LNC,
I've always kept a 10ish SUP in my wavesailing quiver for just the conditions you're talking about. I'm an advanced wave sailor but when I travel I don't like to get completely skunked so I'll bring my 10' Sup to cover my bases.
Based on what you've been sailing and what you are trying to do...I have two recommendations.
1. Don't hesitate to pull the plug on getting a 9'6" to 10'ish SUP with a mast insert. Yo'll be fine going down to 140ish liters. I currently use a 9'6" Sunova Steeze. I actually teach people on that board as well. I've tried everything out there...so I can perfectly recommend it for what you are trying to do. In the same breath I can recommend the Fanatic Style, Naish Nalu and the Starboard Element. Anything from 9'6' to10' you will be comfortable on in no time. All will get you out comfortably in flukey fickle winds through a small shore break with ease. And all are great surfing boards once on the wave. ***Important*** Sup wave sailing boards don't plane as the rocker is designed for surfing. Nothing wrong with that if that's your game which brings me to the second recommendation.
2. Based on your height and weight, you could definitely get something like a JP Magic Ride 119 or maybe the next size up. I think it's the next logical step for you. These boards are wide and stable and many of the Freeride boards in this group have nice thin rails that work great in the conditions your talking about but still give you enough float that you can uphaul easily in light fickle winds. I'm guessing once you feel how fast your moving on little waves....you'll be hooked. I've used these type boards to get many a person into wave sailing. You'll just need to swap out the large fins they come with something more surfy and smaller. I'm going to stick with the JP Magic Rides as a recommendation for you as they are one of the few Free ride boards that have strap placements inboard where you need them for waves and super thin rails. At first you won't be using the straps, but then you'll learn to slide that front foot in and a whole new world will open up for you. After that....you'll probably want a FSW board or large wave board ;). And then it's a whole new world again for you.
Enjoy the journey.
Select to expand quoteShlogger said..
LNC,
I've always kept a 10ish SUP in my wavesailing quiver for just the conditions you're talking about. I'm an advanced wave sailor but when I travel I don't like to get completely skunked so I'll bring my 10' Sup to cover my bases.
Based on what you've been sailing and what you are trying to do...I have two recommendations.
1. Don't hesitate to pull the plug on getting a 9'6" to 10'ish SUP with a mast insert. Yo'll be fine going down to 140ish liters. I currently use a 9'6" Sunova Steeze. I actually teach people on that board as well. I've tried everything out there...so I can perfectly recommend it for what you are trying to do. In the same breath I can recommend the Fanatic Style, Naish Nalu and the Starboard Element. Anything from 9'6' to10' you will be comfortable on in no time. All will get you out comfortably in flukey fickle winds through a small shore break with ease. And all are great surfing boards once on the wave. ***Important*** Sup wave sailing boards don't plane as the rocker is designed for surfing. Nothing wrong with that if that's your game which brings me to the second recommendation.
2. Based on your height and weight, you could definitely get something like a JP Magic Ride 119 or maybe the next size up. I think it's the next logical step for you. These boards are wide and stable and many of the Freeride boards in this group have nice thin rails that work great in the conditions your talking about but still give you enough float that you can uphaul easily in light fickle winds. I'm guessing once you feel how fast your moving on little waves....you'll be hooked. I've used these type boards to get many a person into wave sailing. You'll just need to swap out the large fins they come with something more surfy and smaller. I'm going to stick with the JP Magic Rides as a recommendation for you as they are one of the few Free ride boards that have strap placements inboard where you need them for waves and super thin rails. At first you won't be using the straps, but then you'll learn to slide that front foot in and a whole new world will open up for you. After that....you'll probably want a FSW board or large wave board ;). And then it's a whole new world again for you.
Enjoy the journey.
thank you - your response does inspire confidence. i've been using a goya 115 One in light but planing wind but that's been more of a blasting/jumping experience and typically i'm struggling to find and be at some sort of takeoff on the way in with small swell or smallish wind-generated waves and sandbar breaks. slowing that part down using the JP 10'9 is hugely easier to catch waves, but blame me, blame the board - not getting a very great surfing experience.
it seems like taking a long sup into litewind small waves is the minority approach. i'm drawn to it for sake of the hope to make something out of nothing (small waves, poor break, litewind), and the actual sailing portion of it to not to feel like a tiring slog as it does on my other gear when it's not planing.
the boards you mention are on my hitlist for used board search, and i should have a chance to demo at least some bit of gear this spring :)
We use a JP Young Gun SUP 8'9" for small waves and 10-15 breezes. Does'nt need straps really, but jumping on barely planing breeze is hard to stick landings.
Select to expand quoteGrantmac said..
If it were me I'd learn to float and ride the Goya, especially in side-off.
historically, in litewind - i havent tried pushing the Goya 115/6.5 naish moto thru even modest shorebreak unless it seems like there's enough wind for easy waterstarts.
last year's New Year's resolution was to just hammer on the lightwind skills this year - to drill them to the point that some slogging around, rig recovery, etc in waves and no wind would all be second nature. i did work on those litewind skills and improved compared to decades of powered up or no-go blasting attitude. but slogging about on the 115 still requires a fair bit of attention and strain as opposed to being a relaxing and enjoyable sailing experience.
regardless, after streaming the Aloha Classic - this year's resolution is again, to improve the wobble skills because the Goya board offers nice carving and ride when it is on plane.
but compared to wobbling about, the carefree sailing and ease of catching swell/waves in litewind that JP 10'9 provides isnt forgotten. im pretty sure my technique for turning a longboard could use some focus and improvement - so add 'that' to new year's resolutions too, and i expect it will benefit sailing other gear as well.
i saw a nice vid of some guy litewind wavesailing a JP 10'2 Fusion that looked fun, same with naish nalu 10'6. there's nice clip somewhere of Victor Fernandez windsup shredding on an AllWave. and the above video of Kona 11'5 shows easy glide in non-planing and soft transition into planing; in conds that would be marginal on/off (at best) for me on my Goya. along with above suggestions from others doing the windsup thing with different gears - demo'g other gear is a definite resolution too.
in a nutshell - i think my resolutions are : to expand my skillset using what i have, and keep open mind and try other gear that is enjoyable to me within my current skillset and conds.
How big are you rigging on the Goya? For sub planing you can get away with very little DH which helps a lot for the waterstarts. Not that I do a whole lot of slog and ride and our local break is too short to work much with an SUP. Guys are starting to play with windfoiling it though.
Select to expand quoteGrantmac said..
How big are you rigging on the Goya? For sub planing you can get away with very little DH which helps a lot for the waterstarts. Not that I do a whole lot of slog and ride and our local break is too short to work much with an SUP. Guys are starting to play with windfoiling it though.
that board is really nice with 5.6 and 6.4 northsails super session or 6.5 naish moto. i'll try the lite DH and see how it goes. i've also been working on the litewind waterstart (holding the mast and foot of sail) but dont count it as being dependable tool in my bag of tricks quite yet. really should have made the effort to own that while water was warm,.. so that's on the New Year's resolutions again ;)
This year I've really discovered the joy of SUP sailing waves. I'm 211lbs and have had a blast with my Fanatic Stubby foil 120ltr board. Incredibly stable, easy to uphaul and is a lot of fun riding waves especially with the front foot straps installed. As a bonus, my windsurfing has gotten a LOT better, I'm hitting more jybes and am better at reading waves. I can uphaul my Goya Custom 114ltr which is great and I'll get on that a lot more. But the simple joy of sailing the SUP and catching waves is pure bliss!
DC
