The minion/slate/sunova threads were all very valuable in learning about these boards! Wanted to share what is getting shipped from CA to FL!
7'4"x27.75x4 3/8106lt. Me 85/6 kg
reg performance board 8'6" x29 112 lt board!
cheers,
Dave

V tasty... be interested in a review when you've popped her cherry!

that is a sexy assed board :)

Ships Monday!

nice looking web site

even had a standerd price list witch is nice

Dave, you made good choice.

What fins on this beauty

I bought a S4 8 footer when I was in Santa Cruz July last year, Kirk provides an awesome product & is so helpful. it has become my favourite board, i ride it over any other, suit all conditions. Looking at purchasing a S5 very soon.

Looks great. I'm sure you will love it.

Thanks guys! Yep not my first board from Kirk, he is legit and very professional, he also rips which is improtant!

Fins -Futurures, in think he had controllers tweaked to his liking and they make for him, plus I'll have the nubster, which I think will be a good addition. Curious to try thruster? Might borrow a set and get a ballpark before invensting, as all my current fins are fcs.

looks like this is possibly the first (or one of) production board of this new 2015 version. I'll def send out some feedback, and hopefully some pics!

With fins

That is a wicked looking board! Can't wait to hear a ride report.

Cheers chris

Hi Dave, nice looking fin set. I was wondering about fins could fit your board because:
1/ on wide tail
2/ on channeled board
IMO, Controllers is a good choice because they are low, shallow in water so you can dig rails ( double rails if you mind the channel edge). Otherwise, with bigger fins like GL (for example ) you hardly dig the front fin and need to be forcefully to dig the rail, so.... Second positive point is the strong pivot provided by large area of front Controllers fins . This front Controllers will do a strong pivot to carve or at least turn this stiffen board, stiffen because of parallel rails of rectangular shape. The extra width of the tail give some looseness but so few compares of parallel outline ...despite of some channel toe in ...
Try this board with fins as you feel or what Kirk reckons... but keep an eye on this : channels provide you lot of drive already if you push strongly, thrust on them , i mean if you put too many rear fins, you may have the board tracking instead of gliding free of the wave . IMO, i think: go! on Thruster, forget quad and nubster , channel ridges are already working as tads

I'm expecting your report and feed back, take your time , can't demo a board in few sessions

Find quality waves to demo your board level ,Have fun


Hope you understand me

Kami,
its gonna be fun trying this thing out! I will try and get back. I like thrusters but w the wide tail It'll be interesting to see how it goes! I will def report back! Board ships tomorrow, would love to have on friday, well see!

cheers,
d

Kami,
its gonna be fun trying this thing out! I will try and get back. I like thrusters but w the wide tail It'll be interesting to see how it goes! I will def report back! Board ships tomorrow, would love to have on friday, well see!

cheers,
d

Select to expand quote

DaveB2 said..
Kami,
its gonna be fun trying this thing out! I will try and get back. I like thrusters but w the wide tail It'll be interesting to see how it goes! I will def report back! Board ships tomorrow, would love to have on friday, well see!

cheers,
d

I said "thruster" but i mean more "twin finned " by front Controllers fin with a trailer more than a third fin ( thruster one ).
I hope you feel this slight difference
Anyway the search continues , said me back what you find

I'm not sure my actual Tomo Vanguard experience (used while kiting) translates into Tomo-inspired SUPs, but i found as a quad, this type of board is just too skatey. that's ok on tiny waves, but no good on anything bigger. once i swapped out to a thruster setup (w/center fin slightly larger than twins up front), the board became much more manageable yet still fast/whippy. it was really night and day between those two setups. anyway, anxious to hear reviews/feedback of this board in action.

hi there!!!!

I{m about to pull the trigger either on a Jp Slate Surf (7´2 x 28 103 liters) or a L41 simsup ST 7´4 x 29.5¨ (115 liters)

could anyone tell me the big differences between them??

It´s going to be my first small sup (only rode 9´5 hokua)

Thanks a lot

Select to expand quote

L41 Sim SUp S5 Review.
<div>Wanted to post this review.Ive been getting as many sessions as possible in a variety of conditions with this board. Ive had it about 3.5 weeks and I am digging it.

<div> 7 4"x 4 3/8 x 27 3/4 106 lts I am 85/6 KG without wetsuit. This board was made for 200 lbs (me w wetsuit)

<div> In clean conditions it is pretty darn stable given its size. It is no problem to not engage your paddle and just stand on the board.

<div> I have ridden in pretty bumpy stuff and it is a handful. With that being said the more I ride it the more stable it gets even in more challenging conditions such as chop and jetty bounce/refraction.

