Hi
I have to make a size decision on an Infinity RNB without opportunity to demo one.
Couple of members on the forum have been helpful but I am hoping someone has experience of my current board ( JL Super Frank Lean 8x30 115L ) and RNB.
To summarize:
I am 65 but blessed with high fitness and good health. Early intermediate I guess.
5'9" and 150 lbs ( sometimes up to 70kg)
I surf mostly small US East Coast beach break but nice swells in fall .

I am very comfortable on the Super Frank even in heavy chop.
I am tempted to get the 7'11x28 RNB at 98 L but have also been advised to get the 8'2" x29 115L
Would the jump from 115L Super Frank to 98 L RNB be too much??
Any advice would be appreciated!

I think the odds are small that someone has surfed SF and RNB in these sizes, at your weight, and it can be tricky to make apples to apples comparisons based on things like L/kg cause other factors like the surface area of the board, or the height of rider vs. width of board are going to be different. The 98L one is plenty of volume, but the 28" wide might take some getting used to, but it will carry that width for more of the board since it's got that parallel shape, so that 28 number may note capture it all. If you can keep your SF, then you can start with the RNB on clean days when you'll prob be fine, then work your way to using it in all conditions. Could be more challenging if you have to make it your everyday board right away, but you'd get it dialed faster... Just don't do what I did after my biggest volume drop and go out in super rough conditions on the first day.

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Kisutch said..
I think the odds are small that someone has surfed SF and RNB in these sizes, at your weight, and it can be tricky to make apples to apples comparisons based on things like L/kg cause other factors like the surface area of the board, or the height of rider vs. width of board are going to be different. The 98L one is plenty of volume, but the 28" wide might take some getting used to, but it will carry that width for more of the board since it's got that parallel shape, so that 28 number may note capture it all. If you can keep your SF, then you can start with the RNB on clean days when you'll prob be fine, then work your way to using it in all conditions. Could be more challenging if you have to make it your everyday board right away, but you'd get it dialed faster... Just don't do what I did after my biggest volume drop and go out in super rough conditions on the first day.

Thank you for your reply!
That is helpful info. Yes my intention is to keep the SF for rougher days and buy the RNB to hopefully become my everyday board in most conditions.
I started SUP surfing pretty late in life so just want to progress as fast as possible??..worried that the 115L RNB will get too big for me at my 70kg's too quickly...
I surf 3-4 times per week on average so hopefully will get used to 28" width.
Thanks again for taking time to share your experience

Just out of curiosity, what pushed you into the RNB? I would consider both the Super Frank Lean and the RNB to be "sup groveller" shapes, therefore would it not be wiser to consider a slightly different shape for your second board (wide speed or new deal, for example in the Infinity stable)?

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theSeb said..
Just out of curiosity, what pushed you into the RNB? I would consider both the Super Frank Lean and the RNB to be "sup groveller" shapes, therefore would it not be wiser to consider a slightly different shape for your second board (wide speed or new deal, for example in the Infinity stable)?

Hi
you ask a very good question I've been struggling with myself..
So I actually do have a New Deal ( 9x31 125L) that is too big for my 70kg but I actually really enjoy it when I use it. Selling it to a friend. I have considered to get like a 9x28 or 8'6" x 29 New Deal

But purely personal preference I like the feel of a shorter board better and from what I've read on forums , the RNB seems more of a " one board quiver" than the Super Frank????
On the occasional nice hurricane/ storm swells we get I have found the SF a little loose on bigger waves... I could probably play around with fins to counter that somewhat but haven't.
The Wide Speed is tempting but there I run into a size issue I think ..I don't want to get another 115L board like the SF and the next size down is around 100 L so I worry with that shape it won't be as stable as RNB

i also considered L41 ST...

Sorry for long answer but your question nailed the thought process I have been going through! No rush to buy so I could still go any direction??

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scsuperfrank said..

theSeb said..
Just out of curiosity, what pushed you into the RNB? I would consider both the Super Frank Lean and the RNB to be "sup groveller" shapes, therefore would it not be wiser to consider a slightly different shape for your second board (wide speed or new deal, for example in the Infinity stable)?

