BigGuy SUP Search 2015

[SUPcheat]

I would just get some Solar EZ or solar activated epoxy from a surf shop, dab it over the areas, leave it in the sun so that the areas are sealed to water, and go ahead and use it.  You can take it to a surf shop for a proper repair later when you aren't using the board.

 As long as the part doesn't leak water into the board, you should be good to go.

It is going to get dinged eventually, so now you don't have to worry about it being perfect any more.

[BigGuy]

Thanks for the tip...  Ill head back to the shop tomorrow to get some stuff to fix it up...

Was bummed out as i hoped i would have been the first person to eff up the board....  Ah well...

Ill snap some pics when i finally get it out on the water later this week.

[DavidJohn]

Bummer about the ding.. I'd recommend getting some 'ding tape' from your local surf shop and later have a proper repair done.

[BigGuy]

Hey everyone!

Thanks again for the tips on board repair...
I went out and got some epoxy and started some work on the repair.. 

Here is a Before(cleaned up) shot of the damage:



And here is the After shot..



All the epoxy dried to "Off White" as you can see in the picture.  Cannot tell the difference running your finger over it.

Going to take the board out tomorrow to see if my PHAT* ass can stand up on it....

BigGuy

* - PHAT.  Pretty Hot And Tempting.  lol

[SlatchJim]

Looks like a solid job. 

By the way, if you don't end up wet you got a boat and not a sup, and if you can't stand up, you could have saved money and gotten swim fins.  Such is the nature of sup... and life.

I use a lot of balance training and functional training. Basically it's where you add an element of instability to a regular exercise. So whether it's on the physioball or the Bosu ball or just balancing on one leg, I try to incorporate an unstable plane and/or movement to the exercise, so the body's doing two or more movements. - Steve Nash

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes. - John Wooden

The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves. - Steven Spielberg

Use our advice, but make some original mistakes... like letting your brother hold your board. 

[BigGuy]

Thanks!  Looking forward to taking it on the water tomorrow and see how it works....
I know i will make many mistakes and will likely have many more patches to fix on the board...  The ding in the nose from the tree just set me back a few days of use.

GoPro Charged. Need to figure out where i am going to mount it.
TYhen a weekend at the cottage having fun.

Thanks again to everyone for your suggestions, tips and information!

[Boardfit]

Advice sought from another tall dude.

1. I'm a big guy.  My height is 6'6" and weight is 265 lbs.
2. I'm looking for an inflatable SUP for limited storage/transport reasons mainly.
3. Most of my riding will be done in harbors or marinas, saltwater with relatively smooth conditions, but occasionally some chop.
4. I prefer the stability of a wider (35"?) and longer hull (12-14') due to my size, but because I have some riding experience and decent balance, I am also looking for some modest degree of maneuverability (should I consider a displacement hull?) with a higher tail volume.
5.  My budget is $500-700 for the board, pump, a good paddle, leash, and semi rigid fin.  I would be willing to spend a bit more for the right gear.
Can you recommend a brand or model?  I'm not necessarily looking for a new board, but that would be nice.  Thank you very much.

I'm relocating to Ventura county this month and looking for great spots to ride.  Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Better increase your budget.

[Boardfit]

Advice sought from another tall dude.

1. I'm a big guy.  My height is 6'6" and weight is 265 lbs.
2. I'm looking for an inflatable SUP for limited storage/transport reasons mainly.
3. Most of my riding will be done in harbors or marinas, saltwater with relatively smooth conditions, but occasionally some chop.
4. I prefer the stability of a wider (35"?) and longer hull (12-14') due to my size, but because I have some riding experience and decent balance, I am also looking for some modest degree of maneuverability (should I consider a displacement hull?) with a higher tail volume.
5.  My budget is $500-700 for the board, pump, a good paddle, leash, and semi rigid fin.  I would be willing to spend a bit more for the right gear.
Can you recommend a brand or model?  I'm not necessarily looking for a new board, but that would be nice.  Thank you very much.

I'm relocating to Ventura county this month and looking for great spots to ride.  Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Better increase your budget. I'm not aware of anything inflatable remotely close to that price. Not to mention a "good" paddle alone will consume nearly half that budget.