<div> You need to find the sweet spot and in less than clean conditions you have to always be on point regarding your balance. For reference my performance board is 8 6" x 29x 4x 112 lt and this S5 is not quite as stable. Its not too far off either, and I remember when I first got the 8 6" I Wasnt nearly as comfy on it as it is now. I sort of expected that to be the case, so I was not surprised. If you get a new performance board and don't fall a few times you went too big.

<div> The board is a wave catching machine! I have surfed from knee to thigh high up to shoulder high with head high drops in less than perfect conditions. I have yet to pearl the board and I have tried to take take off as late as possible, it works! I know Kirk reduced the rocker compared to the first S5 model but there is plenty in the nose and tail to catch waves and make drops. Its so nice to ride a narrow board, its fast...really fast and it fits in tight pockets and makes great turns and hugs walls allowing you to make sections I didnt think I could make. It is very stable paddling for the wave and its easy to commit to leaning forward and making the drop. You can feel the single concave in the front keeping the nose up as the tail starts to feel the wave and take off!

<div> I have tried Kirk's Future Controller Quads and in small waves its sup fun. You can lay into turns and when you have your foot all the way back on the pad you can easily make a nice controlled tail slide as the end of your turn. As it gets bigger the nubster comes in handy and does provide a dose of extra stability drive and confidence. I tried iit as a thruster with some AM2 template future fins. It felt pretty stiff and a touch slower but maybe in bigger conditions it might be the go. The thrusters were 8's. I might try the same fins in a 7's. But I feel like the quads when its small and quad plus nub as it gets bigger and or choppier will be the deal.

<div> This will be the board I ride the most, thanks for all of the info, I know there is a ton of interest in these boards right now. So I will leave you with this. Dont expect stability miracles. Its still work riding a tiny board. These boards will allow you to ride smaller and narrower but know your conditions and your balance and fitness levels. I live in FL and we surf small and ****ty waves often! I rode the board for almost 4 and a half hours on Saturday and at least 2.5 hours on Sunday and I slept well both nights! But the board is doable and you will get better at standing and balancing. Its fun as hell to ride. Im glad I worked at length with Kirk on this, I wanted to push it and I have. I;ll be able to balance this board and have a blast surfing it! If your working with a shaper be honest about your abilities and conditions.

<div>

<div> Hopefully there will be some pics to come! Will post on stand up zone as well but Seabbreeze helped very much as far as researching and feedback goes so a big thanks to you all!

<div>Cheers

<div>Dave

very nice review!!!!!!

rigth now i´m talking to Kirk, he has one 7'6 x 27 x 4 3/8 x 106L that could get out of the shaping room in the same time a friend of mine will be in Maimi and he could bring it to me.

The probles is that with all the different boards and choises out there, i don´t know where to go!!!

Here in Uruguay, there are no custom arround, so is i stay with the known brands and want to sell the board is going to be easy.

did you have the chance to ride any of the other boards? slate? raptor? hypernut?

nope haven't ridden any of these style boards, this was the first one I rode. I've dealt with Kidk before and I know he was riding and building these boards, he gets the concept and the boards work! So fast!

good luck!
d

Yes Dave, those channeled bottom board are so fast giving a plus to those naturally fasted Vangard board, i hope you will find some clean and down the line type of waves to feel it. I'have been surfing with channel bottom since longtime, can reckon that the feeling of stiffness is involving faster you go, inducing more and more speed. Can be some Carribean islands waves to really test your board after practicing some time at your Florida home beach...
But Kirk did shape convergent channels, so can be more appropriate to short waves beach than long wall ride. Board like this doesn't need a lot of rocker because the nose of the board is planning over water surface and won't sink as a pointed nose.. wide and flat nose is only a trouble while reentry or forward stance as round house cut back
I'm very impressed by this board, she look so nice i' m so glad to read you as you write above

The board is a wave catching machine! I have surfed from knee to thigh high up to shoulder high with head high drops in less than perfect conditions. I have yet to pearl the board and I have tried to take take off as late as possible, it works! I know Kirk reduced the rocker compared to the first S5 model but there is plenty in the nose and tail to catch waves and make drops. Its so nice to ride a narrow board, its fast...really fast and it fits in tight pockets and makes great turns and hugs walls allowing you to make sections I didnt think I could make. It is very stable paddling for the wave and its easy to commit to leaning forward and making the drop. You can feel the single concave in the front keeping the nose up as the tail starts to feel the wave and take off!

Actually caught some great waves this morning and this board was great! Stable on steep drops and very very comfy making big bottom turns!