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Hey guys - I'm looking to buy a inflatable SUP for surfing small waves up here in Scotland.
I was toying with the idea of getting a longboard or a minimal but I think a SUP is probably more sensible as it's probably a bit safer if I go out on my own and I'll probably get more time using it on lakes ect too.
Apparently the inflatable sups arent as good for surfing but one article online mentions that the PEAK 10'6 is good, however it seems a USA only brand.
Are there many 3 fin inflatable sup's that are nice and thick and good for surfing all kinds of various gubbins off the UK coast?
Thanks!
Have a look at the paddle surf scotland facebook page and drop Matt the owner a line he will be able to steer you in the right direction
We've got a Red Ride 10'6" and it's been faultless over the last 4 years. They also do more specific surf shaped boards if that's important.
[As he's a mate] I'd also recommend O'Shea boards - very well made.
Inflatable boards are better all round purely from a transport and strength POV. Much easier to sell on if you ever need to.
https://locosurfing.com/ Are based in the North East (England) and big into their surfing. They design their own boards both rigid and inflatable for Surfing & Touring. Worth giving them a message as well.
Im absolutely no expert on sup and certainly no good at surfing, however i gave sup surfing a go over in maui. I took my 10'6 32w 4"t inflatable for for ocean paddling and playing in the sea but by nature its a very slow board. I found it really draggy and would love a soft top board to give it a better go. Staight line surfing fine, turning? No chance! Everyone else was on a rigid board.
The isup is great for river paddling here and gentle white water as its indestructable. Its great that its packable for hike in lake trips and the kids can use it as a pontoon as its super stable and they wont knock them selves out.
But, its slow.
I've got a couple of O'Shea inflatable boards. In small waves they are good fun and easy to paddle into the waves. Not sure you'll ever pull off any impressive cut-backs, but they are fun non the less.
The only challenge i found with the inflatables is paddling out. They can be hard work battling through broken waves
from watching SUP'rs at polzeath where I surf a fair bit, they seem to be a struggle to paddle out, paddle around, stay on whilst paddling around, paddle for waves, turn on wave, etc etc etc. I'm sure there are some capable of surfing them well but they are in the definite minority. I'm just waiting for the first hydrofoil **** to turn up.
I'm probably biased but I think a decent longboard is far more versatile. Maybe a magic carpet if you don't have the space for a longboard.
Inflatable SUP?
Yuk..
But if you have to then look at RED PADDLE Co or LOCO..
Whats a magic carpet? I do have space I'm just thinking i could get more use than just surfing out of it.
I am open to suggestions on beginner boards for scottish waves too!
magic carpet - a longboard with two foot cut out the middle. its got a glide of a longboard but a bit more versatile. mine is 7'6", i barely surf anything else in the summer unless it gets big.
mine is a mark neville/Tunnel vision copy of this http://nineplus.com/surfboard_magic_carpet.php
Cool - that maybe the one then. What weight are you Jambo?
I have a Decathlon 10’7” which is excellent at half the price of the Red ones.
It wouldn’t be great in surf but Decathlon have launched a surf specific iSUP range that might be worth a look.
Am hoping to get a rigid foil windsup soon....
Give http://www.boardwisecannock.co.uk/stand-paddle-boarding-c-58.html a call. They always have a load of new and ex-demo boards in and will ship anywhere.
Cool – that maybe the one then. What weight are you Jambo?
85kg-ish. Welcome to try mine out if your ever in the westcountry. It’s pretty battered but surfs great.
Thanks guys - think I'm leaning more towards a surfboard now then and something like a magic carpet.
I did notice this nearby though - the volume sounds ok for me (85kg) but the length is pretty short - does anyone have an opinion on if its too advanced of a board for a beginner and 2-4ft swell?
That’s a Surfboard, not a SUP.
If you’ve changed you mind then yes, a neat looking performance MAL will be a good learning platform for a few years before you go shorter.
As for SUPs, I’d recommend you go for a 9’4/9’8 and 140ltrs and at least 30” wide. Even at 85kgs that size will float you, make standing up and paddling easier, but also catch some waves and be relatively flickable in some 2-3ft surf to learn on.
