Hi all,
First time on a forum. I've just started looking at boards as I'm about to head off on a trip around Australia with my fianc?? and 3 daughters. I was planning on a kayak as I though it would be better for all the family to enjoy and to also catch some dinners. I also have a mini mal that I was going to take but reckon i will move that on.A good friend of mine bought a 10" mana 6 months ago and his pictures on facebook have got the better of me.
He has suggested a mana the same as his. ( he's also a big guy)

I am 6'4 and weight fluctuating between 105&110kgs. I'm fairly fit and strong from working as a tradie I'm really keen to hit the surf but wouldn't imagine to big and obviously some flat water stuff too.

I want something to learn on but don't want to have to upgrade in 6-12 months.

I went to a shop in Elwood Victoria on Thursday and they where suggesting the Nalu.
I've come across a good second had 11'4" Nalu 2010 model. If the Nalu is he board you suggest is it worth paying the extra for the 2014 model?

Awesome thanks sailhac.

I would like to be able to chuck the kids on with me for a paddle too. From what I've read they are a big board to manoeuvre in the surf. Would you agree with that? And do you think it's a board that i can keep for a long time and I can improve my skills on without having to upgrade?

Thanks for your reply.

Garns

I've got the 11'4 nalu GT (2013).

I'm not sure what the difference is between the year models, although I think the GS construction came with 3 fin boxes until 2012 and then from then on only came as a single fin. The GT has always had 3. This was my first board and I'll be keeping it for a good while. If you get the Nalu, try and get 3 fins as it's pretty skatey running just a single fin in bigger waves. I couldn't see any reason that you'd have to upgrade within a few years. What will happen is that you will buy more sup boards to add to the collection.

Unless you're just mucking about and happy to fall in a lot, you'll struggle to put a big kid on with you at the same time. I'm 100kg and I can paddle with my 30Kg daughter on it, but only just. Two daughters (50 + 30Kg) have a ball tandem paddling. It's not a platform that you can really fish from or have a BBQ on or anything though - it's more a longboard style surfing board, but not too bad for covering distance on flat water. For instance, I often launch at my local beach, paddle a kilometre or so over to my favourite spot, surf that for a couple of hours then paddle back - no drama at all, doesn't matter if it's windy or not. So it's a good board for paddling around little coves, etc. and catching a few waves. It surfs nicely, and is pretty forgiving. It's pretty good for noseriding and with a bit of size the board can really carve some turns. But it is still a big board - so be careful in the surf (and always wear a leash if you are anywhere near other people - in fact, always wear a leash ).

Sailhack mentioned downwinding... I've tried that on my 11'4 a few times. I can't really agree that it performs well on downwinders (at least in the 20 to 25 knots that I've tried it in), but it is possible to catch some runners - and it is nice and stable compared to my 14' downwinding board.

Awesome thanks guys. I've just been to check out the 11'4 and its in excellent condition. I had planned to test a couple out on tues but thinking I don't want to miss this one as its nearly half the price of the new one. I just spoke to guys in shop and they reckon there hasn't really been any changes in the last 3 years. They were also suggesting other brands that are thicker for someone of my size and weight.

Very tempted to just go back and get this one. What's your thoughts? Should I go test a couple out first and risk missing this one?

Cheers
Garns

It does have 3 fins and its the GT model. It's through a friends friend not through a shop. Looks like its hardly been used. No ware on the mat where you stand and no dings or scratches. $1200 with bag and leg rope. New they are nearly 2k without the bag paddle and leg rope. That's no negotiating though.

Ok! I didn't negotiate in the shop that was just the price they had on the tag. It's definitely the Naish bag with no padding. So $1200 is fair but not as much of a bargain as I thought.
This is where I start to think is it worth paying the extra and go new for the later model. I'm not sure if this guy is willing to negotiate.
The Naish website says maximum rider weight 98kgs. Is 105-110 ok?
Might go test one at the shop tomorrow and see what they can do price wise.

