This is aimed at the intermediate riders around 85 - 95kgs would are looking for a performance based surf Sup around 8-5 x 110 litre mark.
We reviewed 5 different brands , FANATIC , SMIK , JP , SUNOVA & STARBOARD. (in pics below) .This is the first of my all board review videos. I am no longer sponsored by a board manufacturer, and just ride the complete demo range of all brands at Surf FX.
The video goes for awhile a grab a drink and kick back and enjoy.
Good review thanks....The Starboard was my favourite & I've ridden both the 8'0 & 8'5 in good waves & the best Pro model they've ever done! None of that corkiness the old models use to have & does surf off the tail like a real surfboard...Interesting that it's the lightest of all the boards tested because we weighed the 8'5 in a shop & it came in at 6.9kg for the 8'5 but so did the Jimmy Lewis 8'5 World Wide in NON Carbon & it was 15L more at 125L with a full grip....Just something worth mentioning...Oh & $1000 cheaper :)
Wow, i will look at tonight, i dont want to distract thread but down the track could yuo do similar with say
stubbie, speed, hypernut etc ?
For sure Norm they are actually next on the list. But not until end of the month , I am back in Hawaii on the 18th , I might take a couple that you mentioned over for the testing
As someone in the 104kg range Ive been looking at boards in this size range. Do you think the performance gain over a 8-10 JP or 8-7 Sunova and similar 120L boards is enough to be worth the extra work?
That would have to be the best surf sup board comparison and explanation I have yet to see .Cheers very much K
Nice work John and Rob... I really like the idea!
Side by side comps are a good way to show people the differences between boards.... especially if they don't have access to many brands.
Bottom line is, all boards are perfect for someone.... figuring out which one is perfect for you, is the important part... and this sort of format helps!
Tell Jon to smile
Its hard to smile when you are looking at Piros
Tell Jon to smile
Its hard to smile when you are looking at Piros
True. Of course we can't see what happens off camera either so........
Thanks gents. Super review . Out of the 5 it seems the SMIK and Sunova options were the easier of the boards for someone more intermediate . Also as others have suggested it would be great to see a "stubby nose " version for boards of similar size
As someone in the 104kg range Ive been looking at boards in this size range. Do you think the performance gain over a 8-10 JP or 8-7 Sunova and similar 120L boards is enough to be worth the extra work?
Yes they would be fine JP tuned up the 8-10 last year and the Sunova 8-7 would suit as well BUT the Sunova 8-10 Speed is a big seller for guys in your range. The Speed , Hyper Nut , Stubby & Slate will feature in next video.
Thanks for all positive feedback we'll keep doing these videos based on your feedback and request and I must say it's been fun riding all these different boards.
Piros is it an optical illusion but, the fanatic seemed to have the front boxes a long way forward in relation to the centre box.
It made think that the fin box arrangement was really meant more for a quad set up.
Your thoughts mate.
Yeah good pick up they are same as the Smik which is not so unusual for wider tail boards but uncommon on a pulled in tail like the Fanatic. I can't say why they did it but further forward boxes give more pivot but put a lot of pressure on the fins if you don't engage the tail and rails ( back foot board) I rode all the boards as a thruster and it was fine but the surf was pretty small. Hope that helps but I will try a quad next time to compare.
As someone in the 104kg range Ive been looking at boards in this size range. Do you think the performance gain over a 8-10 JP or 8-7 Sunova and similar 120L boards is enough to be worth the extra work?
Yes they would be fine JP tuned up the 8-10 last year and the Sunova 8-7 would suit as well BUT the Sunova 8-10 Speed is a big seller for guys in your range. The Speed , Hyper Nut , Stubby & Slate will feature in next video.
Thanks for all positive feedback we'll keep doing these videos based on your feedback and request and I must say it's been fun riding all these different boards.
Thanks for the info! the 8-8 Speeed is my current daily driver. Great fun, and fast, which is important for me. Every now and then I do have the nose catch doing vertical turns on steep waves so I'm looking for a smaller, more maneuverable short board shape to complement it. Its just hard to figure out what specs are most important, especially in regardless to the trade off between board length and rail thickness you see on some of these designs.
That's the down side of the stubby nosed boards , in general surf they are fine but you will pick up the nose on more sucky waves . The JP 8-10 would be worth a test , it is a blown up version of the 8-6 and will float you fine plus have a good balance point. It's a very performance shaped Sup. You don't need to go shorter.
Stubby nosed dont pick up nose in sucky waves so much if they are short enough. I reckon those boards would be produced half one foot shorter they used to be. But that concern will be discuss in your next video comparison, I suppose. Cant wait for it
I really appreciate the approach of the importance to be front foot or back foot to do the proper surfing for each shown off board. I never heard or pay attention the same from video comparison like "shredshow" about shorties for example.
I just regret that those big brands SUP still want to put a single fin box on their board because a single fin position will never be the thruster back fin position. Also the complete ( rocker, outline/widest point position and rail) shape is definitely not the same between a single fin ( or 2+1) aside of a thruster board.
Can be the Short Stubbed nose board be the shaping solution to make the SUP board surfing closest to a shortie with back foot stepping firmly on the tail pad.
Have a good trip in Hawaï, want to read your next comparison show as soon as possible
Stubby nosed dont pick up nose in sucky waves so much if they are short enough.
So true...
Also, stubby noses do not need to be so wide on most production boards. By pulling them in a little they get much less cumbersome and push less water on paddling, while not decreasing the stability noticeably. It guess this will be part of the coming year refinements as brands slowly adjust their designs after going to the extremes.
PS: nice video guys. It always difficult to compare gears by giving the various info so that people can make their choice, I think you nailed it. Plus they are informative even if you do not plan to buy one on the reviewed boards.
PS#2 It was nice to see the progresses in rail design of the windurfing-based companies. I must say some were really quite crude in the past...
Great seeing a review of 5 similar boards together.
I (73kg) have the 2016 JP 8-6 and love it and then I bought the 8-10 for when it’s lumpier but I found it was just too big for me. I think for heavier riders the 8-10 would be excellent but then my 73kg mate bought my 8-10 and he loves it. As you guys have said which board is a matter of personal preference and what makes a great board for you is not governed by the boards weight and/or price.
Excellent work SurfFX.
Great review, it's about time we saw something like this.
i hope it becomes "a series"
cheers from the UK