[BigGuy]

Hey Everyone!!

Had an awesome cottage weekend with the family and figured I would share my BEGINNER experience on my new board.

In case you didn't read through this topic already, here is a brief summary:

I'm a BIG guy who was looking for a BIG board to start SUPing on light wind days.  After a lot of help from the forums I ended up getting the Starboard Atlas Extra 12' x 36". 

Back to my experience.. 

So the cottage we rented which was stated as a lake front cottage, was in fact, NOT a lake front cottage.. It required around a 5 minute walk downhill/shotty steps to the lake front.  The board was light enough to carry down and back up this hill with ease.

Once down and on the water the board was beautiful, lake was calm, almost no wind.  Bugs were EVERYWHERE.  So I set out on to the water.  First on my knees paddling out, getting used to everything..  Then, I decided to stand up.....  That was entertaining.  I'm going to call it the SUP Shuffle.  As i stood up, feet too close together and too far back, the board moved slightly forward and back in rapid succession as my body tried to balance out and stand straight.  This was my first swim...
Second time I managed to stand up, slightly wobbly.  I tried to move my left foot closer to the rail of the board, but it didn't want to un-stick from the deck.  Lost balance..  Swim.
Third time was the charm.  On my knees further forward on the board, I managed to stand up in the perfect stop, feet wide enough for balance.  I used the paddle as a 3rd "contact" spot on the water for balance..  BAMM!!  I was standing firmly.

I managed to paddle about halfway across the lake and noticed my calves were starting to BURN!  all the micro movements to keep me stable on that board were starting to take a toll...  So i dove into the water to cool off(it was about 42 degrees with the humidex).  Hopped back on and rode back to our dock to take a break.  Went out a few more times just to get used to the board.

Day 2 was even better..  On the water early..  Windy, so i went into the wind..  Crossed the lake, paddled around then went back down wind to the dock..  about an hour and 20 min trip.  had to rest twice because my calves were on fire.
Went out again in the evening in the rain for another hour.

Overall Impression of the board:

Amazing for my use.  I only had the center fin on so it turned really quick on the water.  I was going to put the side fins on to test out the difference but forgot the tool to screw them in(i know, I'm a tool).
Buoyancy with me on it was not an issue. I didn't sink the board.  It moved really quick on the water. Not as fast as my brother in a kayak, but quick enough for me.
Family members tried it out, most 100lbs or lighter then me, and they had no issues standing up and getting their balance.  the board was HUGE..  even had my sister and her kid on the board for a little tour.


No pics this weekend.  Was having way to much fun to even think about getting my camera out..  And I forgot the GoPro mount.

Thanks again everyone for the help!  Loving this sport!

[Off-Shore]

BigGuy. Awesome to read your progress! That's the beauty of this sport more than any other I know. It's one of the fastest most satisfying sports to learn, low impact which means most people can do it, and gets you in better shape faster than most low impact sports I know. It's the micro-muscle thing. All those micro stabilising moves that you don't even know your doing until those calves start burning!

I went from that first week of finding out how great the sport was to figuring out how I could get SUP into my routine. It's hard as at first I felt I was playing hooky to my work or family and I felt guilty about taking the time doing something I love. However that misses the point completely. An hour or even 45mins of SUP x 3 times a week changed my life and health in ways I can't explain. Since then I've upped this to 5-6 hours a week and if I can more. No gym. No running. No trips to the Physio for back pain and I'm in the best shape I've been in 20 years.

"Loving this sport" is a great way to start. Keep on paddling!

[BigGuy]

Hey Everyone!

It has been about a month since I have had the board.  I haven't been able to get out as much as I have wanted to due to work, family obligations, ect.  But in the last 2 weeks I have managed to get get 2-3 times a week and with a clear schedule, I'm hoping to get out every day for the next 4 days..

Things I have noticed so far:

1.  After a good session out on the water, my legs(calves especially) are spent.  Even after a walk and stretching them out they dislike me.  I'm guessing from all the little micro movements my body makes to keep my ass on the board.

