Hello everyone. Old poster. Lost account. Thanks in advance to anyone offering any advice or information. Lots of questions. Thanks!



The gods have been cruel and rained down thunder and water logging on Precious (jp widebody 8'2, 32 wide). it needs to be replaced and I haven't bought a board in roughly ten years.

Have a few questions about what boards are like these days.
Question 1: does anyone in australia get the stepped in rails made anywhere? Everyone else, do any of you have them and what's the consensus on them now you have had the board for a few years? (Stepped in can't remember what they're called)

Question 2: last time I bought a board the low volume, high performance longboard sup craze hadn't hit yet. Has anyone here had one of these and how do you rate performance of this board type compared to a board of the same volume but a high performance shortboard shape with thicker rails? (think JP surf, Jackson Close Deep 8ft)

Question 3: I also got a Jackson close 8'0 second hand but have barely ridden it. Need to lose more weight to ride it again. every time I have lost the weight to go ride it I get back on the prone shortboard but body won't allow that this time. Incredible board when the weight loss has happened. Has anyone got one of these types of shapes in the 8 and a half to 9 foot category and if so, when you're riding one do you feel confident to smash the lip? Say you're getting a close out section with white wash on it? The widebody allows for this very rarely but with the amount of water it takes in every surf it's dodgey.

Question 4: those that have the rockered shortboard
Shapes, do of you have issues when you bail your board and dive under a three footer or above? My deep JC pulls your leg so hard with this. Every time feel like something a going to snap. Did something to my acl from this a few years back, out of the water for three months. Never have this issue with the widebody.

Hi, my advice is that modern SUP shapes have progressed a lot, in that shapers have year by year refined their compromise performance/userfriendliness.

This means that compared to 10 years ago, you can now get boards with comfy dimensions and still get performance.
Notably you can get thin rails (that bring safety in powerful waves and maneuvering in the critical parts) in bigger boards as the shapers know how to hide the volume away from the rails.I'd advice to get a recent model in a "easy performance" line (most brands/shapers have one), comfy sized.

On the stepped rails, they allow lowering the rail volume while keeping a flat deck. A plus if you like flat decks.
However, the board is less stable while paddling, there is no free lunch.
Is it better to "buy" with this loss of stability a gain in rail to rail latency, paddling speed and control with a narrower board or the sensitivity and hold of thinner rails? I guess it comes down to personal preference. I have had both and cannot say I favor one or the other. My current board have mini step rails (5mm), I guess a compromise.

Otherwise on the "do you feel confident to smash the lip" factor, what I found out is that it all comes down to speed.
The easier a board is able to extract as much speed as possible out of the bottom turn, the easier the top turns.
I see speed as your "surfing currency" that you spend in turns.
So I tend yo avoid boards with too much rocker. I tend to favor fast rockers (thus flatter) and fast fins (Quobbas) to gain speed, relying on outline (pulled-in tails) and rails (thin in the rear) to control how to "spend" it in turns.

This may be that I am a rather front footer surfer, a back foot surfer may prefer stomping on the tail to squeeze it, and may have different preferences.

But I am not in OZ so I have not relevant advise on specific shapers for you there.PS: on the leash I try to streamline my body on the initial pull by the leash to be dragged by it without resistance, to save the leash, but I guess it saves my joints too. But I am not a big wave rider.

"I see speed as your "surfing currency" that you spend in turns."

THIS!

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colas said..
you can now get boards with comfy dimensions and still get performance.

As an example of such a model in an Aussie brand is the Kanga in the current thread:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Sunova-8-9-Kanga--custom-paint--?page=1
Note that Sunova can adjust the dims of their models for only 10%.
This semi-custom option is great as it allows to have the dims you want without the full price of a true custom, and also keep the resale value of a production board (although resell values are not great nowadays for SUPs)

In the Gong line that would be the Karmen

In Starboard the Spice

In Infinity, the Wide Speed

In SMiK, the Hipster twin

etc, etc... most of the time these new models by their wide range of use replace two or more models in the brands lines,... and also allow riders to reduce their quiver.

If you're in WA I want it

if under 8kg lol

refurb. Don't bin

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Mark _australia said..
If you're in WA I want it

if under 8kg lol

refurb. Don't bin

The widebody?

Select to expand quote

colas said..

colas said..
you can now get boards with comfy dimensions and still get performance.

As an example of such a model in an Aussie brand is the Kanga in the current thread:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Sunova-8-9-Kanga--custom-paint--?page=1
Note that Sunova can adjust the dims of their models for only 10%.
This semi-custom option is great as it allows to have the dims you want without the full price of a true custom, and also keep the resale value of a production board (although resell values are not great nowadays for SUPs)

In the Gong line that would be the Karmen

In Starboard the Spice

In Infinity, the Wide Speed

In SMiK, the Hipster twin

etc, etc... most of the time these new models by their wide range of use replace two or more models in the brands lines,... and also allow riders to reduce their quiver.

Thanks