Recommendations for new board!

Howdy!

I have been surfing short and long boards for about 20 years. I have SUP'd on rented boards a few times and have no problems maintaing balance. I have been leaning towards a Naish Mana board. I was considering the 9'5", 8'0", or 8'5". I'd like to be able to travel with it and the flight restrictions is about 9'6". that being said, I want a fun board for head high waves and less. I am 6'2" and about 90kg. I'd also like to be able to paddle around the river on the flat water for exercise. If that makes or breaks the deal for a smaller size, let me know. If there is another manufacturer i should look at, please let me know.

Thanks for your help!

The 9'5" Mana would be perfect.. IMO..

I'm about your height and weight and I'd recomend not going any smaller..

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DavidJohn said..
The 9'5" Mana would be perfect.. IMO..

I'm about your height and weight and I'd recomend not going any smaller..

GT or GS? I can get a shop around me to order the GT for like $1850, which is really steep IMO...What do you think about the Gerry Lopez board mentioned above?

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readc said..

DavidJohn said..
The 9'5" Mana would be perfect.. IMO..

I'm about your height and weight and I'd recomend not going any smaller..

GT or GS? I can get a shop around me to order the GT for like $1850, which is really steep IMO...What do you think about the Gerry Lopez board mentioned above?

GT or GS.. i just sold my 2014 GS and bought the new 2015 GT.. Same shape..

btw I've been SUP'ing for about 10yrs (almost daily) and I could not paddle an 8' or 8'5" or even 8'10" Mana because they are too small for me..

I think you'd be mad to get anything smaller than a 9'5'' Mana.. and the Gerry Lopez board mentioned is much smaller.. Great board but too small for you IMO..

Here is a couple of vids of my old 9'5'' GS Mana in small waves.. I'm sure I'll have some vids of my new GT board soon..

Check out the jimmy lewis world wide range , there's fella on here who's about your size ,that reckons they are the ducks nuts!!!!!

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DavidJohn said..
That's great.. What year is it? .. They changed the shape in 2014 and they are now much better than the pre 2014 boards..

As for paddles .. I'd recommend a fixed length rather than adjustable.. and a small'ish blade.. 8" width or less..

thanks man! Yes it is a 2014.

It's funny how so many people (that don't know me) assume that the only surfing I do is stand and glide on tiny waves..

The he truth is whenever the waves are good the last thing I want to do is muck around with cameras.. I just want to get out there..

I had a good day at Big Left the other day on my new (man colour) Mana.. Big Left always surprises you with the odd big set..

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readc said..
I'd also like to be able to paddle around the river on the flat water for exercise. If that makes or breaks the deal for a smaller size, let me know.

If you are a surfer, and want to paddle on the flat for exercise, don't think you do not want to compromise with a longer board, as:

- for exercise, anything goes. Shorter boards being harder to paddle, they offer even better "return on investment" (effort per time spent)
- you want to exercise on your surfing board, so that exercise also trains you on the actual board you will use in waves.

Also:
- Brands who do a lot of sponshorship are more expensive (there is no free lunch: ad & contest money must come from buyers pockets). Some cheap brands are to be avoided as they are just businessmen ordering generic chinese product on alibaba, but there exist cheap but good quality brands that often reduce the costs by no sponsorship, less ads, and less middlemen.
- You are a surfer, so you know to read the waves and get the power from it, so you do not need a very long board. Longer boards will ease the first steps of learning the paddle technique, but it can be learned on flat water. At your heigth you do not want something too narrow
- If you travel, you want something durable & not too heavy, with a wide planshape to allow for an overall shorter length. Mini-Simmons shape, fish, etc... In the Jimmy Lewis boards for instance that are renowned for being especially tough, the kwad is the kind of shape you want. 9'1" should fit you. You could even get shorter, for instance a 8'0 mini simmons could be a killer for you if you can find one at least 30" wide and 130l volume. I would of course never advise such boards for a SUP beginner with no surfing background.

FWIW, I went out on the 9'5" Mana GT on the flat water around my house and it was fantastic. Perfect balance and feel, glides well. Feels exceptionally maneuverable. Very stoked to get on a wave. Seems to be the perfect board for my height and weight. Also, the Kialoa paddle I bought is excellent as well. Light and feels great through the water. Thanks for the advice all!