Standup Zone Forum

Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: Timi on January 12, 2019, 07:17:14 AM

Title: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 12, 2019, 07:17:14 AM
Subject says it all: I'm keen for a longboard, but haven't a clue...

I have unfortunately no possibility to demo, so i need to rely on manufacturers descriptions, reviews - and your expertise! So please, any suggestions welcome! Thanks! 

What i want: A good wave catcher to get in early on soft, round waves.  A platform to learn how to noseride and crossstep. An easy-going-board, nicely turning up and down the wave from the tail, nothing radical.

Conditions knee-to-head range mellow beachbreak waves, some wind and chop every now and then.

I'm 6'3/190 lbs, intermediate supster. Happily riding a Sunova Flow 8'7x30 1/4"/121l most of the time. The new board will be an addition to the Flow and replace my Sunova Soul 8'11. Was thinking about something like 10'x29"/130l?! Always been happy with my Sunovas, so Style or Surf might be the go. Smik Style Lord or Hipster Longboard, Fanatic Stylemaster, ... ?

Thanks in advance  8)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: WhatsSUP on January 12, 2019, 07:36:42 AM
I can only speak to the Jimmy Lewis B&B....I’m short, this board (for me) is the absolute perfect platform.  I’m a pretty fit 57 at 6’1 and 182lbs and aspire to be a proficient noserider and cross-stepper.  I’ve documented my progress in various videos here on the forum over the last year on my yellow flat nose (vice concave nose) B&B.  It’s ceryainly not the only board out there but has to be top 3 or so for this type of riding. 

Have fun!!!!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: anonsurfer on January 12, 2019, 08:16:22 AM
Subject says it all: I'm keen for a longboard, but haven't a clue...

I have unfortunately no possibility to demo, so i need to rely on manufacturers descriptions, reviews - and your expertise! So please, any suggestions welcome! Thanks! 

What i want: A good wave catcher to get in early on soft, round waves.  A platform to learn how to noseride and crossstep. An easy-going-board, nicely turning up and down the wave from the tail, nothing radical.

Conditions knee-to-head range mellow beachbreak waves, some wind and chop every now and then.

I'm 6'3/190 lbs, intermediate supster. Happily riding a Sunova Flow 8'7x30 1/4"/121l most of the time. The new board will be an addition to the Flow and replace my Sunova Soul 8'11. Was thinking about something like 10'x29"/130l?! Always been happy with my Sunovas, so Style or Surf might be the go. Smik Style Lord or Hipster Longboard, Fanatic Stylemaster, ... ?

Thanks in advance  8)

Here's a good article of what to look for if you are looking for your first true noserider (50-50 rails, a little belly with concave in the nose etc).   

https://www.surfer.com/blogs/how-to/how-to-buy-your-first-longboard/

If you currently ride 120L and are comfortable I recommend going narrower and thinner.   For example, a Firewire Special T blown up to 10-0 x 26 x 3.6 would be 108L, only 10% less volume than what you are riding currently.  The extra length really helps stability.   I had a 9-0 x 22.75 x 3 Firewire Special T and found it to be very stable even though it was 15% less volume and 4+ inches narrower than anything I had SUPd before.

https://firewiresurfboards.com/products/special-t
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supthecreek on January 12, 2019, 09:28:18 AM
Hi Timi

at 6'3 and 190, you are not a small guy, so doing well on the 8'7 Flow!

The things you said that stand out to me are:

Intermediate
easy going board
want to learn longboard
get in early on mellow, soft waves

What's missing is age.... which is always a factor in how much challenge to take on.

at your weight in kg times 1.4 = 120 liters is a good middle ground.
Considering your height, and your wish list, you can go higher volume without giving up performance... IMO
Sometimes a float and length are great ways to smooth out your style on a longboard.

I am the Sunova guy, so I have ridden them all, and I generally prefer the SURF.
I have a 10'6 x 30 in the old ECO construction and love the way it rides.

My 10 x 29 STYLE is lighter and narrower, and a better noserider, but I like the overall surfability of the SURF.
I actually think I should be getting a 10' SURF now that I am closer to 200 lbs.

Something to consider:
I can't help but thinking you might like the 9'6 x 31 Steeze.... it fits all the point on your wish list, except "learn to longboard".
Good longboarding does take a certain style, that must be learned.
The Steeze is more of a "Fun shape" that surfs sort of in between shortboard and longboard.

3 vids of me surfing these boards:

I was 235 in all the vids. 5'10 and 69 - 70 years old.
With the same person surfing all of them, it may help show you the differences between the shapes, to see what type fits your eye.

Have fun on your quest.... I love board research!

10'6 x 30 SURF at 160 liters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KDWbJDsWNs


10' x 29 STYLE at 130 liters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRTTyc0BT7w

9'6 x 31 STEEZE at 144 liters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QLsbI2ghhI

Here's all the stats side by side for easy comparison
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supnorte on January 12, 2019, 11:05:12 AM
I think you just described the Infinity New Deal!
I'm not a longSUP guy but I had the chance to do a couple of sessions on the Infinity New Deal 10'0 x 29'' (139 liters) this week and loved it! It's super fluid and I was doing the same kind of turns I generally do on the B-Line 7'11 and always maintaining speed and control. And I ventured to the nose and did a few grabrail dropkeen things (don't know what to call it  ;D)
Construction is super durable and light!

Here the videos of the sessions I did:
https://www.facebook.com/nuno.p.desousa/videos/10217966197844328/

https://www.facebook.com/nuno.p.desousa/videos/10217958413809732/

The New Deal comes in different dims on the production series (9'0 x 26'' - 93 lt / 9'0 x 28" - 104 lt / 9'6 x 31" - 141 lt / 10'0 x 27" - 122 lt / 10'0 x 31" - 139 lt / 10'0 x 31'' - 151 lt), but you can also go custom!

You can check a video of Dave Boehne explaining the board:
https://vimeo.com/215610052

And killing it on the waves:
https://vimeo.com/243981710

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: linter on January 12, 2019, 11:35:26 AM
if'n you live near rhode island, i've got a jimmy b and b i could sell .
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: RideTheGlide on January 12, 2019, 12:47:16 PM
It's nice when a reviewer mentions his weight like in the last Sunova video. He is 50% heavier than me; I am not completely sure what to do with that data but I know the board would act differently for me.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 12, 2019, 01:59:26 PM
A lot of great and detailed input so far, and some new contenders in the ring.  Thanks a lot for taking the time, very much appreciated! Enjoyed watching the vidz, both lookin good on the longboards @STC and @supnorte!

If i understand right, there is a log type of longboard and a more like allround type. So, if i really want to walk the board and learn the longboard style, the B&B or the Style would be the go. If i  want an easy ride, crank some turns and occasionally take a trip to the nose, the allround type would fit better, i.e. the (sweet looking) Infinity New Deal or the Sunova Surf, right? I'll have to think about that for a while.

As for the size: I'm not sure about going down in volume. I lately surfed my buddy's 8'4/110l Flow in some chop and wind without problems, but what i want in this board is early entry on the wave and glide. Unfortunately i can only get to the surf on holidays 5-8 weeks/year - i then prefer having a blast and not a struggle.

