Boring and intuitive results, but sharing because I would have found useful when board shopping. Surfed my new 8x28 100L V2 and another fella's 8.2x29.5 109L V2 in clean chest-head high beach break. I'm ~81 kg right now plus 5/4 suit, so think these boards are 1.2 and 1.3 L/kg for me. I did notice a big difference between the two in both stability and performance.

Popping up onto the 109L, it's stable and I don't think about it, but on 100L I'm making sure I'm bracing and eager to take some light paddle strokes to get moving. On 100L, I fall on about 1 in 5 waves from sinking the nose or a rail, but not on the 109 -- but when balanced both felt the same in terms of wave catching. Hoping this difference goes away once I have some more sessions, this was my second session on V2 and I had to sit out 2 weeks cause of storms.

On the wave, the 100L did feel substantially more nimble; it has a super responsive feeling that was lacking with the 109L. Perhaps the difference is exaggerated when you hop straight from one to the other, and the fella on the 109L (~84 kg I think he said) was crushing it on both boards, really fun to watch. I think he had the same evaluation of the two sizes, said the 100L felt like a prone board, but worried about it in rough stuff. Even though I was wobbly and lost several waves from falling on takeoff, I definitely wanted to get back on the 100L board because of how lively it feels on the wave.

I was a little surprised how stable the 109 V2 felt, it felt the same as my 110 L JL Worldwide, which has same dims but thicker rails and a wider tail.

Thanks Kisutch! Interested in comparison to WW of same dims. Would expect it to be a bit more responsive off the tail? Always been impressed with the WW and they look like very similar shapes up front but as you said on the rails and tail. I ride my WW at just under 1.15 ratio, find it pretty stable and very fast similar to how you described the smaller V2.

Also really interested to compare the V2 and Sunova Wedge if there is anyone out there who has ridden both in similar sizes?!

Nice comparison. A 1.5'' width difference and its affect on the whole outline is quite big. I have to admit from similar back to back tests I was surprised at diminishing returns from a narrower or shorter board of similar or same volume. For your takeoff really reaching out and pulling toward the board at angle of jstroke might help.

Select to expand quote

ECSurf said..
Thanks Kisutch! Interested in comparison to WW of same dims. Would expect it to be a bit more responsive off the tail? Always been impressed with the WW and they look like very similar shapes up front but as you said on the rails and tail. I ride my WW at just under 1.15 ratio, find it pretty stable and very fast similar to how you described the smaller V2.

Also really interested to compare the V2 and Sunova Wedge if there is anyone out there who has ridden both in similar sizes?!

Yeah it would have been fun to surf my WW (which I love) on same day as 109L V2 to compare directly; and I'd love to try the 103L WW to see how it compares to my 100L V2. I was drooling over the Wedge as well when I was looking at more pulled in shapes.

I went out again this morning and it was waist-chest and super messy. I was actually psyched cause I wanted to get broken in on the new board. I think my impression of rails/tail may have only held in calmer conditions. When real choppy digging a rail gets easier to do, but only surfed one board so couldn't compare. I do prefer the thicker rails in small surf, kept bogging my heel rail when trying to pump/turn in weak surf, but this went away on bigger sets, prob just my technique...

Select to expand quote

slsurf said..
Nice comparison. A 1.5'' width difference and its affect on the whole outline is quite big. I have to admit from similar back to back tests I was surprised at diminishing returns from a narrower or shorter board of similar or same volume. For your takeoff really reaching out and pulling toward the board at angle of jstroke might help.

Thanks, I'll try to focus on those two more -- lol my paddling technique can go to crap when I see the wave coming.

I have the 8'5 x 30.5 V2 @ 121 L. I love the board. It is my favorite board but only if the conditions are good and my weight is down. If I am around 93 kg (and 6'3 and old) then I am OK unless the conditions get too lumpy. As soon as my weight goes up a little it just gets too hard/frustrating - for me - so I reach for the 8'7 Placid. It is so easy to dip a rail as you are turning to paddle for the wave, and when paddling hard for the wave. Where I normally use it, it is very common to have cross-chop - reflections off rocks. I have cursed those waves many a time...

But on the wave it is magical.

I have often wondered what the next size up would be like - especially when carrying my lazy winter weight of 100 kg...

Select to expand quote

cantSUPenough said..
I have the 8'5 x 30.5 V2 @ 121 L. I love the board. It is my favorite board but only if the conditions are good and my weight is down. If I am around 93 kg (and 6'3 and old) then I am OK unless the conditions get too lumpy. As soon as my weight goes up a little it just gets too hard/frustrating - for me - so I reach for the 8'7 Placid. It is so easy to dip a rail as you are turning to paddle for the wave, and when paddling hard for the wave. Where I normally use it, it is very common to have cross-chop - reflections off rocks. I have cursed those waves many a time...

But on the wave it is magical.

I have often wondered what the next size up would be like - especially when carrying my lazy winter weight of 100 kg...

Great to hear your loving yours! Sounds like next size up would be fun addition, Not a cheap move though:) and sounds like the Placid has you covered.