Hi
you ask a very good question I've been struggling with myself..
So I actually do have a New Deal ( 9x31 125L) that is too big for my 70kg but I actually really enjoy it when I use it. Selling it to a friend. I have considered to get like a 9x28 or 8'6" x 29 New Deal

But purely personal preference I like the feel of a shorter board better and from what I've read on forums , the RNB seems more of a " one board quiver" than the Super Frank????
On the occasional nice hurricane/ storm swells we get I have found the SF a little loose on bigger waves... I could probably play around with fins to counter that somewhat but haven't.
The Wide Speed is tempting but there I run into a size issue I think ..I don't want to get another 115L board like the SF and the next size down is around 100 L so I worry with that shape it won't be as stable as RNB

i also considered L41 ST...

Sorry for long answer but your question nailed the thought process I have been going through! No rush to buy so I could still go any direction??

Well, the wide speed is in Dave's own words a 'performance easy rider'. Considering your weight and height and your desire for progression, imo the 7'7" Wide Speed is exactly what you should be challenging yourself into. You can keep the SF for the rough days and with some practice, I am sure that you would become accustomed to the size. Personally I have found (with some patient practice) I now feel far more comfortable on lower volume boards.

100 litres over 70 is still a very generous guild factor (1.42) .

I'd call Infinity and see if you can chat with Dave about which model would be ideal, he was real helpful and talked to me before I got a Blurr. The Wide Speed does sound ideal for what you want and would let you go shorter, but I'd love to know what he says about how that 7-7 WS surfs compared to 7-11 RNB. I got the impression that the RNB was his go-to board when waves were not hallow, based on Paddlewoo podcast he did, but that was a long time ago. Good luck

Kisutch/ theSeb

thanks for the advice..really appreciate it .
I'll try to speak with Dave directly and let you know what he says.
Cheers

Based on what you have said, such as ' I have found the SF a little loose on bigger waves', I feel like the RNB is not the board you are looking for. Good advice from Kisutch though and I too would love to know what Dave has to say personally about this conundrum.

I totally hear you on the SF being loose on bigger waves - that was the reason I sold it and went with a JL Destroyer. I'm bigger than you at 5'11" and 182lbs (83kg) so my experience is with slightly larger boards... my SuperFrank was 8'6 141L and I was not comfortable with the bottom or top turns on head+ waves... super skatey/sketchy to the point of unreliable. I moved to the 8'5 130L Destroyer and have loved that board for years. It's a bit of a quiver killer because you can noseride it but also whip it around quite easily and it can handle any size wave and is super stable - Jimmy really nailed it with that board. I've surfed a friends RNB 8'2 125L and it was super stable and nimble and did not have the unreliably skatey/sketchy feel that the SF had on big waves - it felt locked in and pretty damn awesome. That same friend also has a 8'2 101L B-Line and boy oh boy did I have fun trying that board out. I've never laid a hard rail or bottom & top turned like I did on that board buuuuut I really struggled standing on it at my weight/ability. I had to kneel while waiting for waves then pop up and paddle and be in just the right spot to catch waves. I just picked up a JL WorldWide 8'1 110L to hopefully solve the "shortboard" part of my quiver - I've only had it out once yesterday but it was pretty damn fun - more stable that my friend's B-Line as I could actually stand on it while in the lineup but it wasn't quite as nimble and "alive" on the wave as the B-Line.

