Christina Doviak retains her 2026 SUP Surf Title at Watergate Bay

Loco rider Christina Doviak has defended her Women’s Open SUP Surf national title, winning again at the 2026 Dryrobe SUP and Longboard National Championships at Watergate Bay.

The result matters for more than the trophy cabinet. Competition surf exposes the real balance a performance surf SUP must strike: speed and rail response on the wave, enough stability to keep working through a moving line-up, and the confidence to commit when the useful scoring opportunity arrives.

Christina Doviak retains the Women’s Open SUP Surf title

Surfing England’s official championship report described a chunky, pushing tide and occasional larger sets at Watergate Bay. Christina returned as defending champion and finished first in the Women’s Open SUP Surf division, ahead of Emily Earp, Rebecca Stott and Alexi Stott.

Surfing England also highlighted Christina’s call for more women to enter SUP surfing and competition. That is worth repeating. Events grow when riders can see a realistic route into them: start with controllable equipment, build time in varied conditions and enter before you feel as though every part of your surfing is finished.

What does a competition-ready surf SUP need to do?

A competition board cannot help if the rider spends the heat fighting it. Equally, stability on its own is not the goal once the wave starts to offer speed and critical sections. The useful combination is a board that lets the rider paddle, position and accelerate efficiently, then responds cleanly once weight moves onto the rail.

• Hold usable speed: carry momentum through flatter or less powerful sections instead of bogging down.
• Respond from the rail: redirect without feeling delayed or excessively corky.
• Remain workable in chop: give the rider enough composure to read the line-up rather than burn energy simply standing still.
• Match the rider: the smallest possible board is not automatically the fastest route to better surfing.

Those same questions appear repeatedly whenever riders discuss choosing a performance surf SUP for real UK conditions: how much stability can be retained without dulling the board, which size makes sense for an intermediate rider, and whether a shape will still generate speed in small or untidy waves.

The Loco Surf Pro: performance that is not reserved for professionals

Christina rides the Loco Surf Pro. It is the more performance-focused choice in the Loco surf SUP range, designed around speed, drive and controlled rail-to-rail surfing.

That does not mean every Surf Pro must be an ultra-low-volume contest board. The larger sizes give progressing and intermediate riders a more realistic platform while retaining the narrower, performance-led outline. The aim is not to disguise poor technique. It is to give the rider enough stability to catch waves and repeat turns, while providing the response needed as their surfing develops.

This is the important sizing principle: choose the board on which you can produce good surfing consistently. If a lower-volume board leaves you exhausted before the sets arrive, the theoretical performance advantage is irrelevant. If you have more stability than you need and the board resists every rail transition, it may be time to step down.

Surf Pro or Twinny for UK waves?

The Surf Pro is the natural choice for riders prioritising a more conventional high-performance feel, stronger rail engagement and control when the surf has enough push to reward committed turns.

The Loco Twinny Surf SUP offers a different route. Its slightly wider, more stable outline and true twin-fin setup suit riders looking for easy speed, a loose response and fun in small-to-medium or imperfect waves. It can be the more forgiving option for somebody moving into dedicated surf SUP equipment, or the alternative weapon for an experienced rider who wants a fast, lively board for everyday conditions.

• Choose the Surf Pro when rail control, drive and a competition-oriented response are the priority.
• Consider the Twinny when extra stability, early speed and a loose small-to-medium-wave feel matter more.

Neither decision should be made from litres alone. Rider weight, balance, local chop, wave power and how frequently you surf all change the sensible answer.

A defended title—and a useful message for progressing riders

Christina’s second consecutive national title is a serious competitive achievement, but the broader message is encouraging: performance comes from combining the right equipment with repeatable time on the water. A responsive board should reward good input without making ordinary sessions unnecessarily difficult.

If you are deciding between Surf Pro sizes—or between the Surf Pro and Twinny—use your current ability and usual conditions, not the board you hope to ride eventually. More waves and more controlled turns create progression. The right performance board is the one that lets you practise both.

Read the full results in the Surfing England championship report, and follow Loco Surfing on Facebook for team and product updates.