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jnoteboom said..
I'm thinking about getting a Speeed 7'11, but i'm not really sure about it because i'll be using it mostly in holland were the waves don't seem to push as much as they do in places as Portugal or France. The board will be having 20L more volume than my weight is, any thoughts on wheter i should get it or not?

I have a 8'5" Speeed & a 7'11" .... I am about 77kg and 170cm - moving into my late 50s. I have had the 8'5" for several months, and am very stable on it... apart from some extreme chop, bumps and backwash conditions. The 7'11" gets a run when the conditions are relatively smooth, and I want a bit of a challenge. Mostly at the start of a session.. then I get back on the 8'5" which ends up feeling super stable. The volume of the 7'11" (94l) is more than enough to float me, not an issue at all - but the width is pretty narrow at 26 1/8", and even though the design gives a slight variation in the sweet spot for balance while floating about - its quite unforgiving if you want to turn to get a sneaky wave or get hit by backwash. But then, I think it gives me a good chance to improve my balance - and the pay off is when you get on that howling wave! Of course... you might find that its a rather unsocial board, if you like to have a chat out the back with your mates - "Cant talk - gotta keep padding!" Secondly - your concern about riding waves with a lack of "push" - is certainly addressed by the Speeed. Its design gives you a lot of lift early in your take off - and you will find yourself going for waves quite early - Wide nose area, gets plenty of water under you, and planing, with a nice little kick at the tip to avoid spearing in.For more information.... go to the Sunova Enthusiasts page on Facebook, or within this post, you can read some brief notes by the Speeeds designer, Bert Burger. Gives you some good info on how the Speeed is meant to work... and certainly, it certainly does as designed for mine.

www.facebook.com/groups/615304948571340/

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LordKuz said..
you might find that its a rather unsocial board, if you like to have a chat out the back with your mates - "Cant talk - gotta keep padding!"

Ah ah, so true! or "Dont come too close mate, I may fall on you" or "Sorry, stay in front of me to talk, I can't turn my head or I'll fall" :-)
We all know the feeling :-)

After some very busy time, it's time to get back to this review!

One of the thing that all the Sunova boards i tried have in common is that velvet smooth ride, probably due to the different construction that the company is using.

Another thing I noticed, is that all of them are able to hold a lot of speed during rail turns, and in the case of the Speeed model, I actually felt that if you'd put a lot of torque into your turns, the board would actually accelerate.

Having already talked on a previous post about the construction of the board as well as aesthetics, i'm going to go with the riding review of the Speeed 8'5".

PADDLING.
When i first picked the 8'5 from the sand I thought that the board is very light, and it seemed fairly long for an 8'5. That's due to the fact that it has a squared nose, instead of a pointy one. At 27 3/4" wide, and having 112 liters of volume, I thought that I might struggle a bit with balance while paddling. Just forget it.
The board paddles like a dream, going fast while tracking straight. Side to side stability is pretty good, i'd say better than my 29" wide 8'5. It also seem to float a lot better, probably due to the fact that the wide nose provides a lot of front/back stability.
Catching waves with this board is a real breeze.

ON THE WAVE.
Being used to carbon boards, i'm used to light boards that are very responsive, and until i rode this board, I never realized how stiff they were.
This construction really impressed me, because the moment you get on a wave, it was as if I was riding on a board with shock absorbers, even if you might say that it was darn glassy on that day. It was, but it didn't felt the same way on the carbon boards I was riding in the mix to have a better perception of the different behaviors.

Another thing I noticed straight away was that for the first time on a SUP board, i wasn't double pumping on the bottom turn, just linking smooth carving turns from the top to the bottom of the wave. As for speed, it comes naturally, and the more you push the rail, the faster you go.

As some of you know, i'm coming from a big knee surgery and sometimes i'm still a bit afraid to push it really hard, so when turning I prefer to stick to more of a carving surf, with progressive usage of power and weight transfers, rather than a slashing/sliding surf style. Not that I haven't tried it.

