Anybody got any comments on Hipster versus JL Destroyer.

I'm a one board for everything intermediate surfer.
I usually buy a board, surf it in all conditions for about a year then sell it and try something else.
I currently have a Sunova Creek and have enjoyed it a lot but I feel like a change....

Unfortunately I only get to surf about once a month or so....
Thus I like a stable board that does not take to much work to keep afloat but still turns.
Im 57 years old 96 kg and surf usually 1-3 foot waves nothing very powerful.
Enjoying Sup boards compared to prone boards as I get hundreds of waves and can surf even the smallest ripple LOL
Im not a long board person, I like the shortboard style, mini mal style shape.

In my old prone days I used to surf fish style twin fins, then moved to quads when others went to tri fins.
So thought perhaps the Smik Hipster twin would be the go....... I see it won some awards as a shape that can help surfers improve ?
But in some ways the destroyer looks very similar in shape....?? Will they be similar ?

Thanks............

For smaller conditions both can rip depending on how small a size you go, but they are different boards.

I believe the JL will have a slightly bigger wave range due to the pin tail and rocker line.

IMO If the waves are truely 1-3 foot only, i'd more look at the JL Super frank as a comparable board to the Hipster, especially if you want fast, loose and rippable.

The Superfrank and Hipster both have that twinny/skatey, slashy feel, with some extra drive depending on how you fin it. The Destroyer surfs more like a midlength that has glide and drive when on rail. Both good feelings, just different...

There's no bad choice here mate.

Just managed to but my old hipster twin back, realised it was my magic board after selling it and trying some other things! I ride the 7'10 at 85 kg and it's stable and just super rippable! The wider nose and flatter deck help loads with stability. Brilliant board for plug and play performance, hard turns just feel really good on it.

Would love to try an 8' destroyer heard nothing but good things, as above you can't go wrong really with those choices.

Thanks .. So sounds like I should be asking ...super frank compared to smik hipster twin.

Any comments on normal or carbon ?
I see Smick has a full carbon and a carbon rail option. And normal eps.

to many choices ..

Both brands are very good construction wise/ durable,the destroyer even in the smaller sizes will noseride if that's a consideration

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London said..
Thanks .. So sounds like I should be asking ...super frank compared to smik hipster twin.

oooh yes. I've also been looking at both. The Hipster Twin is highly recommended by the SUPBoarder crew here in the UK for ease of use etc. Super Frank also recommended pretty much everyone who's tried one for the smaller stuff. Not a lot of formal reviews out there on it though. I'd want to know
a) Small wave performance of the Smik
b) Speed of both on the flat and on the wave
c) Comparison of ease of entry onto the wave of both
d) Stability comparison.

I have both JL and a Smik . The Smik is better

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mike3217 said..
I have both JL and a Smik . The Smik is better

In what ways please? I'm sure both boards are great but one will be better for my needs and conditions. Understanding that is my main priority.

The JL Worldwide is super fun too, my surf buddy borrowed my 8-1 while his performance longboard was getting fixed and he loved it(
as I do). It's a bit of a mutant IMO cause its got a pointy nose, but a wide tail and boxy rails in middle, but it seems to yield stability in small sizes so you can ride a board that you can really toss around on the wave.

Interesting topic! To answer the question of London, with the stats he mentioned would be either board good! Both boards are amazing but if you surf (just) once a month I don't think you will notice really the difference, they're both tremendously good!

Shapes are different from the 2 boards so you can ask yourself, Do you want a Twinny feeling what you like and mentioned or do you want to have a more all-round minimal style board that you can sup surf in more/all conditions. They will definitely not surf similar, but I think you will notice this if you hope from one board to the other and back in a session and not with some time in between (a month?!).

I personally wouldn't compare the Hipster Twin to the SuperFrank because the SuperFrank is a groveller, it's for small to head high waves, the Hipster Twin and the Destroyer you can take out in almost anything to your abilities. of course you can do the same with the superfrank but I wouldn't recommend it. Worldwide is also a good option and has a better and longer deck pad (over the complete board) as the Destroyer with a bit more surf shape. But it's just what you prefer.

Hipster Twin - I would recommend to intermediate level suppers that want to progress to advanced in waist-high to overhear waves, depending on your abilities the sizing for stability.

Destroyer - I would recommend to beginners, Intermediate and Advanced suppers it's an all-round board, one that rules them all and some say a one board quiver. The pro's would say that the 7'7 is still too big/fat with it's 100 liters and relative big nose so maybe for those out there I wouldn't recommend it. I wrote already in some other threads about it: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Jimmy-Lewis-Destroyer-First-Impressions?page=2

The Worldwide - I would recommend it the same as the Destroyer but if you search a bit more surf shape then the destroyer

Superfrank - I would recommend it as a second board for Intermediate and Advanced suppers, so as an addition to the Hipster Twin or the Destroyer would be great, I wouldn't use it as my go-to board but one to play within small to head high waves.

I have tried and surfed all 4 of them but I ended up with 2 destroyers, one for chop 8'0 @115 liters and one for clean conditions 7'7 @ 100 liters.

Great post.

how small in conditions can you go with each do you think Estingo?Destroyer was an option for me and even recommended by a UK retailer but I'm not if it 100% suits the small, choppy mess that I try to surf in more often than not.

