gaz4869

NSW2 posts
20 Sep 2023 5:50AM




Wow, about 2 weeks ago I had the privilege to be the first person in Australia to ride this board (Cheers to Rod Hinson of Jimmy Lewis Boards Australia).To say I'm impressed is an understatement. What a board. Surf was 2-3 foot and a little choppy. I was surfing Toowoon Point so I was on my back hand. I'm 92 kgs and was a little worried about the 10 litre drop from my 8'6" Super Frank but it wasn't an issue as this board is surprisingly stable for 120L. It ticks all the boxes. Paddles on well, steep take offs, turns on a dime, speed down the line, big round house cutties, it's got it all. I have since purchased my pre ordered custom coloured (light blue with dark blue stripes) board, it looks awesome. I decided to swap out Jimmy's 7' Hawaiian conditions centre fin for a 5.5' and slightly bigger side bites. Took it out at North SHelly Point to catch some left handers. Surf was 2-3 foot and clean as. It just got better, this board is so responsive and is gunna take my surfing to another level. People, believe me this board is a must have for any quiver. Jimmy you've done it again, this guy seriously knows how to shape boards.
The above thread that NSW2 was the OP on is too old to post on. So I've tried to Frankenstein it by cutting and pasting into this thread.
My Post:
So far I've ridden the 9'x29 in small disorganized chop and head high punchy faces with strong offshores. I have two other JL longboard-ish SUPs; an 8'5x30 116l Striker and a 7'7x29 100l Destroyer MP. It only makes sense for me to compare them when reviewing the 9'x29 120l Destroyer HP. All three are shown below.
The 9'x29 is pretty comfy to paddle longer distances and does not loose much stability to the Striker. Guessing it's stability comes more from it's rocker while the Strikers comes from width and wider ends. 9'x29 nose cuts the chop, Striker slaps it. Because it's so stable, you can really dig in and paddle the 9'x29 hard to catch waves, but is is not the small and medium wave slayer that the Striker is.
9'x29 is a well mannered, confidence inspiring board. Narrower nose with more flip makes late drops drama free and easy to paddle into offshores. It turns easily enough for its size and it's super fun and easy to bury the rail frontside.
9'x29 cannot be nose ridden like Striker, but easy to get front foot to front of wax in front of logo and comfortably control board from there.
For both 9'x29 and Striker, I use 2+1 set ups that are similar to stock.
Sometimes when riding 9'x29, I wanted the higher performance of the 7'7. I find it easier to generate backside speed on the 7'7 (flatter rocker, lighter, curvier?). The 9'x29 was more confident on late drops. And it's better paddleability made it easier to not get caught inside.
I ride the 7'7 with a variety of fin set ups (various 2+1s, tri, quad, Greg Griffin-esque 5 fin) and haven't settled on a favorite.
If I could only have two of the three, I'd keep the 9'x29 and the 7'7. If I could only keep one, it'd be the 9'x29. It's that versatile.