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nShoreSlider said..
I totally hear you on the SF being loose on bigger waves - that was the reason I sold it and went with a JL Destroyer. I'm bigger than you at 5'11" and 182lbs (83kg) so my experience is with slightly larger boards... my SuperFrank was 8'6 141L and I was not comfortable with the bottom or top turns on head+ waves... super skatey/sketchy to the point of unreliable. I moved to the 8'5 130L Destroyer and have loved that board for years. It's a bit of a quiver killer because you can noseride it but also whip it around quite easily and it can handle any size wave and is super stable - Jimmy really nailed it with that board. I've surfed a friends RNB 8'2 125L and it was super stable and nimble and did not have the unreliably skatey/sketchy feel that the SF had on big waves - it felt locked in and pretty damn awesome. That same friend also has a 8'2 101L B-Line and boy oh boy did I have fun trying that board out. I've never laid a hard rail or bottom & top turned like I did on that board buuuuut I really struggled standing on it at my weight/ability. I had to kneel while waiting for waves then pop up and paddle and be in just the right spot to catch waves. I just picked up a JL WorldWide 8'1 110L to hopefully solve the "shortboard" part of my quiver - I've only had it out once yesterday but it was pretty damn fun - more stable that my friend's B-Line as I could actually stand on it while in the lineup but it wasn't quite as nimble and "alive" on the wave as the B-Line.

Yes the SF is a great board in small summer waves and windy "slop" but I am not confident on it in more than head high ( not that we get that size here that often) .but I will keep it for lot of our days. It's such a well built board and very light for non-carbon! There are folks on this forum who are comfortable on the SF in bigger stuff but they are way more experienced than me.

A lot of people on the supsurf forums like the Destroyer for sure!

Thanks for your view on the RNB.

I have tried to contact Infinity ( Dave Boehne) for his views on the RNB vs Wide Speed for my specific situation. For my weight/ experience either one in the 100L range will be a challenge but doable I think.

You could also look into 9x29 JL HP. They are coming ...

The problem is no one can tell how much less stable you can go from a forum or what your tolerance for falling and paying some dues is. Probably you could sacrifice some stability, the logical production boards I would recommend 8 x 28 100 new deal or 7'7 destroyer for greater wave size range and performance, keeping your small wave board. For many people your size they would be quite easy with experience but increasing age is another variable. Maybe try a cheap small used board or borrow one to get a better idea. Volume is not the issue for you but rather outline stability especially in the tail where a narrower pin would give better control and grip. I could see getting a longer, stable custom in lower volume as a nice solution also, 90-100 liters, 8'2-8'6 as the correct volume production may be too short and narrow for you, typical problem for us lightweights.

I'm not trying to push you away from the Infinity boards you're thinking of - they're fantastic choices and definitely worth considering and if it was only down to those two I'd say at your height and weight to go for the smaller RNB. But since you've spoken highly of the Jimmy Lewis boards (weight, durability, etc) I will say that you could consider the Destroyer MP in the 7'7x29 100L or if you are too nervous to go that low and small you could consider the Destroyer MP 8'x30 115L. I know the size is identical to your Super Frank, but it's a completely different board - it's capable of so much more as I noted in my earlier post. Another thing to note, a huge advantage the Jimmy boards have over the Infinity boards is the handle. For me, it is a huge deal. The Infinity handle is a relatively small finger curl type and the Jimmy handle is deep where you can get almost your entire hand in there. The Infinity handle is annoying in the summer if you have to carry the board a long distance and it's REALLY annoying in the winter when you have a thick 5mm glove that barely fits inside.

Also Rick posted some dims for his ghost that might work for you. As you are us east coast you might want to talk to him since he will have a lot of local knowledge for your conditions.

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slsurf said..
Also Rick posted some dims for his ghost that might work for you. As you are us east coast you might want to talk to him since he will have a lot of local knowledge for your conditions.

Good point. That 8'2" ghost seems like the goldilocks intermediate down size for Frank

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slsurf said..
The problem is no one can tell how much less stable you can go from a forum or what your tolerance for falling and paying some dues is. Probably you could sacrifice some stability, the logical production boards I would recommend 8 x 28 100 new deal or 7'7 destroyer for greater wave size range and performance, keeping your small wave board. For many people your size they would be quite easy with experience but increasing age is another variable. Maybe try a cheap small used board or borrow one to get a better idea. Volume is not the issue for you but rather outline stability especially in the tail where a narrower pin would give better control and grip. I could see getting a longer, stable custom in lower volume as a nice solution also, 90-100 liters, 8'2-8'6 as the correct volume production may be too short and narrow for you, typical problem for us lightweights.