One thing I will say about the hipster is it does need a little bit of a pocket or steepnes to release it and get up to speed, I think the MK2 has a better bottom end but none in the UK I know of. Don't get me wrong I had a cracking surf at Watergate on a small dieing swell Saturday morning but it really comes to life with that little extra push. The big round rucked rails are the most likely reason! Once going though it flies even in waist high stuff. Love it.

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Kovert said..
One thing I will say about the hipster is it does need a little bit of a pocket or steepnes to release it and get up to speed, I think the MK2 has a better bottom end but none in the UK I know of. Don't get me wrong I had a cracking surf at Watergate on a small dieing swell Saturday morning but it really comes to life with that little extra push. The big round rucked rails are the most likely reason! Once going though it flies even in waist high stuff. Love it.

Thanks. That might be a killer but I dont mind over sizing if it helps stability and ease onto the wave. Conditions I'm looking for at my local tend to be 2' with no wind, or the slightest of offshore maybe. When that happens it's almost a nice longboard type wave. That's once in a blue moon, I last saw that 6+ weeks ago. Any breeze whatsoever and it's a blown out mess. The waves are still there and someone better than me would be able to catch far more than I do. It does get bigger but it's always angry, wind driven and that chop is there bigger than ever, messing up the waves and even making bumps between the swell waves themselves. Being honest it's not really a surfing beach but I've little choice if I want a quick surf. I do have 2-3 other options nearby which are pretty similar to the above and a better known beach a little over an hour away but that's still a world away from all of those nice vids of Devon and Cornwall.

Late to the thread! Has the striker been mentioned,IMO definitely a one board solution

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N00N00 said..
Great post.

how small in conditions can you go with each do you think Estingo? Destroyer was an option for me and even recommended by a UK retailer but I'm not if it 100% suits the small, choppy mess that I try to surf in more often than not.

The waves that I ride are Dutch messy conditions, I think similar to yours what you have described. No fancy 10+ seconds period waves, just some wind waves that I normally surf with an average of 5 seconds period.

It's just what you prefer, after a lot of trying I don't prefer a stubby board aka a groveller. For that conclusion, I had to try a lot of boards and also did a search for what you are doing. Maybe for some understanding is this thread useful: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Boards-for-Vertical-or-Horizontal-surfing-

If you want to read the difference between the Destroyer and the superfrank is it also here explained: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/NEW-2019-Jimmy-Lewis--Destroyer--Model-arriving-December?page=2

Another interesting interview with Jimmy himself, he explains that he shapes for "the average guy" his idea starts at 1:30

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justaddwater said..
Late to the thread! Has the striker been mentioned,IMO definitely a one board solution

I only commented on what I have ridden, sorry justaddwater I haven't stand on the striker yet. But I'm sure it's a good board as well!

For me my 9'3 Hipster Twin is my go to out of 20 boards, it never fails

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estingo said..

N00N00 said..
Great post.

how small in conditions can you go with each do you think Estingo? Destroyer was an option for me and even recommended by a UK retailer but I'm not if it 100% suits the small, choppy mess that I try to surf in more often than not.

The waves that I ride are Dutch messy conditions, I think similar to yours what you have described. No fancy 10+ seconds period waves, just some wind waves that I normally surf with an average of 5 seconds period.

It's just what you prefer, after a lot of trying I don't prefer a stubby board aka a groveller. For that conclusion, I had to try a lot of boards and also did a search for what you are doing. Maybe for some understanding is this thread useful: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Boards-for-Vertical-or-Horizontal-surfing-

If you want to read the difference between the Destroyer and the superfrank is it also here explained: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/NEW-2019-Jimmy-Lewis--Destroyer--Model-arriving-December?page=2

Another interesting interview with Jimmy himself, he explains that he shapes for "the average guy" his idea starts at 1:30

justaddwater said..
Late to the thread! Has the striker been mentioned,IMO definitely a one board solution

I only commented on what I have ridden, sorry justaddwater I haven't stand on the striker yet. But I'm sure it's a good board as well!

yes it sounds sounds similar to my locals conditions to be honest, hence my massive concern on stability. It's probably still too early for me to jump down a size but then the Gun isn't the most stable shape on the market either. Even though the stability of the Hypr is still excellent, there is something about how it sits in the water. But chop is every boards enemy I guess.

fascinating thread on vertical and horizontal SUP types. I had never thought of it that way but that's the limit of my knowledge. I've always thought of it as Short tomo shaped boards for small messy surf but struggle when it gets bigger due to the speed (thanks to the fat tail) and locked feeling coming from the quad set up. Conversely the more performance shapes need more of a push due to the increased rocker and pulled in shape. In regard to what I think I need or want................I haven't got the foggiest. Would I be right and saying that the Destroyer sits somewhere in between? There is something very tempting about it. I'm suffering from paralysis by analysis right now I reckon. Zero surf and too much work is not helping.

I find the 8' Hipster is a bit of a slow paddler in strong offshore winds, but apart from that everything else is good, construction is excellent and it surfs brilliantly on a wide range of waves, but I personally wouldn't take it out on big days, due to being a slow paddler leading to late take offs, was going to get a spitfire for this job, but ended up with a steller ozx which is a much faster paddling board, with harder rails, even though it's 6ltr less volume than my Hipster. Personally I think you need two boards to cover all options without too much compromise. That said, thinking of a JL WW as a 3rd, but can't justify the cost as I don't know where it would shine over the boards I have.

Video of me on the Hipster in strongish offshore

photos.app.goo.gl/cH1Q5hN5WsKBSiGk7