Another thing to consider: I'm in Germany, so not sure if Infinity and JL are available. I'll have to check that.
 
Picking up the Infinity in Portugal and ride some of those nice waves with @supnorte would be a nice option, hehe. :)

Absolutely not near RI @linter, thanks for your propasal anyways! ;)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supnorte on January 12, 2019, 03:13:32 PM
Hey Timi

You're welcome here whenever you want. I'm based in Porto, so it's very short and cheap flight. And we're having and Endless Summer right now!

You're right about the type of longboards. The New Deal is an all-rounder, that allows to have some progressive surfing (if you're riding on the tail) or more classic, if you're riding more to the front of the board. It's not a logger, nor it is a classic 10'0 SUP (wide, bulky, with thick rails, more ideal to beginners). It's a board for having fun (as well as other boards besides this one).

Hope you find one that suits you.

Cheers
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 13, 2019, 02:27:27 AM
Hey Supnorte, thanks again for your explanations and welcoming words! We enjoyed the endless portuguese  summer last christmas in Arrifana and will definately come back. The waves in your vidz look like the perfect easy glass to me - in a mirror. :) Do you also have a right like that around the corner?

Cheers
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 13, 2019, 08:20:17 AM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 13, 2019, 09:05:11 AM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 13, 2019, 09:26:32 AM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).

It’s probably going to be my next purchase.....seems good value for money seeing as all the similar longboard SUPs are now around £1600 for a board around 9 kg or so. Have you used it in bigger punchier swell...enough rocker on it to cope with a few later drops?

I’m 90 kg plus wettie....think you are lighter?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: RideTheGlide on January 13, 2019, 10:11:57 AM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).
What do you consider a "very light rider"?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 13, 2019, 02:22:09 PM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).
What do you consider a "very light rider"?
I think it would be fine as an all-rounder (ie for cruising as well as surfing) for people 145lbs and under.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supnorte on January 13, 2019, 02:25:50 PM
Hey Supnorte, thanks again for your explanations and welcoming words! We enjoyed the endless portuguese  summer last christmas in Arrifana and will definately come back. The waves in your vidz look like the perfect easy glass to me - in a mirror. :) Do you also have a right like that around the corner?

Cheers

Arrifana is a very cool spot. The only thing that I don't like is that when the tide is higher the beach disappears and my family starts giving me sting eyes  ;D

On Saturday the waves were great again (even better than during the week) and everybody was surfing the right instead of the left break (wichi in my opinion was much better). I was sidelined because I had a cold and want to return in full force during the week.

Here is was the left was looking like
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 13, 2019, 02:34:24 PM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).
What do you consider a "very light rider"?
I think it would be fine as an all-rounder (ie for cruising as well as surfing) for people 145lbs and under.


Area10.... have you used it in decent swell as well as small longboard waves?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 13, 2019, 02:36:19 PM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).

It’s probably going to be my next purchase.....seems good value for money seeing as all the similar longboard SUPs are now around £1600 for a board around 9 kg or so. Have you used it in bigger punchier swell...enough rocker on it to cope with a few later drops?

I’m 90 kg plus wettie....think you are lighter?
Yeah it copes well with big drops - the rails are so thin that it’s quite easy to angle and stay in control. Yeah, I’m lighter than you are. At 135L, if you are 90kg you’ll need either fairly clean conditions or reasonable balance to be comfortable for long sessions on it in typical UK windy crap. But the performance in decent swell is really excellent considering it’s 30” wide, and it is probably more stable than other performance longboards out there that have more pinched or narrow designs.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 13, 2019, 03:35:28 PM
@Supnorte: Nice waves man. Lucky you!  8)

Stylemaster seems to be a good option, thanks for bringing it up. I can get a good deal on it, prisewise by far the most attractive. But i also like the idea of a custom 10' sunova surf, thinned out to 130l and pimped with orange tint. Probably influenced by all the nice custom sunovas i've lately seen online...
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: RideTheGlide on January 13, 2019, 03:41:02 PM
Lots of people seem to like the Stylemaster and the new 10 ft version is only 9 kg and costs a fair whack less than other carbon designs. I’ve never used one but not heard many or anything negative about them except some find the slightly domed deck weird at first.

The JL Black and Blue is an out and out noserider.....small wave peeling machine.... built for that only
Yeah, I’ve got a 10ft Fanatic Stylemaster. It’s a great board. It picks up waves more like an 11’ than a 10’, is plenty stable even in chop, and the thin rails make it very easy to turn. It encourages you to get on the nose. Performance-wise it’s a definite step up from something like the Naish Nalu 10-6. It’s more a dedicated surfer than an all-rounder like the Nalu, and less ideal for a beginner, but quite a lot better for ambitious SUP surfers, or very light riders (and is easy to carry, so it’s quite popular with women).
What do you consider a "very light rider"?
I think it would be fine as an all-rounder (ie for cruising as well as surfing) for people 145lbs and under.
So naked, dehydrated and starved for a couple of days it might work for me.  :o

Trying to get a feel for length, width and liters that would cruise okay but still perform pretty well. Fed, dressed and properly hydrated I am low 150s possibly drifting to high 150s and then back down.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 13, 2019, 04:27:56 PM
Well, I’ve covered between 5 and 10 miles on the Stylemaster during many surf sessions, and I’ve also cruised around on flat water on it perfectly comfortably for a few miles. And I’m heavier than you. So it can be done, for sure. But I also have a 10-6 Nalu and a 11’0x30” Gong NFA longboard, and if I was going out specifically to cover some distance then I’d rather be on either of those than the Stylemaster.

I have a friend who is about 150lbs I think, and he preferred the Stylemaster to the 10-6 Nalu, and said he found it actually more stable in chop. This is probably because the lower volume and narrower rails mean you stand closer to the water. I don’t find the Stylemaster more stable than the Nalu - but I’m about 20lbs heavier than him. So I think that rider weight is probably quite important for the paddling experience on these thin-railed fairly low volume performance longboards.

My Stylemaster is the expensive 2017-2018 LTD construction, so it’s lovely and light. If you are used to lugging a heavy distance board around, it is really nice to pick one of these up, if you’ve got a long walk to the water. If you are exploring an area and might be getting in and out of the water and with periods of portage, this can be a be a big advantage of using a board like this for recreational distance paddling. I wouldn’t want to paddle much more than about 10 miles a day on one though, or carry anything much on it.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: JEG on January 13, 2019, 08:01:59 PM
the Stylemaster's a nice and solid long board and surprisingly performs on reef breaks.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 13, 2019, 09:02:00 PM
Thanks Area 10 and JEG...useful feedback.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: DavidJohn on January 13, 2019, 10:06:44 PM
I’m exactly your height and weight (6’3x 190) and I find my 11’x 31” Naish Nalu purrr-fect..  8)

https://vimeo.com/308240888
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 14, 2019, 09:48:35 AM
That Nalu seems to have some serious glide. Thanks for your input! An a nice vid from partywaveparadise!  8)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfinJ on January 14, 2019, 10:14:10 AM
I’m 195 and this vid is from a 2’ gutless day. 00:52 and 2:40 show some nose time.

