Hi,

I live in Belgium(yes we have some waves over here too ) and I'm thinking to buy the 2013 8'2".
First I had a Starboard Drive 10'5" AST bleu, last year I bought the SB Converse 9'0" AST silver
and now I'm looking foor a board that turns a bit better and is a bit more agressive. I tried the JP 8'2" widebody wood 124L last week and I was really impressed. In the end I think I will stay with Starboard but the problem is we don't have a lot of demo days or things like that over here.
This board will be my final board so I want to go for a carbon board however before paying that kind of money and not having the opportunity to test the board I would like to know what you guys think.
If you would suggest a different starboard board please feel free to let me know.
My weight is 75kg
When conditions are good we get 1m clean swell with a period of max 7 seconds. As soon as the wind starts blowing things can get really choppy over here not to mention the current.

thank you for reading this!

Charlie

Hi Charlie

I tried the Carbon 8'2 last week & thought it was great! I'm 6'2" 100kg so I did struggle a bit but you'd be fine on it. I also tried the 8'5 pocket Rocket & thought thy was a better board. Paddled better & surfed just as well if not better. It would be my choice of the 2.
Something to consider.

I just traded my SB 8'2 for a 2013 SB 8'10 carbon, I'm 6' and crack the ton (100kg) in weight. The 8'2 was awesome on the wave for speed, late take offs & carving however when the wind came up and it became choppy it became a struggle to get any paddle speed for a bloke my size. The 8'10 with the little bit extra volume and length makes paddling in all conditions including a recent session in 35+ knot winds a hell of lot easier and it still seems to have the same surfing attributes as the 8'2. The 8'10 is now my goto board for all conditions. cheers

I have the 8-2 carbon wide point - I'm 195cm & 98kg and love it - purchased it 8 weeks ago. I have surfed it from 1ft to 5ft reef & beach breaks & and been out often in 10/20knots onshore crap Perth waves no problem. I'm the opposite to Zeusman and prefer the 8-2 to the pocket rocket- I find the 8-2 drops into waves better and is far more manoeuvrable on a wave and has way more speed. The 8-2 has the same tail rocker and sharp rails as the pro range so can really be pushed in turns if you bury tail. The board has almost no glide but turns on a pin easily and 2/3 deep strokes will get you onto almost any breaking wave. I find travelling 200m up a beach OK you just got to keep power in the paddle constantly or board will stop dead. This board does require you to be engaged and energetic while on water -no day dreaming and hanging out the back chatting between sets with your mates, you have to be in the surf line hunting waves or you be in the drink before you know it. I'm constantly amazed I can ride this short SUP in any conditions. I'm keen to try the new 2013 7-8 wide point but it could be tooooooo challenging to ride for my size. I can have a 2 hr session on 8-2 no problem but will fall off 3/4 times in that period just because it's a short board. Been SUPing for 6 months but have surfed for 30 plus years. I can't imagine riding a longer or heavier SUP board again.

P.S started SUP on 10.6. Then swapped for 9.6. Then demoed 8-10 different sup's over 2 months - my mate is a team rider so got to try lots of boards - most of the sub 9ft & 29 inch wide and under boards were extremely hard for me to ride for more than 10 minutes with my weight & height - then tried the pocket rocket - loved it(. Could not believe it was as stable as my 9.6). Then demo the 8.2 WP and after 4 hours riding board - parted with my cash and sold 9.6.

Thanks for the answers.
allready helped me al lot but I still have some questions.
what do you mean with 'no glide'?

I was wondering (without wanting to offend anyone ) if a 32" wide board would not be too wide when you guys are doing good with it while I weigh 20kg less.
should I step off the wide point idea??

I tried the pocket rocket ast silver and liked it but I still needed the wave pick me up a bit faster. would it help by taking a shorter wider board?

what about 7'8" wp or the 7-11??
so many questions....

At your weight you will have no problems with the SB 7'8 or 7'11, a board with less width will be faster but this has to factored against the volume of the board to give you the float-ability you might want re glide speed and getting onto a wave....a lot of these issues are going to be personal preference ie how aggressive the board will be vs flotation and glide. I think just about all the boards you've mentioned will do what you're looking for and you won't go to wrong with any of these.

OK supatrooper thanks for the info.
still not sure but that's just me...
For the moment the pocket rocket is winning.

What I do know for sure is that I want to buy the brushed carbon version.
Do you or anyone else now what happens if the rail gets hit by the paddle?
On my SB converse AST silver small bits of the rail came off.
I suppose the carbon will not loose those bits but will get small cracks instead?
I know there is an adhesive tape you can stick against the rail but does that really work?
cheers

Hi Charlie, to make it a bit more difficult:
I tried last month at Wijk aan Zee in Holland the Starby pro8.5 2012 (wood) and that one picks up the waves as quick as my 8.10WP and Hokua 9.0 and is really really maneuvrable/ nervous in a positive way. My Hokua for example can turn really tight, but not as tight ass the 8.5Pro (but offers me more control when getting big)

Its harder working to keep balance but i,m 91kg so a fair bit more heavy as you are.
I like the Carbons I tried but didnt found the advantage over wood that extemely big and worth the extra $$.
If I was you i would go for a wood or silver 8.5Pro and keep your Converse for the confused days and really small waves. Unfortunally we have a lot more mid size board days as smallboards and I doubt if Belgium is doing better as North-Holland.

