Author Topic: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?  (Read 12694 times)

SaMoSUP

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #30 on: August 20, 2014, 12:11:08 PM »
Visited a friend in Waikiki about a year and a half ago with the goal of learning to prone surf. That was the only place I felt comfortable doing so since the water was clear, warm, and shallow. I couldn't really swim back then.

The first day there I walked by a part of the beach where people were SUPing so I rented one. I thought this would be a good way to get comfortable standing on a board on water before our surf lessons the next day. Never even knew about SUPs beforehand or that you could surf these things.

The second day we had our prone surfing lessons. Had a blast! Stood up on the first wave. Caught lots of waves. Easy peasy. So we bought a used 9' longboard for $125 to stash at my friend's lanai for when we come to visit. Save on rental fees.

Third day, couldn't catch any waves. WTF! Realized we didn't have an instructor to call out waves and push us off. Sucky surf day but enjoyed being out on the water.

Back home, found a SUP rental place and got hooked on paddling. Three months later, caught my first wave on SUP and the rest is history. Stoked for life!

Now I made Sunset Status on the Zone! 11 more years to get to Cortez Bank status.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2014, 12:14:00 PM by SaMoSUP »

mal2050

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #31 on: August 20, 2014, 01:46:31 PM »
I can answer this question with one word, evolution. Once you've stood up why would you go back to prone surfing.

Southbay

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #32 on: August 20, 2014, 02:29:57 PM »
I still prone surf all the time in the winter, and when there is swell in the summer I usually have a board in the truck.  Love my shortboards, when the wave dictates.  Not a real Nazi about any craft really....I know that is sorta popular now, but its the best way for me.  I swap between standup boards depending on the waves, and it just makes sense to me to add shortboards to that list.  At the moment, my truck is loaded with a 17'4" for downwinding, a 9ft SUP long board shape and a 5'8" fish.  Love each board for totally different reasons. 

Tom

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #33 on: August 20, 2014, 04:48:23 PM »
There are three reasons. I started SUPing in the the surf fairly early, in fact I was the second person to SUP the breaks  where I surfed, so I pretty much started because of my own vision of what SUPing was. First, I like trying new things and while on a windsurf trip in Baja a friend of mine had a Big Blue that he let me try it and I was very intrigued. Secondly, the area I surf, which is five miles on poorly accessed breaks, has about 15 named surf breaks, and SUPing seemed like a great way to access some of the good waves that are a long paddle away. Thirdly, I'd see Skip Fry and a few other surfers on their 11 foot plus boards and they look pretty cool. I also have a DVD with Titus Kintimaka surfing a 12 foot board and I was thinking that it would be fun to get a really big board for our summer surf.

I, like most, was not planning of not prone surfing, I was just going to mess around with this SUP thing. I am now 99% SUP surfing for the same reasons Pono listed.

Bean

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #34 on: August 20, 2014, 08:19:36 PM »
Like many of you, shoulder issues were a huge factor for me initially.  But, it's the fun factor that keeps me wanting more.  And apparently the SUP is disarming; I still have complete strangers coming up to me to chat as I walk off the beach in the morning.  Just last Sunday an older lady said I was "nifty on that thing".  Right on!

spookini

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #35 on: August 20, 2014, 08:22:17 PM »
Cold water and personal susceptibility to SHRINKAGE  8).
-- My doctor says I suffer from low kook --
Do sharks attack?  Hope not
Do flying fish hate us?  Hells yes

Zooport

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #36 on: August 20, 2014, 10:00:18 PM »
Sorry, couldn't resist.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEnKLhi83J8
8'6 Soul Compass
9'1 Sunova Creek
9'6 WaveStorm SUP
9'8 Starboard Element

APPST_Paddle

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #37 on: August 25, 2014, 06:31:37 PM »
I'll chime in here, I used to surf off and on when I was younger (teens). Then I discovered kiteboarding and was hooked, but I needed something for the windless stretches. So I got a SUP just to get wet and some exercise. Flat water lasted about two sessions, and I slowly moved into waves, now I'm enjoying it almost more than kiting.

Main advantages for me:

- Great total body workout
- Can ride anything, as long as there's no wind
- Better viewpoint
- I like using the paddle as leverage down a wave
- I can do way more on a SUP than on a traditional longboard, can walk up the nose like a champ
7'6" JL Super Frank Lean
8'2" JL SuperTech 
10'1" JL Black and Blue
14' BIC WS Tracer
6'5" JL Flying-V/GoFoil Maliko 200
Kenalu Ho'oloa 95, Werner Rip Stick 79

surfKnobby

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #38 on: August 26, 2014, 04:28:18 AM »
I still prone surf when the conditions call for it - still love ripping it up on a shortboard. Sup surfing is fun when it's a little fatter - and the wave count goes way up. It's all good.

Zooport

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Re: Why are you SUP surfing and not prone surfing?
« Reply #39 on: August 26, 2014, 08:57:59 PM »
Ahh, a true waterman!  I still like to prone surf on occasion too.  I don't really rip it up anymore though. 
8'6 Soul Compass
9'1 Sunova Creek
9'6 WaveStorm SUP
9'8 Starboard Element

 


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