The board is a custom Surf. 
A very thinned out 10-6 x 31 145l all terrain and fail proof.

https://vimeo.com/222915615
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 14, 2019, 11:34:28 AM
Hey @surfinJ, thanks for joining in! Nice vid and surfing! I know that stretch of coastline a bit, a lot of good memories (from getting smashed by overhead bombs ;)).
As mentioned, a custom surf is quite on top of the wish list. Would you mind some extra questions? Why did you option for the larger and longer 10'6 instead of the 10'? Would you stick with the dimensions or rather go down in size/volume?

A lot of good info and suggestions from everyone. Thanks again!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfinJ on January 14, 2019, 12:34:04 PM
Sure, I wouldn’t go down in size.  I like the length and long feel of 10-6 and even have an old 11’ PSH that I love.  I’ve tried 10’ sups and they miss the longboard feel for me.
Having a quiver has let me go to my low volume limit with a shortboard shape and then a longboard with a large surplus of floatation, a clear difference.

A low volume long longboard would go good in tubes or big waves but that’s it. A short 9-10’ longboard shape might work for a small guy but at my size, and you’re taller, just seems to miss that “long” feel.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 14, 2019, 03:21:00 PM
Yeah, I like longer boards too.

Talking of which - hey, DJ: is this the 11’0 Nalu Robbie uses here?

https://youtu.be/N7LhQtEg-jo
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Luc Benac on January 14, 2019, 03:44:57 PM
Yeah, I like longer boards too.

Talking of which - hey, DJ: is this the 11’0 Nalu Robbie uses here?

https://youtu.be/N7LhQtEg-jo

DJ said in the Breeze that it was the 11'4 "Also pretty sure it's a 2015 11'4'' Nalu"

https://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Robby-Naish-sets-tidal-bore-record?page=1 (https://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Robby-Naish-sets-tidal-bore-record?page=1)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 14, 2019, 04:09:49 PM
And of course, here’s the most famous SUP longboard vid of all time, with the man telling you to go 10’6”-11ft :)

https://youtu.be/Dcuw4xGLaNk
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 17, 2019, 11:18:26 PM
Thanks again for your replies everybody!

Thanks @surfinJ for your insight. I have never surfed anything over 9'9. The 9'9 (SIC Reckon) already felt long for me, and i liked the easy glide on and into the waves. That was the initial reason for my longboard quest.

I found another really tempting board: The Deep Ocean Jackson Close Pro Longboard 10'1x30"x4" @ 133l. Any opinions on that one?

https://www.supcentre.co.nz/product/657/deep-2018-jc-pro-longboard

I also found a video of Jackson Close surfing it (probably the 26" version). Absolute perfection...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Lisozy-v-As
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: TallDude on January 18, 2019, 09:47:43 AM
I've surfed the SIC Reckon. It's not a long board and I personally found it corky and didn't like the way it surfed. That Deep board is a true nose riding long board. Straight rails and a concave in the nose so it steers from the nose when it's nose ridden. The 30 is good, but if you could handle the 28 even better ;)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: mrbig on January 18, 2019, 10:03:35 AM
+1 Talldude! SIC not a longboard at all. Even though it's long!

Jackson Close Deep awesome! SMIK Style Lord
awesome.

The incredible popularity of the 10' Club Competition class in Australia has led to some
excellent performance longboards
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 18, 2019, 10:57:06 AM
The SIC Recon (not reckon), is intended to be an easy-to-use and versatile all-round board, not a dedicated surf SUP. If you are a decent surfer wanting to surf longboard-style then don’t get an all-round board, get a longboard SUP. Most good longboard SUPs are necessarily a little slow to paddle because of the spoon noses, thin rails etc.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on January 18, 2019, 11:13:42 AM
Hey Biggie, it would be nice to see some 10' competition here on the east coast.  +- 10' performance SUP's are really a great choice for most riders and most days here.

I totally dig my 9'6" JL Black and Blue, it's a true noserider, and as such, really only works well when the waves are cooperating.  And on those days, I want nothing else.  But, our waves are consistently inconsistent, so my performance longboard, 10' Stylemaster gets the nod for most days.  A longboard can take many different forms but noserider and performance shapes are really the two main longboard categories and we branch out from there.  Remember there is no right or wrong in longboarding just fun and even more fun...
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: linter on January 18, 2019, 11:54:41 AM
  just thought i'd drop this here: some of the most stylish small-wave sup noseriding i've ever seen.  surfers are both gong guys, i think: gwen cristien and xavier leroy.  the vid is something i cobbled together from other videos.  pure toes on the nose, no baloney.  and no music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGuCDSymfGg
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: TallDude on January 18, 2019, 01:07:01 PM
Great stuff Linter. The guy in the video that does the drop knee turn move reminds me of a Telemark ski turn. Same move.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: WhatsSUP on January 18, 2019, 01:19:04 PM
Awesome vid Linter!  Love the super swaggy back cross step back to stall and turn....very stylish! 
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 19, 2019, 10:42:54 AM
Thanks again for your input guys, very much appriciated.

I'm totally aware the SIC Recon isn't what i'm looking for. But i'm happy i tried it (swapping boards for a couple of waves) and discovered my need for glide that way. ;)

Thanks for posting the video @Linter, impressive stuff! Gong might also be an option.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 19, 2019, 11:25:37 AM
Thanks again for your input guys, very much appriciated.

I'm totally aware the SIC Recon isn't what i'm looking for. But i'm happy i tried it (swapping boards for a couple of waves) and discovered my need for glide that way. ;)

Thanks for posting the video @Linter, impressive stuff! Gong might also be an option.
I have the Gong 11’ NFA longboard. It’s a lovely board, built well, extremely cheap for what it is (compared with other boards in Europe), and performs very well indeed. It’s a great mix of a traditional noserider and a performance longboard, and is crazy stable and easy to ride. It’s a hoot in small waves in particular.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 19, 2019, 03:21:22 PM
Thanks again for your input guys, very much appriciated.

I'm totally aware the SIC Recon isn't what i'm looking for. But i'm happy i tried it (swapping boards for a couple of waves) and discovered my need for glide that way. ;)

Thanks for posting the video @Linter, impressive stuff! Gong might also be an option.
I have the Gong 11’ NFA longboard. It’s a lovely board, built well, extremely cheap for what it is (compared with other boards in Europe), and performs very well indeed. It’s a great mix of a traditional noserider and a performance longboard, and is crazy stable and easy to ride. It’s a hoot in small waves in particular.


How does the NFA compare with the Stylemaster you have?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 19, 2019, 04:25:06 PM
They are quite different boards - and are intended to be. The Stylemaster is fairly low volume for a 10x30, at around 130L (I think). The NFA is 1ft longer, over an inch wider, and 30L more volume. It makes quite a difference. The Stylemaster is aimed at a surfers who know what they are doing and want to develop their skills, whereas the NFA is designed to flatter everyone who rides it. A comparison between the 10ft NFA and the 10ft Stylemaster would be a more interesting proposition. But if I was looking for a really high performance longboard I’d go for the Gong Zero 9ft Pro at 115L. That might be the highest performance production SUP on the market. And only weighs 16lbs!

https://gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/box1707/Products/GON9SUPZERO90PRO115

The 10ft Stylemaster is high performance, but is still useable by the average guy or girl. I imagine that the Gong Zero Pro would require another level of skill beyond that.

