Hello everyone,

I would like to draw on the "brains trust" of this forum for some suggestions on which boards I should look at. I have done some online research and spoken to a few shops and it is all starting to get confusing.

I am a 5' 2" (157cm) female, with a small/medium frame, weighing 58 kgs, and aged late 40s.

I want to use the SUP for flat/small chop ocean paddling. One day, I may be brave enough to take it into some very small waves!
I live near the beach and will either walk the SUP board down via a SUP trolley or transport it via my ute. Very occasionally I will put it on top of my mid sized SUV for longer trips. My budget is $2k max.

I love being on the water and would use it 3-4 times per week in summer. I'm ready to buy a board suited to my specs/use. Kids are now too big/heavy for me to paddle them around, so it will just be me on the board and possibly a small (<15kg) dog in the future. I'm also the type of person that when I get a piece of kit that I love, I will hang on to it for a looong time (10+ years). I use the SUP as a form of relaxation so graphics/aesthetics is important.

I started using a SUP about 2 years ago on a cheapie 10'6" inflatable that had enough volume to float my entire family (2 adults, 3 children)!
I have been using a 10' 6" x 30" wide hard SUP on loan to me from a family member. The only downside of this board is that I have trouble carrying it due to it's length vs my height (the bum drags and I suspect that the handle wasn't centred properly).

Thanks in advance.