Hello all, I,m 5ft10", 95kg, 35+yrs experience surfing,"bug has hit" new to sup.Demoed alwave 9'10",lopez 10'x34 surfmusic,10'almerrick caddie.Looking for stability,"magic-carpet" type suited for waves.Ideal volume maybe around 170litres,and reading this forum final 2 are the 10' fusion and 9'6 alwave?Advice on which one would be appreciated, thanks.
I have the 10'8 JP Fusion love it. I know others that have had both the Allwave and the JP and JP wins hands down. Similar size to you
I demoed the allwave and the fusion and many other boards, ended up buying the Fusion 10'2 and I am SUPER happy with it. Very stable, surfs well and good in flat water as well. The stepped down rails seem to make it very easy to turn but plenty of volume in the centre of the board.
foodge
I have owned:
Allwaves - 9'10 + 9'6 + 8'10
Cabrinah (Fusion) 10'8
I am 65, 48 yrs surfing, 3rd year SUS, currently 93 k
A lot depends on how you surf and how your balance is now.
If your balance skills are weak... go bigger & wider (nose & tail)
If you are pretty comfortable on a SUP as a newbie... go smaller and expect a few weeks of discomfort.
The trade off is: you will get a board that will suit you for a while. Important, since you are not talking about entry level priced boards.
I really like your board choices. They are all good and have different qualities.
Lopez 10x34 - super stable, easy learner... but you may outgrow quickly
Al Merrick Caddie 10' - Never seen one but love the way Chris Griffith surfs the 9'7 here
Got a 9ft 6 Allwave and I am a wee bit lighter than SUP the Creek.
The board is really good - surfs well and can turn quite sharp when needed with the feet back a bit - back foot over the fins and it really turns!
It noserides superb and is very stable. There's lots more that this board can do and I'll have a good year more out of it before downsizing...even though I'm sure I can go quite a bit shorter already. Its volume and easy surfing has made really weak conditions surfable when other proners struggle to get a wave.
Its a great board when it is choppy - saves too many falls but in clean stuff you do itch for a smaller board with thinner rails.
It gets into waves easy and has reasonable glide.
Basically it is a very good all round surfing SUP - but you may want to downsize if your waves are pretty decent where you are.
Many thanks for all the advice and information.Came close to buying the fusion but didnt happen,ended up getting a brand spanking new starboard 9'5"x32" widepoint from the boys at cronulla standup paddleboard shop.Still got stitches in me foot from stingray attack so hanging to out try the board!Again thankyou all the for the advice and Thommy+Todd at cronulla.