This being said, the board turns on rail like no other SUP i've tried before, and besides the fact that it is simply amazing, it's also really surprising.

TOP TURNS.
On the day I tried the board, there weren't many sections to hit so it was a lot more of carving rather than smacking lips. However, i've had a couple of go's at those few lips, and i felt that while the board would perform, the wide nose on a 8'5 would create like a bit of a swing weight that would require getting used to it. The board is very capable of going vertical, but I felt that the timing would be a bit different from the normal shortboard style 8'0 I surf every day.

BACKHAND
Being a fan of surfboards, and enjoying riding every different kind of board I can get, the first question i had when I saw this style of SUP boards was how good would they turn on a backhand bottom turn.
Unlike the other similar boards we see on the market, this board has a kind of narrow diamond tail, and it has a thruster fin setup, rather than a quad one. Without saying that it turns better or worse than others, all I can say is that ir turns really good. You can go vertical on your backhand without too much effort, which is impressive if you think how long the board is and how wide the nose is.

MY FINAL OPINION
One of the best boards i've ever had the chance to surf.
Perfect on rail, more than perfect when carving hard. Everything feels like under control all the time.
Feel like a bit too long for the kind of high performance surfing the shape allows. It rips so hard i wish I wouldn't feel any swing weight from the square nose.
I know there is a 7'11 which I'm going crazy to try, but at 26 1/8" wide and 94l it's going to be hard with my stats (1,92m, 105 kg), but i'm ready to give it a go.
I feel like if the 7'11 keeps all the features and the same ride from the 8'5, but without the little swing weight effect and a shorter length to fit better in the pocket, it may simply be the best board ever! LOL
In my dreams, the real perfect one would be something around 7'6"-7'8", 26-27" wide at around 100l.

I am not affiliated with Sunova, actually i'm affiliated with another brand but my good friends who are bringing these boards to Portugal asked me to try them to give them my opinion about the boards and I was blown away by them.
Try them and you will too.

Cheers,
Johnny

Sounds impressive Johnny! But I bought the Soul due to the ocean chop on my waters. How do you think the stand still balance would be between the Speeed you tried & the Soul 8ft 3" And the control on bigger waves?

Johnny, you are confirming everything I have anticipated about this board.
I am very stoked to get my hands on one.
Thanks so much for your articulate and thorough analysis of the boards function, being a combined result of design and construction. One facilitates the other.

@Seajuice
I didn't try the 8'3 soul, only the 8'6, and it felt like a really nice allrounder, although my feeling was that the Speeed was more responsive.
As for stability, the Soul was pretty amazing, even more stable than the speeed which is not very surprising if we think it is 30" wide. When paddling it just felt marginally slower than the speeed.
Actually, when I tried the 8'6, my comment was that the 8'3 should be a lot of fun because being 29" wide and 110l, i suspect the performance difference to the 8'6 will be considerable.
Once again, it has a very different ride from what i've tried before. Silky smooth!

@supthecreek
I'm sure you are going to love it. I'm happy that my review goes along with what you were expecting!

Thanks Johnny. That sounds excellent. Not too worried about paddle speed being a little slower. I will just have to paddle harder! Haa!
Silky smooth & good control on overhead days will do me fine. I am not one of those shred up the wave kind of surfers. But with a board that I can be confident on then maybe a bit of shredding might happen.
Should be on the board in two weeks time. Tomorrows swell should be overhead but not sure if I will get out to the break. Windy offshore conditions too.
Thanks again for your replies & reviews. Great to hear.

Are there any plans to make the speeed in xl sizes like some of the other sunova boards. i would be keen on something like this with a bit more meat in it

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JacobMatan said..
Are there any plans to make the speeed in xl sizes like some of the other sunova boards. i would be keen on something like this with a bit more meat in it

Have you had a go of any of the Speeeds? Despite them being rather narrow, they are deceptively stable due to the near parrallel rails. The design of the Speeed is highly specialized for surfing. ..... as opposed to "riding waves to the shore" boards. You certainly can order custom designs from Sunova and have a wider version made for you...but in my experience of owning and extensively using the 8'5" and 7'11" models... I could not wish for any more "meat" in the design.

