With Average conditions down my way of late its nice to look back at when the surf was good.

Clip is 90 seconds duration.

Whip it, whip it good.

Jack

wicked!

Funny. Nice clip. And yeah, it is just the best wave board, especially for a pretty ordinary surfer like me.

Also, a few more pics of same board, different construction.

fun vid......liked the "talking on the phone stuff"

Nice work Jack I will have a 8'5, 9'5, and 10' Nut with me on the demo trip lets get together a few crew and go for a Nut surf session down your way!!

usually i am "grizzily" and say .....surely this is "board talk".......but the phone stuff transforms it into something more than "board talk and reviews"

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Surfrod66 said..
Nice work Jack I will have a 8'5, 9'5, and 10' Nut with me on the demo trip lets get together a few crew and go for a Nut surf session down your way!!

Awesome - I'll bring my Nuts.

Ooh nuts, I'm looking at the 8'!

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Surfrod66 said..
Nice work Jack I will have a 8'5, 9'5, and 10' Nut with me on the demo trip lets get together a few crew and go for a Nut surf session down your way!!

Have you had a go on the 8'5 nut? Nothing been said about these yet but I get the feeling it would be a super fun board to ride.

Yes Mick

I am keen to ride the 8'5 Nut .

The 9' Nut was one of my favourite boards, unfortunately I sold it on.

I believe this design has been in the shadow of the Hypernut that was released shortly after the 'Nut'.

Tom Morey was one of the first designers to release a mid sidecut rail board he called the swizzle stick in the 1960's.

Below is an American Soldier in Vietnam with his home made jungle swizzle, this board design looks ready to Stand Up Paddle Surf.


" Tom Luker found out about the shortboard revolution through SURFER Magazine and cut a 9'6" down to an 8 foot jungle swizzle stick."

Link to blog for this pic

theelectricsunshine.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html

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Jacksboards said..


I believe this design has been in the shadow of the Hypernut that was released shortly after the 'Nut'.

I know they're very different boards but I'd love to see a comparison of the 2 with the pros and cons of each. Has anyone ridden both?

Great video Classic song

Hi Chris P

Unfortunately I have not ridden the 'Hypernut' model enough for a real comparison.

Will try and get some sessions in on the 7'2 Hypernut in the next few months.

Link below is a pretty good review on the two model comparison from the 2016 models.

kswboardriders.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/starboard-hyper-nut-and-nut-review/?preview=true&preview_id=493&preview_nonce=e3172934c6&iframe=true

Regards

Jack

The 10 looks a fun all round board.....only thing that puts me off is that it has a bit much volume.

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MickMc said..

Surfrod66 said..
Nice work Jack I will have a 8'5, 9'5, and 10' Nut with me on the demo trip lets get together a few crew and go for a Nut surf session down your way!!

Have you had a go on the 8'5 nut? Nothing been said about these yet but I get the feeling it would be a super fun board to ride.

Hi MickMc,

I have ridden every size of Nut and Hypernut and have the 9'0 Nut in my quiver.

The 8'5 Nut being a new size for 2017 is pretty different to the longer Nut range in terms of how they ride. The longer boards are more technical in riding to get the most out of them, they do behave almost like two boards in one where you walk and trim continuously and then turn hard off the tail. The longer Nuts really suit smaller conditions where waves are fatter and you want to twinkle the toes at the front or crank a turn off the tail.

Whereas the 8'5 Nut is almost a throw back to the earliest models of Pro boards when they had a fuller outlines. The actual Nut shaping in the 8'5 is quite subtle and then finishes at the nose with a little more pulled in shape. What I found is that this board sits very well between the 8'5 x 30 Pocket Rocket and the new 8'5 x 29 Pro in terms of stability and performance. With the shorter length there is no longer as much trimming required, its easy enough to just step back and turn and turn she does really well.

8'5 Nut comparisons to similar boards:

2017 8'5 x 29 Pro.
- Nut is more stable
- Nut handles lumpier / less than ideal conditions better
- Nuts wider nose takes more of a hit from white water but getting over the top is easier due to more stability
- just as quick down the line
- Nut is not quite as responsive rail to rail but not far off
- 8'5 Nut is better suited to the intermediate rider looking for a great all rounder in a broad range of conditions

2017 9'0 Nut
- 8'5 has less glide so slightly better suited to fuller waves
- 8'5 is less technical to ride, step back and turn
- 8'5 punches through white water easier
- 8'5 is more responsive off the tail
- 8'5 turns from rail to rail easier
- 8'5 is slightly less stable
- 9'0 is better suited to small to medium waves that are fuller and you want to walk the board