Thank you .. I appreciate your advice. I'm too new at this to understand all of the issues around shape outline etc.
Yep.Age is for sure a factor also
I have thought about a custom and actually chatted with the guy at L41 and he recommended a custom at about 105 L and 8'. Because our surf is smaller beachbreak 80% of the time he recommended the ST but I just don't know the board at all . I will look into the custom option for sure thanks.

To your point, I realized early in my progression that it's tough for lighter surfers to get boards with low enough volume at early intermediate skill level that are not too short/narrow. I have considered actually just staying at about 110-115 L volume in a board suited for wider wave range.even though the SF at 115 is "too big for me" according to the conventional wisdom , I am able to do bottom and top turns pretty easily on it. I have a background although long ago in prone surfing in South Africa . I really want to progress but also realistic about my age, our surf conditions that are not great etc.

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nShoreSlider said..
I'm not trying to push you away from the Infinity boards you're thinking of - they're fantastic choices and definitely worth considering and if it was only down to those two I'd say at your height and weight to go for the smaller RNB. But since you've spoken highly of the Jimmy Lewis boards (weight, durability, etc) I will say that you could consider the Destroyer MP in the 7'7x29 100L or if you are too nervous to go that low and small you could consider the Destroyer MP 8'x30 115L. I know the size is identical to your Super Frank, but it's a completely different board - it's capable of so much more as I noted in my earlier post. Another thing to note, a huge advantage the Jimmy boards have over the Infinity boards is the handle. For me, it is a huge deal. The Infinity handle is a relatively small finger curl type and the Jimmy handle is deep where you can get almost your entire hand in there. The Infinity handle is annoying in the summer if you have to carry the board a long distance and it's REALLY annoying in the winter when you have a thick 5mm glove that barely fits inside.

Thank you. Since getting feedback from y'all I have a lot to consider...custom board , Destroyer definitely in tne mix, or maybe just surf the SF for a while longer since it works 80% of the time for me.
Only related question you can maybe help with..will surfing only a small wave board like the SF for another 6 months be bad from a progression point of view??? Or is the size of it a factor that will hamper progression?

For longboards you can go narrower and there is a good selection of production boards < 105. L41 would be a safe choice, last thing a shaper will want to do is make a board too unstable for a new customer, they will err the other way if in doubt.

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scsuperfrank said..

nShoreSlider said..
I'm not trying to push you away from the Infinity boards you're thinking of - they're fantastic choices and definitely worth considering and if it was only down to those two I'd say at your height and weight to go for the smaller RNB. But since you've spoken highly of the Jimmy Lewis boards (weight, durability, etc) I will say that you could consider the Destroyer MP in the 7'7x29 100L or if you are too nervous to go that low and small you could consider the Destroyer MP 8'x30 115L. I know the size is identical to your Super Frank, but it's a completely different board - it's capable of so much more as I noted in my earlier post. Another thing to note, a huge advantage the Jimmy boards have over the Infinity boards is the handle. For me, it is a huge deal. The Infinity handle is a relatively small finger curl type and the Jimmy handle is deep where you can get almost your entire hand in there. The Infinity handle is annoying in the summer if you have to carry the board a long distance and it's REALLY annoying in the winter when you have a thick 5mm glove that barely fits inside.

Thank you. Since getting feedback from y'all I have a lot to consider...custom board , Destroyer definitely in tne mix, or maybe just surf the SF for a while longer since it works 80% of the time for me.
Only related question you can maybe help with..will surfing only a small wave board like the SF for another 6 months be bad from a progression point of view??? Or is the size of it a factor that will hamper progression?

