Howzit Gang,

Enjoy following the forum and need help to decide which board to get next ? I ride the 2009 Hokua 9-6, 140 L, 29 1/4" w, 4 3/8" th, weight- 20 lbs. with no fins. I ride it quad with FCS 5" g-crv fronts, 4 1/2" Halo's rears I am 57 yr old , 180 lbs, 5-8,
I started surfing 40 years ago short boards , then longboards,now sup's for 9 yrears. I have surfed ankle snappers to 14 foot faces with this board . l like the long board feel it has, it paddles well, it has some swing weight in the nose(18 3/4") so, when you carve the turns it shoots you out of the turn. It also helps in small days(floatation) & jumping white water while paddling out.

I have been looking at the JL Kwad 9-1, 130L & 8-7, 115L . I dont have a chance to demo so need insight from the mates to make best decision. I have tried 9-0 Hokua, 125 L , 28 3/4, 3/3/4"th. Did not like the pointy nose & to much rocker and I could not get the" rail to rail" drive feeling that I like. tried the 8-5 hokua 115 L, could not paddle it to catch waves.

Would the 8-7 be too small? would my ankles be underwater? with the wide nose will it be more stable than 9-0 hokua? The 9-1 is the closest(in dimensions) to my 9-6 hokua but its a little wider(29 1/4" to 30) and wider in the nose (18 3/4" to 20 3/8) tail is wider (17 3/4" to 18 7/32). Would like to go 8-7 for the "short board feel" but don't want to struggle paddling and less waves.

thanks for the help gang

From my experience I would go with 8-7.
when in Sanur hired from Jankie. Went for 9-1 as I was riding a McT 9-0 at home. It felt like a dog. (Unsuited for my weight/conditions???) Swapped with the 8-7 and kept it for the rest of my time there. It felt great. (At the time I was in my mid 60's and 72kgs). Flotation and stability was not a problem and I scored plenty of waves.

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EASTSIDEBOYZ15 said..
I could not get the" rail to rail" drive feeling that I like.

I suggest you try the JL stun gun. It definiitely is a pointy nose, and maybe not the stablest, but it is one of the production board I tried that has the smoothest rail to rail. The drawback is that if feels like it always want to roll underfoot, so you should try it if the loss of apparent stability is worth the smooth rail-to-rail for your taste. The Kwad is stabler but there is no free lunch: Stabler means more resistance to roll onto the rail... it requires a more aggressive style.

Looks at the World Wide range of JL's line up?

You can also consider the 2014 or 2015 Starboard pro 9.0.Its more stable as the Hokua8.5 and faster rockered as the Hokua9.0. in float similar to the 9.0 despite the givven volume difference.When I owned a Hokua 9.0 for a good 2 years too resilient to accept the board is just too rockered and thin nosed for my conditions the Pro9.0 was a huge upgrade.
Catches earlier, goes faster and turns better. I changed later down to a 2015 Pro8.5, but i,m still in doubt if the 9.0 wasn't the better board for me.

what sort of waves you riding?
Look into the World wide yes another option to throw down.

Will check out SG, found out someone has one to demo. Think it's the 9-2.

Is the WW to wide at 31"? Must be stable but can I pump it , rail to rail to speed going?

Thanks for the help , will check these out if possible.

Hey EASTSIDEBOYZ15 check your in box, www.supcentralwa.com.au have the complete J/L High performance SUP surf range available for demo and we're in WA.

i have been on world wide 8'5 for 12 months and it is fast and loose. Great all rounder. I had an 8'7 stun gun . I miss it when it is pumping but the world wide is better all round. I run it as a quad as it can spin out as a thruster when waves get gruntier. I find the world wide to still be tippy enough !

I have never used a qwad! good luck

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EASTSIDEBOYZ15 said..
Will check out SG, found out someone has one to demo. Think it's the 9-2.

Is the WW to wide at 31"? Must be stable but can I pump it , rail to rail to speed going?

Thanks for the help , will check these out if possible.

get the 8 footer then, i have the 8'1 Worldwide, its 29.5 wide, 110l (tho they say they are 112 now). its a little cracker.
i struggled to find much of a review with these so bought on a whim, and Jason from West oz was raving bout the 8'5.
At first i wasnt sure, came from a real pin tail so was a bit different being shorter, 30 litres less volume, narrower and a wide swallow tail.
Ive recently been riding mine as a thruster setup, just never really clicked with the quad. A quad seems to just build speed and dishpan a bit.
A thruster you feel like you can squeeze and pump and gain speed and throw it around if you wanna. It is looser, but man pretty fun being able to really go vert on reo's and do tighter cut backs and slide a bit. Have not used it in bigger waves as a thruster, will try but probably go back to my large S9 carbon fronts and S6 rears quad setup for speed and a bit more hold.
But for fun up to head high have found a new love for my WW.
They maybe seem a bit tippy as i think the carbon versions bob a little, or feel a tad corky if seas are up or is a bit choppy, suk it up and use ur core. i find the 110l fine now for my 80-82kegs.
Strength, i hear all these rumours of jimmy lewis bomb proof construction, balls it is same as most SUPS really, not that strong. got heaps of dents along rails from paddle, put my hip thru rail, fins thru nose, but hey what construction is going to take that sort of stuff? they are a large board in teh surf getting pounded around so live with the scars and earn some.

If i could choose or talk to Jimmy id say make a WW in around 7'8-7'10x29 100-105 litres for a fun board for 80 and below keggers for beacheys and up to head high, but i guess if you live in hawaii you dont have to go out in the scrap we have to in order to get a wave.

would i buy again, yes. i do like the way boards are going shorter purely for transport/lugging the things around (hypernut, minion etc). BUT, they prob dont really ride the same as a traditional shape board like the JL now do they. well not that i have found as yet.
the search continues.

i just recon teh JL kwads look too long n narrow. have not tried tho.

Thanks for the info gang, been busy, but going with the 9-1 kwad ! I Pray 4 surf 4 U All :) Lets go get'um!!!

Thanks, Eastside