Contentious call.. but this 7'9 Jimmy Lewis World Wide is the best single board i've ever tried! First time out with it today and it just cranked, literally took my surfing to a new level and was doing the tightest cut-backs and re-entries off top turns i've ever done. Better still, the board just loved it and kept wanting more. I haven't had this level of froth after a surf in ages!
Around 2-3ft, lowish tide today, with the odd slightly overhead and punchy 4ftr.
I know it's an older design and model, but i'd still probably take it over anything in the market right now after trying it.

I've played around with a whole heap of well known and local boards around that 7'2 - 8'2 length and around 93-105l but this one just works. Has the shorter style of length and tight turning radius that I liked with my 7'2 hypernut, but and rip-ability to really go top to bottom in more hollow stuff of my F1 Anakao or SB pro.

It's crazy light, the carbon version weighed in around 6kg flat (no fins)! But strong as.

Something about this shape just works. Who else loves a swallow tail on a sup? The release just seems soo much better than squash tails on most other boards i've ridden.

Stability is pretty sweet for it's size and I personally quite like the quite pointed and rockered nose at the front. I was concerned the wider tail might not want to turn but it turns so sweet! It also means the paddling sweet-spot is slightly further back so when you drop down the wave, you're already basically in the 'go-mode' with your back foot near the tail.

It's probably the most intuitive board i've ever ridden- wanting to be pumped effortlessly and without even planning to do it. It doesn't feel like i'm forcing the board to do anything it didn't want to do- more just coercing it to do more, without thinking.

I had another post about my other 7'10 board of basically identical dimensions and how I was struggling to really wrap a turn on that when in some juice. The WW is just a totally different animal. Even in smaller stuff like today, it just warps round a pivot point and wants to warp back round again in a different realm to my other board. I'm sure in bigger stuff ( i had the odd punchy, hollow, OH wave today), it gripped and was lose at the same time.
I used some old Am1 techflex fins which i had used on other boards with mixed results but felt right at home on this.

I also find the WW to be insanely fun, I'd love to try the smallest size. How much do you weigh? Glad you're psyched on the new board.

whats the tail pad add on you have there? My tail pad falling apart and I wax for extra grip

Did you find the same feedback with yours? Have you played around with fins ie thurster vs quad?

I weigh about 70kg so still quite a bit of float for me at 103L. I actually brought it second hand so the deckpad is as I brought it, but it looks like the previous owner cut out some sections of it and installed a regular short-board tail pad in between the factory pad.
Maybe that's where my foot kept ending up but something definitely worked with flicking it round!

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thegreatsup said..
It's crazy light, the carbon version weighed in around 6kg flat (no fins)! But strong as.

I guess it is an important factor. Light boards are so much better in "fun" conditions.

I wonder if removing the front part of the pad could be worth it (and replacing by wax or hexatraction). It is a pity to make a board so light and then put a heavy (especially when wet) pad up on the nose where the swing weight is so critical. For reference, a traditional pad from the tail to front of the handle weights already 600g dry...

Thanks Colas, funny you mention that as I also thought the same question. Also makes it a bit different to gauge where exactly you're standing, a lot of reviews had people saying that you can nose-ride these and often walk up that far.
Might give it a couple more surfs before pulling anything off hah.

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thegreatsup said..
Thanks Colas, funny you mention that as I also thought the same question. Also makes it a bit different to gauge where exactly you're standing, a lot of reviews had people saying that you can nose-ride these and often walk up that far.
Might give it a couple more surfs before pulling anything off hah.

You can noseride perfectly with a clear ultralight grip, or wax.

Removing a pad however is quite a pain :-(

A French sailboard shaper (Barland) told me once that he was outraged to see people using heavy pads, mastfoots or straps with his boards. Building light (and strong) boards was so complex and involved, seeing all the work made on the board being thrown away by people using heavy addons was disgusting him.

This said, heavier boards are fine in gnarly or bumpy conditions, they add a bit of stability. But in conditions where you want to generate speed, light boards are another world.

I searched on here about removing the pad and saw the chemical towel soak technique, but I have a few repaired dings and I was too worried about ruining board. I just want a grippier pad with an arch bar thingy-- I like having something as a landmark for back foot besides the stopper pad at back.

My WW is 10L more volume and 1.5" wider than a Blurr V2 I started surfing in November. I'm trying to figure out when to use each board and whether I want to get a smaller WW type board for summer.

@colas, it was good for a personal comparison on the waves with the WW vs my other board a few weeks ago. Def showed it seemed to be something on that other board which was hampering the turning rather than my technique per se.

I will know soon ! I have been around the sup world and back,sold everything! Except The 8.5 JL striker,and will revisit it ASAP,a word of warning! When you tell your wife,this board will suit you as justification for another sup,to many times ,she will claim it! And thank her for that as I've tried to sell it with no success,it's a keeper for her at least .We have both loved and had the Strikers in every length bar The 10ft, and with ageing that's a destinct possibility.

Nice one, have you tried the WW?

,Greatsup not sure if it's me you asked for comment on the ww,I was interested when they first came out,but was concerned that the tail was to wide,and the nose to pulled and they had a lot of volume for there size ,I've always been interested in fuller nose type designs that's why I love the striker and destroyer models,as I've stated many times I would love the destroyers with a lean option like the super frank !

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justaddwater said..
,Greatsup not sure if it's me you asked for comment on the ww,I was interested when they first came out,but was concerned that the tail was to wide,and the nose to pulled and they had a lot of volume for there size ,I've always been interested in fuller nose type designs that's why I love the striker and destroyer models,as I've stated many times I would love the destroyers with a lean option like the super frank !

Oh mate you gotta try one! Mine is fatter and thicker than I would have thought were good for me but my god, it rips. Puts my other boards of the same Length and identical volume (and thinner rails) to shame. You gotta try one!

The nose could potentially be a bit wider, but when the tail is a little wider, it still has a heap of stability (I did 1.5hrs of standing and surfed maybe 30+ waves) on my WW without falling in once. Standing the whole time in head heigh and windy conditions.
On a wave, it's much better than any potential stability queries. I also flat water pladdled my 7'9 haha

I had a 8'3 supertech (same volume), thinner rails, more rocker, the WW was more fun!

Stoked for you ! nothing like connecting with a board !but at nearly70yo my sub 8.5 days are over

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thegreatsup said..
Did you find the same feedback with yours? Have you played around with fins ie thurster vs quad?

I weigh about 70kg so still quite a bit of float for me at 103L. I actually brought it second hand so the deckpad is as I brought it, but it looks like the previous owner cut out some sections of it and installed a regular short-board tail pad in between the factory pad.
Maybe that's where my foot kept ending up but something definitely worked with flicking it round!

Forgot to answer this - I started with the stock quads, which were great, then switched to Quobbas with L sides, M center, following Colas's advice. I really like that setup, but I haven't tried going back to quads or other thruster sizes.

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Kisutch said..
I haven't tried going back to quads or other thruster sizes.

basically, as long as you do not feel that you are losing grip in turns (the feeling of the rear fin slipping a bit, and the board losing speed by a bit of a spin out), you do not need to go to a bigger rear fin or quads. Quads normally give your more speed down the line, but I do not find the gain so noticeable with the Quobba, as the thruster setup is so fast to begin with.

It will be interested however to test the Quobba rears when they get available... and no, I have no info ...