I came across these video files last night and thought I'd make something from it. This is from my first session surfing the 11'4 Nalu in ocean surf (had a few goes in the river waves beforehand) and as you'll see I was pretty ungainly - still trying to adapt after riding a short-board for years. It was also my GoPro's maiden voyage...
In any case, you can get some idea of how the Nalu behaves.

Awesome vid! Put a smile on my face and just got me even keener.

I went to 4 different shops today and they all took a look at the size of me and suggested the Nalu 11'4 but one guy suggested the 10'6. He said I look fit and reckons it would be better suited for the surf and not much different on the flat compared to the 11'4.
The same guy said don't limit myself to Naish.

Not one shop suggested the Mana.

I'd be a bit worried about weight on the smaller board. I'm 105kgs at the moment and just turned 40 so not expecting to get any lighter:)

1 shop had the exact same board as yours and said I can have it for $1400 as the new models were arriving this week.

I've arranged to test out a couple tomorrow so hoping that helps me make a decision on the board.I haven't even looked at paddles yet:)

I had these bookmarked, so might as well share. both on 11'4s

Congrats..

I reckon you should have got the new 2014 10' Mana..

It's very different to the old 10' Mana (so much better)

Your friend would be very jealous..

DJ

Garnsy said..
Hey DJ
The mana I tried was the 2013 model. Is there much difference between 2013 & 2014? I'm not picking board up until Friday.
Maybe it's worth trying the 2014 model?
I am after an all round board but all shops I went to for advice went straight for the Nalu.
Cheers
Garns

No harm test riding another board is there? More time on the water just feeds the soul

Don't forget to try out some paddles. When I'm ready to buy my next paddle I'll be looking for:
- some flex in the shaft, but not so much that it feels floppy
- a shaft diameter that's not too thin (my 2013 Makani adjust. feels a bit thin these days and a bit floppy), but the 2014 version is about the right diameter. Some paddles with oval cross-section shafts feel pretty comfy.
- around the 8.5" paddle width, but might try narrower - 95-100 sq in)

Garns,

I got the GoPro quite a while ago, but apart from the video above, I really haven't used it on the Nalu at all. A couple of months ago I started getting into downwinding and bought a 14 foot Naish Glide (as the Nalu's not really ideal for downwinding), it's not designed as a surfing style board though. As I'm learning, the art of downwinding is definitely not as easy at it looks (or more accurately, as easy as people make it look), so I started videoing and posting the videos to get some feedback and hints. The GoPro is pretty good for analysing what you are doing. I'm not really into videoing myself for posterity as such but I have found out that it is interesting to go back over the footage and have a bit of fun editing at the same time.

I ride the Nalu 2 or 3 times a week still, but I've deliberately been trying to get out on the Glide more. That board at 27" wide is just a bit too tippy for me and I need to work pretty hard to keep paddling and maintain momentum out in rough conditions without bracing/pausing, etc. - I figure the only way to do get that balance is to get more sea-time on it. So I've been flat water paddling it, surfing it, downwinding it and try and get out 2 or 3 times a week on that board too. This was one of the reasons I mentioned stability earlier on, as I know it takes a lot of effort if the board is too unstable for you.

I've got a normal 6'10" short surfboard too that I probably ride once a week. Another reason I don't video much on the Nalu or shortboard is that my local surf spots are either a shallow craggy reef or a pretty dumpy beach break. It would only be a matter of time before I lost the camera.

I've got a new 14 foot board on order (the 2014 Glide) which is a bit wider, so then I'll have to make a decision whether to sell the old Glide or not. I wasn't going to mention this as it's not really the best option for a newbie, but if I could only have one SUP board now, I would probably go for the 14 footer. That misso's video I've got on vimeo shows that although you can't do much on a wave, it's still a ball in small surf (like learning to surf again) and you can tour around, keep up with the whales and do downwinders too. I wouldn't recommend that in your situation though - particularly with kids, where a 14 foot board is just too big.

Like I said earlier, I'll be keeping the Nalu - it's a great board for everyday mucking around.

So Garns, what did you get?? What did you do about a paddle?

No worries... that's supposed to be a nice board, so you won't go wrong.