Select to expand quoteAlexF said..
What do you mean with "not good", small and mushy or big but choppy because of the Nortada or SW-Wind?
The Nortada in the Summer is great for downwind and wingfoiling, so I only SUP a few times with those conditions. I shortboard surf more with SW wind (to choppy to SUP) or if I'm Matosinhos and the tide is low, closing out most waves.
But the thing is that now I try to foil as much as I can, the same way that for the last 8-10 years I tried to SUP as much as I could.
I have never looked back, in fact, I am sure my surfing skills have improved since moving to sup because I am out faaaar more frequently and catch heeeaaaps more waves.
However, in my search for more manoeverability, I have gone smaller and smaller and sometimes need to prone-paddle some of the way back out. But on the wave, to me, nothing beats the feel of a smaller, lighter, narrower sup.
So, go forward with your sup and enjoy! You'll catch more, have more fun, and your body and mind will thank you for it.
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
It's a new age and SUP is where it's at .
Yes!!!
Been surfing short board and longboard for over 30 yrs before I took up SUP surfing 8 years ago, never really stopped surfing but focussed more on SUP longboard and short boards, for me it just a continuation and extension, same as STC, I love to move around on the board regardless of SUP or prone, cross step and more pressure on the rails, all about the angles on take off are all part of the challenge.
If I had to do it all again I wouldn't change a thing, coming from a prone background helps you understand the line up dynamics...also makes co existing with surfers in general way more easier as you know what they are thinking. I also enjoy my own space, so SUP gives me this freedom not to mention the benefits one gets from the ocean, the ability to move around quickly, see the waves approach from way off, paddling over reef and sea life are all apart of the SUP experience you really appreciate this more when you've had years of "prone surfing", also being in my 60s I'm not really bothered with who or what anyone surfs on nowadays 
stay stoked, stay safe
Well said Greystoke - all really valid points. Finding your own space and still getting waves but also knowing how to conduct yourself in a line up are pretty key points
I have found it pretty easy to assimilate in a small or medium crowd, when it gets really busy I will grab the foamy and join in the party!
I usually SUP when the waves are small or its flat. If the swell is up I ride short boards or long boards.
I find the SUP opens the ocean up to me on days when I would have normally swam or sat on the beach. It provides a fantastic stoke and fitness to boot.
The ability to see the ocean floor clearly and the sea life around you is a great benefit to riding the SUP. You can travel large distances easier on the SUP also. I think these aspects make it very rewarding separate to the surfing experience.
Select to expand quoteSouwester said..
I have found it pretty easy to assimilate in a small or medium crowd, when it gets really busy I will grab the foamy and join in the party!
Absolutely mate, SUP is another tool in the tool box...different boards for different conditions and experiences. Foils and wings have just added to the fun
Prone surfed as a kid, lived in the city as a young adult. Moved back down to the coast at 37.
Got into SUP because of injuries from other sports, now slowly getting back into prone - re-learning what I used to be able to do.
So many days down here over summer are no good for SUP but perfectly ok on a mal or mid length prone board.
I see prone surfing as my main focus now, and I SUP either when i'm tired, with SUP friends or when I just feel like cruising on waves.
Their is no downside to having a quiver to allow you to prone surf and sup surf and foil depending on conditions and preference.
do it all
select days suit different styles
no need to exclude yourself from any form of surfing
try a sail on your sup when its windy , great fun too
Cons -
Cant get in the tube so easy
Whitewater grabs the board with more force
Pros -
Catch 3x the amount of waves in a session
Maintain momentum for longer rides
More relaxed about creatures of the deep
Great vantage point and visual experience
Paddle across open water to more breaks
Catch almost anything
Got out today in small waves on my 8 ft mini mal with thruster set up.
Wasn't sure if I was going to pop up with my bad back. But I did & found I could pop up ealier before the breaking wave. I was still slow & tripped over my big toe a few times.
But when up & running it was an awesome feeling with the board quite fast & light to turn.
