Author Topic: Another "What board" beginner question  (Read 8036 times)

Templar

  • Waikiki Status
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • View Profile
Another "What board" beginner question
« on: July 09, 2019, 02:07:37 AM »
    Hi all.

    I'm 39 years living in Portugal, Lisbon area. Started surfing already in my adulthood and in my last 6/7 years I've been riding a 9'4'' longboard. I want to try SUP Surfing.
    I'm 6'4 and weight about 90-92kgs.

    Second hand market here is mostly inflatables, big flatwater SUPs or small SUP surfboards.
    Right now, this are my best options:
    • 2nd hand Starboard Widepoint 9'5 - 9’5” x 32”X 4.3'' x 153L vol
    or

    They are about the same price.

    Main objective is catching waves and have fun, I don't do very advanced technical stuff. I usually surf knee to head high waves.
    Having the option of doing the odd river paddle is a nice to have also.

    What board you think it would suit me best, taking into consideration all above and in terms of stability vs surfability vs fun factor. Will they surf very diferently?

    Thanks in advance
« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 02:09:39 AM by Templar »

Badger

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2662
  • Seacoast NH
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2019, 04:40:32 AM »
Tough choice.

The Gong looks nice. If your normal conditions are fairly clean, the 30" width should be stable enough for someone with previous surfing experience like yourself. A little low volume for flatwater but it will do it. Good volume for surfing at your weight once you get used to it.

The 32" Widepoint will be more stable in choppy conditions. Helpful on head high days. The higher volume will be better for all around paddling.

.

« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 05:06:57 AM by Badger »
Kalama E3 6'1 x 23" 105L
Axis HPS 980 / PNG 1300
Sunova Flow  8'10 X 31"  119L
Me - 6'0" - 165lbs - 66yo

supthecreek

  • Guest
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2019, 06:06:20 AM »
Hi Templar, welcome to the Zone!

You are in luck, there is an awesome group of SUPsters right near you.
Go to visit my friend Manuel at GUSU SUP shop at Praia da Parede  between Lisbon and Cascais.

They carry mostly NSP.
Jorge, the area NSP rep, surfs there every day.

My Buddy Cisco has a base model  NSP 9'8 x 32 Elements and a 10' x 30 Gong NFA140.

Of these two boards I wasn't really that excited to ride the Elements... boy, was I wrong.
I much preferred the 9'8 Elements... it surfs great! Very stable, paddles nicely and surprisingly agile.... I really enjoyed that board!

I looked on the NSP website and was a little bummed to see that it now comes as a 9'2 or a 10'0
But considering that you are 6'4, my best advice for you would be to try the NSP 10' Allrounder.... it should be a perfect board to transition to SUP.
You will appreciate the 32" width.

See Manuel and Jorge .... they will take awesome care of you!
The shop opens mid morning.

Hint:
When you get to Praia Parede, you can't see the shop.... just walk down the stairs to the beach and the "Wall" community magically appears!  ;D
Please tell them I miss them!

Note:
It is very crowded with SUPs on the weekends and after work (see pic #1), but mornings are usually empty.

Here's my video of "the Wall" and interview with Manuel at GUSU (Get Up, Stand Up)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgEkA2vq89I&t=329s

Pic #1
I am riding the 9'8 Elements while filming my buddy Cisco on his Gong NFA

Pic #2
Showing the rounded pintail of the 9'8


nalu-sup

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 348
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2019, 08:27:34 AM »
One other idea to consider. I believe that Gong will deliver to your front door for free. I would suggest you think about the Gong Karmen 9'8" X 32" @ 155 liters. It should be way more stable than the 30" wide Gong you mentioned, and should have better performance unless you are just going to focus on nose riding. The Karmen should have great performance for you to grow into, I would expect more than the NSP. The prices from Gong for a new board are comparable to many used boards.
Maybe contact the guys at Gong, and see what they think about that board for you. You might also try to contact Colas in France who is on many of the SUP forums. He is very knowledgeable  and helpful about the Gong options.
8'7" Sunova Flow 
8'8" Sunova SP25
9'0" Elua Makani
9'0" Tabou SupaSurf 
14' SIC Bullet 2020

Templar

  • Waikiki Status
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2019, 10:26:09 AM »
Hi all.

Thanks a lot for the sugestions and opinions.

The Creek, when I got the idea of buying a SUP some weeks ago, I typed "SUP Portugal" on youtube and one of the first video that was listed was one of you surfing on our beatifull SW Algarve coast. I watched some more videos from your channel, including the one you posted. I know Parede beach but I  usually surf in Caparica (south of the river few miles from Lisbon). I will give a call to those guys and tell them that it was you that forward me to them :)

So we have already two new options:

NSP Allrounder 10 or Gong Karmen 9'8''. I Believe there is a 2nd hand NSP Allrounder 9'8 listed for sale and will look into it also.

