Well what can I say? And how can I say it in words? And where do I start?
I dont want to sound like a robot or make it like every other 9'8 review.
Seeing the forecast last night I thought it would be sweet conditions to get the 9'8 slotted for the late arvo sesh.
Light E winds 5-10kn. 2.3m Rotto and 0.8m Cott swell with 0.7m tide.
Went straight to Scabs to be greeted with chest to some head high sneakers.
This is the 3rd time Ive riden the 9'8 but not in a sucky beach break like this.
This board is sensational!
Its 30" wide which is perfect IMO for SUP boards.
A board which is very stable in the surf. This makes so much difference when you are confronted with white water, backwash, chop and unbroken waves etc. Not much of this on the river
For me I want to be SUPing not SPLashing
Having the FCS in it made it slow to turn around for a wave if you had the normal, facing forward SUPing stance. For quicker turns you had to step one foot back to get more pivot from the tail. This being also quite easy due to the wide fish tail.
FCS also made it easy to keep it in a straighter line while paddling for waves. It ment that I didnt have to change sides while paddling.
Believe it or not this board picks up waves with ease. The wave count did not drop just because I was on a smaller board. I always thought that it would. The speed gained while paddling onto the swell, carried through onto the wave and down the line. A fast board for sure.
Spoke to one bloke who was amazed at how many waves I was getting and how I managed to get it barreled
For the people who want to get away from the 11' SUP boards and get onto a smaller, yet just as stable, surfing a shortboard feel, then this is the board for you, without a doubt
Seriously, I was amazed at the drops I was getting and being able to trim and pump this board just like I could have done if I was on my 6' twin fish. Obviously the take off on a SUP happens alot sooner than a shortboard. But at a place like Scabs, getting onto the wave and setting yourself up for the throw over, is a piece of cake on the 9'8. Ha, that rhymes
Anywho... I dont know about you but I want more of that
More reviews and feedback on this board still to come
Thanks Greenroom..It sounds like a very nice board..Thanks for the review..Some pics would be nice..
For those who don't know you should say what brand of board your 9'8" is..and also what FCS means.
DJ
Thanks Greenroom. Here are a few pictures of the Starboard 9'8" I tried. I am not sure if it the same model as yours. I was going to do a review but never got around to it. I admit to feeling the same as you, how do I make my review different from all the other reviews. From the moment I carved that first bottom turn and it took off and nearly left me behind, I couldn't get the smile off my face.
they surf even better without the side fins ,,, but A LOT harder to catch waves.....maybe worth whacking a bigger single fin in.....i gona give it a try on the Jimmy.
Yep, I gotta say that the Starboard 9'8 is definately a board for the surfer who wants to get off his/her shortboard and onto a board which gets them more waves, without loosing that loose, snappy feel.
Went out at Scabs again this morning. High tide and small fat rolling waves with the bigger ones having more of a drop.
I have said this before... the one thing that I was sceptical about with the 9'8 compared to the 11'2 was the loss of wave count. This is definately not true, although with the 9'8 you need that extra paddle or two to get onto the wave.
Once on the wave the board moves with little effort. I found that using the paddle to dig into the wave allows for even more tighter turns.
This board is an absolute must to try. There are waves out there wanting to be riden. Get out there and get on it!
Just another review on this sweet board
Ive had 3 good sessions on this board and with every session it gets even better and even easier than expected to paddle and ride waves.
Went out at Mettems for the late afternoon glass off (lago). Light 4-8knot ENE winds. Swell at Rotto 2m and Cott 0.8m with tide of about 0.7m.
Typical Mettems wave, waist to chest high, bigger on the sets, but with no more than 5 out. Fat rolling longboard type waves with a steep, trimming section, then backing off into the middle, a good section for the cutback.
Once again paddling the 9'8 is a sinch. Im no more than 70kg's but there are bigger blokes out there that are riding this board with no problems. Im still blown away at how easy the 9'8 paddles into waves. I sometimes had to look back at the tail to see if I was on the 9'8 or 11'2! The thing that separates these two boards is definately the riding style and move ability on the wave. I was going to use the word looseness but I think that the 11'2 does have some looseness to it, once you find that sweet pivot spot. Ask Matt about this or read his 11'2 review.
Previously I was staying in the facing forward prone position, paddle on one side, to turn around and catch a wave. This was becoming too slow. Possibly due to the thruster set up? So being 30" wide made it easier to stand alittle further back on the board, sideways, and paddle around faster to catch the wave.
Getting onto the wave, bottom turning hard, rising back up to the lip, then pumping and trimming the board through the section was exciting. Being able to surf like that on a board that size, with a paddle, is just madness!
Cutbacks got faster and tighter. I kept telling myself one more wave. It was getting dark and by this point I was all alone. Im no pro surfer but by growing up surfing shortboards no bigger than 6'3, I was able to use the same skills to ride the 9'8. Im stoked and addicted!
I dont think I can say much more than what I have already said or what other reviews have said.
If I can sum up the Starboard 9'8 I would say that this board is for the shortboarder who wants to get into stand up paddling without loosing the shortboard feel on such a big board, but also increase wave count and possibility of surfing uncrowded or even unsurfed spots. This board would even suit the light weight beginner wanting to learn to stand up paddle and eventually get into waves.
If your after a more longboard ride, check out the 11'2 review
Wow greeny that 9 8 " sounds awesome, how do you think it would float a heavyweight ?
I am 110kg and it floated me no problems. I ended up getting the JL 10 8 because I paddle to outer reefs mostly and wanted a little more glide and the JL will be better in bigger 6ft+ waves. The wide fish tail would be a handful on big powerful waves I feel, may be wrong.
For small waves you cannot beat it, really fast good responsive board. If I had the money for more than one board I would get one.
