Hi guys, I am looking at buying my first SUP for flat water and small waves (down the track) and dont know where to start. I live in the illawarra, am 6' tall and weigh 150kg. Can anyone suggest a board?
Get a sunova surf they look like they,ll take you through all the stages of progression, gives you the gold pass of acceptance in any car park and surf break. Not a bad start!
As one former Bigboy to another, Naish Nalu 11'6 is your friend. Great place to start. Try and pick one up 2nd hand but did me well when I started off flat water and small waves when I was 135 Kgs. The progression is to the Starboard Avanti, much better in waves but the width of a door so is IMHO terrible to paddle any distance, and you need to be paddling distance. After that you can think about a Sunova Surf, 10'6 in anything else but only those of us over 130 Kgs know how much you can sink a board.
At 100 Kgs now
Hi guys, I am looking at buying my first SUP for flat water and small waves (down the track) and dont know where to start. I live in the illawarra, am 6' tall and weigh 150kg. Can anyone suggest a board?
What Shiresup said - but at 150kg width will be your friend. Look seriously at the Starboard Atlas (12.0 x 33"). It's significantly more stable than the 11'6 nalu, a good flat water paddler and will serve you well in first waves. My Atlas was one of the few boards I regret selling (but it went to a good home). Otherwise Avanti if your aspirations are ultimately more towards surf.
There are not many viable, big volume boards for a man your size apart from the ones we've indicated but a couple of other makers are starting to come to the party - Blue Planet also have a couple of BIG volume, wider boards in their "Ala Moana" series but I have only seen them on websites, can't speak to how they paddle.
Fanatic Fly 11'2 x 34 or the older 11'6 x 33 would also be well worth you having a look at, I know a couple of big units have got their start on them.
This looks like a pretty good starter deal if you're in NSW:
www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/StandUpPaddle-Shop%20Specials/~vld_8/2016-Fanatic-Fly-Pure-Package-11-2.aspx?search=1iqlDeuEK69JNNoNaL$IujRCvYp$65Kx
Or an Atlas Extra. (12' x 36")
I started with an Atlas at 140kg. Great board. Really regret selling it...
Thats my exact board in mcguane first clip I am 137kg and 6ft. That halo looks like a nice board. With the avanti you pay for the starboard name.
I have the avanti 11,2 36 inch and its great for the flat water and on the surf it glides onto the waves.
i will say its a heavy board so get the carbon if you possibly can.
I am heading out for a paddle tommorow so I will endeavour to post some pics and a video for you.
Hi Bigboy
I 'm gonna chime in here....
Forget "the good price"
You will pay dearly for the wrong board.
IMO...at your size, the Nalu's are going to be way to narrow for you. 30" or 29.5" is not even close to what you need from my experience.
Maybe if your 35 years old.... but over 50, you need width... lots of width
I was not as big as you, but the Avanti had float to spare for me at 130 kg
I needed all 36" of width on the Avanti.
The Avanti is a great design.... it surfs so much better than the numbers would have you believe.
I surfed everything from 1' to 8' on it... fantastic BigBoy board, plus I paddled miles on it in flat-water daily.... it moved through the water very nicely.
I could get into a wave way before it broke.
It is pretty heavy.... so if at all possible, buy a carbon Avanti (search used, you may get lucky)
As many know, I am a huge Sunova fan and factory mascot, but I don't believe that the 10'11 x 34 Surf is the right board for you at all... much tippier than the Avanti.
Get the right board and enjoy SUP....
but it's always good to remember.... it seems impossible to EVERYONE when they start in surf,
so it's best to get a good grasp of SUP on flatwater before you move into the waves.
Well guys thanks for all the input. In the past 2 weeks i have been hitting the gym pretty hard and am now down to 142kg and dropping.
I ended up buying a Johny Bigwave 11'. Came with bag, legrope and adjustable carbon paddle. Looks pretty cool and was a great price. Im taking it out tomorrow so will let you know how it and I go.