Select to expand quotecolas said..
Also, with the lighter boards, you can tolerate a bit more volume and length and still have a very nimble board.
My Gong Alley 8'1" x 29"1/4 x 120l is quite comfy, but at 5.8kg with pad feels as loose as an old 7.5kg 7'3" 105l
Plus it takes off on anything, it is unbelievable, the combination of added board length plus ultra light weight means that you can "pump" horizontally the board for an early take off.
And on the other hand, lighter boards are definitively less stable and more tiring. I switched between boards with the exact same shape but one 5.8kg and the other 7.8kg, and the difference was quite noticeable. This adds another reason to not get too small a board with these ultra light constructions....
Also, I hurt myself quite often on my smaller Alley (7'8" x 27"3/4 x 105l 5.2kg with pad): muscle micro tears from the stress of staying upright on tired muscles. It never happened before on heavier boards... but late drops on hollow waves are a dream...
Late drops on hollow waves in Hossegor ... I'm in. Where do I sign?
Would love to join you on a session in my next trip to Southen France
Select to expand quoteCarles RSPro said..
Late drops on hollow waves in Hossegor ... I'm in. Where do I sign?
Would love to join you on a session in my next trip to Southen France
Just contact me when you get there... I do not like to travel, so I am always at home :-)
My stats -
height = 6'4
weight = 95kg - started out at 112kg
Age= 54
years SUP = 3 - started SUP surfing 2 years ago.
Got into SUPping after a knee replacement 3.5 years ago. Never surfed before. My first surfing board was 9'4 by 33" @ 174 litres. My next (latest) board is a Steeze (10' x 31" @ 150litres). I was concerned by the drop in volume and width but this board is great, glides nicely onto waves and so stable, yet very responsive. I wish I had started this game 40 years ago...
I also downwind a SIC Bullet V2.
6'5", slimmed down to 91kg from 108.
dropped down from an 8'8 123L Sunova Speeed to this 7'11 110L custom step railed beast from Coil Industries:
Rock solid stability, I could have gone smaller. Still don't feel like I have the fins dialed in yet though.
Select to expand quoteexiled said..
6'5", slimmed down to 91kg from 108.
dropped down from an 8'8 123L Sunova Speeed to this 7'11 110L custom step railed beast from Coil Industries:
Rock solid stability, I could have gone smaller. Still don't feel like I have the fins dialed in yet though.
That looks sick mate... exactly what I was thinking in a new board!
The rails are thinned down to almost performance longboard levels, so while its okay in the mush, a thicker railed board would probably be more fun. If it mushy I just foil now.
I have sure been on a journey. I have 20 boards now, and I have gone in two directions lately.
I have an 8'7 Placid and an 8'5 Infinity Blurr V2 - those boards are to satisfy my inner grom.
I have a 9'4 Acid and a 12' Point Break when the waves are smaller or the conditions are crappier.
The board I have ridden the most of late has been the 9'1 Acid and the 8'10 Acid when the conditions were good.
My problem is that after taking weight off, I have gone back up to 100 kg. I am 6'3 and 57 yo.
I love the Acid's, but I am secretly hopeful about the V2; it is so easy to get your foot on the tail and throw old-man turns.
I hear you cSe. I am older than you and have recently hit 100kg. Too many cream buns I guess. I am regressing in the surf.
I have had way too many boards over the years. When I prone surf my SUP surfing goes backwards and vise versa.
Everybody is going smaller. I would like to go a bit bigger. So if anybody has or knows of a JIMMY LEWIS 9' 7" STUN GUN laying around unused and wanting to sell at a reasonable price please message me. They must be around somewhere. Never see them in the water.
July 2017, a co-worker who knew I surfed told me that he had started down-winding on SUP, that it was a great whole-body work out, and that I should try it. Of course my first response was (jokingly) that "SUP's are for kooks" 
After thinking about it a bit, I called up a friend who owns a local surf shop, asked him what he had for race boards, and ended up with a carbon 12'6"x27"x212L board. The first SUP I ever even stood on. Paddled it daily for a workout on the bay by my house, and one day there were some waist-high, glassy rollers coming in. Thought "I wonder if you can surf this thing?" Caught about thirty 200 meter glides, and was hooked. Realized I needed something better, and bought a cheap local brand 10'X32x? cruiser. Busted the side fins out pretty quick, and thought "There must be something better..." At this time, I knew people were surfing SUP's, but thought it was limited to tanker cruisers. Five minutes with Google was a real eye opener. Ended up progressing through boards all the way down to an 8'x28"x100L "Thruster" shape, and then bouncing back to what works best for what I like. One of the major appeals of SUP to me is ditching the crowds, and being able to access more remote peaks without the hassle of a sea kayak. The smaller boards feel as if I'm constantly digging myself out of a hole, which doesn't work well for hitting a reef a mile out, especially if it's got some chop. Now, I'll use that board if it's got some power, it's clean, and pretty easily accessible. My go-to board is a 10'x28"x125L long board, with pinched rails, and a very pulled in tail. I surf this board in most conditions, from onshore, knee-high slop to overhead and barreling. There's a 8'10"x29"x115L semi-gun in there for the bigger days, and some in-betweens. Interestingly (to me at least), is that I always hated longboards, and have only ever owned one. With the SUP, I love this board so much, I ordered the same one, only in carbon. On the really small days, I'll still surf a race board, the flat water board if it's glassy, and a true 14' downwinder if it's a little beat up. Glide is a big factor. At 50, and with sore knees, I just don't feel the need to hack a wave to pieces anymore, and really enjoy the rail turns you can do on a larger SUP. 178cm and 85kg. My garage situation before I got busy and built some racks...
47 years old, 87 kg.
Started on a 10'6" x 32" tanker - good to learn on but nearly impossible to turn (I used to fall off trying to turn the thing).
9.5 x 30 x 154L longboard - fun when super clean but was corky so hard work in anything else
10 x 32 x 170L (Evoke) - fun just big
9.4 x 33 x 140 (Funstick) - perfect board in windy choppy conditions - it's a keeper
9.5 x 31 x 144L longboard (JL Striker) - my go to board as great glide and super fun on the wave
The two longboards look similar in dimensions but were totally different to paddle/surf. The Striker's lower volume means it sits lower in the water and is therefore more stable, something I need due to crappy balance.
Next progression is a summertime cruiser to avoid the crowds.
