Ok! so i know that a beginners review probably wont interest a lot of you out there. but i would have loved to have been able to talk to someone who was just starting out and had tried a few boards in the range that i was looking at.. So i hope this will help a few starters in finding the right board..
First a bit about me.. I am 40y/o 6'3" 95kgs.. I have been surfing short boards for 30+ years and was never really interested in stand up..
About 2 months ago a friend gave me a 09 10'6" Naish to sell for him on seabreeze.. so i thought i had to give it a go. I was immediately hooked and started looking for a board of my own while continuing to ride the Naish.. About 2 weeks ago the Naish sold and my mate gave me his 2010 Starboard 9'8" x30 Element to use.
I found the starboard (for a beginner) easier to ride in the waves and still had almost as much glide as the naish in the flat.. definitely preferred the Starboard.. Anyway after almost doing my head in trying to decide on which board to get i finally bought the Simon Anderson 10' x 32"..
This Board is insane.. IMHO this board does everything better.. I have had it in surf from 1-2 ft to some very daunting head high dumpers today.. (the waves seem much bigger on a SUP).. Since i picked up the board on saturday i have probably clocked up 20 hours on it with 2 paddles a day.. One thing I struggled with on the other two boards was turning for a wave. Its like putting for a birdy. i would just crack under pressure.. On my SA I just give it one good back stroke then switch the paddle and a couple good forward strokes and i am away.. The stability is awesome.. I have gone from getting pitched 50 times a surf to just a few times.. And I also find it turns better than the other two boards.. I even did my first Re-entry.. No fins busting out or throwing buckets but definitely got the nose up on the lip and floated down with the whitewater
..
Also the construction of the board is second to none.. I have absolutely clouted the rail with my paddle and after seeing what it did to the Naish i was certain i was going to find some big chips out of it.. but nothing.. Anyway I can not say enough good things about this board. i just cant wait till i get better so i can buy one of the Simon Anderson or LSD shorter boards.. If i have left anything out feel free to contact me.. Ben
Disclosure.. I have absolutely no affiliation with anyone who has anything to do with any of the mentioned boards.. I just bought a board from one of the best shapers in the world...
I would also like to thank Lou from East Coast SUP for his patience, honesty and wealth of information as I procrastinated over just about every board ever made.. He landed me on the perfect board and i am one very very happy customer.. Thanks Lou
Thanks for the feedback. SA's not a forum kind of guy so i've forwarded your comments by email.
Feedback welcome SA's not a forum kind of guy so i've forwarded your comments by email.
Nice review. It's always good to read peoples opinions no matter what level they are at. I wish more people would write reviews of their boards.
What construction is your board? Is it one of the pop out models or is it a custom?
The Carrier model is not a custom but they do give you a choice of 2 constructions.. EPS or PVC sandwich.. I went with the slightly more expensive PVC thinking than the timber in the deck would prevent dents from when my scull smashes into the board 
