Tired of my ISLE, need help choosing a stronger shorter board

[washingtonsurfer]

I bought ISLE's all around paddleboard a few years ago and I thinks it's time to move to something else. I surf knee high to over head waves and want something that is strong enough that I'm not gunna be fixing the board everytime my paddle hits it like the board I'm on now. Im not sure how small of a board I should go to, to be able to surf and paddle the lake every once in awhile. Looking for people's opinions as I've only been surfing for a few years. I'm not looking for the best but something that can progress my skills better than my ISLE.

[SlatchJim]

Light, Cheap, Tough.  Pick two.

I've owned 9 paddle boards since 2010, used primarily by my wife and me, but my daughter, niece, and son are regulars too.
The last 8 were from Stand Up Paddle Sports in Santa Barbara.  My first board suffered from similar symptoms as your Isle board.
The first two I bought are still in use in the family, pretty solid for 8 years running.

We just ordered a new board from them for my wife (stoke).  9-0 x 31 @130L, Ballis-tec Eco-board construction, that should weigh in at sub 17#.  We chose light and tough and consider the cost an investment in our favorite pass time.  Very very happy with their shapes, ability to customize to fit the rider, and value for the money.

[Area 10]

I bought ISLE's all around paddleboard a few years ago and I thinks it's time to move to something else. I surf knee high to over head waves and want something that is strong enough that I'm not gunna be fixing the board everytime my paddle hits it like the board I'm on now. Im not sure how small of a board I should go to, to be able to surf and paddle the lake every once in awhile. Looking for people's opinions as I've only been surfing for a few years. I'm not looking for the best but something that can progress my skills better than my ISLE.

Look at the Jimmy Lewis range. Of the bigger brands, they make the most durable-but-lightweight boards IMO. Try as many boards as you can - borrow, demo etc. and get to know what suits you best. Just try any board you can get your hands on - you’ll learn from them even if they aren’t what you are looking for. Then you’ll have a better idea of what suits you.

You don’t tell us the dimensions of your current board, or how heavy you are. That makes it a bit hard to be specific about recommendations.

[supnsurf]

I have a 9'4" Creek in washington, perfect condition

[surfsupla]

Light, Cheap, Tough.  Pick two.

I've owned 9 paddle boards since 2010, used primarily by my wife and me, but my daughter, niece, and son are regulars too.
The last 8 were from Stand Up Paddle Sports in Santa Barbara.  My first board suffered from similar symptoms as your Isle board.
The first two I bought are still in use in the family, pretty solid for 8 years running.

We just ordered a new board from them for my wife (stoke).  9-0 x 31 @130L, Ballis-tec Eco-board construction, that should weigh in at sub 17#.  We chose light and tough and consider the cost an investment in our favorite pass time.  Very very happy with their shapes, ability to customize to fit the rider, and value for the money.

I have a couple of boards made in the ballis tech construction. I dont think you can find a better build honestly. Still surfs great and is super light and super durable.

[Night Wing]

I had my  11'1" One World, built by Stand Up Paddle Sports, made with ballis-tec construction. I am a fan of this type of construction.

[washingtonsurfer]

I bought ISLE's all around paddleboard a few years ago and I thinks it's time to move to something else. I surf knee high to over head waves and want something that is strong enough that I'm not gunna be fixing the board everytime my paddle hits it like the board I'm on now. Im not sure how small of a board I should go to, to be able to surf and paddle the lake every once in awhile. Looking for people's opinions as I've only been surfing for a few years. I'm not looking for the best but something that can progress my skills better than my ISLE.

Look at the Jimmy Lewis range. Of the bigger brands, they make the most durable-but-lightweight boards IMO. Try as many boards as you can - borrow, demo etc. and get to know what suits you best. Just try any board you can get your hands on - you’ll learn from them even if they aren’t what you are looking for. Then you’ll have a better idea of what suits you.

You don’t tell us the dimensions of your current board, or how heavy you are. That makes it a bit hard to be specific about recommendations.

I'm 180lbs my board now is 10'10", 31" wide and 4 1/2" thick. I've been looking at the starboard blue carbon line anyone familiar with their construction? Dont get me wrong I dont need the best of the best but I dont mind spending the money for quality!

[TallDude]

The strongest most durable will be a PVC foam (Divinycell) composite sandwich. It's like the way some of the better built Naish, Coreban, Gong's, and a few others are made. Just to say they are Vacuum Bagged does not mean the composite is the strongest. You take a shaped EPS foam board, you wrap it completely with 4 lbs (3/8" thick) PVC foam that is sandwiched between two layers of glass and you have a board that will all most never have to be repaired. The next closest in strength is a wood veneer sandwich composite.

https://www.naishsurfing.com/product/mad-dog-811-pro-sandwich/

[Dusk Patrol]

Look at a 9’5 Starboard Widepoint (32”) in Starlite construction.  Or Supnsurf’s 9’4” Sunova Creek.

