Hi all, I'm seeking some guidance and advice on the next addition to my quiver. I want to add in a performance Mal style (10'+) board.
My dimenions:
Height: 185cms
Weight: 96kgs (and falling)
SUP/Surf Skill Level: Intermediate/advanced.
Planned Usage:
Lazy small days just to have some fun - get the toes on the nose
Big days - well overhead and to just switch between my smaller boards for a bit of variety.
Budget
Whatever it takes to get what I'm after
I have spent the afternoon watching Casso on his RhinoChaser and was about to send the order off, but thought that I would wait to hear back from my fellow SUP shredders.
The other board in mind was one of the Sunova Mals.
I look forward to your thoughts and guidance
May be the new laird surfer 10'6 old one great but few issues in construction on old ones which apparently fixed now.
There is a board that is perfect for you ..naish 11' Nalu ..GT .mal style, surfs small wave and catches them so easy 
can be surfed as a single fin or thruster ..for a different feel ..it has good rocker so it will handle the short steep waves as well as rolling waves
Its easy to surf .and quite fast .I have used mine in waves up to 5 feet reef breaks ..but is at home in smaller waves .
Contact deep on the goldy, custom board whatever specs u want and pretty much similar price to all others.. I have a 10.1 x28.5 x 3 7/8... Cracker of a board... Would have liked to go smaller width wise but my wife uses it and she's a bit of a beginner....
What about 10ft Naish Nalu carbon LE ?
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/New-for-Australia-only-Naish-Nalu-LE-10/
Another vote for Deep. Stoked with my 10.0 x 26 x 3 3/4. Simon and the crew make great boards with great service. He has been designing, shaping and building SUP boards for years and surfs them regularly so knows whats what.
I have the sunova speed and its a acracker but imo its not going to fit the bill as the long board you are after.Sunova may well have the longboard you want and i can assure you quality and build are superb, i seriously rate the Deep longboards as well, I purchased the Atlantis Runaway 9.6 as a longboard and for its price its a great noserider and surfs pretty good but compared to my Sunova speed its lacking the magic.I purchased expecting that and im happy with both but must admit the Sunova brand is something else.
Custom custom custom is the only answer to the eternal question......Bert at Sunova will design a weapon to your exact needs and built to be light & bullet proof 
thanks for all the excellent responses. Much appreciated. I think I'm back to the Deep and Sunova, but I think the Deep Rhinochaser will end up the winner.
Cheers
Hi Smash1,
I have a 10' x 29" rhinochaser and love it. I have F'd up on more
than one occasion and taken it out on bigger waves than expected. A style master board.
For those smaller days and point break stuff i have a 10' x 28.5" mal sup coming. I know i'm gonna love it, like all my deep boards.
Be the master of your own destiny.
Select to expand quoteBrenno said..
Hi Smash1,
I have a 10' x 29" rhinochaser and love it. I have F'd up on more
than one occasion and taken it out on bigger waves than expected. A style master board.
For those smaller days and point break stuff i have a 10' x 28.5" mal sup coming. I know i'm gonna love it, like all my deep boards.
Be the master of your own destiny.
Grazie Brenno. Now the task of chosing the colours!!
Another vote for Deep.
10' 1" x 30" x 4" performance shaped mal.
Have surfed in 6" up to well overhead....love it.
Cant go past the Naish Nalu LE 10' x 28.5" x4"
Best performance mal style i have ridden !!!!
Select to expand quoteBrenno said..
Hi Smash1,
I have a 10' x 29" rhinochaser and love it. I have F'd up on more
than one occasion and taken it out on bigger waves than expected. A style master board.
For those smaller days and point break stuff i have a 10' x 28.5" mal sup coming. I know i'm gonna love it, like all my deep boards.
Be the master of your own destiny.
With the dimension so close on the rhinochaser and mal what else is the difference that you would have two boards of similar sizes?
The rhino chaser looks good and if it had a squash tail as opposed to the "fangs" would it not be a performance mal??
Select to expand quotebobajob said...Brenno said..
Hi Smash1,
I have a 10' x 29" rhinochaser and love it. I have F'd up on more
than one occasion and taken it out on bigger waves than expected. A style master board.
For those smaller days and point break stuff i have a 10' x 28.5" mal sup coming. I know i'm gonna love it, like all my deep boards.
Be the master of your own destiny.
With the dimension so close on the rhinochaser and mal what else is the difference that you would have two boards of similar sizes?
The rhino chaser looks good and if it had a squash tail as opposed to the "fangs" would it not be a performance mal??
Chalk and cheese in a turn i reckon.
I'll let you know. Cause i can. 
Select to expand quoteBrenno said..bobajob said...Brenno said..
Hi Smash1,
I have a 10' x 29" rhinochaser and love it. I have F'd up on more
than one occasion and taken it out on bigger waves than expected. A style master board.
For those smaller days and point break stuff i have a 10' x 28.5" mal sup coming. I know i'm gonna love it, like all my deep boards.
Be the master of your own destiny.
With the dimension so close on the rhinochaser and mal what else is the difference that you would have two boards of similar sizes?
The rhino chaser looks good and if it had a squash tail as opposed to the "fangs" would it not be a performance mal??
Chalk and cheese in a turn i reckon.
I'll let you know. Cause i can.
and you did!!
I had Greg Brown make me a mal-style board with a performance focus, though I asked for a lot of foam in the nose to be able to spend some time up there in the relatively flat waves we have around Torquay. It's 9'4"x27 3/4" and about 4 1/4" but the key is that it has really fine rails through the last 2-3feet of the tail and plenty of tail lift. When you get your weight back on the tail it goes like nothing I've ever ridden, accelerates through turns and really holds the rail like a surfboard. In smaller more hollow waves (like here in noosa lately) it's a challenge to make it hang on in the pocket because the nose (24" from memory) is so wide and the inside rail wants to go up the face while the outside rail is trying to bite into the trough.....bloody hard work but fun once you figure it out. Not that I have it at all figured out when you watch these young 'uns style their way all around the board up here.
I'd encourage you to go as narrow as you think you can and then a bit more, as the nose area compensates for stability and the narrow ,width gives you the rail to rail transition you need to surf if properly. I find the larger boards are too wide to push hard. Also consider going under 10' - mine catches anything that moves and it's a lot less swing weight for turning. I'm around 87kg too.
good luck
