SUP stability vs. windsurf agility

[AlexFun]

Hi,
this is my first post here, but i've read the forum for quite a while and find it the most valuable SUP forum.
Coming from a windsurfing backround i purchased a Tabou Windstyler Small 1 year ago. My aim was having a not to long Board < 3m with reasonable windsurf abilities but also being supable.
The Board is 9'6 x 27'7" an has 170 Liters, weight is 13 kg, it has a steptail like the Kona Boards and strap options.

For SUP paddling on Flatwater the board is stable enough for my 88 kg and i fall very seldom. But as soon as waves or chop occurs i fall quite a lot and i still have problems catching waves when i paddle hard and put to much weight on one foot and then fall. The guys around me seem to get the waves easier on their wider but not always bigger boards.
I have around 20 SUP sessions on it now, the other 50 days a year i get on the water are 85% windsurfing and 15% surfing.

Now i'm thinking of getting another board, the RRD Wassup 8'5 would be my favourite especialy for windsurfing in waves i'd not like too much of board at my feet.
On the other hand i think for SUP stability the Wassup 10' would be a safer choice but with some disadvantages when used for windsurfing in waves.

The question now for me is:
Can anybody of you estimate if the Wassup 8'5 X 31" is more/less/equal stable in choppy SUP conditions then my Tabou Windstyler Small?

How would the Wassup 10' x 31" compare to these boards?

All opinions welcome.

Alex

[Philn]

I don't know what the Tabou Windstyler is like, but I got to demo the 8'5 Wassup for a week down in San Carlos.  I am 86 kg and 6'2 so likely similar stability needs to you.  The 8'5 seemed unstable the first time I used it - big choppy storm surf, but by the end of the week I was totally in love with it.  At 31 inches it will definitely be more stable than your Tabou.  Plus 8'5 was awesome to wavesail.

[AlexFun]

Thanx Philn for your opinion.
Since there seem not much people know the Tabou maybe i should ask this question a bit more general.

What do you think is the sup stability of a RRD Wassup 8'5 compared to a narrrower board:

RRD 8'5:    8'5" x 31" x 4 1/2" , 140 Liters
Actual Board:      9'6" x 27,7" x 5 1/2", 170 Liters

RRd 8'5 better, equal or worse?

Alex

[Philn]

RRD 8'5 will be a lot more stable.  I have a 9'1 x 27.5 that I am selling because it is just too unstable for me at my weight.  Once I had used the Wassup a bit, I didn't find it unstable anymore, even in choppy conditions.   I can only barely stand on the 9'1 x 27.5 when it is glassy and windless.

[colas]

Forget the tabou, 27' is WAY too narrow. Sell it.

Stability is given by the widths (for boards of similar shape) and is a factor of your height. A good rule of thumb for a minimal confortable width for an intermediate:
165cm height => 28" width
180cm => 30"
200cm => 32"

Beginners should try to go wider IMHO. Volume is a factor of your weight. Experts use volume = weight+ 20l, beginners should make it +50l