Hehe yeah, we've all got to start somewhere. FWIW I'm 6'2, nudging 120kg and will see 50 in the new year. I started SUP in March this year, I've never surfed and my balance is iffy at best. I demo'd the 14 Glide, 14 Hobie, 14 Fanatic (perhaps unfairly, in very poor conditions) and a couple of Starbies before taking a punt on the 14x30 DC, based on the extra width.
I've had the DC for about three months and have done a fair bit of flat water time and out 'n back on it in the cooler months, in up to maybe 15 knots & 2-3ft swells. In those conditions the board is slick and very forgiving. It picks up smaller runners without having to think about it and works well upwind too.
Yesterday's conditions were a good couple of notches up and not the gentlest initiation to DW...25ish gusting to mid-30's and lumpy swells way bigger than I've been in before. Fair to say I was a bit intimidated and the board gets a bit technical in those conditions with the cutting nose, soft rails and relatively flat rocker (compared to the Glide). When I did manage to get it tuned it absolutely
flew and I even managed to link some smaller runners towards the end. I'm going to have to work hard on skills (and go easy on the pies and frothy ales) to get the best out of it on bigger days but I'm looking forward to it
(now, if only there was a big-boy 12'6 just as good to round out the quiver...)
