I recently bought this custom Smik second hand 8'2" x 28.5" litres unknown but I'm guessing about 105ish. I wanted a board to use when conditions aren't suitable for my Starboard 7'7 Pro or for when I wanted my energy to last more than 1hr
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As per Hilly's original post (that's why I posted here) I found it paddled slower and had more yaw than my other boards (7'7, JP Pro 8'6 and Laird 9') but likewise I got used to that pretty quickly. Nose is definitely more pulled in and wider midpoint than the standard spitfire (it's not a modified spitfire). Like others have said I found this board surprisingly stable for the dimensions which was a priority as smallish, flat deck and stable was high on my wish list.
At first I found it nothing special to turn but that's comparing it to the 7'7, after about 3hrs now on the board I'm getting more performance out of it which I think will increase. The board was made for an 85kg rider so I guess it's never going to go as well with me at 73kg (plus I am a lot less skilled) but then I bought it for less than perfect days so I needed it bigger than optimal. So far my initial impression is positive as it might just fit the intended slot in the quiver if not it'll be on the buy and sell, time will tell.
If you are in Perth feel free to hit me up for a demo if the dims appeal to you.
