VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Need some advice on a first wind-SUP. Two I am looking at are Quatro 10’4” (155 l) or RRD WASSUP 10’ (150 l), but I’m open to other suggestions as well. DaveM mentioned that someone over on the island was using an RRD WASSUP and was really enjoying it.

Here is background on me and how I am looking to use it.

ME
• ~170 lbs
• Limited wave knowledge
• Limited surfing experience on blue foam rentals down to 9’2” (Huntington Beach, Lahaina Breakwall, Hookipa Pavilons – summer swell, Upper Kanaha)
• Downwind SUP - Maliko Bay to Sugar Cove, Maui
• Paddle SUP at Cape Sebastian – struggled with dropping in on HUGE 11’4” rental in chest high waves

USE
(from highest priority to lowest)
• Sailing, paddling on local knee to waist high wind swell (Point Roberts, White Rock, Acadia)
• Drop into real waves on the Oregon Coast or Vancouver Island
• Light wind windsurfer for my kids (age 11 and 14)
• Light wind flat water windsurfing for me
• Flat water paddling for me

All advise and comments are welcome!

You got a line on both of these used? I am unsure you can still get either one new
Anyway I have paddled the 11'4" and yes, it is fast and reasonably stable, a bit of a roll for me but I am quite inept still, yet Eastside's Extremist was more stable than that one. It is quite narrow so you will need a real wave to get this to go I would think, not a CB or Point Roberts toy. You can sail both of the Quatro's of the grey line, not sure about the RRD. The 11'4" actually planed up nicely but it WAS big

Big part about these is their length & weight.....I won't put up with that and I have a large van and a motorhome....and neither one will play along wit dat you might consider the newer 8'6" Quatro or one of the nice <a href="/http://www.exocet-original.com/fish32.php" target="_blank">Exocet Fish</a> I may order up (this one has mast base too)

At your skill level those are way too big imho.

Get something 8'5" to 9'.

(from highest priority to lowest)
• Sailing, paddling on local knee to waist high wind swell (Point Roberts, White Rock, Acadia)
Both of these will work but will feel huge in no time as you progress (fast).
• Drop into real waves on the Oregon Coast or Vancouver Island
These will also work but are pretty long and low rockered to be very performance oriented
• Light wind windsurfer for my kids (age 11 and 14)
The Quatro is pretty narrow for a SUP and will be less stable than the RRD for sailing. Upwind will suffer on both for newbies (not sure of the level of your lil' rippers).
• Light wind flat water windsurfing for me
They'll be ok, but again will be not great upwind
• Flat water paddling for me
In this respect both boards will be decent.

We rode these in San Carlos, and SUPs for dual purpose have improved even in 2 years. The 8.5 WaSSUP even felt pretty big and stable at my weight (205lbs) and felt pretty stiff to turn on a wave while surfing compared to other boards like the Starboard Pocket Rocket or 8.6 Quatro.

Our skills from balancing on small windsurfers traslates to a quicker learning curve on a SUP. You can start smaller than you may have thought!

KUS wrote:You got a line on both of these used? ...

Yes - both are used. I realize both may be a little big and I might outgrow them quickly (I hope) so I thought I would start off with used.

KUS wrote:...Eastside's Extremist was more stable than that one. It is quite narrow so you will need a real wave to get this to go I would think, not a CB or Point Roberts toy...

That is my concern about going too small is I will not be able to use it in the Lower Mainland - I am looking for time on board at first (to improve my skills).

KUS wrote:...you might consider the newer 8'6" Quatro or one of the nice <a href="/http://www.exocet-original.com/fish32.php" target="_blank">Exocet Fish</a> I may order up (this one has mast base too)

I'll take a look. Thanks.

nanmoo wrote:At your skill level those are way too big imho.