What worries me in the Gong NFA is it's width (a bit less than 31'') and the volume(140 l) which I think it might be a bit ambitious considering I'm new to SUP, tall and about 200 Lbs(90kg). I don't want to spend months learning to ride that thing.
Also, I will surf mostly on beachbrakes and our coast  is windy and many times conditions are chopy. So, not sure if a longboard style board is the best option for a one board quiver... I want something that works at least in 75% of conditions, its fun and easy to surf on knee to head high waves.

What do you think?

Thanks






nalu-sup

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 348
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2019, 10:58:45 AM »
I agree with you that anything under 32" wide, or under 150 liters of volume, is going to be challenging for a beginning SUPer your height and weight in windy or choppy conditions which you say you will be in.
Since you already surf, and are looking for a board for the surf, I would be a little cautious about anything advertised as an "Allrounder". I am sure that some of them surf fine, but often these make a lot of compromises in rocker, rails, and bottom contours that are fine for paddling around in flat water, but may not have much performance on a wave.
Gong list the 9'8" Karmen as being perfect for someone at 95 kg, so that would seem to fit for you, and the design appears to look like a good performer in the surf. At 18.75", ,the tai is pulled enough to allow for some decent turning on a wave.
Here is a great video showing the construction, and at 10 kilos, the weight on the 9'8" is quite good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i5Ta3Cakow
8'7" Sunova Flow 
8'8" Sunova SP25
9'0" Elua Makani
9'0" Tabou SupaSurf 
14' SIC Bullet 2020

Scallop

  • Waikiki Status
  • *
  • Posts: 42
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2019, 12:31:17 PM »
"<<<<The Creek, when I got the idea of buying a SUP some weeks ago, I typed "SUP Portugal" on youtube and one of the first video that was listed was one of you surfing on our beatifull SW Algarve coast. I watched some more videos from your channel, including the one you posted. I know Parede beach but I  usually surf in Caparica (south of the river few miles from Lisbon). I will give a call to those guys and tell them that it was you that forward me to them :)

So we have already two new options:

NSP Allrounder 10 or Gong Karmen 9'8''. I Believe there is a 2nd hand NSP Allrounder 9'8 listed for sale and will look into it also.>>>"

Creek is talking about the NSP "Cruise" in 9-8. Looks like NSP doesn't make it in Elements at that size anymore but they do make it in the Coco constructions at that size. Once you go bigger than 9-8 it loses the round tail. Something that could change the way the board surfs. NSP looks like they often take a size out of a line and mix it up to perform differently on occasion.

I have an elements Allrounder (different model) board and the layup is soft, great design, not so great construction, built to a price point so it is what it is.

Haven't been exposed to the coco materials but will have one in hand this week as I bought a lighter replacement for my Elements NSP Allrounder.


My board, great big board, small wave groveler and flat water cruiser.
https://surftech.com/nsp-coco-flax-allrounder/

The Cruise
https://surftech.com/nsp-coco-flax-cruise/







« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 12:33:31 PM by Scallop »
Sunova Steeze 9'6"
NSP Coco Flax Allrounder 10'11"
NSP Elements Allrounder 10'11"
Surftech 10'6"

Dusk Patrol

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1176
  • PNW
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2019, 02:06:58 PM »
Also, I will surf mostly on beachbrakes and our coast  is windy and many times conditions are chopy. So, not sure if a longboard style board is the best option for a one board quiver... I want something that works at least in 75% of conditions, its fun and easy to surf on knee to head high waves.

Hey Templar,

Not much discussion yet about the 9'5 Wide Point.  It's a great match for your conditions and you'll be able to grow into it, performance wise. (See Badger's comments.)  That said, if it were me, it would also be important that it have the ergo ledge handle (circa maybe 2015 and later?) and be decently light, construction wise, meaning carbon, starlite or so-called 'electric', in that order.  Just commenting that you have some good choices there.  (...including NSP).

BTW check Creek's #2 photo... I'm not used to seeing all SUPS.... usually a distinct minority among the prone.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2019, 02:10:18 PM by Dusk Patrol »
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

supthecreek

  • Guest
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2019, 02:44:21 PM »
Scallop, thanks for that info.
I admit that I don't know any more than what I saw when riding these boards.... as most know, I am a Sunova guy.
But I am always interested in all boards and ride whatever I can get my hands on.

It may well have been the 9'8 Cruise that I surfed, because my vid shows it as a single fin only and tie downs.
Whatever it was.... it surfed far better than any of his others I rode... and I'm pretty picky.
I would be leery of the 10' Cruise, if it's anything like my buddy's 10'11.

I followed the link that Scallop posted for the Allrounder at Surftech and noticed that
Surftech CocoFLAX version of the 10' Allrounder is only 29.3" wide...
that's pretty narrow.