But why make it harder than it has to be? I had an AMAZING session on the NFA 11 back in the summer. The waves were only 1-2ft but clean and long, and the NFA caught them easily and allowed me to walk all over the board, perfectly relaxed, yet easily turn whenever I wanted to. There were a couple of other guys out on boards in the 8-9ft range and they couldn’t even catch the waves. But I was just picking them off at will, and then cruising past them. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: mrbig on January 19, 2019, 05:00:54 PM
From 11 to 9. Hmm.

Infinity New Deal 9' Gong 9'. Really?

In certain circles this is known as style drift.

Does anybody know what Timi wants?

Not sure my self !

Perhaps he can help sharpen our collective focus just a little bit.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 19, 2019, 05:09:16 PM
From 11 to 9. Hmm.
Infinity New Deal 9' Gong 9 foot.
In certain circles this is known as style drift.
Does anybody know what Time wants?
Not sure my self !
Perhaps he can help sharpen our collective focus just a little bit.
The most common longboard sizes in surfing run from 9ft to 10ft, so I think this just reflects the way in which SUP board dimensions are getting ever closer to surfboard ones. Gong make a 12ft longboard too (and I owned one of those too). So they have all sizes covered, from 9ft to 12ft, with multiple styles for everyone from beginner to pro. That brand is pretty obsessed with longboard SUP. I also owned a high performance low volume (and quite narrow) longboard SUP they did about 8-10 yrs ago. Can’t remenber the name or exact details but I think it was around 9ft 6” long. So longboards in the 9-10ft range is nothing new to them. The Gong Zero longboards actually look more user-friendly than some of their SUPs from around 10 yrs ago!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: mrbig on January 19, 2019, 05:31:40 PM
Yep. I have personally owned long board sups as long as 10'6 - Hobie CM - known as the Graf Spee; and as short as 8'8" - Angulo.

I was just observing that we were going a little far a field with someone asking for help.

I don't have a death grip on that perception; but it also took place on another thread recently.

Timi - autocorrect failed thank God - hopefully has benefited from an interesting exploration!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 20, 2019, 01:38:34 AM
They are quite different boards - and are intended to be. The Stylemaster is fairly low volume for a 10x30, at around 130L (I think). The NFA is 1ft longer, over an inch wider, and 30L more volume. It makes quite a difference. The Stylemaster is aimed at a surfers who know what they are doing and want to develop their skills, whereas the NFA is designed to flatter everyone who rides it. A comparison between the 10ft NFA and the 10ft Stylemaster would be a more interesting proposition. But if I was looking for a really high performance longboard I’d go for the Gong Zero 9ft Pro at 115L. That might be the highest performance production SUP on the market. And only weighs 16lbs!

https://gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/box1707/Products/GON9SUPZERO90PRO115

The 10ft Stylemaster is high performance, but is still useable by the average guy or girl. I imagine that the Gong Zero Pro would require another level of skill beyond that.

But why make it harder than it has to be? I had an AMAZING session on the NFA 11 back in the summer. The waves were only 1-2ft but clean and long, and the NFA caught them easily and allowed me to walk all over the board, perfectly relaxed, yet easily turn whenever I wanted to. There were a couple of other guys out on boards in the 8-9ft range and they couldn’t even catch the waves. But I was just picking them off at will, and then cruising past them. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Yup, Stylemaster more suited I think.years back I owned at 12 NFA.....it was huge but still fun but hell to carry anywhere  ;D. Glad to hear the construction has improved...their boards were not well made back then. The NFA back then was (is) a good all rounder from memory but had a good enough design to surf well.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 20, 2019, 01:57:13 AM
Thanks again for the continuous flow of valuable information! This forum is really a great platform and you are very kind to get involved in my quest for a longboard.

@mrbig: no worries, i absolutely benfited from all the replies. Thank you!

I'll try to specify my quest:
As you all mentioned, the field is vast, there is a lot of of choice. As i have never ridden a longboard style sup, it is not easy to know what i'm really looking for. Not for me and not for you.
Absorbing all your input, i think it's most likely an "allround-performance-orientated" kind of shape, i.e. a Fanatic Stylemaster, Sunova Surf...
As said, i want to be able to catch waves early, have  a lot of glide to make slow sections, be able to turn it from the tail in the steeper sections and be able to try some longboard style moves.
Concerning my sup-surfing skillz: Hard to say. Intermediate with good balance and fitness, getting along with various conditions on my Flow 8'7. Sometimes pictures can tell more than words. Unfortunately, i only got one recent video, smallest waves ever - don't expect fireworks! ;)

https://vimeo.com/289925500
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supthecreek on January 20, 2019, 03:10:40 AM
Nice Timi... you rip dude, you will adapt easily to a longboard.

Longboard style is a wide open canvas.
you simply relax into it and let your body express in sync with the board.

Classic longboard is as much of a dance as it is technical.
More posing, creative use of arms, hands and body posture with flair.
Completely awesome to watch, when you see someone who can put it out there.

For all aspiring longboarders following this thread...

There are two basic paths to take:
1 - longer or heavier board if you like a smooth , drawn out classic style
2 - light, with less width if you want more high performance surfing.


This video has been on several threads, but I can't get enough of it!
This kid has totally embraced all the elements that are the beauty of classic longboard style.
on a 14 foot board.....
It shows the value of length and weight.
it requires patience and technique, and an ability to fill the slower pace with inspiring grace and theater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq7ho4NP4Tg
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 20, 2019, 05:24:04 AM
Agree Rick.....

I have a heavy floaty longboard SUP which comes into its own on crappy days or windy days....the momentum is brilliant.....smooths out everything. But you really need to surf it gently. It’s a torpedo out there .....wouldn’t like to be hit by it!

(Carrying it isn’t fun either)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: mrbig on January 20, 2019, 06:26:53 AM
STC, Thanks for sharing that vid. Remember the Graf Spee! LOL!

Timi - You are surfing the crap out of that Sunova! You clearly have the skillz to make your decision without adjusting for balance issues, experience, et cetera, et cetera.

Stylemaster, New Deal, JL Destroyer, Hobie, Deep JC, SMIK, Sunova, and Gong. Probably left something out.

Your main issue seems to be distribution. Good luck, and no matter what you decide you will have an enormous amount of FUN!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: eastbound on January 20, 2019, 06:53:56 AM
nice vid, creek

relaaaaaaxxxxx

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 20, 2019, 07:52:01 AM
Some chance of getting a walled up wave that last more that 10 secs where I am  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfinJ on January 20, 2019, 10:46:17 AM
So this is a vid of a 200l board. 11’ and more than twice the liters for my weight.
Relaxing back on the tail.
https://vimeo.com/138410898
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Cardiff Kook on January 29, 2019, 04:24:06 PM
I have been riding this NSP super X. 9' x 28 116 L
I have also tried the 10' x 27 and its crazy fun, but the 9' is the best trimming SUP I have ever ridden. See video below of Paul Jonesy from AUS.

https://www.nspsurfboards.com/product/dc-surf-super-x/

https://vimeo.com/277610765

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supnsurf on January 29, 2019, 05:39:40 PM
Good surfing right there !
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfinJ on January 30, 2019, 05:50:35 AM
I have a 9x28 119l board as well. It’s an early years PSH all around thin and low volume longboard shape. But while it has the shape at my size 6’ 195# it is really feels and handles like a shortboard.  Blane really made a classic here and on a clean day it’s a blast, but it is not a longboard.