JP/Starboard/Fanatic all do popouts at this size, mid weight and bashable and reasonable for s/h prices.. You could give Jo at Loco a call, he sells some great boards and thier ElDiablo comes in those sizes. Jo is a very decent chap, often will spend hours helping and assisting and also has sales going on most of the time.
As a guide, we have a group of lads at the beach and weights range from 70kg to 120kg and all mixed abilities, all ride boards of those sizes I outlined above.
If you want some tuition in StIves my mate runs a SUP surf/travel/explore company (fully qualified, as you would expect) called JBWatersports, worth getting a day or twos tuition before you head out and get wet.
I don’t like inflatable SUPs, that’s my choice, that’s why I posted Yuk up there.
You may not like them BB, but they make a huge amount of sense to the majority of users.
back to real surfboards ;-), I say that board will depend on how much of a beginner you are. Total beginner and it’s too small. If you can surf a little bit it’ll probably work ok but not ideal. You should be able to duck dive that which might make getting out a bit easier than a bigger board.
Personally, I don’t like the really short chunky style of boards, my 6’8” heuvo rancheros has the same volume as that 6’0” and is pretty much my perfect board for good conditions up to about head and half. Beyond that sizeI don’t really go in these days, I’m not fit enough and I’m just going to get a beating.
You may not like them BB, but they make a huge amount of sense to the majority of users
True, I don’t like them. They hinder learning.
<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">a SUP is probably more sensible as it’s probably a bit safer
</span> the best surf is generally when the wind is offshore and I don't know about anyone else but in my take on ocean safety standing on an oversized airbag using your body as a sail with the wind blowing out to see is not the very best idea.
I second what others have said, mid size wide template surfboards are super easy to surf. get a quad egg and never look back.
Where's smurf matt when ya need him.
He’s friend of a friend on Facebook. Shall I ask him to come back?
So I went out today - the surf was small so instead of the board I borrowed I hired the biggest, widest foamie they had and it was hilarious. Easy to get up on (kinda too easy) felt like a train and made other large foamies look small. It even had a handle in the middle to carry it.
However I caught most waves I went for and it was between 2-4ft so happy with that.
My mates got a 7"2 board I can borrow but I think its slightly on the small size so keeping my eye out for something egg shaped second hand.
Thanks for the advice
Good effort ..
Good man. One less SUPr in the water 😉
dawny tomorrow. Not been in the water for over a month. Reckon I can ditch the gloves tomorrow but boots and hood are staying.
Still gloves weather....
Knee high, drizzle soft mellow waves today.
20 of us out on wave SUPs..
No kooks, no groms and no pronies..
3ft and clean, occasionall 4ft sets.One guy out on a wave sup, didn’t see him catch a wave in two hours, saw him fall off a few times.
Was a bit fickle, either got closed out straightaway or had a screaming right hander. Got a nearly 200yd right as it was starting to get busy so called it a day and came home. Forecast is looking pretty good all week and into next weekend.
But your right. SUP’s are pretty good in mush waves no-one else wants to surf. 😉
7'6 magic carpet type bought on ebay for £160 posted second hand... I cant wait to see the postman turn up with it!
woop
Good man. Should have taken mine out today in hindsight.
Where did you surf jambo?
had such a fun surf today at my local. An hour on a 7'10 midlength egg sneaking waves off tourists on longboards then another hour on ,my little 5'4 quad mini simm thing once the crowd thinned. Really nicely shaped if slow tapering right handers, Gloves off too. Actually felt like the end of winter and reminded myself I can actually surf despite a poor winter of getting in.
roll on tomorrow!
back on thread. I have a Sup which I occasionally use on tiny waves and surf like a big traditional longboard, (takayama surftech epoxy one ) I don't see the point of the shorter fishy style ones. I've yet to see anyone surfing an inflatable one with much success. Generally they seem to have massively fat rails that don't cut into the wave face properly.
Theyre fun paddling around on a sunny flat day though
Ahh, the jibes start...
Jambo in the line up..
Surfed polzeath this morning. Made up for the lack of SUP’rs by taking my goatboater mate 😉
Not going to get in tomorrow but reckon I’ll get a south coast dawnie on Tuesday.