Maliko Javelin and the Kite Republic fun paddle.

I got to paddle a 26" Maliko today and I can compare it to my usual board which is a 2015 14x29 Glide.

The maliko really surprised me on the upwind and only required a couple of short strokes to catch the bumps on the down.
I got an easy ride on the bumps and the board held the ride for ever.

Im pushing 90 kg so was surprised how well this 26'' board floated me and maintained its stability in cross chop.

Thanks to KR SUP @ St Kilda baths for the Naish Maliko loan/rental today - very friendly & helpful, with a "let's make it happen" attitude.

I was super impressed. board seemed fast & stable & (surprisingly) even caught some runners.

The conditions were 5-10kts, onshore, on Port Phillip Bay, so zero (ocean) swell but I guess the fetch to be >20km (so some "bump").
I paddled "out" or into the breeze for +/-2km, then turned around & surfed back to the beach, & repeated x3.
Once I got bored with that I cruised around under the pier & amongst the yachts (very flat & sheltered).
Going into the wind standing in front of the handle was quite wet with lots of water over the deck (didn't seem to slow). Standing further back resulted in dry feet but some "slap" on the underside & felt slower.
Paddling "with it" I seemed able to catch & chase anything - certainly had way more rides/runs than I expected!
I didn't fall in.

The real revelation (for me) was the Naish Makani 8.0 vario paddle I was loaned with the board... light, smooth, comfortable, blah blah. Loved it! This was against expectation as I have been spoilt with my Ke Nalu Maliko & have been disappointed with every other paddle since meeting her. ALL previous adjustable paddles have failed to impress.

I am not sponsored & have paid full price on all SUP purchases to date.
I'm male, 44yo, 72kg dripping wet, 5'10" in shoes, SUPping nearly 3 years, surfing (prone) since 1976, spent most of the 80's & 90's windsurfing. Almost all my SUP is on the ocean with strong dw focus (CT, South Africa).
I regard myself as a "top mid-tier paddler", alternatively a serious contender for second place.
I've owned Fanatic fly (2012), Coreban Dart, Naish Glide v2, SIC bullet (14 & 17'4), Coreban Dart Pro.

For what it is worth: I have read with distaste the hate & xenophobia directed at folk with differing views posted above.
If this forum is ltd to Aussies with certain views then please make it clear & I will respect that.

Sean

Are you serious DJ. Is the Maliko such a better board that you would trade the Jav for it? This is a pointed question as I am tossing up between the 2 boards for port Phillip bay cruising.

Actually....on further thought...this is what they need to do to really improve the stability for everyone.

First downwinder completed on 24" Maliko yesterday - 15-22knots quite messy because of a combination of wind turning to SE from an onshore direction and ground swell reflection.

Board is fast......it allows you to pull onto the slightest bump and jump across bumps in front aplenty provided you power up and time it right. The nose takes some working out, it does slow you down if you engage but also pops back up and still lets you into bump most times. There is less of a slow-down compared to 2015 Jav and different to the 2014 Jav which has more nose rocker and a slimmer entry. It will take me a few sessions for it to become intuitive when to step back and when to just power on.

The board really seemed to reward agressive paddling, if you are fit and strong it will pull into anything and everything, in these lighter conditions it does not catch runs by itself, the swells were too close together and small. I kept thinking if I was fitter I'd be on everything, but as I lost steam I started losing runs which I know I would have been on had I been on a wider board. I was expending energy correcting balance and stepping back and forth many times possibly unnecessarily as nose seems really low but actually doesn't catch that much.

Once on run the lower nose doesn't seem to ever be a problem, it's super forgiving as water is dispersed without steering the board. I found footsteering a little stiff, as in it wasn't super willing to do much turning in these smaller bumps. Having surfed it I know that this should change for the better in bigger bumps. The 2015 Jav somehow manages to be very willing to turn even in small bumps like this, even more so than 2014 Jav.

On a messy downwind like yesterday, I was on what I'd call the limit of comfort - I didn't fall in but had a couple of bracing moments which meant lost runs. I'm somewhat above the recommended max user weight of 82kg at 90kg excluding wetsuit so I'm pretty sure a rider int he 70-80kg range will be in heaven. I found it slightly more tiring than the 2014 Jav (26") but with improved fitness (downwind season only just starting) it could become my go to dwd board - it's already my go to flatwater board.

Will be interesting to get out on the 26" - my gut feel is that it will be somewhat less tiring at my weight and therefore allround more comfortable and possibly easily as fast, if not faster for me.

You will note that I talk a lot about speed, I enjoy going fast, comparing my times with previous runs and beating my mates if possible. The 24" is a potential weapon in the right hands and is surprisingly stable for it's width.