Proners refer to a proper longboard as a ‘log’ and for me with a sup that feeling only starts in the 10’+ range.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on January 30, 2019, 11:09:47 AM
By definition a (prone) longboard is generally 3' overhead (for shorter folks and kids) or over 9' for the rest of us.  (But, there are plenty of good mini-mals that defy that convention.) 

While my favorite longboard SUP is actually 9'6", I generally think of longboard SUP's in the 10'+ range.  The lines are blurred to say the least...
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surlygringo on January 30, 2019, 12:41:03 PM
Timi,

I am almost exactly your size(5-10lbs heavier). I have been a shortboard surfer all of my life, so like you, I was looking for a longboard sup that I could learn to “longboard” on. I really recommend the Fanatic Stylemaster 10’. It has a ton of glide and gets in really early. The tail and rails are surfboard foiled, so it will crank a turn when you step back. I am not an expert noserider, but the board is very stable and is a good platform for working on cross stepping and getting to the nose. And again, I am blown away by how easy it gets into waves. I think the flatter section and parallel rails in the center give it a lot of boat speed. It works well for getting around the break quickly and is the perfect for hunting down peaks outside that are barely breaking.

Having said all that, maybe all performance longboard sups have those attributes. I don’t know, but if you can get a cheap deal on a Stylemaster I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 30, 2019, 03:35:12 PM
Yeah, the Stylemaster is a good board. I have the 10ft one too. There a smaller one now as well.

But if you live in Europe, you should probably be considering one of these:

https://youtu.be/q57exVNV5qQ

(Apologies to those who have already seen this vid on the other longboard thread.)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surlygringo on January 30, 2019, 04:24:20 PM
Good point Area 10. Not only is Patrice Guénolé clearly a great longboard surfer, but I think he is a pretty big guy. I have always had good luck getting surfboards from shapers who were similar in size to myself. It is hard to imagine that a Gong longboard wouldn’t also be a good choice.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 30, 2019, 11:26:20 PM
Good point Area 10. Not only is Patrice Guénolé clearly a great longboard surfer, but I think he is a pretty big guy. I have always had good luck getting surfboards from shapers who were similar in size to myself. It is hard to imagine that a Gong longboard wouldn’t also be a good choice.
Yeah. About 10 years ago, Patrice Guénolé came to my local beach and took part in a SUP surf competition. There really wasn’t any point anyone else being there. It’s crazy that this kind of surfing would (largely) not score you any points at most SUP surf comps these days.

He was carrying some weight back then. He’s slimmed down a lot since. But, yeah, he’s not a small guy. He’s bigger than most men who are that good on a longboard SUP (and there are very few of them worldwide).

The build quality of the latest Gongs is really good (I have two). The paintwork in particular is far better than the Fanatic and Naish surf SUPs I have. They are a bargain really, if you are in Europe. As to performance, well, the video says it better than I can. The board isn’t going to be the limiting factor in your surfing.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on January 31, 2019, 12:53:23 AM
Thanks again for all your helpful information!

Almost sold on the 10' Stylemaster. Not sure about the construction yet. Could get a goo
d deal on the former pure an ltd constructions. New bamboo construction looks promising though... 
Also considering Gong, but don't really find an equivalent to the Stylemaster in the current range.
Won't be able to use it until march/april, so no hurry...
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfcowboy on January 31, 2019, 02:25:46 AM
Just want one last pitch for a true longboard shape, meaning narrower for a SUP. The Gong guys clearly understand this design.

If you can stand on it, it will help your style immensely. The Gong surfers exemplify the style (if that’s what you mean over just a longer SUP.)

As I’ve added to another thread, i padddled a 9’0” x 24” true longboard at my 5’8” height, 135 lbs and 50 yrs old. It was too small, but  I now understand Anonsurfer’s obsession with narrow boards. You can simply surf and turn them in a way that you cannot do with a 31” wide board. I won’t be building a board over 27” wide again and I’ll try 26” for sure. 

That said, you should of course scale that up for your size. But a 10’ x 28 is about the only thing that will approximate a longboard shape really. The old Laird boards were 12’ x 28” wide and have pretty much a surfboard scale.

In the end, I’m 99% sure that most folks won’t do this, and shouldn’t. But since this is a longboard thread I wanted to offer it to folks who are advanced riders, have access to a custom shaper and who might just want to try a true longboard SUP. In the end, buy what will feel good to you.

Final addition. Watching the Gong and Infinity vids, you see the benefit of focusing on body position. It matters. If people truly wanted to fit into the lineup better, they’d watch and correct their “poo stance” and focus on a clean cross step and those beautiful turns. From Malibu in ‘64 to today, everyone respects clean beautiful surfing and a long, drawn out shape encourages that more than just about anything.

As a guy who’s focused my last few years on learning this style on a prone longboard, I love seeing this focus on the forum. I personally can’t watch another video of someone stabbing and slashing a wave on a potato chip SUP. Thx for th thread.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on January 31, 2019, 05:29:03 AM
Thanks again for all your helpful information!

Almost sold on the 10' Stylemaster. Not sure about the construction yet. Could get a goo
d deal on the former pure an ltd constructions. New bamboo construction looks promising though... 
Also considering Gong, but don't really find an equivalent to the Stylemaster in the current range.
Won't be able to use it until march/april, so no hurry...
I guess that for an equivalent of the Stylemaster within the Gong range, you’d maybe be looking at the 10ft or 9ft NFA. They are performance longboards but still very useable by everyone (like the Stylemaster). You’d go to the Zero range if you really wanted to push the longboard performance envelope. The Zeros are very light.

The NFA boards are now full PVC sandwich with carbon in the standing area. Perfect. Should be strong, durable, and last a long time.

Gong also sell the Origin range of longboard SUPs, which are narrow and very traditional in shape, for old school logging. Beautiful wood finish. For traditional noseriding etc.

And as if they weren’t enough, they also do the Freak range of longboards. They are kinda between the NFA and Zero in style, between 9 and 10ft, and covering some pretty slim low volume models to one that would be a bit easier for the heavier guy.

Basically, no other brand makes anything like as many longboard SUP shapes as Gong. They are pretty obsessed with longboard SUP as you can see from their videos. So, whether you are a beginner or a pro, wanting to ride traditional-style, new school, or anywhere in between, they have you covered.

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 31, 2019, 06:14:55 AM
From what I can see the Stylemaster has thinner rails and a slightly flatter rocker which looks ideal to me for noseriding. Plus there a 1 kg difference in weight in favour of the Stylemaster....that has me sold.