[Area 10]

I bought ISLE's all around paddleboard a few years ago and I thinks it's time to move to something else. I surf knee high to over head waves and want something that is strong enough that I'm not gunna be fixing the board everytime my paddle hits it like the board I'm on now. Im not sure how small of a board I should go to, to be able to surf and paddle the lake every once in awhile. Looking for people's opinions as I've only been surfing for a few years. I'm not looking for the best but something that can progress my skills better than my ISLE.

Look at the Jimmy Lewis range. Of the bigger brands, they make the most durable-but-lightweight boards IMO. Try as many boards as you can - borrow, demo etc. and get to know what suits you best. Just try any board you can get your hands on - you’ll learn from them even if they aren’t what you are looking for. Then you’ll have a better idea of what suits you.

You don’t tell us the dimensions of your current board, or how heavy you are. That makes it a bit hard to be specific about recommendations.

I'm 180lbs my board now is 10'10", 31" wide and 4 1/2" thick. I've been looking at the starboard blue carbon line anyone familiar with their construction? Dont get me wrong I dont need the best of the best but I dont mind spending the money for quality!

If you want more performance in the surf then you’ll probably need to maintain the width and thickness (or even decrease them) as you drop the length. If you go shorter but wider (and maybe thicker too) you’ll get a very different feel board for sure, but depending on how good your existing board is, and the waves you ride, you might not find much improvement in performance. You might even find you like it less. For instance, I surf slow fat waves and I prefer longer, thinner, narrower boards to shorter, wider, fatter ones.

And TallDude is right: a full PVC sandwich board is generally by far the best construction - which is why I recommended the Jimmy Lewis boards - they are virtually all (maybe all?) full PVC sandwich.

Mind you, I do have a custom that is 2x6oz all over, vacuum bagged, with resin tint rather than paint, and it is very strong and durable. So it does also depend on the skill of the builder, not just the materials. And some wood sandwich boards can be pretty tough (I’ve got a couple of Gong boards that are full wood sandwich plus carbon, and Kevlar-wrapped rails, which are proving pretty tough). However, with most wood sandwich constructions, if you get a ding that penetrates to the wood, because of the grain they use it will generally suck in water, and then you have an expensive and difficult repair. (It is possible to do a wood sandwich that doesn’t do this (much), but most brands don’t because it would be more expensive.) Full PVC sandwich is so durable because the PVC is inherently waterproof (unlike wood), so unless you actually penetrate the PVC layer (which is often 3mm thick vs. e.g. 0.6mm for a typical wood sandwich, and is pretty tough) then the foam is protected from the water and it will not get waterlogged from the ding.

So, in other words, it is really worth looking at what you are actually buying when you buy a board. It makes a HUGE difference to the ease of ownership of a board. And PVC is an expensive material to use, so bear that in mind. So start looking very carefully at those little pictures that most of the better brands provide that show the boards’ construction, and ask yourself what it is exactly you are buying. Even the quality of the foam can vary a lot from board to board.

[JimK]

Washingtonsurfer,

It might help if you give us your size (height/weight) and surf ability (what conditions you are comfortable in)
To give you a better board(s) selection.

but my 2 cents here

I'd look at the Fanatic line particularly the AllWave (AW) Lots of info on this site about them It is hard to be the quality of their design and construction.
Another line I'm really impressed with is Quatro (glide is the model) These are pretty advanced shapes and the construction is looking amazing (from my customer feed back and personal experience)

PLUS we offer significant ZONER DEALS on all products we sell board wise we also sell Starboard/Naish/JP Australia to name a few more

Looking forward to helping you find the RIGHT board

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing

[Wetstuff]

Washer...  Similar circumstances, but c'hit for skills.  I have bounced all over the place thinking: 'It's the board!'   No  ..but, I have learned a lot. I found 'windsurfing' brands to be 'chippy' because they make them the way they always have. JimK mentioned the Allwave, which seemed a perfect solution, but it was too corky - I felt I was standing on a beach ball. A-10, talked about the fragility of wood, but I got (still have) a Sunnova where 3" of the tail rail was simply crushed. I fixed it myself; it was not hard and is perfectly fine.  The board I got from Blue Planet was a good deal and does everything well (for me).  Jimmy Lewis was mentioned - I am not an annual buyer any longer, but I'd probably have one of his if I was  ..and, a Gong if they were here  ..and more Sunova.

No matter what - stay away from cheap brands without a shaper's pedigree. Good luck to you.

Jim

[NorthJerzSurfer]

I bought ISLE's all around paddleboard a few years ago and I thinks it's time to move to something else. I surf knee high to over head waves and want something that is strong enough that I'm not gunna be fixing the board everytime my paddle hits it like the board I'm on now. Im not sure how small of a board I should go to, to be able to surf and paddle the lake every once in awhile. Looking for people's opinions as I've only been surfing for a few years. I'm not looking for the best but something that can progress my skills better than my ISLE.

