Hi there,
I am looking to buy a first SUP board and was thinking of buying a 9"5 Naish Mana (I am 5"7, 85kg with zero surf experience).
I have been to a few stores and been told to buy a Dripping Wet board a few times, apparently they are the same as Naish boards and come out of the same factory but they are a lot cheaper (something like $1,400 with paddle).
Please forgive the ignorance here...Does any one know anything about Dripping Wet, is that true that they are the same boards as Naish boards? What would you guys recommend? The Naish Mana has raving reviews so I'd rather pay the $ if their boards are much better but I could do with a cheaper board too...
Thanks very much for your help.
Eric
dont know much about dripping wet boards.
just a thought...
would you buy a great wall ute or a hilux if someone said they came from the same factory???
guarantee the resale value on the dripping wet is 0. where as the naish will be easy to sell when you out grow it.
have a look a bit further, plenty of options.
I reckon if you shop around you should be able to get an ast mana and paddle for around $1650. For the extra coupla hundred $ you would be insane not to buy the naish for proven quality and resale value alone. IMO there are boards that may suit you better than both the ones you mention but based on your question - hands down the Naish.
Support the brands that support the sport.
I could be wrong, but I'm guessing you have only really looked for SUPs in Manly? There are two Dripping Wet stores there that both sell their own brand boards.
When I had my Naish repaired in Dripping Wet, they went on at me for a while about the fact I should have bought a Dripping Wet board. "They're great, well made, really lightweight" etc. When they picked my board up (Hokua) to take it out the back they were amazed at how much lighter it was!
If you haven't got much cash they'll be fine, but if you want to upgrade or get something that actually looks nice, get something else! Have a look at Simon Anderson (closer to the Corso in Manly), LSD, PSH, Naish etc. They're all easy to get hold of in Sydney.
Final, shameless plug - go to WindsurfnSnow. Anne/Chris or Sam will be able to help you out. (Although I hear Balmoral Boards are also good).
Thanks guys for your reply! that's very helpful and that makes sense.
My rough plan is to graduate on flat water before I hit the surf. I have access to both flat water and surf where I live.
What other brands do you think I should look into?
Thanks very much!
Eric
There are a heap of brands that all offer a quality product and will have a board to suit you.
More important is the size of the board you are looking at and getting a firm understanding of what you want to do with the board. Get yourself off to one of the great stores around, WSS or Balmoral both have a great name in Sydney, and chat to them. A good store will give you an unbiased opinion on the board that will best fit your needs and budget.
have fun!!!
The otherthing to think about is warranty I believe Nash are good as far as warranty goes 
you really cant go wrong with a naish mana. similar board and maybe slightly cheaper a fanatic allwave 9.6. If i was going to buy a no brand i would want it to be a lot more than 200 bucks cheaper than a top class top name board.
I have been in this sport since March but with the level of board testing and visit to shops and demos my experience is extensive so offer the following comments:
Naish 9 5 Manner would be the easiest all round beginner board. If you can get one second hand it would be good value as the design I belive is unchanged and you will see if any faults.
In addition for other top performing brands eg Coreban, Jimmy Lewis, Simon Anderson and many more go the SUP Gear Aust at Terry Hills they have provided me with excellent service, advice and prices plus it is easy to demo their boards.
I have had excellent warranty service from both SUP Gear and Coreban - no argument just fix things to make me happy. The owner of SUP Gear continually rides all the brands he has so can give you first hand experience.
From my research Jimmy Lewis have the best warranty plus are made in Hawaii I am told and would rate in the top quality level range of boards.
If you buy a low cost or less known brand while it may or may not perform OK it will be a problem when reselling.
I can tell you a lot more if you wish
Funnily enough I was SUPing yesterday arvo with a guy from Manly who was on a 9'6" Dripping Wet SUP. He seemed to be going good on it but wasn't as quick as the 9' Hokua (unsuprising).
He told me he bought it as he didn't know if he'd like SUPing - it was in good condition and cost him $400.....
I've actually owned 2 Dripping Wet boards(9'6" & 11'6") & currently own a Naish 11'6" Nalu & Starboard 9'5" Widepoint. The Dripping Wet boards were great for learning on & surfed fine. The Naish & Starboard boards are a totally different kettle of fish with less stability but are far superior for surfing. My girlfriend owns a Naish Alana 9'5" which is the same board as the Mana but with a girly paint job. It does both jobs fine. Its wide with plenty of volume so is pretty stable for somebody your size. I have ridden it & i'm 6'2" & 100kg. That being said, once you get the hang of it on flat water, then venture out in to the surf & start surfing it ok, you'll be looking for something better again. Its just the way it is. Go see Mark Mitchell on Narrabeen lakes. He's got pretty much every board there is & lets you take them out on the lake. Nice bloke & really knows his stuff too.
My first board was a 10' Dripping Wet and for what i wanted it did the job just as the crew down there said it would do. I have now been doing stand up for about 12 months and can say that i still have my dripping wet and it has a bit of sunken deck where i stand and some dings that have been repaired.
For a first board it was great. But i now have stepped up to a surftech that they recommended me, and my wife and child use the dripping wet board.
I am pretty sure dripping wet don't stock naish. They did mention the quality of naish boards but went for a surftech because of the waterproof core.
As a newby myself I got try try a bunch of boards and as a 95kg super athlete trapped in a slobs body it came down to the Mana and a PSH. The Mana is now in my shed just pipped out the PSH on looks. Paddle it every day. You wont go farvwrong DJ would be the one to ask aout Naish.
Stay dry.
