Author Topic: Beginner board for bigger guy  (Read 5779 times)

farmerjim

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Beginner board for bigger guy
« on: June 01, 2016, 03:24:10 AM »
Hey im new to the forum and figured I'd ask for some advice since my head spins trying to find a board to buy. Just a bit of background on me that might help some. Im an older guy 39 5ft9 with a bigger stocky build not totally out of shape but im 230 and trying to lose about 25. I'm  def not a newbie to board sports ive surfed mainly longboards in not so great newengland waves since i was a teen and i also snowboard. Nowadays its tough for me to get time to go surf since im about 1hr drive to surfable waves hence me getting into sup. Ive tried a couple sups i rented a surftech universal 10'6, demoed a starboard forget which 1 that was my 1st try at sup and have borrowed my brothers native versaboard but its more like a kayak same material. My use will be prob 98% lakes, slow moving river, coastal areas along li sound. And prob 2% surf since time is tight for me to drive out to surf. So far ive been considering the naish nalu, surftech universal, and a pau hana bigez. But the laird softtop has caught my eye. The pauhana seems like a tank if it was going to be surfed. Anyway can youguys maybe make some recommendations. Thanks

JimK

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2016, 06:38:31 AM »
Jim

Big guys(Like US)  have a lot of different issues not addressed by internet hype. I'll try to help here

Shape is a cool feature easily decernable and kinda fun to talk about But in you case are you looking at Touring boards that are displacement hulls Fast in flatwater VERY tricky (but I would say fun in the surf) or are you looking at a purely all around board planning hull (on waves) So they will "DO" everything but nothing perfectly. Lastly would a surf design that works well  as an all around board interest you? ** Numbers of fins are more of a surfing function**

Construction THIS IS SUPER CRITICAL at our size 200#+boards flex more for us. to make it simple you almost can't get a board that is to stiff for us. Durability is also a factor we put more wear and tear So going with medium quality boards will only frustrate us from both a performance and durability stand point

Boards I would HIGHLY recomend

Touring (displacement) Boards

Fanatic Ray 12Ft
JP Australia Sportster

All Around Boards

Sunova Surf 10'11 XXX
Starboard Avanti
Fanatic Fly 11'2

Surf Designs that work in flat water

Fanatic AllWave 9'8 HRS or 9'10 Lots of review on the zone here
JP Widebody 10'2

As  far as the models you are looking at

Naish Nalu is an excellent board for surfing there seem (IMHO) to be to much rocker for flat water and a bit pricey
Pau Hana Big EZ was the first board I got to work in the surf at my size (9yrs ago) but by today's standards its big and "Clunky" and they definitely had durability issues.

If you are interested in ZONER DEAL pricing PM me here

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing


farmerjim

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2016, 07:23:16 PM »
thanks for the insight. i guess i should have been a bit more specific but i am looking for an allaround board that can surf. going to check out some of those you mentioned. hard part for me is that there are only a couple shops that actually sell sups around here, and not sure about buying online due to shipping costs.

rbgar

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2016, 03:20:16 AM »
At 6'4" 250lb my Avanti is great and got my to the next level, big mongo single fin for workout cruising and Lopez GL-1 SUP fins for surf. I just bought a more HP slightly smaller carbon board but will always keep my Avanti!

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2016, 07:21:25 AM »
farmerjim, there are a lot of boards that might suit your needs. Most manufacturers make all-arounders in the 11'+ range. These are great rides to start SUPing with. I'm 5'10"/205, and I started on a NSP 11' board. I've gone through a fair amount of boards, but I still have this one. It's a good reliable ride.

You don't need to go NSP, of course. As I said, everyone makes all-arounds. Check out your local shops, but don't neglect Craigslist. All-arounds are the most common board out there, so you might be able to score a good deal.

Where are you, BTW? You mentioned New England, but where?
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

farmerjim

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2016, 04:40:54 PM »
Thanks ichabod. I'm from new england yes in eastern ct been surfing longboards in ri and other places for years but lately with career and otherstuff not so much. Hence getting into sup i can atleast hit the local lakes and ct shore in about 1/2 the time it would take to hit some of my favorite breaks.

stoneaxe

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2016, 06:04:27 PM »
I'm with Ichabod. At your size there are lots of options. 25 lbs will come off quick if you start paddling frequently and watch what you eat. I went from 300+ to 240 my 1st 9 months of paddling. At 5-9 205 you're actually at a good size/weight for a wide range of boards. If I could only have one board it would be a good all arounder. With your background and intended use I'd look at 10-0 to 11-0 in a longboard style, a little flatter rocker for your 98% flatwater but still surfable when you do get to the coast. The other option is to go pure cruiser and rent something surfy for those days you get to the waves. Even better....if you have a significant other that might be interested in joining you paddling it's a good excuse to get two boards.....one of course would be smaller and surfier..... ;)
« Last Edit: June 02, 2016, 06:11:18 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

supthecreek

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2016, 05:02:05 AM »
Hi farmerjim,
Welcome to the Zone.

I am just a bit taller than you and the same weight. older by almost 30 years.