2017 8'5 x 30 Pocket Rocket
- My opinion the 8'5 Nut should have been an update of the Pocket Rocket more than a Nut
- Nut is less stable due to width and volume
- Nut punches white water easier
- Nut has better performance on wave / turn ability
- Nut transitions rail to rail easier
- Nut is overall a more fun / exciting package for riders wanting to improve wave performance and wanting to drop volume

2017 7'8 Hypernut
- Very different styles of boards making direct size/ volume comparisons harder
- Nut has better glide / entry onto a wave
- Nut punches white water easier
- Nut is less corky
- Nut is slightly less stable
- Nut suited to broader range of conditions
- HN generates more speed
- HN turns in shorter radius
- HN best ridden off the tail
- HN requires better positioning to take waves due to less glide


All in all I think the 8'5 Nut is a great little board for those wanting an all rounder that has good performance without sacrificing too much stability and volume and can be used in a broad range of conditions. If I was looking to go back to a one board quiver, this board would have to be the front runner.


Cheers,
Marco

That's a great summary thanks Marco. Really gives a good picture of the board. I've had a go on the 9' nut and I thought it was the best long board I have ridden, but it was a little too long for me. I have the 2016 7'8 hypernut which is such a fun board. The volume is perfect for me and once on a wave it really shines but I wanted something with a bit more glide. I'm thinking that from what you have said that the 8'5 nut could the perfect compromise. I was also considering the new 8'6 hypernut but worried it might be too much volume/corky at my weight of 75kg.

Hi Mick,

The 2017 8'6 HN has gone through some significant changes, the rails are much thinner, the volume has dropped and the tail has been pulled in. I'm pretty much the same weight as you at 79kg and for me these changes do make the board a heap easier to turn and more lively but it is still a wide board at this weight.

The 8'5 Nut is less stable, but 118L is more than enough volume and has a lot more fun factor in a broader range of conditions.

If you get the chance Rod will have both in Melbourne for the demo's


Cheers,
Marco

Really useful thread, thanks all!

I hadn't considered the 8'5'' Nut but maybe I should?

Looking to add to a 10'6'' Laird Pearson Arrow (10'6'' x 29.75'' / 154l) and currently considering -

Nut - 9' x 28.5'' / 132l
HN - 8'6'' x 31.5'' / 132l
HN - 7'8'' x 30'' / 115l
and maybe now Nut - 8'5'' x 29'' / 118l

I recently had a quick flat water paddle on a 9' HN which is the same width as the 8'6'' HN. It paddled much better than I expected but felt soooo wide. I wondered if it would feel cumbersome on a wave? Maybe not once it's up and going? It did make me think something a bit narrower might suit me better so in the HN that would be the 7'8'' at 30'' wide. I'm worried that would be too much of a reduction in glide vs the Laird and if it might reduce my wave count too much.

So..... then I started looking at the Nut, the 9', I thought the larger sizes would be too close to the Laird. I read that it turns well from mid board and even up front which is an attraction for the waves I ride but Marco's description as a more technical board is something I'm maybe not ready for yet.

The 8'5'' Nut sounds very interesting as a less technical ride but the reduced glide and it being better suited to fuller waves vs the 9' is maybe not as suited to the conditions I usually surf in.

I'm also around 75kg, with a distant history of riding short boards. Have been paddle surfing for a few years but only regularly this year. I usually surf the smaller gutless waves on the South Coast of England but also want a board capable of handling the more powerful conditions of Devon and Cornwall.

If anyone can help me narrow down my list, I'd be very grateful!

Thanks

Chris

Hi ChrisP3

I had at least 40 surfs on my 9' Nut . I am 75 kg.

It felt like a very natural board for Surfing and would be a great transitional board for prone surfers.

If I was not a board retailer I would still have this board and be stoked on it.

AT 9' this board has loads of glide yet down the line surfing and getting the board vertical is a reality, roundhouse cutbacks on this board seemed easier than my current board 8'6.

SUP has this crazy fad of smaller boards which CAN DRAIN YOUR ENERGY WHEN YOU ARE NOT SURFING, and make you a hazard for other surfers.

As a short board prone surfer not a windsurfer I believe the 9' nut is a great board in most conditions, sprint paddling and getting the wider bigger 5-6' sets on this board at my home beach breaks was a reality on this board, sprinting an 8' board is harder.

In 2' you can generate speed easily and ride the nose section if the wave allows.

my 9' Nut in action at home April 2015.


Regards

Jack

Thanks Jack,

you certainly make a very compelling case for the 9' Nut.

