After reading all of the excellent reviews, and taking a look at the boards, I am trying to decide which board is right for me... I am looking at the Naish X32 LE 8'8" v JP WB PRO 8'8" v Starboard wide point carbon 8'10" (but have considered the Pro wave and the Starboard Airborne 8'8")

Stats: 6'3", 95 kg (210 lb), 52 years old...

Details: Been surfing longer boards (mals) for 30 years, been SUPping for 10 months but twice per week for the past four months
I have a Starboard wide point 9'5" AST and having fun, but want something more fun in the surf
I am not going to be going vertical off the lip, but I want greater maneuverability than I have now

I surf Westernport (Crunchies, etc.) and the Prom - nothing extreme

Here are my thoughts:

1. I feel I should stick with 32" wide for stability and likelihood of surfing in windy conditions (and long paddles at Flinders and other breaks) - although I have been tempted by the Fanatic Pro Surf...

2. I feel that dropping down to 8"8" (or 8'10") is a good step up

3. I like the idea of carbon for maneuverability and carrying longer distances (and durability)

4. Starboard and JP seem like pretty similar shapes but Naish X32 has more rocker

5. Concerned about comments that it is harder to get on to waves with the Naish and it is harder to paddle longer distances (because of rocker) - but I like the rocker when late take-offs are required...

6. Bothered by extra 1 kg weight with Naish even though it is carbon

7. Not in love with JP color combo (too fussy?)

8. Bothered by negative comments about Naish handgrip (on LE versus GT). I personally do not like the JP handgrip. Probably not the deciding factor.

9. But lots of people seem to love the JP, and it seems that everyone who talks about the X32 LE are advanced surfers - I would not call myself advanced.

So, I am leaning towards the slightly heavier Naish X32 LE, but would love to hear any comments.

SaltH20 said..
I woud strongly urge you to demo the new 8'8" Air Born!

cantSUPenough said..
After reading all of the excellent reviews, and taking a look at the boards, I am trying to decide which board is right for me... I am looking at the Naish X32 LE 8'8" v JP WB PRO 8'8" v Starboard wide point carbon 8'10" (but have considered the Pro wave and the Starboard Airborne 8'8")

Stats: 6'3", 95 kg (210 lb), 52 years old...

Details: Been surfing longer boards (mals) for 30 years, been SUPping for 10 months but twice per week for the past four months
I have a Starboard wide point 9'5" AST and having fun, but want something more fun in the surf
I am not going to be going vertical off the lip, but I want greater maneuverability than I have now

I surf Westernport (Crunchies, etc.) and the Prom - nothing extreme

Here are my thoughts:

1. I feel I should stick with 32" wide for stability and likelihood of surfing in windy conditions (and long paddles at Flinders and other breaks) - although I have been tempted by the Fanatic Pro Surf...

2. I feel that dropping down to 8"8" (or 8'10") is a good step up

3. I like the idea of carbon for maneuverability and carrying longer distances (and durability)

4. Starboard and JP seem like pretty similar shapes but Naish X32 has more rocker

5. Concerned about comments that it is harder to get on to waves with the Naish and it is harder to paddle longer distances (because of rocker) - but I like the rocker when late take-offs are required...

6. Bothered by extra 1 kg weight with Naish even though it is carbon

7. Not in love with JP color combo (too fussy?)

8. Bothered by negative comments about Naish handgrip (on LE versus GT). I personally do not like the JP handgrip. Probably not the deciding factor.

9. But lots of people seem to love the JP, and it seems that everyone who talks about the X32 LE are advanced surfers - I would not call myself advanced.

So, I am leaning towards the slightly heavier Naish X32 LE, but would love to hear any comments.

Stick to the Naish X32 ,i'm 93 kg and i must say this board opened a total new world of sup.................i used to be a long boarder that always wanted to rip a shortboard but the weight and height didn't allow me.
Now this X32 came along......this board will never leave me for sure!
My dream came true......this is a big mans shortboard!
the handle couldn't be more perfect , i do not know why people are negative against ?
I had an 8'8 this summer and now i already stepped down to an 8'3 !
the board teaches you along the way.

