Trying not to blabber on and on, but thanks to the awesomeness of the guys at Blue Planet on O'ahu I was able to swap out my Tanto 7' 4" x 30" (which was just a bit too much board), for this 8'0" x 28" Tanto... I have a lot to say about the two boards and how they ride, first a quick vid from a late season swell at home today. Waves not offering up that much in terms of rippable faces, but I had fun anyway.

So to get started, I rode the 7' 4" for about a year, and even though I got it totally dialed with the right fins it was just a bit too much in the width department. I ended up putting it on consignment at Blue Planet, and eventually I had the courage to ask if I could swap it for the size I wanted out of the demo fleet. I was expecting a bit of a hassle, but in a heartbeat the guys were like, yeah no problem. I was stoked...can't say enough good things about Blue Planet, Robert is a really awesome guy and I think that rubs off on the rest of the staff.
So to the water...****. What a weird day. I thought having the other size dialed it would be a no brainer. Wrong. So here's the breakdown:

7' 4" Tanto:

- for me at 160 pounds, absolutely ridiculously stable. If you fall off this board paddling, you really suck.
- slow paddler. S**t loads of nose rocker, even my little 90 liter JP surf pro caught waves easier.
- Super, super crazy loose. Rides like a skateboard on steroids.
- Crazy playful, just a sick little toy to whip around and try crazy stuff.
- Actually handled some fricking big waves with a bit of footwork and the right fins.

8' 0" Tanto:

- Still crazy stable. For my weight I feel like I can go way small on this shape. This one is 95L and I feel like I could drop to 75L.
- Paddling is way, way faster. The rocker seems more relaxed, I feel like I am hauling ass to get out the back.
- With that lack of nose rocker, I've buried the thing and ate ** a few times. It isn't as care free as the shorter board.
- For me the board works best as a thruster, running a slightly bigger center fin.
- This size for me will really hold in there on bigger waves, it's just all around more solid feeling than the smaller board.

Hope I didn't forget anything, so here are my final points about this whole deal:

- Blue Planet is a fricking awesome shop, can't say enough.
- The 7'4" is like a fish on steroids, it's super loose, it's crazy fast, and won't pearl if you try.
- The 8'0" rides like a high performance longboard and has some limitations in the fun factor, but gains a lot in the solid wave factor.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff, hit me up with any questions about the boards!

Have to put in a quick request to Exiled if he happens upon this...please don't kick my ass for posting a video from our spot, please...you are like 6'7" and a priest, or pastor, or father...Jesus would not want you to kick my ass... think about it.

The only thing I'm mad about is that you used up all the nice waves before I could paddle out this morning. I don't think the Aussies are too interested in our little backwater spot. I've been offering to take people out for months here every time some asks about the North Shore. I tried to get some guys from Noosa who were Air bnbing one of the condos right in front of the break to come out with me. They had nice boards rented from Blue Planet and everything. They passed too. Just can't seem to sell them.

You're get a lot of performance out of a board with a lot of volume for your size. I'm jealous. Looks like the rails engaged better on the longer Tanto. Does the added length trip you up at all on the turns?

Great vid .....look like Maui but it's in Oahu ??
Awesome looking board.
Yes the guys from BP in Oahu are top notch. Legends

Exiled yeah you are exactly right, I am getting high performance out of high volume for me. I should have mentioned that this is my middle board, I have a 7'4" JP surf pro and a custom 9' 9" gun. Right about the rails too, definitely more engaged than the wider board, can bog a bit on the really small waves if I over surf it though. Comes to life with a bit of power from a good wave. I definitely can't get as crazy on the turns, the old 7'4" would recover from anything, this one you have to actually know what you're doing! Wind is back, I guess it's back to kiting...