I am seeking expert advice on which is a more suitable board for an intermediate SUPer, ie the hypernut 8' or 8'6". Obviously there is a difference in length and a one litre volume difference but is there a difference in performance or suitability/use.

without your personal 'specs' (weight, height) hard to say. and i'm no expert, but have been using the 8'0" HN for over a year now. best board i've ever used from near flat to double overhead, chop to glass. i'm 6'3", 90 kgs. the board is super stable and easy to throw around. i would consider the 8'6" too big for me, have tried the 7'8" and it's doable but the 8'0" is perfect for all conditions for me.

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beached56 said..
without your personal 'specs' (weight, height) hard to say. and i'm no expert, but have been using the 8'0" HN for over a year now. best board i've ever used from near flat to double overhead, chop to glass. i'm 6'3", 90 kgs. the board is super stable and easy to throw around. i would consider the 8'6" too big for me, have tried the 7'8" and it's doable but the 8'0" is perfect for all conditions for me.

I have the 7'4 106l at 95kg and i went too small. (also weighing in a bit more than purchase time) only useable in very clean conditions in a light wetsuit. Very fun on the wave though but would snap at the chance to get the 7'8 to make it more versatile

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jdjlogan said..
I am seeking expert advice on which is a more suitable board for an intermediate SUPer, ie the hypernut 8' or 8'6". Obviously there is a difference in length and a one litre volume difference but is there a difference in performance or suitability/use.

Hi jdjlogan,

I'm not the target user in terms of weight (78kg), however I have ridden both the new and old versions of the 8'6 and also the 8'0. I find the new 8'6 is an easier board to engage the rail as they have refined the profile and thickness. Both boards are 31.5" wide but the lower apex and thinner rails are easier to step across and turn on.

The other major difference is that the 8'6 has better glide onto a wave, whereas the 8'0 has better shorter radius turning.

Generally the HN's tend to be best when matched to the riders weight from a performance perspective. However they have been far more popular in the larger sizes as they offer a broader range of usability, especially for intermediate level surfers.
So I guess it comes down to what your preference is and the type of wave you normally surf. If you surf fuller waves with shifting peaks the 8'6 will be better but if you surf steeper waves then the 8'0.


Hope this helps some

Note: I am affiliated with Starboard

Cheers,
Marco

Thanks to all who provided advice. It is greatly appreciated. The 8'6" looks to be more suitable.

Just out of interest, how do these boards perform in on shore/cross shore choppy conditions, when chop is coming in different directions.

I have a fanatic stylemaster 10'@30" wide, I find it quiet tippy and hard work in bumpy conditions.

Looking at a board for difficult conditions.

Ridiculously stable, the 8'6 has finer rails and I think is a better board (IMO). Both boards are awesome in anything over about knee high to just over head high. I found that above head high the width sort of fought against you and you were better off on something with a narrower tail. I reckon you would find it more stable than your stylemaster for sure. My advice is not to ever get the wood construction as I found mine to be really bloody weak and the deck started to get heels dents in in after about 3 months. Carbon or the other construction is the go. BTW at the time I was riding these a lot I was weighing in around 106kg.

Please note: I am not affiliated with Starboard or any other brand, however, I can be bought off rather cheaply