The NFA looks like a good solid all round longboard shape for everyone....with a bit of performance thrown in.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: mrbig on January 31, 2019, 10:48:00 AM
Last year's LTD lighter and rides a little better!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on January 31, 2019, 12:08:13 PM
From what I can see the Stylemaster has thinner rails and a slightly flatter rocker which looks ideal to me for noseriding.

The stylemaster is definitly not for noseriding.  You can get on the nose, but only in small doses.  Still, a great all around performance longboard.  Very fast and very manouverable.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: JEG on January 31, 2019, 12:20:39 PM
From what I can see the Stylemaster has thinner rails and a slightly flatter rocker which looks ideal to me for noseriding.

The stylemaster is definitly not for noseriding.  You can get on the nose, but only in small doses.  Still, a great all around performance longboard.  Very fast and very maneuverable.

I agree, I found the stylemaster a little difficult to nose ride though it performs well on the waves and construction of the pure (2018) was solid.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfinJ on January 31, 2019, 12:38:58 PM
Just want one last pitch for a true longboard shape, meaning narrower for a SUP. The Gong guys clearly understand this design.

If you can stand on it, it will help your style immensely. The Gong surfers exemplify the style (if that’s what you mean over just a longer SUP.)

That said, you should of course scale that up for your size. But a 10’ x 28 is about the only thing that will approximate a longboard shape really. The old Laird boards were 12’ x 28” wide and have pretty much a surfboard scale.

In the end, I’m 99% sure that most folks won’t do this, and shouldn’t. But since this is a longboard thread I wanted to offer it to folks who are advanced riders, have access to a custom shaper and who might just want to try a true longboard SUP. In the end, buy what will feel good to you.

Final addition. Watching the Gong and Infinity vids, you see the benefit of focusing on body position. It matters. If people truly wanted to fit into the lineup better, they’d watch and correct their “poo stance” and focus on a clean cross step and those beautiful turns. From Malibu in ‘64 to today, everyone respects clean beautiful surfing and a long, drawn out shape encourages that more than just about anything.

As a guy who’s focused my last few years on learning this style on a prone longboard, I love seeing this focus on the forum. I personally can’t watch another video of someone stabbing and slashing a wave on a potato chip SUP. Thx for th thread.

This board is an old shape that I still grab on those really clean days for its looseness.   10-6 x 28   

https://vimeo.com/159802768
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 31, 2019, 01:34:22 PM
From what I can see the Stylemaster has thinner rails and a slightly flatter rocker which looks ideal to me for noseriding.

The stylemaster is definitly not for noseriding.  You can get on the nose, but only in small doses.  Still, a great all around performance longboard.  Very fast and very manouverable.

I’m not really after a true noserider like the JL Bkack and Blue.....something which surfs well, allows you to get up to the nose now and again....but not perched there....we rarely get long peeling waves.


Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: TallDude on January 31, 2019, 07:26:22 PM
For me being tall and heavier than most, the Naish Nalu 11'4 x 30"x 4.5" 180L is my all time favorite longboard sup. It has thinner rails, not to wide, thin nose, thin tail, continuos rocker (it's magic) and the mastery of Iggy behind it. My brother and a surf buddy both have one. I've surfed my buddies a bunch of times. Love it.
 

https://www.naishsurfing.com/product/nalu-114-gtw

For an average size person the 10'6 x 30" x 4" 160L

https://www.naishsurfing.com/product/nalu-10_6-gtw/

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on January 31, 2019, 08:36:53 PM
For me being tall and heavier than most, the Naish Nalu 11'4 x 30"x 4.5" 180L is my all time favorite longboard sup. It has thinner rails, not to wide, thin nose, thin tail, continuos rocker (it's magic) and the mastery of Iggy behind it. My brother and a surf buddy both have one. I've surfed my buddies a bunch of times. Love it.
 

https://www.naishsurfing.com/product/nalu-114-gtw

For an average size person the 10'6 x 30" x 4" 160L

https://www.naishsurfing.com/product/nalu-10_6-gtw/

Yeah agree 100 per cent.....I had one and it’s a great shape. It was just too big for me....volume and length. Super fun on bigger fat wave.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on February 01, 2019, 06:18:05 AM
The Naish Nalu 10 x28 1/2 loks pretty cool.  I just get the sense that the bat-tail is a little gimmicky but you never know.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: JimK on February 01, 2019, 07:26:15 AM
As a Fanatic Guy.

The StyleMaster isn't a noseridder you can just "Camp out on the nose" You gotta pump it to keep generating speed  (aka Mickey Dora) Plus the older models 2018 on back I changed the trail fin to a "Cordy" 6.5 fin (TruAmes has them)
generates speed better, looser, and thus improves nose ridding.

This is a very hiigh performaNCE longboard

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: TallDude on February 01, 2019, 08:11:02 AM
The Naish Nalu 10 x28 1/2 loks pretty cool.  I just get the sense that the bat-tail is a little gimmicky but you never know.
As a lot of you know, with the "Performer" range of longer boards the designs are basically a hybrid of a long and short board. They're not going to turn like a short board, but you can still make a carving bottom turn. They won't glide like a longboard, but glide and hold speed better than a short board. You can hang 5.... Maybe.. No real nose riding, but you'll survive most late drops. They always have side bites and sometimes quad set-ups.

The 10' x 28.5 is almost exactly like my 10' x 29.5 Coreban Icon. The little Bat-Tail is gimmicky, but it's a fun board. This thread got me thinking about making a trade with my little brother to get my hands on that 11'4 Nalu that he almost never uses???? I know he wants a 14' race board???? Nothing like a lopsided trade with your little brother ;D     
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on February 01, 2019, 08:26:28 AM
Good point TD, I had an Icon for 4-5 years, and the swallow tail worked really well.  I rode it mostly as a quad.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on February 19, 2019, 07:16:13 AM
I was sooooo close to buying a 10 ft Stylemaster.....but last minute opted for a Starby 9, 8 Element in Starlite construction. I think it will be a more versatile board and better for me in a wider range of surf and conditions. I was put off a bit by the flattish rocker of the Stylemaster......needed something easier for steeper waves.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on February 19, 2019, 04:03:45 PM
Nice board choice... and I bet you'll never regret having the rocker...
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on February 20, 2019, 12:56:55 AM
Nice board choice... and I bet you'll never regret having the rocker...
Hmm... Depends where you surf. I surf an area which often has weak fat waves and offshores. On a heavily rockered board, especially a spoon-nosed one, it can be frustrating to get into the waves, whereas on a flat rocker board you are away no problem. Some longboard shapes that are designed to handle some juice, like the Gong Zero, adopt the approach of having a flattish rocker to aid paddling speed and acceleration, and cope with the drop by having less volume in the tail and multiple fins. You just have to angle your take-off. But better that than rarely making the wave at all. The stylemaster is very good for catching waves - it’s wave-catching ability is similar to much longer boards. So if that matters to you, it’s a real bonus.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Billekrub on February 20, 2019, 08:42:06 AM
Area10,

Was checking out Fanatic's 3D views of the Stylemaster/bamboo and it looks to me to have a huge amount of rocker, more at tail as well.
https://emersya.com/showcase/21R8S39T3O
https://www.fanatic.com/product/stylemaster-bamboo-edition/

Seems the rails are fairly thin, impressive shape, nice video, etc.  Would be more stable than the Nalu 10 Pro, has fitting for mast foot.