Look at the Jimmy Lewis range. Of the bigger brands, they make the most durable-but-lightweight boards IMO. Try as many boards as you can - borrow, demo etc. and get to know what suits you best. Just try any board you can get your hands on - you’ll learn from them even if they aren’t what you are looking for. Then you’ll have a better idea of what suits you.

You don’t tell us the dimensions of your current board, or how heavy you are. That makes it a bit hard to be specific about recommendations.

I'm 180lbs my board now is 10'10", 31" wide and 4 1/2" thick. I've been looking at the starboard blue carbon line anyone familiar with their construction? Dont get me wrong I dont need the best of the best but I dont mind spending the money for quality!

Those older Isle boards are traditional construction.  No sup company today uses that and yes they will dent and ding like crazy.

You dont need to step up to a Carbon Starboard.  massive jump in price.  I would really search the used markets.  I also started on that same Isle and have been through probably 20 boards.  Everytime I buy new I felt a little burned based on how fast these depreciate.

My everyday board is an 8'6 I bought for 300 bucks on Craigslist. and I have 2k boards on the shelf.


Search for something used and if it doesnt work you maybe loose a few hundred bucks when you re-sell- at least its not 1-2k if you buy a new Starboard and need to dump it.

(also- that 9'4 creek is a good option someone has for sale above- at 180 youll be able to flat water paddle it- and its wide nose makes for a nice step down from the all Around Isle)

[TallDude]

Always the dilema... I have shapes floating around in my head all the time . Even when I not surfing (which is right now). Actually the waves are good right now, and I could go,,,,, but I surfed yesterday and it was fun so I can give it a rest. Glass off session tonight!
Anyways.... I've repaired my boards and others boards so much so that I see what lasts and what doesn't a how it was made. Once I understood the different levels of durability and cost of the most durable it gave me a new perspective on how I value a board. My first surf SUP I bought indirectly from Dan Gavere. It was probably Dan's first SUP as well because SUP had just started. 11'6 Naish Nalu. I was built as a cross over windsurf / SUP. It has a mast track. The eps core was molded, and the board has a PVC composite wrap. PVC cassettes on all fin boxes, handle, mast track, and leash plugs. The nose has been chipped to death and repainted a number of times over the years. One time it took huge shore pounds on a mix of sand and rocks when my leash broke during a storm swell. It was repeatedly sucked back over the falls and slammed against the shore for a good 3 to 5 minutes before I could swim to it. The fin got spun as it got dragged back out. It landed on both sides multiple times. Just scratches and chipped paint, NO other damage. I still have and use that board and it's never leaked to this day. Same thing goes for my Coreban Icon with a full PVC sandwich construction.

Now,  do I love how these boards surf? NO. They are good shapes for what they are, but not the exact shape the I "want to surf". I have 8 SUP boards right now. Five of them have leaks that I have yet to repair. My main distance 18' Hobie that is all CF, I just repaired. The other two that don't leak are the above two mentioned PVC composites. Most manufactures don't do this on all or even most of the line of boards because of the price point.

If you look at the price of a PVC composite construction board and it's near $2K US, if not more. It's because it is a more difficult process with expensive materials. I can have a board CNC'd out of 1.5 lbs EPS with a stringer for about $140. US.  A 32" x 48" sheet of PVC foam is about $50. To completely wrap a typical 9' x 31" board with PVC, I would need 5 sheets. $250. US + shipping, just for the PVC material. You have to modify your original CNC shape to be 3/8" less all around the board to accommodate the added 3/8" PVC wrap. Then you have to hot gun shape and cut the PVC so it fits like a shell around the EPS shaped blank before you laminate / V-bag it. Fitting it properly with precision cuts around all the contours of a complex shape, is not easy. It takes time. More time than it takes to CNC a board.

So knowing all the effort and cost that goes into making a virtually indestructible board, you would want to be sure that the shape is perfect.....Right! We surfer's really are never completely happy with the shapes we ride. It's like a marriage, till death do us part. Is this the perfect one for me, or this one a 'good fit' for longevity? We both have similar goals. We want to have fun in the surf, but we want it to last. 

I found my daily ride the Coreban Icon with the PVC construction on CL for $700. It was almost new ($1,800. new). It's been over three years, tons of surf sessions, and never leaked or been repaired. I should probably paint the chipped up nose. It surfs fine, but not great. The next board I'm in the process of building ( I'm planning on having it CNC'd next month), will just be a hand lay-up. 4-6 S-Glass with CF in the right spots. I may or may not like the board. I'll probably tweak design on the next board. If I find some magic, I'll consider marrying it ... ... with a PVC wrap.

[JimK]

Guys,

The NEW Fanatic AW shape has thinner rails and is not as "Corky" and Fanatics AW construction is outstanding, and the new VCT (that the AW's are made from is amazing in durability, and lightness.

It's a board that will help you progress and is high performance w/o the high performance cost

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing