Hi there,
Can anyone offer some advice on an surf orientated SUP board?
I have been riding my 11' Naish Nalu (175L) and loving it, however, the last couple of times I have tried to take a fast steepening section on a 1-2ft pointbreak I have come out injured. Once with broken ribs, and this week with a gash and banged up knee. I feel that I got caught too far forward on the board and high up on the wave, which flipped the board over and collecting me on the rail/fins. Each time I think the size of the board on the shape of the wave helped contribute to this.
Don't get me wrong, I've had this board out on overhead waves with late takeoffs and made drops complete with fins humming the board loves it, but the wave has been more of a gentler rolling shape than the steep/hollower kind.I have been surfing/kitesurfing at an intermediate level for years, and SUP the last couple. Had a 10'6 Nalu, loved it, sold it for the 11' Nalu as an all rounder to cruise with the dog on board and also surf with. I am 5'6 at 82kg, 38yo and decent fitness.
I have been looking at the Sunova lineup - maybe a Creek or Steeze. I'm just not sure how many liters would work. Being in Tassie there is limited demo opportunity... What boards are similar sized people riding and finding paddle ok in surf, and hold a wave?
Thanks for any help!
I love my 11' Nalu but it's not a great steep/hollow wave type board.
I prefer my 9'5" Mana in those waves.
Great pic.. 
As an 11' Nalu surfer I'm interested in the replies.
No broken ribs but I know it's often a high inertia wipeout. In hollow waves I'm ready early to kick the board forward as needed anytime to avoid getting caught side-on. The nose ride does carry a special risk - the last second bailout needs to be 1.5s not 0.5s.
Currently getting over my sprained ankle from a side-on broken foamy wave rolling up the board and me.
I will be looking at narrower rails that are less carried away sideways by clumps of whitewater.
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said..
I love my 11' Nalu but it's not a great steep/hollow wave type board.
I prefer my 9'5" Mana in those waves.
Great pic..
Thanks, that ones actually on my old 10'6. Loved that board!
Have surfed a 10' Mana which was way too much board, but closer to the style I'm looking for.
Select to expand quotesouthseas said..
As an 11' Nalu surfer I'm interested in the replies.
No broken ribs but I know it's often a high inertia wipeout.
I will be looking at narrower rails that are less carried away sideways by clumps of whitewater.
This exactly! I feel I could get away with narrower rails and a lot less volume in punchier waves = also less board to collide with!
Hey Funkyllama
i can't offer any suggestions for the board problem but that is a really great looking dog ??????
I still say that the 11'4" Nalu is a waaay better longboard sup than the 11' Nalu.
Id be trading for that. Unless you want to go a fair bit smaller? Is that the case here?
Try taking off a bit more diagonal?
big boards do have limitations on steeper stuff but the trade off is getting in earlier....
Select to expand quoteSlab said..
Try taking off a bit more diagonal?
big boards do have limitations on steeper stuff but the trade off is getting in earlier....
Sorry I meant to say the takeoffs are fine, I've got that dialed exactly as you say. Love how I can get on a wave earlier.
The problem is on the pointbreak I surf, there is a steep section halfway along that I'm getting smashed on when I don't make it. Because of the rocks being so close by I try to avoid them (massive fin) but in doing so, I get caught too high on the wave and get flipped over the front rail.
i feel that a smaller board with less volume that I could pump and throw around a little easier would suit this wave better.
Any experiences with the 8'1 Sunova Flow?
Funkyllama
Been there and totally get it.
My 1st board was 11'2 and high volume to carry my big old body.
It surfed great, but it kept hitting me..... it was too long to get away from in heavier wipeouts.
I broke 5 fins off with my legs in one winter, surfing OH beach break.
I was so sure it was going to kill me, that I determined to lose weight and get a smaller board.
After losing 15 kg, I got a 9'6.
9'6 was short enough that I could go off the nose or tail and avoid the board and fins much easier.