Have you found the 10/106 sizes to paddle quite fast and catch flat waves early?  What am I missing?

Can you position this board's ability to catch soft waves early, bumps?, against some other standards you know?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Billekrub on February 20, 2019, 08:46:02 AM
Maybe, the center part is flatter than most?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on February 20, 2019, 11:23:21 AM
Maybe, the center part is flatter than most?
Yes, that’s it, But there isn’t actually that much rocker anyway - it’s less than some: I have a Gong NFA longboard that has more:

https://gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/box1707/Products/GON9SUPFNFA100

And I think it’s fairly similar degree of rocker to my Naish Nalu 10-6 - maybe less overall. I’d have to check...

The thing you first notice about the Stylemaster is how thin the rails are. The deck is domed a bit so they can make them real thin. This is where the performance comes from. You can really chuck it around as well as do traditional longboard moves if you’ve got the skills. It’s very stable and user-friendly given that it’s a fairly low volume board for its size. If you really want a performance longboard that is nose-rideable, but don’t want to go to the extremes of eg. the Naish Nalu 10, with the attendant physical challenges that presents, then the Stylemaster has to be looked at.


Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on February 20, 2019, 02:51:27 PM
Yup, I have a flat rockered board which is great on clean days but for most other stuff I surf having a bit more rocker mixed with a good tail end does the job better. My pal had an Element...surfed everything and handled steeper take offs much better. He said it was the best noseriding board he ever had. The new zelement is also the same litreage as my flat rockered longboard so ideal.

Heard lots of very good things about the Stylemaster but also that it can be a bit trickier in less than ideal conditions if you are around my 90 to 95 kgs. And that feedback is from a very good SUP surfer.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on February 20, 2019, 04:39:07 PM
The new(ish) 10-6 Stylemaster could probably handle that weight, but the smaller sizes are low volume boards so are for light people or cleanish conditions. The rails are very thin, so if you are a big unit it doesn’t take much to sink them, which can be an issue in chop. Of course, however, in clean conditions it also means huge amounts of manoeuvrability. Horses for courses. A friend of mine who is about 150lbs surfed my 10ft Stylemaster and 10-6 Nalu back-to-back in really messy conditions and found the Stylemaster quite easy, but the Nalu very tricky, whereas I, who am a bit heavier, found exactly the opposite pattern.

Everyone seems to want a “high performance” longboard. But there are certain realities to such boards, and often the thing that has led them to wanting a longboard was that the conditions they surf in are not ideal, and/or they aren’t exactly Kai Lenny. So sometimes going for a “performance” longboard is self-defeating, and actually the SUPer would look better and have more fun on something better suited to the conditions and aptitude.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on February 20, 2019, 09:49:40 PM
Billie....Stylemaster May well be a good choice for you if you are after something to surf fatter waves. I opted for something else as I’m covered for that ... I’m after something that could cover more bases.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Wetstuff on February 21, 2019, 01:42:36 PM
"have more fun on something better suited to the conditions and aptitude"  Hear, hear!   As one who has chased unicorns, thinking "A better horse will make me a better rider."  I could not agree mare...   I have seen guys who could style the oldest piece of crap and others who looked like they were cast for the lead in a surf movie, flail about.  It is reasonably serious money for most; spend it wisely.

Jim
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: coldsup on February 21, 2019, 01:53:42 PM
"have more fun on something better suited to the conditions and aptitude"  Hear, hear!   As one who has chased unicorns, thinking "A better horse will make me a better rider."  I could not agree mare...   I have seen guys who could style the oldest piece of crap and others who looked like they were cast for the lead in a surf movie, flail about.  It is reasonably serious money for most; spend it wisely.

Jim

SUPs are stupid money now....I point blank refuse to pay the top cash for these boards....I always go for the cheaper option...you can still get really good boards at “reasonable” prices.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on February 21, 2019, 02:00:53 PM
I'll praise, for fun, since its no longer in production... Riviera's The Boss.  10' x 31" maybe 150 L or so.  Riviera called it a longboard or performance longboard, but it is really a hybrid shape... like a NUGG on steroids.  It has a slightly domed deck and nice rails.  It hit my sweet spot of fun and aptitude (or lack thereof). It looks common, but oddly there is no other board currently in production with analogous dims and shape. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIwPFUvsfNE
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on February 21, 2019, 02:05:27 PM
SUPs are stupid money now....I point blank refuse to pay the top cash for these boards....I always go for the cheaper option...you can still get really good boards at “reasonable” prices.

Especially averse to paying list when when you see last years model marked down significantly, and years previous to that marked down 40-50%.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on February 21, 2019, 10:34:45 PM
SUPs are stupid money now....I point blank refuse to pay the top cash for these boards....I always go for the cheaper option...you can still get really good boards at “reasonable” prices.

Especially averse to paying list when when you see last years model marked down significantly, and years previous to that marked down 40-50%.
It’s the wide price range in Europe that flummoxes me. For instance an Infinity New Deal longboard SUP is the equivalent of 2350 US dollars, whereas a Gong Zero longboard SUP (which is full carbon and PVC sandwich) is only 1132 US Dollars.  How can one board be literally *twice* the price of the other, especially when the materials used in the cheaper board will be, if anything, more costly than the more expensive one?
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supnsurf on February 22, 2019, 07:58:45 AM
Pearson Arrow Makes good longboard SUPs
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on February 22, 2019, 08:23:43 AM
A10, yes the Gong pricing is very competetive.  The Freak 115 (proper noserider at 9'2"x28 3/4" and 115 l) is looking really good at 999€ (or $1,130).  It looks like they will be releasing it mid May.

As they moved into a new warehouse location, Infinity just had a huge sale last month and New Deals were going for around $1200 including shipping.  Timing is everything.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on April 15, 2019, 01:00:05 PM
I finally made a choice and ordered a Gong NFA 10' :https://gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectPath=%2FShops%2Fbox1707%2FProducts%2FGON9SUPFNFA100%2FSubProducts%2FGON9SUPFNFAB100
I'll let you know how she goes!
Thanks again for the help and input to all of you. I think this thread contains a lot of information that might also help others.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on April 15, 2019, 01:39:52 PM
I finally made a choice and ordered a Gong NFA 10' :https://gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectPath=%2FShops%2Fbox1707%2FProducts%2FGON9SUPFNFA100%2FSubProducts%2FGON9SUPFNFAB100
I'll let you know how she goes!
Thanks again for the help and input to all of you. I think this thread contains a lot of information that might also help others.
Will you be clobbering your board with a rubber mallet like Patrice does at the start of this video?

https://youtu.be/4i5Ta3Cakow

I see he shows the NFA longboard toward the end of the video.

That construction looks solid. Let us know if it turns out to be, in reality.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on April 15, 2019, 03:52:04 PM
Hey I'm a believer after watching that video. They look like quality boards. Please do share your opinion as you get into it. And congrats on a nice choice.   
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: NorthJerzSurfer on April 15, 2019, 04:22:40 PM
has anyone ridden both a Stylemaster and the Sunova Style?

