505 posts
If........
If you could keep only one board which one would it be?
For me it would hands down be my 8'10" Sunova Speeed. At 70 kg it is now very stable in most and condition, tracks with little yaw and flat water paddles when needed. Pivot turns easily, paddles into waves both small and large with only a few strokes, rarely pearls, fast down the line and carves turns when I get my back foot back. I have started venturing to the nose. Relatively light weight, durable and attractive in a subdued unusual sort of way. In one word.......versatile.
The rest of my quiver are 8'10" Sunova Skate, 8'7" Sunova Creek and 14' Riviera Downwinder. They all have a use and get time on the water but if could only keep one it would be the Speeed.
Bob
5379 posts
In a place with good waves, the Gong Karmen. 7'11" x 28.75" x 105 liters. Kind of the traditional performance shape, some length for paddling speed, but with slightly wider tips (bullet nose, square tail), and low volume but some width so it is not too tiring. A tad big for small waves, but able to draw carving curves in bigger waves while continuously adjusting the turn radius.
In a place with small/weak waves, that would be the Gong Fatal, 7'3" x 29.75" x 105 litres. Wider and shorter, powerful "sci-fi" tail with a slot channel, and a "Semi Tomo" nose for taking off on anything, big or small, but still able to cope with tight hollow waves. A blast of a board, but too much a handful after 1.5 x overhead, as it likes to be committed fully into turns with its favorite turn radius.
In a place with crappy waves, I would go with a short SUP/foil hybrid board, for me a Gong Mob2Taste 7'6" x 29" x 105 liters range. Foiling is the solution for a lot of crappy days.
Both with a Quobba fins thruster setup, of course. And O&E One XT leashes.
105 liters is my favorite volume for my 100kg and 58 years if I get out more than twice a week. If I was not able to SUP as much, I would go with more volume, 115/125 liters, low volume boards are great but you must use them often to keep your balance on them. Also the Gong 105 liters just float me barely when not paddling (different brands have different ways to measure liters), boards that do not float you are not much more harder to use, but are insanely more tiring, not worth it as a single board quiver if you are not into contests IMHO.
SA
98 posts
8'8" Spitfire, it's taking me to the Maldives next week
76 posts
Nozza - your wisdom knows no boundaries
NSW
571 posts
If you could only have one board for everything is like if you could only have one partner / wife !:-)
But for me I think the classic 7.4 x 28.5 x 85L Airborn is the best - most fun to ride in all conditions, and is also the lightest, and the strongest. The 7.8 x 27.75 / 27.50 x 96L/95L Naish/s are the second best for everything, and is it just me that thinks that the older boards are better then the newer boards that are being made now these days?:-)
674 posts
If.... although I would miss my shortboards, the only board that would still get the most of the extreme range of waves I love is the ripper 10-6 longboard. From 1' to 10 feet, clean to choppy, crowded to alone far offshore,
it's really the only all days all waves board.
39 posts
One board...what are we Savages? Well, I have an 8'4" Imagine Impact that I added Keel fin boxes to. Those keel fin boxes make it good in small or weak waves, and with a thruster set up, it can do almost anything.
WA
731 posts
Infinity B-Line 8/5.
But my wife would have a quiver, although she probably would never use them !!!!
