heading down in a couple of weeks to give the newbie Jimmy Lewis a run.....o yeah and organise my wedding


any other suppers down here wanna catch up for a sesh or 3.

feel free to pm me any smoking sup spots

2 hour session @ Scarbs easily going upwind, kiteloop backloops ... just enjoying being on the water
8-10 knots not a white cap to be seen
15m FlySurfer Speed2
Spleene Zone board
Finished off watching the sunset with an ice cold beer

Shame there were no waves (too many swimmers anyway) but it was soo glassy and great to cool off Only saw one other foil out - where was everyone?

Heaps of wind forecast this arvo so I guess it will be back to peak hour traffic again

this review was done over multiple sessions with the 11'2 up at Gnaraloo (head to waist high day) as well as some fun waist to shoulder sucky scarbs waves and a magic little session out at Dutch inn - the reef to the south of the groing - a great litlte waist to shoulder high right hander purpose built for Stand Up!

To give some perspective I am comparing the 11'2 to the Starboard 12'6 and naish 11'6 - which both surf pretty well - especially for such big , easy to use boards-i'd say close to on par with each other for different reasons.

While both of the larger boards above are predictable and provide a great trimming experience in the surf i found the Starboard to offer better flat water paddling glide with its smoother rocker - The naish had a slight stability advantage due to the fatter rails. As i said before - both are great all round SUPs - especially when you factor flatwater and new riders into the equation.

With its 30 inch width -The 11'2 wasnt alot different to the 12'6 in the standing Stability department. Even the Starboard 9'8 and 9'0 (available in future - review coming soon) hold a 30 inch width - 30 seems to be the magic number!

the 11'2 -due to its shorter length -had a bit less "glide" than the 12'6 Starboard - but still fared better than the heavily rockered naish 11'6.

Paddling you definitely need to switch sides more often as the board has less directional stability - no doubt due to its shorter waterline.

Picking up waves was a cynch - once onto them the 11'2 was definitley in another league to anything i have ridden for surfability - you could really feel the bottom and top turn rails intiating and transitoning from one to another. you can actually "pump" the 11'2 down the line- just like my old trusty 6'4- to gain more speed.

To give you an idea of how surfable the 11'2 is- you will be Looking for the breaking section to reo or floater it. And it lands em pretty easily - so your confidence grows pretty quickly!


All up i can see the 11'2 being a definite best seller as it maintains most of the flat water paddle -ability of the 12'6 while delivering surf ability in Spades!
I would probably prefer the 12'6 if i lived in an area with smaller waves and more flat water paddling. Or if i were 100kg

But if Surf starts to become more than 50% of the equation i would say go with the 11'2!

Hi Guys

anyone heard of this manufacturer - Southern Ocean Paddle Boards, Bells Beach. He sells on Ebay and I know at least one has been bought in Perth. They are expoxy and KIL shaped (computer).

I am curious as to whether anyone has tried one or owns one and what they think. They seem finished off well.

Cheers