs the tippiness,time will tell I guess

bjhjames , out of curiosity is there a noteable difference in performance between the 7.4 & 8.0

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bjhjames said..

I have the JP 7.4 and the JP 8.0.

Yes on the wave there is a noticeable difference, the 7'4 turns quicker and feels livelier under your feet. But each has its strengths.

I like the 7'4 for fun beach breaks, but when it gets solid and there is a lot of water moving around the 8'0 is for me is the better choice and it still turns really well. I took both boards out at Cloudbreak on the same day in a sizeable swell for me last year to compare. Got mowed down on the 7'4 but the 8'O was a lot of fun.

Both boards have performance abilities well beyond mine, just look at some of the youtube clips of what Keahi can do on the 8'0.

I think the 8'2 you mentioned at the start of the post with 100+ litres would be a bit of a barge though, unless you are 95 kg +

Yes Ashmullet & bjhjames, i'm following you. I will bring with me during my next trip to Bali and may be Gland an 8' 100- liters with a 7' .

why.


why not ride a shortboard if you like the shortboard feel.


why spend all that time and energy to only do half at best of what a shortboard can do.


why not just surf a 8,5 sup or something and have fun with it on poor to average waves that was what sup ping was all about in the first place

I understand where your coming from lacey.....but say a guys pulling into perfect 4 to 6 foot barrells on his 5'11 al merrick and making them its sick to watch yep.......but say a good shortboard sup rider paddles out and starts backdooring waves getting deeper cause there in the wave earlier and making them as well....thats still good surfing to me and if u sup you know that guys committed.

Yeah lacey ,I hear what your sayin however due to the fact that being unable to lay down and paddle and duckdive and such and not riding a wave for about three years because of it .Im spending the time and energy in the hope that I will be able to do at LEAST half of what a short board can do . It probably would be easier and more sensible to get something bigger but Im a stubborn bastard ! It only takes that one good reo or cutty or whatever to make it worthwhile
Cheers
ps Ashmullet ,I wish I was backdooring sections

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Ashmullet said..
I understand where your coming from lacey.....but say a guys pulling into perfect 4 to 6 foot barrells on his 5'11 al merrick and making them its sick to watch yep.......but say a good shortboard sup rider paddles out and starts backdooring waves getting deeper cause there in the wave earlier and making them as well....thats still good surfing to me and if u sup you know that guys committed.

YEP Ashmullet, you do say the meanest, well done
And YES Papperboy keep on evolving hot stuff that short SUP is able to do , joy of surfing is the challenge done whatever the level is
Like this crappy week end wave here at home where proned stay home

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laceys lane said..
why not ride a shortboard if you like the shortboard feel.

Because for this, you need shortboard waves.

With a sub-7' SUP, you get the shortboard adrenaline on crappy waves that only a pro shortboard rider could exploit.

This way you can surf more often, on empty peaks (leaving the shortboards hassle each other for the better peaks), and without having to spend miles in the car chasing the swells...

Remember, a SUP is a wave amplifier, whatever its size.

Colas I get so stoked when I see some of my mates thàt are over 50 throwing short sups around its sick.

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colas said..

laceys lane said..
why not ride a shortboard if you like the shortboard feel.

Because for this, you need shortboard waves.

With a sub-7' SUP, you get the shortboard adrenaline on crappy waves that only a pro shortboard rider could exploit.

This way you can surf more often, on empty peaks (leaving the shortboards hassle each other for the better peaks), and without having to spend miles in the car chasing the swells...

Remember, a SUP is a wave amplifier, whatever its size.

nar, I rode a lost rp 5,8 in barely 1 ft plus. its a wide and big arsed board but still goes. too small and gutless and fast even for a sup.


the old chest nut you guys come up with is old news- no one is riding 5'10 x 17. 5 x 2 inch shortboards much anymore.


I for one was really surprised and delighted by the diversity of modern shortboard shapes out there now.


and if its that weak and full I can get more waves and longer rides on a log then a micro sup you lot go on about.


and besides- I just like stirring the pot I used to be in

Short stand ups provide a great challenge and exercise for those who want it.

To to each their own.

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laceys lane said..
and if its that weak and full I can get more waves and longer rides on a log then a micro sup you lot go on about.

And for this you need... longboard waves!
Seriously, we often have waves too inconsistent for even begin to crosstep...

You are right on the diversity of modern shortboard shapes... but I see none where I live. People have either the potato chips or longboards.

And of course, being able to see the waves coming from farther while standing up boost your wave count immensely in crappy conditions.

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JeanG said..
Short stand ups provide a great challenge and exercise for those who want it.

Yup, I must confess that I reduced my prone quiver to only one board... and I actually had more time on it fooling with a paddle for the challenge than proning it :-)

My solution: 2 boards: Gong Shake 7'4" (for most conditions) & Gong Cloud 8'6" (when really choppy + wind + current).
The total cost of the two boards comes down to one wood board of the so called "A" brands. Thanks Gong / Patrice.

I must say I'm having a hard time of it on my recently acquired second hand 8'10" prowave, had few surfs on it and whilst I'll admit not the best conditions with lumps and a bit of side chop it's been very very hard work.
I even weighed myself just after coming in from a surf this morning coz it's seeming more and more like I'm going need more volume/width. I'm 89.5kgs.

I've paddled it in the river on flatwater and out the mouth to get to and from the surf, and that's easy but pretty much water is almost lapping over my feet on the flatwater.
I'll be giving it go again.

How many times have you taken it out? From what I understand, the Prowave is 119 ltr and 29.25" wide. Given its specs and shape, and your weight (same as mine) I can imagine it would be tricky to stay balanced. I have had a tricky time on my Minion (7'10" x 29" 125 ltr) if the conditions are not good, but at least it has a broader shape.

I am pretty comfortable on my 8'8" x 32" Hokua - but struggled at first. I am very pleased that I persevered.

And I just snuck out and bought the 8'10" x 29" 130 ltr Speeed in the hope it will still be fun and a bit more stable than the Minion - but I haven't tried it yet. Back home in a few days and hope to take it out!

But it poses the age old question - how hard do you push yourself to ride a higher performance board?? How many hours do you spend struggling when you could have been having fun on a slightly bigger board?

I've been out on it 4 times now, the fighting doesn't make too enjoyable haha! I might keep an eye out for cheap board with more volume. Coz until I lose another 10kgs, it's going to be a struggle. And even then I'm unsure how it would fare.

Oh yeah, it's even hard to kneel on and balance.

More than volume, look for more width at nose and tail. This is what makes a board confortable. Too much volume can become instable: the "cork effect"