A SUPER INVESTMENT.....CAN4T GO WRONG!

gregbuydts said..

SaltH20 said..
I woud strongly urge you to demo the new 8'8" Air Born!

I must admit I have been tempted by the airborne. This review left me a little flat:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/88-Airbourne-Photos/

But the reviewer was almost 30 kg lighter than me...

However when talking to a guy who sells them, he was very happy with his 8'8" airborne (same weight as me) and he had previously ridden the 8'8" wide point for a couple of years but felt the drop from 153 ltrs to 123 ltrs may be too much for me.

I forgot to mention that I will keep my 9'5" so I will have that as a backup if the conditions don't perfectly suit the new board.

Getting a demo of these boards seems easier said than done... I have been offered a demo of the 2014 8'8" JP PRO, but a) the first time you try a different board it can be hard to really suss out how to ride it, b) if I find it really easy to ride then I wonder if it is a big enough step up, and c) you have to be lucky to get the right conditions for the test. I have not found any store offering a demo of the X32 or the other boards.

I am sure I can't go wrong with any of them, but they are not inexpensive...

cantSUPenough said..

gregbuydts said..

SaltH20 said..
I woud strongly urge you to demo the new 8'8" Air Born!

I must admit I have been tempted by the airborne. This review left me a little flat:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/88-Airbourne-Photos/

But the reviewer was almost 30 kg lighter than me...

However when talking to a guy who sells them, he was very happy with his 8'8" airborne (same weight as me) and he had previously ridden the 8'8" wide point for a couple of years but felt the drop from 153 ltrs to 123 ltrs may be too much for me.

I forgot to mention that I will keep my 9'5" so I will have that as a backup if the conditions don't perfectly suit the new board.

Getting a demo of these boards seems easier said than done... I have been offered a demo of the 2014 8'8" JP PRO, but a) the first time you try a different board it can be hard to really suss out how to ride it, b) if I find it really easy to ride then I wonder if it is a big enough step up, and c) you have to be lucky to get the right conditions for the test. I have not found any store offering a demo of the X32 or the other boards.

I am sure I can't go wrong with any of them, but they are not inexpensive...

Hi
RPS have got the WP on demo and think also the 32 ask for warrick.
The glide on the 32 is better than the SB.
Did not like the fin placement on the SB.
Cheers Matt

cantSUPenough said..

[b]gregbuydts said..[/b]
Stick to the Naish X32 ,i'm 93 kg and i must say this board opened a total new world of sup.................i used to be a long boarder that always wanted to rip a shortboard but the weight and height didn't allow me. Now this X32 came along......this board will never leave me for sure! My dream came true......this is a big mans shortboard! the handle couldn't be more perfect , i do not know why people are negative against ? I had an 8'8 this summer and now i already stepped down to an 8'3 ! the board teaches you along the way. A SUPER INVESTMENT.....CAN4T GO WRONG!

Are you glad you went with the 8'8" first rather than stepping straight to the 8'3"?

flowmaster said..
same with me, the 8.8 X32 is fantastic, demo that one if you can.
I'm looking at the 7.10 x 32 to complete the quiver.

Totaly stoked with this shape

Sounds good to me!!

Thanks for your comments.

Yes , i wasn't sure what to take but glad i first went for the 8'8 to get adapted too, it was'nt reallly nescecary because the stability is'nt that different between the two.
A bit more "work" but still a great board and much more lively .
Take the 8'8 for super stability and comfort
Take the 8'3 for super stability and shred them waves even harder.

Just my two bobs worth but I reckon if your keeping the 9'5 maybe go for the 8'3 as it will be a bit more of a challenge, higher performance
and you'll still have the 9'5 for the choppy/lazy days.