Hi Jeroen,

that's true but the 2013 8.5pro has only 106L instead of the 123L last year...
I don't think this is an option in our choppy waters.
106l is a bit too pro if you ask me
thanks for replying.
Maybe I should try to find a 2012 version somewhere...
p.s. I havent tried the wood or carbon but from what I read here on the forum people really prefer the carbon.
I read here that someone sold his wife and kids to buy a carbon board.
something to think about...

I don't think we are seeing this in SUP as most are after the weight advantage of carbon, but I have heard that in Windsurfing some of the pro's are electing to go with the wood version of a given board.

The reasons given are around durability and feel.

I'll be going wood more as a budget constraint.

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SupCharlie said...


What I do know for sure is that I want to buy the brushed carbon version.
Do you or anyone else now what happens if the rail gets hit by the paddle?
On my SB converse AST silver small bits of the rail came off.
I suppose the carbon will not loose those bits but will get small cracks instead?
I know there is an adhesive tape you can stick against the rail but does that really work?
cheers

Not neccessarily relating to paddle strikes but from what I have heard, Starboard have never had a brushed carbon board come back under warranty world wide! So that should give you a bit of confidence in the construction.

SupCharlie. Hi. I just bought one in the AST a week ago. 1st day smooth small waves. Felt fairly comfortable. Last 3 times onsure and bumpy as. Stuggling mainly with getting on the wave. Losing balance just at the critical point when I need to paddle hard to get on the wave. Having said that the board feels pretty loose on the wave but still learning. You would have no problem with it and it poosibly might be a little wide for your weight. I am 94kgs but I am old as well. So my balance is crapola. I don't know how it would go in larger waves being only a quad setup. cheers

No more doubts, just ordered my SB pro 9 x 29 118L
Delivered in January but it's worth waiting for...
thanks everyone for replying!
cheers

Sweet! Lets us all know how it goes

Hi Charlie,
I haven't had a go on the 2013 9'0 pro but I think the 9'0 pros are more geared towards a step up board when the waves are bigger, steeper...for Belgium I think you'd find the pocket rocket the best and at your weight no issue at all - it is very very stable and nice and slashy in small waves

Hey Charlie,
I weigh 75 kg and ride a pocket rocket. It's stable and good in sloppy conditions, great in clean conditions. Rides great off the tail and nose rides well too .... excellent all round board and would recommend it above the 8'2 widepoint. My main frustration with it is the lack of glide (speed across the water) and from what I have read it has much more glide than the widepoint 8'2. I'm now looking at getting an 8'5 pro as from what I can gather they have a everything the pocket rocket has to offer in a higher performance board.

Thanks for the reactions again.
I must say the pocket rocket was winning at some point but I tried it (silver ast) and coming from a converse I don't think this board will be a big step forward. I tried it a few times and tought it was great but I want to take it one step further.

MickMc & fm1 I know you are trying to help but you are making me having second thoughts now...
I can still change the order to a carbon PR but I think that in one or two years I will need something faster like the 9' pro...

I know I will struggle with it in the begining but in the end it will be fine (I think).
to bad I can't test all these boards like you guys.
would a PR pick up a (small) wave much faster than the pro?
Also selling a second hand SUP over here is not easy not to mention a second hand carbon board. that's why I really want to get the board that suits me for many years.

let me know what you guys think
thanks

hi Charlie - trust me if you are surfing in Belgium most of the time and good is 1m swell at 7 seconds the 9'0 pro is not your board - this board is for good waves and a decent size - when a proficient sup'er will find his normal 8'5 or shorter shortboard too small to handle the swell - the pocket rocket will get you having fun in the conditions you surf in most - the 8'5 pros are geared towards good waves too - i am 85 kgs and in my quiver i have a pr for when waves are not so good or tricky paddle, 8'5 pro for when waves are good and 9'8 for when bigger - i used to have a 9'1 pro 2011 but it was too close to the 9'8 pro - brushed carbon is most ding resistant and strong construction - it also increases performance of board a lot - cons are is quite stiff underfoot but the off the top and throwaround performance is unreal not to mention easier to carry which means a lot at end of sesh in europes big tides and walk back to car :) ...also save on excess baggage charges...in a few years time when u want somethimg more advanced youll still kepp pocket rocket for crappier days -

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would a PR pick up a (small) wave much faster than the pro?

just some input on this - a narrower board is faster - the PR is super floaty and 30 wide so wont glide as well as a narrower board like the pro - but bear in mind the pros are not stable - until you get used to them - no use having glide and speed when you are falling off - in crappy waves the width of the PR lets it surf like a fish style surfboard -where the pro boards will bog as the wave isnt powerful enough to give them the speed on face they require to shine...unless you're Zane or Sean or Kai :)

HI fm1,

thanks again.

I guess I will trust you and change my order (if it's not too late by now)
the carbon version will be moving a lot faster than the ast version I tried too.
and it's a board I will always keep.
thanks for your advice. I'll let you know how it goes.
cheers