Sub 9' winter beach break board for big guy

[Ake G]

Think cold wind, steep, fast n'choppy East Coast beach break surf.....

I'm 6'4" 220 lbs intermediate surfer with decent balance. Have reached the point where my "go-to" 9'6" Fanatic Allwave is just too much board to swing around and is feeling like a load on the wave especially off the top. And in spite of my height/weight I can go less volume.

I have an 8'2" L41 Simsup but that is reserved for clean days only, too difficult to manage for me when conditions aren't perfect, especially in the wind.

The boards I'm considering are:

1) JP Australia surf wide body 8' 8" x 32"

2) Fanatic Allwave 8'11"

3) Starboard Hero 9' x33"

I'm sticking to an "off the shelf" shape because I'd like to have the board sooner rather than in the Spring.

Any and all opinions appreciated!

[mdsurf]

I'd say your answer is number one

[Bulky]

SUP Sports Hammer comes in various sizes--like 8'11"  I've only ridden the 9'6 but it's a lot of fun and forgiving.

[Ake G]

 I'm adding a #4) Exocet Fish 8'11" x 32"

think there's one of those available a couple of hrs drive from me.

[JonathanC]

I don't know about the JP and the Fanatic but the 2014 wider Starboards seem to be much improved this year.

Here is a vid looking at the 8'2 x 32 Widepoint and I know Scotty McKercher keeps banging on about how good the new Hero is!! There is the 8'10 x 32 Widepoint as well. My brushed carbon 7'10 x 31.5" Airborn is a revelation in crappy small beach break waves, but I'm only #150.

There is a guy in Australia who won the over 50's NSW SUP surfing titles on a carbon Whopper. he is a big guy (much more than 220) and it's just amazing how much drive and energy he gets out of small crappy waves.

Just going for a lighter carbon board in these wide shapes makes a huge difference IMO

[jdmotes]

 At 145 liters of volume, the Exocet Fish 8'11X32" (it's actually 8'10") would float you fine. Plus: it has excellent maneuverability and good speed. I have a friend that's 220 riding the 30" wide version - but he's a freak!!!       Paddle on,     JD

[jd]

For winter dumping beach break you might add No. 5 - JP Surf 9'2".  Not sub 9' but close and it's the same volume as the 8'8" JP Wide Body.  I'm your size and have the 9'6" JP Surf.  The Surfs have the rocker you want for steep beach break waves.

[Dwight (DW)]

At 145 liters of volume, the Exocet Fish 8'11X32" (it's actually 8'10") would float you fine. Plus: it has excellent maneuverability and good speed. I have a friend that's 220 riding the 30" wide version - but he's a freak!!!       Paddle on,     JD

My 2 cents, even though I only touched it at Steve and Marty's shop. The rail foil looked sweet. The deck shape was spot on. Flat where you stand around the handle, then domed out the tail area for performance. Much better shaping for performance surfing AND comfort paddling than some of the others on your list.

[supthecreek]

If I had deep pockets.... I'd be looking hard at:
Naish Hokua 9'1 x 32 @150 ltr

If you REALLY have to go sub 9'
Naish Hokua 8'8 x 32 @140 ltr
(I suspect your overall enjoyment may be maximized by the 9'1)


I am Happy enough with my 8'10 Allwave... even at my winter wetsuit weight... but only since I went twin fin.... but from what I have heard from the boys down under....I certainly wouldn't mind going to the 9'1 for winter, since they say the board is an absolute ripper.

Take the center fin out of your Allwave till your new board arrives

[K-541`]

Ha! deep pockets no for the Naish you need financing.

[lopezwill]

AKE G

  I'm in the same weight and height class as you.  Looking for the same type of winter board but in California.  Might as well put that Fanatic 9'6" pro wave in the mix. I'm pretty happy with my L41 S4 so far.  Mine is 8'10" 159 volume, 33" across and js holding up really well.  I don't like it backside surfing with that wide tail or at bigger surf reef spots and it doesn't come off the top of the wave very well but it does everything else great.  Super fast and holds in well in punchy beach break.

  If at all possible I would demo as many as the above mentioned boards as possible.  I've been eyeing that 9'1" Hokua and the 9'6" pro wave, maybe the 8'11" exocet.  Lots of good boards to try for bigger guys just very little feed back on how they ride.

  I wouldn't worry about having to go under 9 foot.  9'8" to 9'1" is fine for a winter board at our weight. 

I think the question is "  How can sup shapers design a 9'6" board for heavyweights that surfs as well and is as stable as an 8 foot board by 26" for a 150 pound sup surfer?"   I saw a sup surfer just today surfing a PSH ripper that was 8 foot by 27".  He was just "Killing" it!  He was as stable as me on my 33" across but two way different type of rides. 

Come back and tell us your findings after your demos.     

[J-Bird]

There is a guy in Australia who won the over 50's NSW SUP surfing titles on a carbon Whopper. he is a big guy (much more than 220) and it's just amazing how much drive and energy he gets out of small crappy waves.

I'm not surprised, the Whopper is an awesome board.

[SUP Sports ®]

SUP Sports Hammer comes in various sizes--like 8'11"  I've only ridden the 9'6 but it's a lot of fun and forgiving.

Thanks Rolf...hope we see you back in the water soon...

You rode the 9'5" Hammer...but, the 8'11" suggestion would be a good one in steep, windy, bumpy beach break...especially, when compared to boards with big wide noses and no quad fin option,  like the Hero or Whopper as has been suggested...

All of our staff at the shop are longtime surfers and  have lots of personal experience in cold, windy, steep, fast n'choppy West Coast beach break surf...was down in the 20*'s this AM...

My suggestion for an  intermediate, or advanced paddlesurfer at 220 lbs with decent balance would be my 8'10 x 32" WD or 9'2" x 32" WD Stoke Quad+1 high performance surfing models...we have them available in wood veneer or carbon production models...or, made in the USA carbon or epoxy customs...and/or semi-custom...

These boards are being ridden and ripped in surf on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, and Great Lakes as well...

This link has more images like below that compare and contrast them side by side...

http://surfingsports.com/sups_810_92_compare/album/index.html

More ultra-premium made in the USA high performance surfing SUP's...

http://surfingsports.com/sups_ultra_premium/album/index.html

This link is to more surfing shots from below of the 8'10" and 9'2" in action...cold offshores...hollow beach break...

http://surfingsports.com/wd_cold_sups/album/index.html

More pics and info of the WD and Stoke models:

http://blog.surfingsports.com/2012/12/wd-series-sups.html

http://blog.surfingsports.com/2012/12/stoke-series-sups.html

[jarvissup]

I've owned the Fanatic 8'10" Allwave, Starboard 8'10" wide point(2012), Starboard 8'2" wide point, RRD 8'11" Super , and the Angulo 9' Surfa carbon.  I'm only 185 lbs, but it would seem that these are the size boards your heading towards.  Of these boards, for east coast beach break, I'd go with either the RRD, or the Angluo 9'.  These two, however, are very different boards.  The RRD is a little less stable and less floaty, but fast.  The Angulo is more stable, slightly more floaty than the RRD, but is prefect for powerful fast waves.  It's not fast down the line, but it turns beautifully, and is very forgiving.  The 8'2" wide point would probably be a bit unstable for you in east coast chop.  The Straboard 8'10" wide point isn't as fast, or as turny, or as forgiving, so it doesn't have much to offer compared to the other boards IMO.   The Fanatic Allwave is corky and slow, it is a shape that is a little dated IMO.

[JimK]

Jarvissup

Try the NEW Fanatic AW 8'11 way quicker than the 8'10 which is a nice board

just my 2 cents

JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com