Once you get used to the 8'8 you'll always be itching to try the 8'3

Mind you, if you read these reviews it would seem that you need to be Robby Naish to keep it under control.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/New-Naish-83-X32-LE/?page=2

flowmaster said..
wow, I must be as good as Robby then

LOL. Me too. I carved up a wave yesterday which made me feel like Robby. That is if Robby does huge carves out of a hole and smacks the lip without even knowing how he did it, and startled a dozen backpackers at the same time. To think I am contemplating going from a 9'1" to a 8'3" in one foul swoop - tsk tsk. One might even think they're making these boards for fun seekers like us, and making a killing. I feel younger with every sesh. Yewwww!

Well, I had to make the call so I went with the 8'8". I am not sure I have ever smacked a lip (but I have had a few lips smack me) so I thought I should take it one step at a time.

And right now I am glad I did. I took it out yesterday and I have these comments:

First, I was surprised that it was far less stable than my 9'5" SP WP. They are both 32" wide, but clearly have different shapes (and lengths). It was less stable side-to-side, but also end-to-end. It was much more sensitive to where I had my weight along the board, both in terms of where I had to stand to paddle and catch the wave, but there were times when I found myself suddenly moving along the board and tipping it so much that I fell off (e.g. having a wind-chop wave come up from behind).

The conditions were not ideal. There was quite a lot of off-shore wind, and I was surfing a reef (Crunchies if you know it). During the session the wind swung around to become on-shore - the lull in-between was nice, but it chopped up again quickly.

And the surf was not great. It was a good day for my 9'5" SB really, but I wanted to try the X32.

So it was not really a good test of the X32, and it was inevitable that it would take me a while to get used to the new board size and style, but it was still a fun day. I did catch a couple of waves that gave me a idea of the benefit of the X32 over my old board - I can't wait to get it in some real waves.

Yep I agree AA. Found after a couple of sessions with the 9'1" x32 I had to stand further forward in relation to the handle than I normally do on other boards, to stop the nose of the board coming back up at me at a great rate of knots! Personal preference. After I stood back and had a look at the board it was pretty close to the widest section, so made sense. I've been used to using the handle as a reference, jumped on without having a really good look at the board first. Looking forward to my 8'3"....

I got to go out again today. The surf was much better, and when I got on the face it was a totally different experience to my 9'5" board. The maneuverability was fantastic - exactly why I bought the board. I felt more like a surfer.

I am still having issues with stability... It was a little windy and choppy, and after an hour the wind picked up a lot. There were times when I found it hard to paddle on to the wave properly just because I was not perfectly balanced after turning the board and cranking up the paddle rate. Plus it is far less forgiving than my 9'5" - the 9'5" could catch just about anything, but you need to be in the right place on the X32.

But I am sure that as I get used to the board I will overcome these differences and catch more waves.

I am glad to have bought the board, but I think it is just as well I did not go down to the 8'3" - I am not ready.

Thanks! It sure was nice to get it into some real waves today - not the schlop I was in the first day.

Thanks for the tips!

One little thing - it came in the thruster set up. Should I buy a couple of good fins and swap to quad? Twice during bottom turns it felt like it skidded/slipped out. (What size would you recommend?)

I have not seen a small center-fin like that before! I do have a pair of fins that are supposed to work as part of a quad - I will give it ago (unfortunately traveling most of the next two weeks...)

You are a carbon copy of me (height/weight) but I am still struggling a little. I also had a dawn surf - there was a bit of swell but too much wind and lots of chop - and the chop seemed to be affected by the current; it was not directional. So maybe I was hoping for too much.

A couple of days ago when there were 40 minutes of good conditions (including good swell) and I think I got to see the benefits of the board - I almost let out a Yeewww! a few times. Even this morning when I got going on the wave it was fun - there was just a bit of a struggle getting on to them.

It is fun trying though.

flowmaster said..
my set up, after trying different fins

Flowmaster,
What's the purpose of the nub in the center fin box?
Just curious.....