Has anyone ridden both of these boards?. I have a 9' hokua and love the board when on a wave, problem is i find it way to tippy once the glassy conditions go. I am considering getting another board and like the look of the 8'2" x 32" starboard wide point, its got about 10 more litres than the hokua and about 3 and a bit inches wider. Would this be much easier to stay about the water when it get a bit wonky?
Cheers,
Hi Orynoco,
Im 6'2" and 100kgs and i have tried standing on a 9' hokua just for a laugh and there was know way. But the 8'2" WP well thats a different story i have tried it in small wind blown chop didn't catch much but can paddle around and balance fine.
Two very different boards.
I cant,t comment on the 8.2, but (just) got a Hokua9.0 and a WP8.10 (2011) and surf most of the time at Zandvoort-Holland-Europe-Northsea, you really have to search to find worse conditions!
We got a beachbreak with often windgenerated short waves in a very short period (most 4-5sec and 10 we call long), slow, chaos and always with chop as well some current.
To make it extra atractive: today the water was +4celcius and air+7. wavefaces around waist high and still had fun for +3hours.
In this kind of conditions the extra width of the WP ads soo much stability its really insane.
Again I havent tried the 8.2 but have a 8.10 and that one has also a lot more rocker, making quick turning to catch a wave that just shows up right in front of you a bless.
I just got the Hokua9.0 after trying my last holiday a Hokua9.3 so was really eager to try it, so after paddling an hour on the WP I changed to Hoku9.0 :)
Its surfable in those conditions, but I fell off +10times more as with the WP.
28 4/5 vs 32 makes the differences.
Once on a wave the Hokua is absolute the better board, but with the WP you can catch a lot more because most of the time you standing on the board instead of falling of/being bussy to prevent you fall of.
I bought the Hokua for those seldom clean days and the holidays to proper waves but I keep the WP as well for Zandvoort.
I,m sure I can get used to the Hokua at my spot, but the 32width of the WP makes live a lot easier.
My 2 cents: if you can afford it: keep the Hokua as its a great board on good days, and get a WP as well fore those less then ideal days/smaller/slower waves.
Hi orynoco, I have tried the 9' Hokua and found it too tippy for me, and tried the 8'2" Starby WP, fun little board for small surf, but too wide and corky for my 86kg, ended up going for the PSH 8'6" wide ripper, less litres than the Hokua but wider board (30")and fuller nose, nice thin tail for surfing
Hi there,
At 95-102kg, I can tell you that the hokua 9'0 was one of the best SUS boards I've ever tried. Stable enough (more stable than the PSH 9'3 Ripper I had at the time), it was a breeze to catch waves and once on the wave I think it has to be one of the best production boards for someone our weight. The volume is 125L and the thickness is only 3 3/4", which makes it amazing on rail.
I've now surfed a few other boards, but i'm still to find one that surfs so nicely on rail!
As for the WP 8'2, I havent' tried it yet, as i still isn't available here in Portugal, but I have a 2011 8'5 Brushed Carbon Pocket Rocket an it is an amazing board for crappy waves.
hi, I've surfed the Hokua 9 for 3 months at 86kg, and ridden the 8'2 WP once in a small shore dump. I found the WP a fair bit more stable and a lot of fun. It's surprisingly quick for 32" - must be the flatter rocker, but don't think it would work so well in larger surf. I'd persevere with the Hokua (paddling a more stable board could even make your balance worse and dumb down your surfing) - perhaps try larger fins (2+1, not thrusters or quads) and a longer paddle.
The longer paddle definitely helped me.
I havent surfed the hokua but hear its a great board in perfect conditions. I however have surfed the 8.2 wp at my local beachy and cant fault the board. Its soooo stable, catches waves easy and is fast and fun in beach break waves. I'm 73kg and normally ride the 8.5pro.
I'm 6', 80 kg and love my hokua 8'5 in glassy conditions, but it requires more concentration to avoid the embarrassing death wobbles. I reach for my McTavish 9'0 if there's any chop. Its 29"(+ a bit) wide but surprisingly stable yet slashy in the quad setup. I've had it 2 years & still use it for 70% of the time. Other boards have come and gone from my store in the meantime. Good value with the price drop - definately worth a try if you can borrow one. Handle is irritating though.
I agree with Birchy about paddling too wide a board - you go soft , then don't want to go back down again.
I have had the Hokua 9'0" for probably about a year now. Great board. Give it time and you will get used to it, balance-wise. The only board I have tried so far which surfs better than the 9'0" is the Hokua 8'5", which I also have. I am 90 kg and after using the 8'5" for a couple of months, I now use the 9'0" in either big waves or when it is lumpy. The smaller board is definitely for clean conditions but I am going to keep it as it is just so good to surf when the conditions are right.
I find the Hokua's are tippy, side-to-side. Probably because of the pronounced V through the middle of the board. Last weekend I swapped in the water onto a Starby 7'4", and surprisingly found that to be more forgiving, stability wise. So I think it is just a question of time in the water with the board.
The Naish handles are great though. We surf a few places down here in Vic where you have a long walk into the break....that's where these handles really shine.
I meant to also add a note to Jeroen.....treat yourself to a holiday sometime, mate, and get that Hokua into some real waves. You will be in heaven!
Isnt Emigrating an better idea?
Holiday:We booked last week a month Maui-Hawaii
Wavesailing at Hookipa is a long time dream for me, if there is no wind I go suping
renting stuff in Maui is due the aircompanyduties/robbery as expensive as bringing your own gear but i,ll manage with the Starby8.5 and9.1 pro :)
The last 2 weeks of april and probably september as well we gonna enjoy the waves in Bretagne-France at LaTorche and Crozon, so no worries for me mate, my Hokua will get its share
