It’s light, durable, and essentially a carbon construction, which has been one of designer Dave Boehne’s favorite materials of late. This is an extremely fun, and stable, high-performance surf SUP that comes in Infinity’s manufactured material, SUPspensionTech. Any surf design that you want to fit your specs can be crafted in their South Orange County headquarters. Traditionally, Infinity is a custom-design company. So, from surf, to race, to foil, Infinity has put the long yards in, creating high-quality products that perform and last. And that doesn’t take into account the brand’s history with performance surfing (see Albee Layer). There’s little doubt that Dana Point, Calif.-based Infinity Surf has put as much research and development into stand-up paddling as any company on the planet. Pros: Durable, lightweight construction, stable, lift. Don’t ruin it by paddling out in conditions that are above you.īest Performance Surf SUP Infinity Wide Speed ($2,295)Īvailable In: 7’7″, 7’11”, 8’2″, 8’6″, 9′, 10′, 10’6″, 11′ Be realistic and protect your experience. Beatdowns with a SUP attached to your leg can be violent at minimum, skull crushing at worst (literally). SUP surfing is better when conditions are smaller anyway. Abide by the cliche: when in doubt, don’t paddle out. Maybe try a “tour?” Find waves that aren’t being surfed while paddling your way down the coast? If you’re inexperienced, wear a leash – your board could literally scalp someone. Understand what’s happening in the ocean before you go. Here’s a wild idea: Maybe spend a session just studying a spot. Trust me as someone who’s effed this up, you’re asking for trouble, or a beatdown.ĭon’t be a kook. DO NOT purchase a SUP board and paddle out to a named spot. Hike into a beachbreak or a wave that isn’t crowded with prone surfers. Go down the beach to the wave without a name. This is for the rest of us: avoid it all together. Sure, there’s a caveat given that some of you have put years in at your spot, know everyone that surfs there, and have earned the right to take a SUP out. Just so we’re crystal clear, unless it’s a designated paddle spot (such as Dog Patch at San Onofre), don’t take SUPs out at named surf spots. Photo Aaron Schmidt SUP Surf Rules to Live By Small wave, small kine turn for the author. The Best SUPs for Surfingīest Performance Surf SUP: Infinity Wide Speedīest All-Around Surf SUP: Quatro Carve Proīest Surf SUP for Longboarders: Kings Dauminatorīest Surf SUP for Bigger Waves: Pearson Arrow manufactured” debate at the bottom of this piece. For more detailed info, check out our comparison table and buyer’s guide, below, as well as some thoughts on the “custom vs. I’ve also included some rules to live by when SUP surfing. So here, despite the ridicule I’m sure will follow, I examine the best SUP boards for riding waves. Something that allows you to step on the tail and make real turns, ride a wave top-to-bottom, or even, when conditions align, pull into a mini tube-a-rooski. Not something for cruising upright like a stiff scarecrow, shooing birds from the garden. Most brands in the industry make a higher performance SUP surfboard. Why not do something with that wave?Įnter performance SUPs. The wave will reform on its way to the beach. Takeoffs can be crumbly or flat (less crowds). Stand-up paddling doesn’t have to be practiced (and quite frankly shouldn’t be) at named breaks. Yes, longboards and soft-tops are fun when the surf is bad (and should be in your quiver), but if you pine for performance, even when the waves are lacking, you should learn to appreciate that SUP hanging in your garage (trust me). Surfing on just one style of board surely limits the possibilities of your wave-riding experience, no? Shortboards, even high-volume grovelers, require certain types of waves – namely size (even shape). So, in my view, every tool has a place in your shed. Or that SUP surfers are a danger to other surfers. That it proliferates the VAL revolution, clogging lineups. Prone surfers dedicated to their pursuit complain (often vehemently) that “sweepers” are cheaters, able to catch set waves easier using a paddle. Which is also unfortunate given its application in crappy waves. SUP surfing, though, has become a bit of a lightning rod. Laird Hamilton, Archie Kalepa, Dave Parmenter, Todd Bradley, Dave Kalama, Buzzy Kerbox, Brian Keaulana and other modern watermen re-birthed the practice in the early 2000s. Waikiki “beach boys” are most often credited with its beginnings, orchestrating surf lessons high atop a large board, plying a canoe paddle, cameras dry, as they called out sets to wanton tourists looking to catch their first waves. When people think of stand-up paddling these days, it’s usually flat water – on a lake, or any other placid body of water.
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