Need advice on a first board

[Kinda_Zen]

I just finishing up a paddle board fitness class and I decided I'm  not ready to stop starting off my work days with a stop at the beach.  But the more I look at the choices out there the more confusing it is.  Especially reading the posts here that start with at your size... 

So I’ll probably be the millionth person to ask for advice on a board but I'd certainly appreciate any you guys could give!  I'm 5'2 and 125 pounds.  I'll be paddling in the Bay, so no waves or surfing but quite a bit of chop on some days.  I'd love something on the faster side, but it has to be on the inexpensive side too, unfortunately.

These are the boards I'm looking at so far, I want a shorter board as I want to be able to transport it in my hatchback if possible.

http://www.paddleboarddirect.com/Jimmy-Styks-Little-Billy-10-6-Paddle-Board-Package-p/lilbilly.htm

http://www.islesurfboards.com/86-XPS-Roundtail-Surf-Stand-Up-Green-Fade-1.aspx

http://www.islesurfboards.com/9-8-XPS-Stand-Up-Quad-Blue-Pinlines.aspx

http://www.islesurfboards.com/93-XPS-womens-Stand-Up-blue-flower-print.aspx

http://www.shop.watermonkeyshop.com/Fanatic-Fly-SUP-boards-INCLUDES-FREE-PADDLE-19.htm

Any advice would be appreciated.

[PT Woody]

I think your requirement for something on the faster side is at odds with your desire to keep the length short in order to fit the board in your car. Luckily, your weight is low so you don't have to worry about board volume. But the speed of the board is going to be compromised by the fact that you will changing sides to paddle too often in order to keep tracking straight on anything 10' and under. I can't imagine the quad fin board being of much benefit to you. But otherwise, the longer and narrower that you can manage, the faster it should go for you. Are you able to test drive any of these boards?

[Easy Rider]

I would suggest finding a local dealer and seeing if you can demo some different boards.

I would also agree that limiting yourself to something that fits in your car might not be the best requirement for a new board.

Just my 2¢

[Kinda_Zen]

If the length of the board is that important I can always pick up a rack for the top of the car.   I didn't know if it was the length of the board or the shape that was more important.
I'll have to make this weekend's goal to find a place to demo a few. 
Thanks!

[Hoffenator]

Oxbow has been a popular brand in my area as a good value board to start out.  I believe these are available at the first online retail you list.  At your height/weight and intended use I would probably look at a board in the 10' to 11' range; longer boards can give you more glide depending on the width and rocker (the amount of curve in the nose and tail).  Longer boards with less rocker glide better than shorter boards with more rocker.  You can certainly go shorter with no problems, its just that the shorter boards are going to be more oriented to surfing conditions.

[Aves]

Look on Craigslist for some used options. The boards you are looking at are low budget/no name china made boards. If you are getting a pop out/molded try to find a used model from a well known brand. Chances are you will want to get something different after a year or so in the sport.

I purchased a Paddle Surf Hawaii used as my first board. Used it for a year and sold it for $50 less then what i bought it for. A no name board will be harder to sell, will not hold its value as well and is most likely not of the same quality as some of the better known names.

At your weight i think almost any SUP would float you fine. If you are looking for speed and will not be surfing, look for less rocker.

Good luck.

[mdsurf]

^ What he said.  Great Advice!!  Brand name equals resale value. Plus you get a better board that you can learn on and just might like it enough to keep it for more than one year.

[dannyg]

I agree with doing your due diligence and demoing some boards, talking to friends.  But the whole name brand only only thing means only big companies hold the market and the prices and many of their boards are flat bottom designs that everyone will have when you show up paddling.  Go with the little or medium guy if it  feels right and the board it right.  Having a unique board is kind of cool is a sea of naish's, etc  Good luck

- d

[mdsurf]

We are talking about a used board purchase rather than spending money with a lower quality brand.  There are boards that you can get that are very cheap new.  There are boards that you can get that are good quality used and at a discounted price.  You can get a quality board from someone in the middle or a smaller company that has a good name,  It does not have to be a mega corp and big price to be a great board.  But me I would rather have a PSH used rather than a SUPATX new if they were at the same price, that's just me.  Check used board sales for good finds, many people are selling the longer boards to go shorter to surf.

Demo as many boards as you can or want and find a board that fits you and your needs.  A longer, less rocker board is going to give you more glide on your flatwater paddles.  Looking for one soley because it fits in the car may not be the best for glide, unless you have a really long car.

[stoneaxe]

I agree with Aves too...then possibly follow Danny's advice on your 2nd or 3rd board. You may want to see if any shops around you are selling this years demo/rental fleet too.

[Kinda_Zen]

I'm spending the weekend looking at some shops and finding out where around here I can demo some boards.  I've been watching Craig's list too, my problem is I don't really know what brands are good but just reading posts throughout this forum has been helpful.
Thanks for all the advice - I'm hoping to decide on one this weekend. 

[Aves]

The brands that would be the easiest to resell and would hold their value best would be:

C4 Waterman
Paddle Surf Hawaii
Naish
Starboard
Hobie
SurfTech
Riviera
Boardworks

These are by no means your only or best options, they are simply the best known brands. Most shops that have demo or rental fleets will use one of these name brands. Like i said previously, you will most likely want something different within a year of paddling and your best bet is to keep that in mind and get something that will be good to learn on and will be easy to flip down the road.

Good luck.

[robon]

I was contemplating on my first board not too long ago and ended up getting an Aquaglide Amundson 11'6""  I could use a bigger board for touring at my weight, but it has proven to be excellent for all around use. You could go with the 11'3" or 11'0" as both would have more than enough float for your weight. I did a lot of research and the Amundson packs a lot of quality into an all around board at a very reasonable price. The board is also very durable.

There are excellent close out deals floating around right now and I paid a few hundred more than some of the prices I have seen online for the Amundson. You can get set up for around a grand with a paddle right now for 2009 models. Search the web.

The Oxbow Cruiser line seems to be a good beginner board. Really, there seems to be a lot of close out deals on some of the bigger brand names such as Surftech, so give the web a good perusing for deals.

 

[Kinda_Zen]

Thats 2 who recomended the Oxbow, and this sounds like a good deal to me, except for that it says it ends tonight.  That gives me a few hours to decide at least.  I'm not interested in resale value - If I decide to get another board for a more specific purpose I'll keep the first one to lure in the kids/friends.

http://www.paddleboarddirect.com/Oxbow-11-4-ACS-Board-p/2010oxbow114acs.htm

[robon]

Thats 2 who recomended the Oxbow, and this sounds like a good deal to me, except for that it says it ends tonight.  That gives me a few hours to decide at least.  I'm not interested in resale value - If I decide to get another board for a more specific purpose I'll keep the first one to lure in the kids/friends.

http://www.paddleboarddirect.com/Oxbow-11-4-ACS-Board-p/2010oxbow114acs.htm

That is a good deal for a good entry level board. The only thing I would be a little bit concerned about is that while the ACS will be very stable at 32", it might affect the efficiency of your stroke being that you are only 5'2".  Some others might want to chime in as I'm a beginner myself, but 32" seems quite wide for your size. I'm sure it would work well overall for you though.