The Nalu is a great board for surf, I had one for a year and was very happy with it.
It was never super stable, performance SUPs are usually twitchy, and the 10'6 Nalu is a great performance longboard.

Since you are newish to SUP, I recommend a board that is nicely comfortable on flatwater, but will surf well.
The 9'8 Allwave HRS that JimK mentioned, is a good choice, but may not be exactly what you are looking for in flatwater.
I paddled my Allwaves exclusively in flatwater for years (plus surf)... but I know many people prefer a bit more length while touring around.
That is a personal choice.

I am happiest on flatwater when I am on a board that has solid stability, so I advise that way..... others thinks that the harder the board, the more exercise you get. So consider what seems right for you.

I am paddling a 10'6 Sunove Surf these day, but it is a 30" wide performance longboard, so pretty twitchy.

JimK has mentioned the 10'11 Sunova Surf. That board is 33" wide and 216 liters, so close to the stats on SurfTech Universal you demo'd.
The difference will be on the surfing end.... Sunova's are made by Bert Burger, surfboard Shaper of the year in 2007....he is the creator of "Firewire" surfboards.
Sunova's surf exceptionally well.... and they are the best construction in SUP... IMO


Since you are a longboard surfer, you will appreciate that Bert is a longboard freak..... he shreds on them. His longboard shapes work!
I have surfed on and been amazed by, 2 of the "Surf" models...  the 9'5 and the 10'6

I think the 10'11 would be a perfect board for what you have expressed interest in.
It will be great on flatwater, be an easy board to transition to SUP surfing... and is a nice longboard shape that will grow with you and keep you happy for a long time. Sunovas are keepers.... not starter boards.

Full disclosure:
I have been invited on tours with Sunova, simply because they liked my reviews.
No, I don't work for Sunova as many think... I am more like their official mascot.
I get to travel around, surf a lot of Sunovas and meet lots of Zoners.... 
It is a blast... perfect pastime for an old surfbum.



You can see all my reviews on the Sunova page: click link below
http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/board,86.0.html

There is a pretty good chance that I am going by JimK's in NJ next week, then past you on my way back to Cape Cod.
I could take the worry out of shipping. ;)

I am not sure what I am driving, but it may be possible to stop by CT on my way south and let you look at and paddle my 10'6 Sunova... so you would see the quality. That is unsure at the moment, because I am making this up as I type. I wasn't planning on taking the 10'6 on this trip, but I like to spread the stoke, so who knows!

JimK

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2016, 07:40:57 AM »
jim

You aren't that far from my PA warehouse so shipping won't be an issue Plus I bet Creek would be happy to deliver it during his Sunova trip Give me a call 484 515 5758

JimK

farmerjim

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2016, 05:32:01 PM »
thanks again for the info, im trying to stay on a budget here and those sunovas seem pricey no offense guys, i can always upgrade later on and keep what i buy now for the wife if she would ever get out of her kayak and try something new. had sometime this evening and was perusing craiglist and found a couple used boards not far from me. 1 is an older model naish nalu 11'6x29 3/4x5 1/2 looks good but i think those dimensions might not be able to support me? also found a starboard whopper 10x34 and 168l anyone have any thoughts on that? also was looking on the starboard site i kinda like the atlas but that seems like its a tank like the pau hana bigez.i was looking at although it looks like the atlas is more surfable than the bigez. also thinking of the avanti that i think was metioned earlier, i think that might be a good fit for me.

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2016, 07:02:32 PM »
The larger Naish is probably a better board to start with, and it will support you fine. The Whopper would support you too, but that's more of a surf-style board. It's fine if that's what you want.

If you're perusing Craigslist, keep an eye out for the Bic models. They're great starter boards and you can usually pick them up pretty cheaply. I saw on Craigslist some Bics in the New Haven area for $850. Those are probably new, but it's a pretty good deal with the included leash and paddle. The paddle will probably be low-end, but that's okay to start with. Most of us do.
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2016, 07:05:22 PM »
The Bics are pretty tough too, so you don't have to worry about dinging them as much as a Starboard or other models. They make great starter boards.
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

stoneaxe

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2016, 07:35:08 PM »
That older nalu is a good all arounder. I think you would be fine on it. It might seem a little tough at 1st but that goes away quickly with time on water. The whopper is a bit sluggish for flatwater. I'd check the weight of the nalu...the older the board the more likely it has taken on water. Some of the early nalus had durability issues but it seemed only some, certainly not all. If it looks pretty good and doesn't weigh a ton then it's likely one of the good ones.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Fog City Rider

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2016, 10:13:07 PM »
Those 11'6 Nalus' actually paddle pretty well and have plenty of volume, over 200L if I remember correctly.  You might have to work at it a bit in the beginning since it's narrower than today's beginner boards, but overall it's a great board.   
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GizzeeNZ

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Re: Beginner board for bigger guy
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2016, 11:03:46 PM »
the sunova speed 9'5 is pretty stable especially if you are planning on slimming. The other morning....the surf was only about 2 foot  but had forgotten wetsuit. Caught about 15 waves and didn't even get wet (didn't want to get wet lol)

 


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