Hi all,
Looking for some advice re your favourite mushy/choppy beach break boards.
I have a Naish Hokua 9'5 which I love in clean waves. I am a very experienced surfer on shortboards and mals. But i'm relatively new to SUP surfing. I am 50 years old and about 85kg. I like to avoid crowds, which means I do a lot of my surfing on beach breaks, often after the wind has come up.
So anyway... i think the Hokua is the right board for me most of the time but I have had less than 10 surfs on it and it has been pretty glassy. I still struggle a bit with stability when the wind comes up. Perhaps that's just a matter of more time on the water in those conditions? Hope so - that's the inexpensive answer.
Still I'd like some opinions on the best board for choppy, small-to-medium beach break waves. I don't really mind what length – and yes, i know that wider often means more stable. I'd like it to be reasonably quick once it's on a wave. What do you reckon? What's your own favourite board for choppy surf -- and what do you recommend for a geezer like me?
Thanks heaps. 
Cheers, Dave
My go to board atm is my Starby 8'2X32 widepoint. Its pretty solid stability wise and I have had it out in onshore and cross/onshore conditions up to 20kts with no problems. Allthough that said I did finish up alot further down the beach from where I started. And surf wise sounds well suited to the conditions you described, I find it very loose and quick when on a wave and easy to throw around. I would like to try it as a thruster for a comparison but it only comes in a quad If that makes a difference to you? Definitely worth a try if you can get a demo.
Cheers.
My "trusty" SB 9" hero in TAC construction.
(only got it yesterday so haven't even tried it, but hopefully it fits this description!!)
I am with Hilly. Stick with and learn to adjust to the nuances of the board and conditions. It will come to you.
I surf a lot of beach breaks and some point breaks on the Sunshine Coast always on a Fanatic All Wave 9'6". ENJOY!!!
Luv my Naish Hokua 9'5 - when clean but I find it tough in chop @ 105kgs the new 9'10 would prob better suited for me now...
I just got me a Paddle Surf Hawaii 10'4" XWAA surfs ok and its nice not having to worry about chop and falling off its just a really fun board...
I am older and heavier than you (unfortunately) and a gumby but thought I would eply. I use a 9' 8" Angulo in these conditions. It is 31.5" wide and very stable. Almost as stable as a 10' Mana but much less volume and surfs nice. I have a 9' Starboard when things are smoother. As they say pactise and it will improve. I find it hard to persevere with the 9' board when it is bumpy when I still enjoy the Angulo. Maybe that is why I don't improve
Thanks guys. Excellent advice -- and it's really interesting to hear what others are riding. Don't see many SUPers (or anyone else) out when it's real choppy, but that may be because they all had a nice long session early when it was heaps better and it's only anti-social scroungers like me who would rather it onshore and empty than perfect and crowded.
I don't mind doing the hard yards -- it will be easier to do them now knowing that if there are any long-term problems on those junky onshore days, it's not the board. 
I'm with Direct X here.The SB brushed carbon whopper is such fun in anything but solid waves and certainly made for the sh1te we usually get here in metro Perth.
SB teamrider here Mike Galvin has had one surgically attached.He is about your weight and absolutely smokes on it (in every sense)
My advice for such a board is to go:
- wide for stability
- fast (flat) rocker for enjoying the gutless faces. A tad of nose rocker at the tip with help in take offs however.
- not too wide a tail to be able to "apply the brakes" in a whim
- as short as possible to be able to react instantly to the constantly changing waves. Basically as short as you can manage to still padlle out at your break (depends on rips, amount of whitewater, etc...)
- long enough to beat your crowds (to keep away from other surfers/SUPers). But too long and you will nosedive
The first 2 points are not strong points of the Hokua-style boards in my opinion (although you CAN use them in these condition, for a very intensive workout).
For my 100kg, in mediterranean (slow) waves, currently my best board is the Gong 7'4" x 32.5" x 130l shake (see
Thanks guys. And nice snapback Colas. I've collated all the data and fed it into the computer (my pea brain) and the answer is clear: One board is great, two boards is even better. You are all geniuses. Cheers. 
As a 9'5" Hokua rider my tip is use a quad setup for more windy/choppy days, that will give you extra stability.
Spend $150 on quad fins instead of $1500 for another board IMHO.
Good call Mac. I reckon every surfer should have at least one McTavish... I have an 8'1 Carver that i've surfed in all conditions for quite a few years now. Love it. Still my favourite board. But SUP is great fun too....
Without a doubt my 10.0 nsp coco.
I've had this board out in near-on unsurfable conditions in the last coupla months and the board has never ceased to put a smile on my face - remarkable board.
Real nice board 62mac. I love the colours.
I have an old faithfull Jason Blewitt Model 9'1" that i will never part with as it surfs beautifully and just feels right. I agree taht we all should have a McTavish.
Not sure about his SUP's though.ET.
Thanks mate good to see someone appreciates quality
McT have a new range coming out soon,Ray Gleave is behind the design
Ray knows his stuff particualarly nose riders and cruisers. If he is surfing Bob's SUP's then he will be worth a look.
something big say 10' something wide say 34" stay comfy and dry nothing worse than wettness and frustration. oh and dont kneel up paddle board it looks sooo stupid and i hate it. only my humble opinion of course.
SB Wide Point at 10'5" x 32". I am 110kgs so it turns when you stomp but I reckon it is a great board to give you a super wide range. Good nose rocker if the waves are steep and you're taking off late, enough volume to get you on the small ones and have fun plus great stability in the chop. Good fit for a Kombi too!!