But only surfed in bum to waist high waves.
Was great for a change & challenge.
Looking forward for my next sessions and going to my long board & back to my short boards if I'm lucky.
But when surf is up. I feel confident on my 8ft 3" Sunova Soul & 8ft 10" Sunova Creek.
And when waves are running but just breaking then its SUP foiling!
Good to hear crew are enjoying all sorts of boards - simplest quiver I have had is a board that tests me but awesome in good waves (Shortboard), board that is super fun in crowd or heaving beachbreaks (Softboard) and a go-to for everything else in between - as well as good waves - the SUP (at the moment only one all rounder but would love a sub 9' and 10').
Pretty hard to get bored when you have a go-to comfortable board, a board that makes testing conditions fun and also a board that challenges you but offers rewards.
Southwester..Try a TOM CARROLL Outer Reef 10 foot...handles any crowd and conditions from 1foot to 5 foot...truely good fun..just ask TOM.
I have been surfing for 60 years. I started out at Cronulla on a 10' plank. I migrated to a short board when one of my longboards broke in half, so I re-shaped it to a 6'6" and didn't like it much, due to its over reaction to any movement. I like smooth. I started to SUP 10 years ago, and it was a serious extra dimension with paddle skills I am still learning. I still have a local pro designed 8'7" surfboard, which I will never part with as it as was designed for the break 500m from my house. It is loose as a goose, but boy, it is smooth also. I have 4 SUPs, the shortest being an 8'11" Jimmy Lewis Striker - for fun days. The 8'7" surfboard is collecting dust as it is just so much more fun on the 10' striker on the manny average days. The other dimension is that it is so relaxing to take my 14' Sidewinder out on a flat day and get into the rhythm.
So, I'd say if you can surf-SUP, you can prone surf and vice versa. But, I think SUP adds a dimension that is hard to give up.
Select to expand quotesurgingsurf said..
I've never surfed, only SUP surfed.
Over the last few years I've got totally hooked and got pretty good but I still have that nagging doubt that maybe I should have devoted that time to learning normal surfing.
So, my question is for surfers who've become SUP surfers: how do you feel the two sports compare? Do you get the same thrill from SUPing that you used to from normal surfing?
The Select to expand quoteChris_M said..
I surfed since about 14 years old and got ok, but still felt like I was spending far too much time trying to get waves amongst hardcore frothers who seemed to enjoy getting aggressive or just snaking all the time and got a little over it. Had some memorable days at Bells, Ti Tree and Raglan but kind of fell out of love for prone surfing a little bit, and chased the wind on my kite more often than looking for swell.
Then I bought a SUP mainly for flatwater paddling fitness stuff, but ended up taking it out in some sloppy 2ft for a laugh and had about 20x more fun than I was expecting.
Then it progressed to a full addiction and now its been about 8 years of SUP only, including some huge days surfing waves I never thought I would attempt on a paddleboard. And surfing so many places that would not be much fun on a shortboard, but are the best thing ever on a SUP with nobody else out.
Only now am I feeling the urge to challenge myself a bit more again so have a shiny new mini-mal that I want to master with the aim of getting into proper longboarding. I think noseriding looks like a great challenge, and my local beach has quite good waves for that sort of stuff.
Get a bodyboard and learn to ride a barrell. The onky thing that will beat it.
When prone in my late teens paddling out on longboard was a chore. Paddling out on SUP through white water/steep faces is a thrill and totally satisfying - win win!
Been surfing 40 o?d years, initially started to SUP to go fishing on inaccessible headlands. Thought I'd give SUP surfing a go when my back, hernia etc. just made prone surfing too frustrating and painful. After 2 yrs SUP, I'm on a 112ltr board and an ok standard, can do most manouevrs you can on a high performance mid length prone board. Catch loads of waves from further out. Also, gets you back into bigger waves again, but this has obvious risks when you're older. There's not many downsides compared to prone surfing, apart from paddling out and getting nailed by big sets sometimes.
