VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

i think the key to sup surfing is to just enjoy it for what it is. a paddle can give you a ton of options for where you can go and what you can surf. no need to get hung up on what board you can ride or 'should' be on. going all 'high performance' makes me think of nascar pickup trucks. imo.

This coming from a guy with a high performance SUP!

That's his inner longboarder.

a longboard is an excellent example, tons of people ride them with style and rip. yet they are 3' longer than a performance shortboard. but somehow when it comes to surf sups the advice always seems to be go 'as short as possible'. i'm just sayin that can't be the only rule for everyone. lots of guys, sure.

downwind dave wrote:a longboard is an excellent example, tons of people ride them with style and rip. yet they are 3' longer than a performance shortboard. but somehow when it comes to surf sups the advice always seems to be go 'as short as possible'. i'm just sayin that can't be the only rule for everyone. lots of guys, sure.

Funny you mention that. The thing I probably enjoyed most about riding that 9'6 tank was messing around and getting right up on/near the nose. Was a fun challenge!

Quick update.

Got out on a Starboard 8.5 Pro today.

I was pretty certain that I would be switching boards after 10-15 minutes when I first went out. Falling in constantly. Trouble paddling on my knees, let alone even trying to stand up and move around.

Decided to stick out for 'one more try' repeatedly. With a bit of luck and sweat equity I managed to score a ride on something resembling waist high. Wow... once on the wave all those troubles were forgotten. Instant speed and turning at my disposal - THIS is what I gather it's supposed to feel like!

Think all that strapless kiting paid off - had no problem turning down the line and cruising along and even starting to turn back the other way (although that never fully panned out).

Kept at it for another couple hours or so. By the end I got nearly 10 very solid rides. Sets were pretty infrequent and inconsistent, but patience paid off. My attempted waves to caught ratio wasn't great but that's fine.

By the end I managed to score a wave, ride it down, and peel off the end and stay on my feet to turn back out into the lineup.

Could not believe the amount of progression in 3 hours. Went from thinking this board/size was waaayyyy beyond my ability, to wanting to buy the board.

Decent sized conditions (for my experience anyway) helped, but I was impressed.

Still a bit sore that I missed all that good wind today though

... And there you have it! Awesome!

8-5 pro, total kook stick!

I see you pared down the original triple post. Rad shot Dave, when and where was that?

Also, do you have massive feet?

winddoc took this pic at Cape Sebastian wave camp June 2013. this pic is one of a bunch of nice pics in his bwd gallery
http://bigwavedave.ca/gallery/index.php?cat=10016
and yes my left foot is massive

Good time of year to revive this thread. Been chatting with a lot of friends, BWDers, and others about this.

Anyway, I ended up missing out last year, but recently purchased a Starboard Pro 8.0*28".

CTK and I got our first two days of the year this weekend - his first ever on a SUP that he just bought, and my first day in a year, on a board I now owned but had never tried!

Definitely happy at my small size (145 lbs) that I did not go with anything larger. Board was difficult for an hour but still able to paddle. After two full days, rarely falling in and catching most waves at will.

Looking forward to the season!

Awwww you're so petite.

Sounds like you should've gone smaller - Told you so!!!

Hah no way I'll be fine for a year.

https://youtu.be/bhFHIlwCSq0