Regarding whether keeping board will slow progression. I've had break throughs every time I switched boards - but not only from dropping volume. Going to a longboard last winter really helpful for learning to hold rail through turns, developing better cutbacks. L41 ST led me to stop cursing myself by trying to go vertical on frontside top turns. Non of this was planned out, just find that switching boards is a nice way to perturb your surfing and discover new things. But it is really nice to find your minimum'ish volume so you can start building a quiver. For me, it seemed a lot easier to progress by pushing my volume limits and riding maneuverable boards -- there's some pain involved but if you surf frequently you really can get comfortable on smaller boards.

Hi, I'm about 90 kg, I'm 54 years old and I'm not a pro. Two years ago I bought a standard JL Superfrank 8.6, a nice board with a wide bow and a narrow stern, well built, a little stiff. Excellent for small summer waves. Only the pad was a bit problematic because it was slippery. After this board I booked an Infinity RNB 8.8 because I wanted something more stable for the winter when you are a few kg heavier and with a 4/3 wetsuit. The RNB is a really well built board: very robust, light and less rigid. Only the Sunova XXX have similar strength and lightness. The RNB is a slightly faster board than the SF also in terms of acceleration on the peak. I was very satisfied with it because I had finally found my definitive table, only the "don't cry for me Argentina" color I didn't like too much. Then this summer I randomly found an Infinity Blurr V2 8.11 at a great price. The table that for me is the most beautiful in the world but that I didn't think was right for me. I couldn't resist the temptation, I sold the JL I had for backup and got this beauty. Beautiful, with details in the carbon of the stern that can only be seen when wet. With stepped rails (brilliant invention) like my old beloved Shrooms. Very light with a wonderful pad. Maybe it's a little less stable than the RNB but it has fantastic acceleration and is quicker to paddle. I love it. I've had many boards but I like the Blurr V2 too much. In September I took it to the big waves of Fuerteventura and I had fun with it. A few evenings ago I was in the small, messy waves of the Mediterranean and I still had fun with it. Now the RNB is my backup board.

This is the photo of the two boards:

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nShoreSlider said..
I'm not trying to push you away from the Infinity boards you're thinking of - they're fantastic choices and definitely worth considering and if it was only down to those two I'd say at your height and weight to go for the smaller RNB. But since you've spoken highly of the Jimmy Lewis boards (weight, durability, etc) I will say that you could consider the Destroyer MP in the 7'7x29 100L or if you are too nervous to go that low and small you could consider the Destroyer MP 8'x30 115L. I know the size is identical to your Super Frank, but it's a completely different board - it's capable of so much more as I noted in my earlier post. Another thing to note, a huge advantage the Jimmy boards have over the Infinity boards is the handle. For me, it is a huge deal. The Infinity handle is a relatively small finger curl type and the Jimmy handle is deep where you can get almost your entire hand in there. The Infinity handle is annoying in the summer if you have to carry the board a long distance and it's REALLY annoying in the winter when you have a thick 5mm glove that barely fits inside.

Agree on the Infinity handle. I find it okay in summer and my fingers are getting stronger as I have distance to walk to the beach. But in winter thick gloves are impossible..I wouldn't buy another Infinity for that reason alone..no matter how well it surfs. Jimmy's boards are great and surf very nice and they are super good value..I still have one..but my New Deal is the best surfing board I've had so far. I think it will be SMIK next time or Sunova as I'm still searching for that near perfect board!

I'll take a lighter handle every time, but I don't use gloves, that's too cold for me. Maybe use a carry strap, I think someone makes that.

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slsurf said..
I'll take a lighter handle every time, but I don't use gloves, that's too cold for me. Maybe use a carry strap, I think someone makes that.

I think the weight difference is hardly noticeable unless you are a pro. It's okay without gloves but I'm a cold water surfer so most of the year involves gloves and the handle is not really good for that. I wouldn't use a strap to transport a surf sup..only use one for my downwind board. Wouldn't take much to change the handle..but guess the majority who buy Infinity are in warmer climes than me. Can't fault the board otherwise but the handle, for me, is a PIA in winter. If I had known before I bought I wouldn't have bought..but I've never actually seen another Infinity where I am, ever.