At your weight, height and age... plus your surf/kite experience tells me you can go as small as an 8'4 to 8'7 Creek without too much trouble.... number wise.
But you don't need to go that small.
Since you have been happily riding 10'6 and 11' boards, you could just pick any size under 9'6 and have an easy board that would perform really well and not be as hazardous in crunchier wave.
Personally, I think you would love the 8'10 Creek.
Big enough for you to have good glide to get into waves early and small enough to rip!
Surfing is dangerous.
I've come within millimetres of severing my femoral artery, and lost a finger tip.
Just this morning my young bloke's mate ended up getting cheese grated on the rocks, and my mate took a large scallop out of his finger.
Waves are predictably unpredictable.
The right board will help, but it's never totally risk free.
Love it too much to ever stop though. 
I've caught the nose and eaten sh1t on every board I've ever owned. Less times on my shorter boards though. My 9 foot smik is less hazardous than my 10 footer.
I can't imagine doing what i have been over the last 5 days on an 11 footer.......
Select to expand quoteBrenno said..
Surfing is dangerous.
I've come within millimetres of severing my femoral artery, and lost a finger tip.
Just this morning my young bloke's mate ended up getting cheese grated on the rocks, and my mate took a large scallop out of his finger.
Waves are predictably unpredictable.
The right board will help, but it's never totally risk free.
Love it too much to ever stop though.
I've caught the nose and eaten sh1t on every board I've ever owned. Less times on my shorter boards though. My 9 foot smik is less hazardous than my 10 footer.
I can't imagine doing what i have been over the last 5 days on an 11 footer.......
Never mind what it does to your skin and ears. Have had a few dodgy Kev moles cut out recently and my ears syringed a few times. Surfers ear is a problem I never heard of until a few years ago....excuse the pun.
Ouch... to the injuries .
Isn't this where you have a quiver to try to match board to waves of the day..... locations.
I tend to be looking for deeper water outer breaks for more water between me n the hard bits with loong leggy
Just bought a 9'2 Sunova Speeed and it goes. love it. I'm 80 kg and at 70 It's just right.
Awesome suggestions and ideas here!
STC am investigating what you suggested. The waves aren't always on point here, often mush and onshore and any other combination of conditions. How would the Creek handle these conditions?
have found the Blue Planet boards too. The Potato Chip or 8'8 All Good are what I'd look at. Worried the Potato would be skatey on bigger primo waves, and the All G would not get onto smaller mush...
and yep to the danger of surfing. I use ear plugs now (Tassie cold water) and my winter wettie is an old 5/4/3 NP Combat with shin protection. One thing a thick wettie is good at is crash protection!
Select to expand quoteBrenno said..
Surfing is dangerous.
I can't imagine doing what i have been over the last 5 days on an 11 footer.......
So I borrowed a mates 8' x 133L Hypernut to SUP on yesterday, and when I jumped back on the 11' Nalu I thought of your comment here; fully agree with this!
OP Update: got a Jimmy Lewis 8'0 Destoyer, 115L, set it up as a quad and am now slaying it at life with no hesitation. Why didn't I do this sooner?!!!!!
My first real SUP board was a 9'6" 155 liters board. I used it only 3 times, got scared on how it was cumbersome and dangerous in my 1' but hollow Mediterranean waves. Just going to a faster 8'11" 140 l board was sufficient.
So yes, on hollow waves you want to reduce volume, but keep a board that can enter the wave early. A 8'-something with a fast rocker is a very good idea.
I can relate to above experiences did the ribs a few times when fairly green about 8 years ago on starby element 9.8 by going too high and parallel on wave, never done it since, although over the Easter break rode up a section of wave which curved around the corner of a reef at pt danger Torquay fliiping the board and i landed on my back on centre fin. Ripped wetsuit and small gash in back but what saved me from serious injury was 8 years of the dolphin fin hitting the sand in the shallows and it was blunted off. Smaller boards turn quicker back down the face of the wave.