I'm beginning to suspect I like the idea of the Hypernut more than I'd like the board in reality and that the Nut is probably more suited to me and the conditions I surf in. I expect the marketing and exposure the HN has had vs the Nut is pushing me that way, probably the same for other people too. It would be nice to see Starboard put a bit more into the Nut in this way.

Marco, you state that the 8'5'' Nut has less glide than the 9'. Is there a significant difference? When you said "118L is more than enough volume and has a lot more fun factor in a broader range of conditions", this made me think I really do need to consider the 8'5'' also.

Thanks

Chris

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ChrisP3 said..
Thanks Jack,

you certainly make a very compelling case for the 9' Nut.

I'm beginning to suspect I like the idea of the Hypernut more than I'd like the board in reality and that the Nut is probably more suited to me and the conditions I surf in. I expect the marketing and exposure the HN has had vs the Nut is pushing me that way, probably the same for other people too. It would be nice to see Starboard put a bit more into the Nut in this way.

Marco, you state that the 8'5'' Nut has less glide than the 9'. Is there a significant difference? When you said "118L is more than enough volume and has a lot more fun factor in a broader range of conditions", this made me think I really do need to consider the 8'5'' also.

Thanks

Chris

Hi Chris,

The Nut boards have been a mystery for us, pretty much every demo and feedback is that people absolutely love the boards and how they perform. What they have not been able to get over in the past was the outline and this put them off buying them. Recently we released the 10' Nut for class surfing in Oz and this perception has been changing, sales have been much stronger and we have actually been caught short.

The style, riding and technique differences between the Nut & HN is massive (especially the smaller HN's) and for some reason the more surf orientated riders did not see the outlines as a reason to not buy them. HN sales have been very strong over the past two years and some of the outline difference with earlier Vanguard style boards saw these as an evolution of the first concepts. Sales / Hype in Oz of the Vanguard style boards has dropped off a little but the HN is still going pretty strong.


There is a difference in glide, the 9' is really efficient with the longer rail line and being slightly narrower. This particular size is a gem as it is quite light, so it gets up and releasing earlier so you can stand further out and catch waves pretty easy (I do ride Carbon though).

Like I mentioned earlier the 8'5 is almost a different style of riding due to some of the outline differences. The longer Nuts are very much like long boards and can be walked up and down but have very good turning capabilities because of the Pro style tails. The 8'5 being that bit shorter means you can just step back and turn if the conditions are on which is more short board style riding.

I have had the 9' Nut out in pretty solid fast surf and it goes pretty well but the turns become a little more drawn out, but I mostly use this board when its small to milk everything out of the conditions I can. The 8'5 will probably allow that little bit more turn ability when bigger,maybe a slightly later drop but also have enough glide / entry in smaller surf.

It's difficult to best advise, I will always keep my 9' Nut as I have a quiver of boards but if I had to have one board for all the conditions I ride in the 8'5 is a pretty good do everything board and one that surprised us this year.


Cheers,
Marco

Thanks very much Marco.

Maybe the 8'5'' makes more sense in combination with my 10'6'' Laird and will give me more variety in styles rather than the 9' which would largely replace the Laird.

This clip shows that the 8'5'' is certainly do-able in the smaller stuff even though the guy is obviously a better surfer than me -

Does the 8'5" Nut only come with a 2+1 fin setup? Photo renderings show all the versions with a quad setup and center box, but the Starboard site has it pictured as a 2+1.

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baddog said..
Does the 8'5" Nut only come with a 2+1 fin setup? Photo renderings show all the versions with a quad setup and center box, but the Starboard site has it pictured as a 2+1.

Hi Baddog,

Can't say that I have ever seen any Nut's with Quad boxes, all have been 2 +1 setups

Below is an image of our 8'5 x 29 Nut




Cheers,
Marco

Thanks.

Here's the rendering some shops are using.

Hi Baddog,


Interesting, I also note the fin boxes are not the standard Starboard boxes they are FCS II boxes which only come on the Pro boards.

I'm guessing somebody used the wrong box type and configuration on the rendered image for the 8'5 x 29.


Cheers,
Marco

Here are some pics of the 8'5 Nut at my store, a short board performance tail with a stable nose section.
The 10' Nut is back in stock at Rye as of today.

My 9' or 9'5 Nut in action at my home break Autumn 2015 (too hard to decipher from this pic). I recently sold a 9'5 Nut to a customer who sent me this email after his first surf.

" Thanks for bringing the board down on Sunday. Took it out in the afternoon at 13th 3' with cross chop conditions had a ball away from the crowds. Did everything I wanted it to do. Caught double up waves raced through steep section then continued through to beach. Bit of a handful in the shorebreak getting out. Other than that rapped with the board. Thanks again. "