I am looking at getting a smaller board (less volume and finer rails) than my current Naish Mana 10'0". I'm only 77kg. I am thinking I want to continue the "longboard" type of surfing, ie catch the waves early, ride the nose as well as some nice sweeping turns from the rear. Most times I'm in 0.5 to 1.5m beach breaks
If anyone has experience with the boards I've considered or any other suggestions please
I have ridden both the 9'5 & 9'0 Converse. To me the 9'5 felt slow to paddle & didn't surf as nice as the 9'0. Out of the 2 I'd def go the 9'0. Haven't tried the Walden.
The Walden is a 2 to3 year old shape, the Starboard is a new model! The converse + 9"5 paddles on easy and is nice and fine in the tail so turns nice!!
I can't compare these two models but I had the Walden and loved it. I wish I had not sale it. A very good longboard style SUP. Very good noserider but also really like the way I could carve with this board. I even did my first contests with this board.
Even if I am now more on the shortboard side of SUPsurfing, I since owned 2 other longboard style SUP (with less volume 110L) but still think the walden was almost as performant.
This is indeed a quite old model, and there is probably many other recent good boards, but for me the Walden remains a good choice that works from ankle high to overhead waves and with a very durable construction.
Hope this can help (despite my poor english).
Theres no comparison in my opinion - the starboards are better quality/better paddlers and much more responsive and much more fun in the surf.