Get something 8'5" to 9'.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I tried Tswsn's Fanatic Pro Wave 9'2" (135 l) in the chop at Nexen (Squamish) and I could paddle it around quiet comfortably, just a little nervous about getting rolled off in real waves. I'll ask him if I can try it again in the of the Lower Mainland wind swell and see if it is big enough to stand on and catch something.

winddoctor wrote: We rode these in San Carlos, and SUPs for dual purpose have improved even in 2 years. The 8.5 WaSSUP even felt pretty big and stable at my weight (205lbs) and felt pretty stiff to turn on a wave while surfing compared to other boards like the Starboard Pocket Rocket or 8.6 Quatro.

Our skills from balancing on small windsurfers traslates to a quicker learning curve on a SUP. You can start smaller than you may have thought!

"Improved in 2 years..." That is what Kevin at Solo Sports said when I booked my ticket to ride. I will be down there in May and one option is to wait until then and try as many as I can and then decide. I am starting to think that would likely be the best plan - 'try then buy'!

Thanks for all of the comments!

the 10' wassup would probably be fine at a good price. if your main use is surfing choppy wind swell you want a nice stable barge that will paddle fast. dudes spouting advice from the island forget you won't have nice lakey lulls between sets.

The Pocket Rocket worked fine for SUP-ing 15+ knots SE in stupid crazy chop a 8 second shore pound in Gold Beach... I was actually surprised after being on the smaller boards for awhile.

Also it is A lot easier to kart around the 10' and I heard nothing good about those at Solosports.

Bottom line is riding a barge is no fun, put in the time and go smaller as opposed to larger.

easy to say, but you live on the island. nobody on the mainland is going to log 80+ surfing days as you do. when you say 'put in the time' you could be talking decades.

nanmoo wrote:...Bottom line is riding a barge is no fun, put in the time and go smaller as opposed to larger.

This looks a like a LOT of fun to me (8'5").

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlzhV6eNv3g[/youtube]

More so than this (Quatro 10'4") - granted the conditions are a LOT different too.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoCW4kpvbrY[/youtube]

downwind dave wrote:easy to say, but you live on the island. nobody on the mainland is going to log 80+ surfing days as you do. when you say 'put in the time' you could be talking decades.

I am just optimistic!

downwind dave wrote:easy to say, but you live on the island. nobody on the mainland is going to log 80+ surfing days as you do. when you say 'put in the time' you could be talking decades.

Could probably log 80+ days a season at squish. I probably logged over 80+ days putting around the harbour teaching lessons, but I still sound my way to the island.

on the wassup...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpXBFebx ... e=youtu.be[/youtube]

winddude wrote:

downwind dave wrote:easy to say, but you live on the island. nobody on the mainland is going to log 80+ surfing days as you do. when you say 'put in the time' you could be talking decades.

Could probably log 80+ days a season at squish. I probably logged over 80+ days putting around the harbour teaching lessons, but I still sound my way to

Dave meant surfing, not just sailing around, I think.

I agree with skipping the big board, you would be surprised how small a board you can paddle even in dead flat water. Every big board over 10' I have paddled, vibrates like hell going over any wind chop. I just bought the fanatic allwave 8'10" 145l, I could go a little bigger or smaller sometimes, but I think this is a good size for a one board quiver, fits in the van too. Let me know next time your on the beach, I'll let you take it for a spin.

On a related note, I just bought a Kialoa methane paddle and haven't cut it yet, how short are you running your paddles on the island? I'm mostly going to use it on flat to waist high so was thinking 8" over head? I'm sure someone is playing with 6" or less?

I cut my wave paddle down to 3 in or so overhead a year or so ago. As the handle just loosened itself I was thinking of going shorter again to head high. Accelerates faster and gets you forward to catch the wave and it is way easier to use the paddle for cutbacks etc if it is shorter. It is hard to make the paddle longer if you cut it too much.
http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index. ... ic=19736.0

I run my paddle head height for surf on a 8.0. Works great, really nimble, just need to bend the knees more while paddling. 8" over head is long for surf, but better to keep cutting it down until it's the right height! A long paddle is horrible on a low volume SUP and feels really cumbersome. On a longer, floatier SUP, no problem having it a little longer.