Hi Lordkuz I can appreciate your point there, I know these boards are designed to be ridden narrower than average and at 77kgs and 170cm I can see why you wouldn't want them any meatier. but at 190cm and 105 kgs ( and not as talented as johnnymaya) I would need to be on the 8'11 for it to float me well and I would like to be on something much shorter as is the main purpose for the vanguard design. I haven't had a go on any sunovas as there aren't any on demo here in WA, I have asked around,
So please bert send a couple back to your home state ( 8'6 skate especially) so we can have a go ( also a speed xl would be a good idea)

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Tino42 said..
Hi there.

supthecreek said..
Hi Dean... thanks for the offer, but I am in New England, USA.
I understand you are opening up some dealers on the East Coast (US)
If you have any info to pass on regarding contacts up here and shipment dates please "PM" me

I love your "Speed" design... first "Tomo'ish" style board to tweak me, as I said in earlier reply.
I like the step-down to a narrower tail and added tail rocker (plus nose kick)... departures from the direction most are taking.
You also have it in the 8'10 x 29 size that suits me... I don't want to go real small... just high performance for my size and age in solid surf.
You're construction ideas appear solid as well.

KUZ.... chew away... the more talk the better

Best thing to do right now is to contact Coastal Surf here:
Coastal Surf Supplies:
p: +1-888-569-7038
w: www.coastalsurfsupplies.com/
12407 Old Bridge Rd.
Ocean City MD 21842
USA

They have some stock and are getting more.

Tino

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Tino42 said..
Hi Everyone!
I wanted to thank everyone for the great feedback and response about our boards. Bert, I and the whole The Board Factory Team worked real hard to make this happen. We had (and still have!) a great season in Australia and that thanks to all of your hard core riders and the rest.

As everyone can see we are quite a bit behind on the web site, once again we concentrated to get this massive range of boards out to you rather than focusing on distractions. I do apologise for this and its going to get fixed soon. Until then you can find all our shops right here on this link:

www.sunovasurfboards.com/equipment-stores/

Here is also a clear list of where you get helped at in your area. We concentrate of few of the best shops only.

QLD:
SURF-FX (Gold Coast)

NSW:
NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP (Gerringong)
BALMORAL PADDLE SURF (Sydney)
ESS BOARDSTORE (Erina)

WA:
STANDUP SURF SHOP (Freemantle)
Chapstar Surfboards (Dunsborough)

SA:
ONBOARD.SURF.WIND.SNOW (Adelaide)

VICTORIA (Still looking)

NZ:
Dean

You can also always send us direct inquiries to this address: service@sunovasurfboards.com , we will do our best to direct this to where its taken care of best.

Thank you,
Tino from Sunova Surfboards

(product catalogue is still here: www.dropbox.com/s/oo1uk6a64sdurcw/2015-Sunova-SUP_V06.pdf?dl=0 )

Hi Guys.
Just an update for everyone living in Victory. SUPER STOKED to found the kick ass store working with us from now on. Working on an order right now so that you can check those boards out soon.

SHQ BOARDSPORTS @ www.shq.com.au

Looking forward to this new one. We are getting ready to max. out the stores we feel comfortable to work with....

Thanx Tino

NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP (Gerringong) have a good range of Sunova Boards I have bought the 8'6 skate and the 8'5 Speeed from Mick in store excellent service and being a surfer excellent knowledge of how they perform in the surf. We just came back from a surf trip to Fiji Namotu the Speeed performs unreal in bigger surf with plenty of drive for big turns on big faces. Had one day with 12 foot faces the Speeed just goes so much fun. Also does the usual sloppy **** ok too I like to take the late take offs and so does the board dropping down the face with ease with the right amount of rocker.