I'd be really interested in the comparison.  I have the 10'6 style which i love but has a little too much rocker and width for the Knee high summer waves i use it exclusively on.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: OkiWild on April 15, 2019, 09:31:54 PM
That's amazing. I'm a big fan of bulletproof boards these days. One of the first surfing SUP's I bought was a Focus Carbon Classic 9' long board. Great shape, but absolute garbage where build quality is concerned...been chasing leaks from day one. Cost substantially more than the Gong, too...   
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: PonoBill on April 15, 2019, 09:42:25 PM
Pearson Arrow Makes good longboard SUPs

True that. The nest noserides and dancing-around-on-the-board day of my life was on a borrowed Pearson Arrow. Why I don't have one escapes me.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on April 16, 2019, 05:04:39 AM
The Pearson Arrow CJ model is the closest prone shape that I’ve seen(experienced) to the JL B&B.  Both great noseriders but definitely not performance shapes.  You really can’t have both in one board.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supnsurf on April 16, 2019, 06:53:43 AM
agree, Arrows work really well. 
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on July 05, 2019, 08:50:27 AM
Update: After a long wait and a few mails back and forth, my Gong NFA 10' finally arrived, just in time for my summer trip to Brittany.

She seems really solid constructionwise, but also quite heavy. The finish is immaculate, good handle, nothing to complain. The deckpad began to get loose on the 3rd session.

My first impressions after 3 little sessions in weak surf: I'll need some time to adapt to her! But she is still a lot of fun. She catches the bumps early and has decent glide. I don't really know how to turn her yet and my noserides are kind of silly, but i'll get her sorted.  ;D

I'll post a vid of my very first session later.

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on July 05, 2019, 09:30:16 AM
It’s a great looking board for sure. Please do update as you can.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Califoilia on July 05, 2019, 01:24:05 PM
Pearson Arrow Makes good longboard SUPs
+1 to that! After foiling ruined my life, I sold all of my SUPs except for this one that I just can't risk letting slip away....
(https://i.imgur.com/AedYuG2.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/rmLaNvf.jpg?1)
...even if she may never see the water ever again. So fun, but foiled again... :o :)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: burchas on July 05, 2019, 01:28:32 PM
Nice board. Congrats!
I'll be keeping an eye out for the video.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: abmatt on July 05, 2019, 02:19:52 PM
Add me to the Pearson Arrow longboard fan club. I have the 10-foot Laird, 28 1/2 wide, thin rails ... it's the old Surftech version that I've beaten up until it's unbelievably godawful ugly but still fully functional. Must be 8-9 years old (stumbled onto it used, cheap), but it's the most "surfboard"-like SUP I've ever ridden. Cranks big bottom turns, has great glides, nose-rides like a champ. I think it's those thin rails that are magic.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on July 05, 2019, 02:23:42 PM
So here is the short vid of my very first waves on a longboard sup. Also the first time on a sup in 7 months. I did shy away from the little end sections because i injured my knee and ribs in a decent wavesailing crash the other day... Bottom line: Lame! ;)

https://vimeo.com/346412015
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: supthecreek on July 05, 2019, 07:58:20 PM
Thanks for the update... looks like you got some nice surf to break it in!

I had a chance to ride my buddy Cisco's 10' NFA in Portugal.... it's a great looking board!
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: surfcowboy on July 05, 2019, 10:14:55 PM
Learning to turn one of these? Watch longboard videos on YouTube. Seeing the folks at Duct Tape or Surf Relik events will change your mind about throwing big boards around. If you can’t turn a longboard, it’s not the board. Don’t ask me how I know lol.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Area 10 on July 06, 2019, 03:50:05 AM
Learning to turn one of these? Watch longboard videos on YouTube. Seeing the folks at Duct Tape or Surf Relik events will change your mind about throwing big boards around. If you can’t turn a longboard, it’s not the board. Don’t ask me how I know lol.
:) I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Gong NFA longboard turns...
https://youtu.be/-Gcjja5xPe4
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on July 06, 2019, 05:36:21 AM
Totally agree with you. It's not the board, it's the rider!  :)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Dusk Patrol on July 06, 2019, 11:41:57 AM
Hey Patrice there uses his paddle, high overhead and backwards,  as a counterweight when he’s arching up front. Never thought of that. Timi get on that  ;D
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Night Wing on July 06, 2019, 06:43:49 PM
Patrice can really swing that 10 footer around. Loved the 360 he did.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: gone_foiling on July 07, 2019, 11:54:45 AM
Learning to turn one of these? Watch longboard videos on YouTube. Seeing the folks at Duct Tape or Surf Relik events will change your mind about throwing big boards around. If you can’t turn a longboard, it’s not the board. Don’t ask me how I know lol.
:) I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Gong NFA longboard turns...
https://youtu.be/-Gcjja5xPe4

Such a great video of great surfer on an excellent board.  :)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: burchas on July 07, 2019, 01:32:44 PM
Learning to turn one of these? Watch longboard videos on YouTube. Seeing the folks at Duct Tape or Surf Relik events will change your mind about throwing big boards around. If you can’t turn a longboard, it’s not the board. Don’t ask me how I know lol.
:) I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Gong NFA longboard turns...
https://youtu.be/-Gcjja5xPe4

Such a great video of great surfer on an excellent board.  :)

+1 and forgot the great conditions my friend ;)
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Wetstuff on July 24, 2019, 05:53:10 AM
There's a perfect lesson in this thread.  Not to pick on you Timi, but when you see a Patrice, Kai Lenny -a typical podium finisher- demonstrating a given board, it, sure-as-c'hit, does not mean the board will perform the same with mere mortals aboard.  My nose tells me these guys could aerial a foamy. ...' having us all considering adding a Cosco Wavestorm to the quiver.  Am I envious, have I thought that? Hell yes.

Jim
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Bean on July 24, 2019, 01:37:58 PM
True enough WS, but on the other hand, the right board brings magic...

For instance, at 205-215 lbs. I was riding my 117l Black and Blue and having a pretty good time with it.  But now at 190, the board feels better than ever.  My recently acquired, 10 x 27 New Deal might become my daily driver.  Conversely, my 10' Fanatic Stylemaster is starting to feel like an aircraft carrier, and that ain't necessarily a bad thing.
Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: eastbound on July 24, 2019, 01:57:46 PM
it's the rider.......and the wave!

i think most of us would surf better than usual on that wave

Title: Re: Longboard Style SUP: Yes, but wich one?
Post by: Timi on July 28, 2019, 07:06:20 AM
Thanks again to all of you for the helpful insights!

Sure the video linked above showing Patrice riding the NFA has nothing to do with what i can do with the board. I'm not a good surfer and never will be, given my very limited surftime. I just wanna have fun. And after a few sessions, i began to dial the board in for me. I like it a lot now. I need to adapt to the board, learn to trim it and to move back and forth on it. This has been a treat. What i enjoyed most was getting on the nose and just flying along the wave like on a magic carpet. Great feeling.
Long story short: the 10' NFA is a great addition to my 8'7 Flow!

Cheers

Tim
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