So ive been supping a while and tried most brands and sizes of boards from 82l and 7'2 to 145l and 10'0 but today was a new revelation. A local low shaper in Nz came up with this sup line and one came up locally to try- it's 7'6 x 27.5 x 100.5l. My first wave test was going to be a challenge, with a big swell blip, heaving offshore wind and OH waves. First wave was a big grip challenge, compared to my normal pin tail sups. It was soo Loose!
Came in and went to another beach where the swell was only shoulder but peaky, on the second wave I did this crazy top turn that just cut so hard it felt like it was dragging me behind- the board just wanted tighter and tighter hacks. So I pushed a bit more and holy crap- probably the tightest turns I think I've ever done. I was just getting wave after wave. The board is crazy fast, crazy agile, feels very light. At the end of the sesh it was blowing me away.
SO- what's different about it? There's a couple Of unique design characteristics which must be playing in to it.
1). it has a hard / very sharp edged rail most of the length of the board! Never had a board like it. 2). the concaves are deep and nuts- single to heavy double from mid board! Like a 4mm maybe double from mid board out through the tail. 3). tail rocker, it really kicks up at the end. Taking some getting used to.
4). wide heavy rocker nose flip, then chunky mod board hit thinned out and rockered tail. 5). Any seen the multiple centre fin slots before? I stuck the fin in the middle where I assume neutral was? Further forward would've been crazy loose!
Interested to hear feedback from the more knowledgeable design people here as to how those are playing the parts on this.
Great looking shape ,double rear concaves and a flattish rocker will give you great control and speed ,it looks like a subtle tail kick compare to a custom I have which has killed the boards speed on mine ,well thought out shape .and it obviously works great .
As a kiwi I've never seen them but I haven't been in any sup stores.
Interesting shape and I've learnt to be open minded when something different perform.
I found the video and a face book page.
What's different for me though @Colas, is that I've owned (and own) a 7'2 hypernut and that is nothing like this. The hypernut was not super loose or pivotal and I could hold it relatively well on a bigger wave. This board was crazy different, loose as a bloody goose. So agile I had a hard time learning how to control it and hold it on the wave, it just wants to release left; right and centre. The pics don't properly show how much the tail kicks up at the end.
It was honestly so different to anything I've ever ridden. Just trying to figure out what is is exactly which is causing it to such an effect.
My hunch is the hard rail for most of the board, the heavy double concave from mid board and the thinned / rocketed tail.
Judging where my centre fin was (middle of the 3x different fin positions), not sure whether this is the 'normal' place or whether at the back of the box is normal? As that would also contribute?
Hard rails all the way up the board give skate = speed and make it feel more sensitive, the wide tail adds looseness. Parallel rails also give speed but adding nose/tail rocker allows it to still turn. Big concaves give lift and speed too.
I'd run that shape as a quad, maybe with a little centre nub fin if needed to give extra drive.
I had a centre fin set up like that when I had a Sunova Creek custom made. It let me move the fin forward or back depending on wave size.
I've always said that there are boards to create speed and boards to control it. This about as much of the former as you can get imo.
To me it's in the same mould as the Sunova skate... a board that I think is quite underrated...
@Colas, what do you reckon of my centre fin placement options? Would the middle one be the 'normal' spacing if I didn't have options, or would fully back be the normal spacing? I guess moving it forward further still would be crazy loose!
Yeah the Skate essentially has a hard rail the whole way too...The hard edge gives release and allows it to sit up high in the water, which gives it plenty of speed. The compromise is that it then usually loses drive.
My custom Sunova Longboard sup has a crispier rail along most of the rail to add sensitivity - compared to the stock (Sunova Surf 10 footer) board.
As we all know all of this stuff is a compromise.
I think the centre fin at the rear most position is where i'd put it for head high stuff. For smaller, i'd then move it forward.
Agree with Colas on thrusters usually being looser than quad. That's why I like thrusters typically as I have found most quads feel too locked in for me. It can be tweaked by using way smaller rears or sanding/taking the tips off the rear fins. Colas has shown this on some quobba posts before.
McKee set ups are meant to give the best of both.... The new Kalama longboard sups have a fin set up like that.
After taking this board out for another spin last weekend- I fully standby this comment. (And this is after riding a Smik spitfire v3).
I tried running it with some quad keel fins and it was crazy, crazy loose- but also fast. Was making some
sections and on the edge turns. Trying back to thruster oddly had no control and just seemed like I was running full speed down the line with no turning ability- odd.