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edhunter said..
NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP (Gerringong) have a good range of Sunova Boards I have bought the 8'6 skate and the 8'5 Speeed from Mick in store excellent service and being a surfer excellent knowledge of how they perform in the surf. We just came back from a surf trip to Fiji Namotu the Speeed performs unreal in bigger surf with plenty of drive for big turns on big faces. Had one day with 12 foot faces the Speeed just goes so much fun. Also does the usual sloppy **** ok too I like to take the late take offs and so does the board dropping down the face with ease with the right amount of rocker.

Wow. we'd love to see some pics of this!!! stoked to hear this. Thanx for your support. Mick's a legend for sure!!!
Full Power.
Tino

Great review.. Can't wait to,read part two...keep up the good work

Wow,those are some big words STC..... Can't wait to paddle out on one too

oh oh...Shredo

Hello edhunter,
i was wondering what are the main differences between the Skate and the Speed. i have thought about eventually getting both but I would appreciate your I'm put.
Cheers

I'm putting down a deposit on the Speed this weekend....can't wait for the shipment to arrive.

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Antho said..
I'm putting down a deposit on the Speed this weekend....can't wait for the shipment to arrive.

Your life is about to change radically! Welcome to the r-evolution!

Thanks mate... Looking forward to it!

Hi Lordkuz
Have you surfed your "acid" yet ? & how do you compare it to your "speed" in surfablity and performance etc., are the rails and bottom curve similar? - to me they appear/look to be a similar performance sup board but one has a squareish (more area) nose with more swing weight and the other Acid does not ?:-)

If this doesn't close the deal, nothing will!




This promo video is still a 'work-in-progress' but when Bert talks about the design aspects of each individual board, along with footage illustrating exactly what he is talking about - then it really starts to bring it all togther.

I will disagree with one thing though, it may be a high performance board but anyone who wants to progress can ride it.
Every demo we go to this is the most sort after board. It is just so easy to paddle and stable with no loss of performance.
With a 9'5 148L now in the line, anyone can ride this board and guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

i noticed on the end of the vid it had different sizes to the website. so are there new sizes coming?

Hi
I have ordered the 7'6" speeed but I want to know the difference between the Speed & the Acid - I may want to progress to the smallest Acid or is it not required? will speed surf better then the Acid ?:-)

There is talk of a SPEEED XL but it will need some testing
Johndesu, Kuz is the best man for feed back on the Acid vs the Speeed or ask your local dealer who is selling you the 7'6.

These are the current sizes:

[b]7′ 6″ x 24 3/4 x 4 @ 80L |
7′ 11″ x 26 1/8 x 4 1/8 @ 94L |
8′ 5″ x 27 3/4 x 4 3/8 @ 112L |
8′ 10″ x 29 1/8 x 4 5/8 @ 130L |
9′ 5″ x 31 1/16 x 4 7/8 @ 160L |
[/b]

I like this coherent concept design mainly for the hips and channel making loose and reactive this parallel rails outline. As well of its no nose shortboard concept with still some width to paddle on and glide onto the wave

Please AA, Is it the 7' 6? x 24 3/4 x 4 @ 80L model shown on the 3D viewer at the end of the video because I like proportion of that one

Went to surf fx last night to learn more about Sunova SUP, with the SPEEED in mind.

Bert and Tino were a mine of information.

The important part was the speed is being made in larger sizes for those who need it - approx. 70% of us by their estimate --

new models will be here in the august shipment -- if you order promptly

have ordered the 8'8" 30 1/2 wide 134lt speeed = exact dimensions to be firmed up shortly, but this is current thoughts.

Steve

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AA said...
If this doesn't close the deal, nothing will!

Johnny Maya showing how to do it.

I ordered the 8'10 x 29 1/8 at 130 ltitres. Will do a review when it arrives. Really looking forward to it!

Guys here is the latest SPEEED vid featuring both Johny Maya and local team rider, Jacey Shimahara.

We are also taking orders on the SPEEED for July /August delivery.