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Slab said..

slsurf said..
I'll take a lighter handle every time, but I don't use gloves, that's too cold for me. Maybe use a carry strap, I think someone makes that.

I think the weight difference is hardly noticeable unless you are a pro. It's okay without gloves but I'm a cold water surfer so most of the year involves gloves and the handle is not really good for that. I wouldn't use a strap to transport a surf sup..only use one for my downwind board. Wouldn't take much to change the handle..but guess the majority who buy Infinity are in warmer climes than me. Can't fault the board otherwise but the handle, for me, is a PIA in winter. If I had known before I bought I wouldn't have bought..but I've never actually seen another Infinity where I am, ever.

What size gloves do you wear?

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theSeb said..

Slab said..

slsurf said..
I'll take a lighter handle every time, but I don't use gloves, that's too cold for me. Maybe use a carry strap, I think someone makes that.

I think the weight difference is hardly noticeable unless you are a pro. It's okay without gloves but I'm a cold water surfer so most of the year involves gloves and the handle is not really good for that. I wouldn't use a strap to transport a surf sup..only use one for my downwind board. Wouldn't take much to change the handle..but guess the majority who buy Infinity are in warmer climes than me. Can't fault the board otherwise but the handle, for me, is a PIA in winter. If I had known before I bought I wouldn't have bought..but I've never actually seen another Infinity where I am, ever.

What size gloves do you wear?

Can't use 5mm.so 3 mm large..but going to try 2mm next.

I wear 1.5 mm Xcel gloves in winter, fine w/ Infinity handle for me w/ 100L boards. Infinity boards popular among small group of SUP surfers here

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Kisutch said..
I wear 1.5 mm Xcel gloves in winter, fine w/ Infinity handle for me w/ 100L boards. Infinity boards popular among small group of SUP surfers here

Thanks I might try those gloves..

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Kisutch said..
I'd call Infinity and see if you can chat with Dave about which model would be ideal, he was real helpful and talked to me before I got a Blurr. The Wide Speed does sound ideal for what you want and would let you go shorter, but I'd love to know what he says about how that 7-7 WS surfs compared to 7-11 RNB. I got the impression that the RNB was his go-to board when waves were not hallow, based on Paddlewoo podcast he did, but that was a long time ago. Good luck

After lots of research and few back and forth chats with Dave Boehne , I decided on the 7'11" 98L RNB.


Here are main points Dave made :

" both boards are stable while paddling. the Wide Speed reacts quicker rail to rail ... So if you are already doing bottom turns and cut backs you don't need the extra help the WS provides with that. I think the RNB is the board for you. Stable, fast down the line, and carves nice. WS if you think you need some help engaging your turns more. can't go wrong with either just depends on what feel you are after.."

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Kisutch said..
I wear 1.5 mm Xcel gloves in winter, fine w/ Infinity handle for me w/ 100L boards. Infinity boards popular among small group of SUP surfers here

When I was a student (a looong time ago), I was windsurfing on inland lakes where the water got down to 4C, and the air was freezing.

I had 2mm gloves with all the underside open, being just some kind of net. And it worked surprisingly well. My hands got cold from first encounter with the water, but then warmed up and were protected from the wind by the top neoprene layer. Plus the grip on the boom was really great with only a fine mesh between it and the fingers.

Alas, I do not think they are made anymore. They would have been great for SUP.

Also, I once windsurfed and SUPed in 0C in the same session without gloves. My fingers hurt terribly while windsurfing, but I had no problems SUPing. Maybe because the grip while SUPing is looser and hands move more, making the blood circulate better?

This to say that nShoreSlider should try to find much thinner gloves, I do not think you need think ones for SUP, and even try ones with no neoprene on the inside (either open, of cloth or a mesh)

E.g:
dietzpaddling.com/products/open-palm-gloves

Or open mittens where it is easy to slip the fingers out to grip the handle:
en.saintjacques-wetsuits.com/products/moufles-paumes-ouvertes-neoprene-3mm