Hi all,
this is my first post on this forum after a long time long time on any Internet forum...
Anyway like many of you I have a love for SUP & Surf and I'm about to get my hands on a SB PRO 2021 edition 9x30. (I weight around 85kg and I'm 1,80m more or less...but I'm not an expert...I'm more at the beginning of the intermediate level.
Is there anyone out there who tried it and can confirm if the 157 liters are good enough to stand on it while waiting for the next wave without paddling too much to keep it afloat? Unfortunately I couldn't try this board before ordering it but I was told Starboard usually keep their promises and one should try what they advertise?
Thanks!
that's way more volume than you will need to stand waiting for waves, but if you're coming from a bigger longboard you may feel wobbly first few sessions.
If you are a beginner this is the wrong board to start on.
If you are an intermediate this would be a great board but not in this size - way too big. The right size for an intermediate 85kg surfer would be the 8'0.
Like BigZ said, volume will be OK for a beginner, but not the shape!The pulled in tips will make the board quite unstable, and the curved outline will demand some paddling technique to not go in circle, what is called the row effect.
You need enough volume to float OK: basically a volume your weight in kg + 50% to 100% (e.g: 130 to 170 liters), but the stability for a beginner will be given by the widths, especially at the nose and tail. And the taller you are the wider it must be.
Thanks @colas and @BigZ for your advices.
What model of board would you advice then In the 8' to 9' range for me in alternative to this one? It doesn't need to be a SB...what about Quatro or NSP boards?
Thanks!
NSP DC surf wide or Quattro Glide look like ideal
I was in your same situation not too long back and posted on here about selecting first SUP after I had been on inflatables or borrowing a friends 10'6" single fin longboard.
I went with a 9'3" x 31" 143L with a non-longboard shape. That was ideal for starting and felt wobbly even though it had roughly similar volume as longboard I was on. I'm on a smaller board now, but I'm glad I started on that one.
I am a Gong ambassador, so I will take examples in the Gong line that I know perfectly. As their web site is fully detailed, you can see the dimensions and transpose to other brands.
I would advise in the Gong line boards with wider tips. What you see listed in the dimensions as "One foot off" - widths at 1 foot from nose or tail: NFA, Mob, Karmen in order of decreasing stability. I would not advise the Alley, with its pulled in tips, similar to the SB Pro.
I would advise to begin with a longboard shape (NFA in the Gong range). They offer stability, a reduced row effect, and an exhilarating glide that rewards your progresses. And you can keep them in your quiver for years even if you transition to shorter boards later. Every brand have them in their lines. Take them wide enough to be stable (at least 30", more if you are tall), but not too much volume, between 130l to 170l.
Can you get an inexpensive used board in 130-140l range? Any board will be a transitional board if you are a beginner/early intermediate. There is no point in spending money on a new board if you are going to replace it in a few months. At your weight you will eventually end up at 100-110l board. Everything else will be temporary -assuming you are serious about SUP surfing. Otherwise there is no point in getting a dedicated SUP surf board. You can surf small waves on pretty much any SUP including inflatables.
It's wild that they got 157L into a 9x30 performance shape, seems 25-30L less than other brand's comparable model unless I'm mistaken.
Hey guys back on this topic after trying the SB Pro 9'x30'' a couple of times...
As I was expecting the difference between the iSup I have (a 10'6''x32'') and this one is huge.
Being able to stand on the SB without falling in the water was challenging during the first 10 minutes - then when I found my equilibrium and started paddling things got easier.
The board is quite fast while paddling in the water (with flat water or moving between small waves), so very good glide as advertised.
The feeling riding this board is quite good!
Today I also managed to get few waves with it and I was surprised how the board reacted while on the wave...it was quite fast and reactive and turning nicely (although I should point out that I need to learn how to turn properly when riding a wave!).
So overall I'm quite happy with the choice I made and yes I'm pretty stoked @TrevT! :-)
Thanks all for your suggestions so far...I'm sure there are probably easier boards to start with for someone of my level but as I already said I didn't have much choice on this matter but it turned out well for me :-)
I hope this topic will be useful for others looking for info about the SB Pro 201 9'x30''!
Bye for now.