2.  AMAZING workout.  Keeps my heart rate right in the money zone for working out.  Burns a lot of calories too.

3.  Still trying to get the proper positioning on the board.  My balance is still a bit wonky at times especially when im trying to move my feet into a different position.  Trying to get that right spot is still key..  Especially at my local lake..  I usually start off early so it's calm, but by the time im heading in, there is some small rollers, especially from boats, that throw me off..

4. Foot positioning.  Im usually opposite from the hand grip on the board..  Should i be further back on the board?    I think I'm going to have to test this out tomorrow..

A friend took some pics but they were on a phone, I was WAY out there and the pics were horrible....  Im going to see if i can find my GoPro Head strap thing and use that..   Might have to find a hat though..  Shaved head + Sun + Head Strap = HORRIBLE TAN LINES!    Made that mistake last year......

[supthecreek]

Great to hear you're update BigGuy!

The burn will ease up as your "small twitch" muscles get rebuilt.

Foot positioning is generally each side of the handle.... if the board is "balanced"
Pick it up.... does it tilt towards the nose or tail?
If so.. adjust your feet to the actual balance point.
You want the tail just above water... if it's under.... you are plowing water up front.

Look at the horizon... or around at the scenery.... not down at the board.
...and shake out your shoulders and body.... stay loose.

MOST importantly.... knees slightly bent.... in a balanced "athletic stance", with your body leaning slightly forward.

Boat wakes.... keep your paddle in the water... keep speed up and look at the horizon... not the waves.

Sounds like your having a blast.... keep charging ahead!

[Eagle]

In case you didn't read through this topic already, here is a brief summary:

I'm a BIG guy who was looking for a BIG board to start SUPing on light wind days.  After a lot of help from the forums I ended up getting the Starboard Atlas Extra 12' x 36". 

Great to see another converted.  Tried that board recently and it is awesome!  Solid and stable -> perfect!  Can even DW on it in the future.   

Stick with it and squat down low if you feel tippy.  Moving your feet is also good to help with circulation.   Standing a little back on the board also helps when going through waves.   

[bigmak]

New to the forum here and wanted to ask about this topic and figured I'd try adding to this thread here instead of starting a new one. I could use some advice on boards.  I'm also a big dude, 6'5" 295 (down from 340 and I'm not going to get any less than 280).  I currently own a Starboard Avanti and a Blair 11'2".  I surf my boards and have gotten comfortable catching and dropping in on waves and feel like I want a smaller board that's more maneuverable.  I was thinking of getting another Blair but I feel his boards are really heavy, at least compared to my Avanti. 

One question I have is about width.  Is it better to go shorter and keep it wide?  Like a Starboard Whopper Extra?  And the other is about volume?  How low could I realistically go?  I'm 38 years old and pretty athletic, believe it or not. 

Boards I'm thinking about are:

1. Jimmy Lewis Maestro
2. Starboard Whopper Extra
3. Blair 10'6" or have him shape me a custom
4. JP Fusion 10'8"

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
   

[stoneaxe]

So many choices these days. How wide or short you go depends on what you really want to do. I'm similarly sized. My quiver is in my signature below. Probably the most versatile board I have is my 10-4 Foote, It's 34" wide and 175 litres, the rails are thinned out so it feels narrower surfing and performs like a shorter board but still gets in early.

My 9-0 x 34 170? litre South County was the 1st "big guys" board I bought. Fell in love the 1st time I had it out primarily because of the contrast to what I had been surfing (sold my 11-2 Starboard blend to pay for it). Even though I liked the blend I wanted to go shorter. Unfortunately South County is no more.

I went shorter still with a Simmons like shape. My Vec 8-4 x 33 is around 160 litres. This board turns on a dime. When I 1st started surfing it I kept blowing my turns by going too far.

For background I'm 58, reasonably athletic but with crappy balance. I tell folks that are around the same size as me that if I can do it you can too. I think you might be thinking too big with your choices

I don't usually recommend much beyond telling folks to demo but I'm pretty confident that most big guys would like or love the Foote. It's pretty stable with the 34" but the thin rails can be buried easily and it carves. I also love that I can walk all over it.