I have a *Board 10'5 i have used it with a Tushy rocks, 4.7, 5.5 and 6.0m in waves. i have also given friends(beginners) ago and they have found it really easy and user friendly as it has EVA over all the entire deck so it is soft on the knees

Waterloo said...

If you don't want a board that will plane at all then maybe a Starboard SUPer would be suitable as it has a centreboard.

I have a Mistral Pacifico which is a good beginner SUP, will take two kids SUPing at once, seems easy enough to sail for adult beginner/intermediate and will plane at good speed if you so desire, but has no centreboard.

Downside is that kids with light Ezzy kids rig can't point upwind or even luff at all.

Any sailboard is SUPable of course if enough volume and is wide enough, generally 30 inches + is considered the ideal starters width. If you had an old board like that you could start with just a paddle (note that paddle length is important - but that is another story). I started on an old Tiga Racing and many have started on the old Wally.

Watch it though - SUPing can be quite addictive

I could be wrong but i dont know of any SUP board that has a centreboard

Waterloo said...

Bender said...

Waterloo said...

I could be wrong but i dont know of any SUP board that has a centreboard

From the 2009 Starboard Catalog...

The SUPer 12'6" is the worlds first SUP with a daggerboard system. As a board that gets anyone on the water in zero time, the SUPer 12'6" is the key to unlock the potential of light-wind windsurfing to SUP paddling. The long, slender shape glides smoothly and catches waves easily with surprising manoeuvrability. SUP is so fun and easy that it requires no instructions. Our 12'6 is the ultimate board for the entire family, hotels and resorts.

http://www.star-board-sup.com/products/bd_super.php

I stand corrected

I have been sailing the SUP 12' 6" as part of a Starboard promo thing (I don't SUP).

Huuuuuge thing, but feels extremely comfy with the width and all the padding - nicest finish I've seen on a production plank ever. The centerboard looks like titanium, and its knob is usable (I find the equivalent Kona knob hard to use). The knob unscrews - nice touch, I hate these things in the way of toes.

The SUP planes surprisingly early and with little effort, using a mere 6m stock sail.
2 holes for the mast, however even when using the back one, the board doesn't point upwind a lot. There is little amount of sinking the rail that helps, as it is real round and huge too. This probably frustrates more experienced sailors than beginners. The board gybes like a charm though, almost by itself.

This plank is nice enough to draw attention, da missus wants to come back to the sport after 12 years off just because of it. I'd use it in a snap over a Go for teaching. My experience with the Go is that people get bored quickly, whereas the SUP might be used... as a SUP when where is no wind. Downside is bulkiness, of course. If I was a SUPer, I don't know that I'd want such a big board in Sydney, say. I'd go for a smaller SUP for catching waves. But here inland, could be OK.

Not a beginner's thing, but humorous though: the finish on the rail is... too good. It makes it slippery on old-school tricks like the railride. Once on the rail, one cannot avoid slowly slipping off the back of the board.

I don't SUP, but if the sponsor is nice enough to leave it with me some more, then I intend to use it in ice floes in the spring here - must be fun.

I bought a Starboard Stinger 9'0 with the intention of SUPing, then bought a sail to go with the SUP... then bought a serious freestyle board to go with the sail... then sold the SUP because it never got used anymore...

Make sure it's a long board if you intend on sailing, the shorter SUP's have too much rocker, and although they do go upwind if you try hard enough, it's not so much fun - especially if you know what your doing...

sailpilot said...

Crash Landing said...

You don't need a centerboard do you? The boards are wide and long enough to go upwind.

I Dont, but I don't want to see my kids drifting off downwind and having a bad day

I'd recommend the Amundson 11'3" as it's good for all the things you want it to do. Also surfs a lot better than the rather thick long Naish SUP's.

(and yes I am selling one )
Ha, the plot thickens

Thanks for the advice, I was originally toying with getting an older widestyle freeride board for me and retrofitting an extra powerbox where the c/board would go and use a longish fin there for the kids, just not sure if the shorter lengths 250-260 would be suitable for SUPing.

Just as with windsurfing, the variables determine the outcome- length, width, thickness, volume, rocker, tail shape, rail shape, weight etc. It comes down to what your primary purpose is and investment level.

I've SUPed on a *B GO 155 (I'm 100kgs) and it's fine for a part time thing (which may be all you want), but a dedicated SUP it is not. What you lose is speed and glide, the GO was about 15% slower than the Pacifico and so a little more hard work. The Pacifico is about 10% slower than my much narrower *B 12'2'' SUP and so on. It's hard to describe with words but flatwater SUPing is better with more glide.

In my previous post I was suggesting try anything that was stable to see if it was something you would really like before buying a dedicated SUP.

Thanks Jarrod, I might take you up on that, just in case the missus trys twice and decides its harder than sipping tequilas. Cheers.