The NSP site lists the CocoMAT Allrounder 10 x 32

From my research on the NSP site:
I'd be very comfortable recommending the 10' x 32" Allounder in CocoMAT at 9.7 kg
https://www.nspsurfboards.com/product/cocomat-allrounder/

Templar,
Manuel and Jorge will probably have lots to show you and probably let you demo right there.... I think it would be worth the trip. Manuel is a wealth of SUP information and a totally awesome guy.

While I was in Parede, the wind was always north, so I never got to surf Caparica, but I did get a nice tour of the breaks with my friend Tiago Silva at Mauka Lodge in Ericiera. The breaks there looked really nice!

Dusk Patrol

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1176
  • PNW
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2019, 03:19:44 PM »
The NSP Allrounder has relatively thick rails. Photos show comparison with Surftech Generator (on top)
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

Templar

  • Waikiki Status
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2019, 02:29:25 AM »
Badger,
thanks a lot for your inputs, stability wise looks like the widepoint will be the best all around board and maybe the safest well proven option, but also the one that costs the most, even 2nd hand

Nalu-Sup
thanks for the help. Gong is in fact very popular here in Europe and they're prices are a steal. I believe they only offer free shiping in France, bue even with that added cost, they still manage to be very competitive. Without ever seeing or trying one, I would say that probably they have the best cost/efectiveness relationship in the market. For sure a real contender with the top brands and half their price.

Scallop
thanks for sharing your experience with NSP. The Coco ones look amazing, but they cost 60 or 70% more than the elements version.

Dusk-Patrol
Thanks for the inputs and for taking the time to compare the boards. The rails on the NSP look in fact thicker. Looking for the boards alone withou considering cost, the Widepoint probably would be the board that would suit me best at this stage.

SupTheCreek
Thanks a lot for sharing all the information. You were right - I already managed to get Jorge's phone and talked to him a lot. He looks like a great guy and remembers you very well. He is an NSP Team Rider and used to compete in the longboard national circuit. He told me that 80% of the time he surfs an 11' NSP Cruise, same board that you used but bigger... He have sent me pictures and videos of him doing pretty much every manouver on that board in all kinds of waves...The man swears by it and advises me the same board :)
I feel 11' is to much for me and the extra lenght might make things more dificult in the surf at this stage, so I'm considering either the 9'8 Elements Cruise or the 10'' Elements  Allrounder (main diference is the round nose on the Cruise and pointed nose on the Allrounder. Both have the rounded pin tail at this sizes). I'll probably be with him today at lunch time to check the boards and for the price he can do to me, it is a very very tempting proposition.

With all that said I think any of this options would be valid and each one has pros and cons. Looking at the facts, regardless of the chosen option, this will be my first board but with a great deal of chance, it won't be the last. So, this will be a board to sell in the nearby future and investing more at this stage means losing more € when reseling it...The NSP is by far the cheapest option, although maybe not the "best" board, but looks like it is very surfable and can be a great introduction to the sport, providing lots of imediate fun. I can sell it 2nd hand almost for the price that it would cost me new.
On the other hand Surf is more about passion and emotion than rationality. The more refined details on the Gongs or the Starboard for sure will allow better performance and maybe a quicker evolution. But I'm not sure if that is what I'm looking after at this stage and again I don't think this will be my last board.

Very hard decisions to make:)

« Last Edit: July 10, 2019, 02:32:29 AM by Templar »

Ichabod Spoonbill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2174
  • Hudson Valley, NY
    • View Profile
    • HVH2O
    • Email
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2019, 09:06:26 AM »
If it means anything, I had an 11' NSP as my first board (2011). I still have it, recently repaired it, and have just passed it on to my daughter. I don't have experience with the others, but that is a nice board. I loaned it to another paddler last week for an ACA certification course. She really liked it.

These are the opinions of non-surfers, so take it for what it is.
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

Area 10

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4057
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2019, 07:19:48 AM »
I had that same NSP 11ft. It was tough and a respectable beginners board for cruising. But it surfed like an absolute dog, so I sold it. It was strange actually, because the same era NSP 10ft version actually surfed well -which is why I had got the 11 in the first place. So, if you want a cheap and durable cruiser then I’d consider the 11, especially if you don’t have to carry it far. But if you want to do a significant amount of surfing with it as well, I think there will be better boards.

Badger

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2662
  • Seacoast NH
    • View Profile
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2019, 07:26:20 AM »
Reminds me of the Starboard Blend I used to have. That's another dog. Great for flatwater but surfed awful.

.
Kalama E3 6'1 x 23" 105L
Axis HPS 980 / PNG 1300
Sunova Flow  8'10 X 31"  119L
Me - 6'0" - 165lbs - 66yo

SouthCounty

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 223
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Another "What board" beginner question
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2019, 05:29:31 PM »
This is what I've been looking at, haven't had a chance to demo it yet but its the Infinity wide aquatic 10'4 x 32 its classified as a utility board built with a true surf rocker. Im just not sure yet?
14' x 27" Infinity blackfish
10'4 Infinity wide aquatic
14 x 24.5 Infinity blackfish dugout

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal