In our forth SUPboarder PRO test for 2021 we’re testing 100L Performance Surf SUPs – looking towards the Performance surf shapes that will offer a good level of performance for the more experienced riders but also the boards that will help the improver/intermediate SUP surfers progress into more performance surfing.
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seanross
3 years ago
To help the starboard in bigger waves, what would you try for fins?
This would help for sure, if we had more time with the starboard we would’ve tried a few different fin setups.
seanross
3 years ago
My favorite SUP video. Learn a lot about SUP surfing shapes in these videos. Now I just need my daughter’s college to pay for itself so I can buy the starboard carbon! One question, have you guys ridden or hear about the pinetek construction on the starboards? I have read that they have made them lighter, and that they are super durable (more so than the carbon even).
Hey Sean. Yeah we have heard some good stuff about the Pinetek board but not used any pro boards in that construction. We have just ordered some lower end construction Pro boards to test and ride. Just have to wait 4 months to get them now
jeroensurf@gmail.com
3 years ago
Nice vid as always, even with the bad luck. Something I miss is what you guys weight because volume to body weight ratio is imo an pretty important factor. Being 95/97kg any 100l board will be too small while they are rather big for an 65kg person. And when talking about weight it might be useful to mention people with what weight should look at what size because some brand float with the same volume better as others. Question: can you compare in the next test the Starboard Pro expensive one also with the wood to see whats the influence… Read more »
Hey Jeron . Thanks for your great feedback. We are going to put our recommended weights in the written part of the post. Really good idea about the Starboard Pro boards in their construction. I lot of the time the Carbon board is the only board available. But we will look into doing this in the future.
Great test! Have been waiting quite some time for it but it was worth the wait! I have received just a couple of months ago my 2021 Starboard Pro 7.2 x 26.75 (87 liters) and im loving it, its incredibly loose on the waves, playing with different fins is good with that board too, changing to quad can help reducing the spin out sensation on the bottom turn this board can have in steeper faster waves… but for any other type of waves thruster setup is working nice. thanks for the great content!
Great Reuben, I subscribed mainly for the test but will keep subscribed for long time to support and see the great content! Im tryin a few different front fins and back fins on that same Pro 7.2 you will have so maybe soon I can come back with some info on that… Greetings from Peru!
Hey Sebastian, Im so stoked you are staying here with us on Pro. We have some great content lined up for the future. Let me know how you are getting on with the fins. I have just ordered a 7’2″ for next year too.
Joe
3 years ago
Dear Reuben Great video! Question this year and last year SB Pro won top board with two different shapes – Pitting the SB 2020 pro 7.5 against the SB 2021 Pro 7.7 which board did you prefer?
For me thats easy… 2021 7’7″! Its a bigger board and it surfs like the smaller 7’5″ in size, if you get me? But I did feel that last years board could handle bigger waves. Good question Joe
Topmarque3
3 years ago
Please make content easier to watch from a smart TVs of stream to tv from smartphone
Dear Reuben Quick question what about the RRD? how did that perform? Traditionally, I thought you rode the old 7.7 RRD Iwave – is the new board as good as, poorer than the older board or is boards like the Fanatic/Starboard are just better designed? Anyways best regards Joe
Hey Joe, Yeah I felt a bit funny about that board… reason is the board felt good and very similar to my old 7’7 but it just felt too long really to get into any good bits of the wave. The other (most) boards in test where shorter and this really helps in surfing those better waves. I guess if you wanted a board with more glide and not wanting to get right in the critical section of the wave this board does work ok. Does that makes sense?
mathieu raffy
3 years ago
Hi everybody and thanks for the good work! I have to improve my surfing so i know now that i must go on the JP australia… I have only one question regarding my weight and the size of the board. I’m 65 Kgs (143 lbs) and my actual board is a longboard type (9.0 and120 l) Do you think the JP australia 8.1” would be appropriate (it would be my first shortboard type of sup) or do you think it will be too big for my weight? Thanks in advance for your response.
Hi Mathieu, Thanks for sending in your question. I feel it will be a good move, that will keep you progressing well in the waves. Yes i see your concern but I think dropping down to the shorter narrower board will be too much of a jump really. I think eventually your board will be around that 7’6 size. But the fastest way to get there is to do the right steps down to it. Remember you could always look out for a used second hand 8’1 to keep the price down. But I feel you will be getting a… Read more »
Sorry to bother you again, I have the opportunity to buy a used Infinity 7.7″ /26 ” B line. It’s 78 l so i thought it was way to thin for me but i saw your 2020 head to head test and you say that the board is easy and very confortable for it’s size. Would you recomand it to me? Or should i pay extra euros for the JP australia 8″1 (that is nearly 2 times the price..) Thanks in advance for your response Mathieu
hmm , its a really good board and the board that you will love in the future, but I feel it will make your progression slow down alot now. Its a stable boards for its size but its still way, way small compared to your existing board. Its a big drop in length and width in one go. Do you have the opportunity to try it on flatwater?
Thanks a lot for your quick response. I will follow your advice! I will try to test the board but i’m not sure that the seller will give me that opportunity…
Thibault
3 years ago
Bonjour à toute l’équipe et merci pour cette vidéo complète qui donnent des pistes pour choisir notre future board ! J’ai une question pour Ruben qui possède une RRD 7’7. J’ai la même série en 8′ (x28 102 l) depuis 2 ans et j’adore cette planche (la meilleure que j’ai jamais eu et j’en ai eu des boards), mais envie de changer et pourquoi pas descendre encore un peu en taille (je fais 1m82 pour 80/82 kgs). La Fanatic en 7’10 me tente énormément, cela semble être ce que je recherche. J’ai une opportunité sur une RRD 7’7 justement de… Read more »
Hi Thibault. Thanks for sending in your question. Im really glad you are enjoying your RRD, I do still ride mine, but its getting old… 6 years. I feel that the Fanatic 7’10” is a more stable board compared to the 7’7′ RRD. I will list the Pros and cons to both below. RRD Pros & Cons Faster then Fanatic Better in weaker waves Not as stable Fanatic Pros & Cons Better at doing more aggressive turns Nice thin tail for performance More stability compared RRD Needs steeper waves to really come alive I feel you should look at the… Read more »
Flavio Feferman
2 years ago
Happy New Year and greetings from a new subscriber. The video was very helpful — thank you. Can you rank the boards in the test in terms of their stability, #1-6? I think this was partly addressed, but it would be interesting to see your stability ranking. I’m looking to move down a notch from my JP 8’6″x29″ with 113 liters, but stability is key for our local beach break (Ocean Beach, San Francisco), which has wind, chop, and bigger waves. Other boards under consideration include the Infinity Blurr V2 (either the 8’2″x29.5 with 109 liters or the 8’0″x28 with… Read more »
Hi Flavio, great questions. We are working on a stability measurement for all our videos into the future, but I’ll rank them here from most stable: #1 RRD, #2 Naish, #3 Starboard, #4 JP-Australia, #5 Fanatic. As you get more performance, you begin to lose out on stability. A lot of design features come into it like rocker, width in nose and tail, etc. We’d suggest looking for boards with volume, but less width/length so you’re not compromising on stability but also not lacking performance. The Blurr V2 is a great choice in the 8’2 version as although you have… Read more »
Thank you, Beau. Very interesting, I expected the JP to be higher because of the “Best Improver” rating. Good idea to have a comparative measure on stability for boards in the same class. As you noted, the volume doesn’t tell the full story — I recently tried two boards with the exact same volume that felt very different because of their outlines. In my prior windsurfing experience I also found some inconsistencies in how volumes were quoted across brands, and I wonder if this happens to some extent with SUPs. It’s harder to demo boards these days with fewer local… Read more »
Hi Flavio. Thanks. We wonder the same thing about volumes and how accurate some are. We certainly know that some boards feel like they are less volume than they are. But as all boards are computer aided designed nowadays, it seems likely they have the correct volume. Outline shapes, rocker, thickness and how refined a board is makes a big difference.
Thanks, Beau. Best wishes for 2022 and looking forward to the future board tests.
Sledder
2 years ago
Hi, Great test, again…. So keep up the good work!!! I’m only missing movie clips from the test-winner from the “Best Improver Shape”. And exactly that’s one of the boards I’m considering to buy vs the Starboard 7’7″ and the last years winner the Smik Hipster Twin but then in the 7’10” version. I’m 77kg and at the moment and I ride the most on my 9′ x 28″ Starboard Longboard from 101L in the Starlite construction (Even stable enough for me in pretty choppy North-Sea 9 knots Onshore conditions) and a Blue Carbon 8’3″ x 30″ Pocket Rocket from… Read more »
Hi Hans, thanks for the question. Looking at your choice of boards, they could all very much suit you. You will probably find that the SMIK Hipster Twin would offer the most stability whilst still keeping performance. It’s amazing the speed and quick turns it has. The Starboard is a very good all round shape but may lack some stability if it gets bumpy because of the 28″ width and shorter length. The JP Surf Pro 8’1 is probably the safe bet, but I feel it lacks spark compared to the SMIK Hipster Twin. Does this help to make decision… Read more »
Hi Beau, Thnx for your reply, this makes the decision some what easier, it now goes between Starboard and Smik. Reading things back I now think the Starboard Pro in one size bigger (8′ x 29″ wide) perhaps would be be a better fit for me because of the added stability. What’s your opinion to that one compared to the Smik?
The Starboard Pro would be a great option as it blends performance with stability. It feels much more traditional to surf compared to the loose and fast feeling of the SMIK Hipster Twin. The Starboard Pro’s are quite technical to ride, but the bigger sizes are more forgiving. Let me know if I can help any further.
I’ve just got a 2020 8’6 jp surf. I’m 85kg & have had 125l & 123l boards before. In comparison the jp surf 113l flies & is a LOT more fun. I’m looking forward to enjoying it improving on it for sure
What we’re the rails like on the jp you had? I’ve got mine 2nd hand & the rails were virtually bald – totally paint chipped away. The paint is incredibly thin & I’ve put coloured rail tape on it which hides it all BUT I thought it had the carbon integra rails which were resistant to that – clearly not!! The picture is the good side too
(also every smik hipster twin I’ve seen have been heavily paint chipped on the rails)
the rails on ours are like new but I guess we are pretty good with our paddles. Its a shame to see boards like this, because the boards are still tough and I almost wish the brands didn’t add any rail paint if this what they look like after a lot of abuse! Yes smiks had issues with paint chips. We saw Scotty the other day and he told us that is a thing of the past because all the paint is in the resin now so it wouldn’t happen. Any JP owners with the same issue let us know… Read more »
When doing your reviews you talk about fins & fin set up but not about fin toe or cant. I was looking at the jp & it has virtually no toe in or cant at all
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To help the starboard in bigger waves, what would you try for fins?
This would help for sure, if we had more time with the starboard we would’ve tried a few different fin setups.
My favorite SUP video. Learn a lot about SUP surfing shapes in these videos. Now I just need my daughter’s college to pay for itself so I can buy the starboard carbon! One question, have you guys ridden or hear about the pinetek construction on the starboards? I have read that they have made them lighter, and that they are super durable (more so than the carbon even).
Hey Sean. Yeah we have heard some good stuff about the Pinetek board but not used any pro boards in that construction. We have just ordered some lower end construction Pro boards to test and ride. Just have to wait 4 months to get them now
Nice vid as always, even with the bad luck. Something I miss is what you guys weight because volume to body weight ratio is imo an pretty important factor. Being 95/97kg any 100l board will be too small while they are rather big for an 65kg person. And when talking about weight it might be useful to mention people with what weight should look at what size because some brand float with the same volume better as others. Question: can you compare in the next test the Starboard Pro expensive one also with the wood to see whats the influence… Read more »
Hey Jeron . Thanks for your great feedback. We are going to put our recommended weights in the written part of the post. Really good idea about the Starboard Pro boards in their construction. I lot of the time the Carbon board is the only board available. But we will look into doing this in the future.
Nice review and great surfing!
Sorry it took so long Tom.
Great test! Have been waiting quite some time for it but it was worth the wait! I have received just a couple of months ago my 2021 Starboard Pro 7.2 x 26.75 (87 liters) and im loving it, its incredibly loose on the waves, playing with different fins is good with that board too, changing to quad can help reducing the spin out sensation on the bottom turn this board can have in steeper faster waves… but for any other type of waves thruster setup is working nice. thanks for the great content!
Yeah, sorry about the wait Seb, Thanks so much for your feedback. I have just put an order in for a 7’2″ myself.
Great Reuben, I subscribed mainly for the test but will keep subscribed for long time to support and see the great content! Im tryin a few different front fins and back fins on that same Pro 7.2 you will have so maybe soon I can come back with some info on that… Greetings from Peru!
Hey Sebastian, Im so stoked you are staying here with us on Pro. We have some great content lined up for the future. Let me know how you are getting on with the fins. I have just ordered a 7’2″ for next year too.
Dear Reuben
Great video! Question this year and last year SB Pro won top board with two different shapes – Pitting the SB 2020 pro 7.5 against the SB 2021 Pro 7.7 which board did you prefer?
For me thats easy… 2021 7’7″! Its a bigger board and it surfs like the smaller 7’5″ in size, if you get me? But I did feel that last years board could handle bigger waves. Good question Joe
Please make content easier to watch from a smart TVs of stream to tv from smartphone
Yes this is something that we are looking into.
Dear Reuben
Quick question what about the RRD? how did that perform? Traditionally, I thought you rode the old 7.7 RRD Iwave – is the new board as good as, poorer than the older board or is boards like the Fanatic/Starboard are just better designed?
Anyways best regards
Joe
Hey Joe, Yeah I felt a bit funny about that board… reason is the board felt good and very similar to my old 7’7 but it just felt too long really to get into any good bits of the wave. The other (most) boards in test where shorter and this really helps in surfing those better waves.
I guess if you wanted a board with more glide and not wanting to get right in the critical section of the wave this board does work ok.
Does that makes sense?
Hi everybody and thanks for the good work!
I have to improve my surfing so i know now that i must go on the JP australia…
I have only one question regarding my weight and the size of the board.
I’m 65 Kgs (143 lbs) and my actual board is a longboard type (9.0 and120 l)
Do you think the JP australia 8.1” would be appropriate (it would be my first shortboard type of sup) or do you think it will be too big for my weight?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Hi Mathieu, Thanks for sending in your question. I feel it will be a good move, that will keep you progressing well in the waves. Yes i see your concern but I think dropping down to the shorter narrower board will be too much of a jump really. I think eventually your board will be around that 7’6 size. But the fastest way to get there is to do the right steps down to it. Remember you could always look out for a used second hand 8’1 to keep the price down. But I feel you will be getting a… Read more »
Thanks a lot for this precious advice!
And keep on the good work.
Your videos and “head to head” test are really precious!
Sorry to bother you again,
I have the opportunity to buy a used Infinity 7.7″ /26 ” B line.
It’s 78 l so i thought it was way to thin for me but i saw your 2020 head to head test and you say that the board is easy and very confortable for it’s size.
Would you recomand it to me?
Or should i pay extra euros for the JP australia 8″1 (that is nearly 2 times the price..)
Thanks in advance for your response
Mathieu
hmm , its a really good board and the board that you will love in the future, but I feel it will make your progression slow down alot now. Its a stable boards for its size but its still way, way small compared to your existing board. Its a big drop in length and width in one go. Do you have the opportunity to try it on flatwater?
Thanks a lot for your quick response.
I will follow your advice!
I will try to test the board but i’m not sure that the seller will give me that opportunity…
Bonjour à toute l’équipe et merci pour cette vidéo complète qui donnent des pistes pour choisir notre future board ! J’ai une question pour Ruben qui possède une RRD 7’7. J’ai la même série en 8′ (x28 102 l) depuis 2 ans et j’adore cette planche (la meilleure que j’ai jamais eu et j’en ai eu des boards), mais envie de changer et pourquoi pas descendre encore un peu en taille (je fais 1m82 pour 80/82 kgs). La Fanatic en 7’10 me tente énormément, cela semble être ce que je recherche. J’ai une opportunité sur une RRD 7’7 justement de… Read more »
Hi Thibault. Thanks for sending in your question. Im really glad you are enjoying your RRD, I do still ride mine, but its getting old… 6 years. I feel that the Fanatic 7’10” is a more stable board compared to the 7’7′ RRD. I will list the Pros and cons to both below. RRD Pros & Cons Faster then Fanatic Better in weaker waves Not as stable Fanatic Pros & Cons Better at doing more aggressive turns Nice thin tail for performance More stability compared RRD Needs steeper waves to really come alive I feel you should look at the… Read more »
Happy New Year and greetings from a new subscriber. The video was very helpful — thank you. Can you rank the boards in the test in terms of their stability, #1-6? I think this was partly addressed, but it would be interesting to see your stability ranking. I’m looking to move down a notch from my JP 8’6″x29″ with 113 liters, but stability is key for our local beach break (Ocean Beach, San Francisco), which has wind, chop, and bigger waves. Other boards under consideration include the Infinity Blurr V2 (either the 8’2″x29.5 with 109 liters or the 8’0″x28 with… Read more »
Hi Flavio, great questions. We are working on a stability measurement for all our videos into the future, but I’ll rank them here from most stable: #1 RRD, #2 Naish, #3 Starboard, #4 JP-Australia, #5 Fanatic. As you get more performance, you begin to lose out on stability. A lot of design features come into it like rocker, width in nose and tail, etc. We’d suggest looking for boards with volume, but less width/length so you’re not compromising on stability but also not lacking performance. The Blurr V2 is a great choice in the 8’2 version as although you have… Read more »
Thank you, Beau. Very interesting, I expected the JP to be higher because of the “Best Improver” rating. Good idea to have a comparative measure on stability for boards in the same class. As you noted, the volume doesn’t tell the full story — I recently tried two boards with the exact same volume that felt very different because of their outlines. In my prior windsurfing experience I also found some inconsistencies in how volumes were quoted across brands, and I wonder if this happens to some extent with SUPs. It’s harder to demo boards these days with fewer local… Read more »
Hi Flavio. Thanks. We wonder the same thing about volumes and how accurate some are. We certainly know that some boards feel like they are less volume than they are. But as all boards are computer aided designed nowadays, it seems likely they have the correct volume. Outline shapes, rocker, thickness and how refined a board is makes a big difference.
Thanks, Beau. Best wishes for 2022 and looking forward to the future board tests.
Hi, Great test, again…. So keep up the good work!!! I’m only missing movie clips from the test-winner from the “Best Improver Shape”. And exactly that’s one of the boards I’m considering to buy vs the Starboard 7’7″ and the last years winner the Smik Hipster Twin but then in the 7’10” version. I’m 77kg and at the moment and I ride the most on my 9′ x 28″ Starboard Longboard from 101L in the Starlite construction (Even stable enough for me in pretty choppy North-Sea 9 knots Onshore conditions) and a Blue Carbon 8’3″ x 30″ Pocket Rocket from… Read more »
Hi Hans, thanks for the question. Looking at your choice of boards, they could all very much suit you. You will probably find that the SMIK Hipster Twin would offer the most stability whilst still keeping performance. It’s amazing the speed and quick turns it has. The Starboard is a very good all round shape but may lack some stability if it gets bumpy because of the 28″ width and shorter length. The JP Surf Pro 8’1 is probably the safe bet, but I feel it lacks spark compared to the SMIK Hipster Twin. Does this help to make decision… Read more »
Hi Beau,
Thnx for your reply, this makes the decision some what easier, it now goes between Starboard and Smik.
Reading things back I now think the Starboard Pro in one size bigger (8′ x 29″ wide) perhaps would be be a better fit for me because of the added stability. What’s your opinion to that one compared to the Smik?
The Starboard Pro would be a great option as it blends performance with stability. It feels much more traditional to surf compared to the loose and fast feeling of the SMIK Hipster Twin. The Starboard Pro’s are quite technical to ride, but the bigger sizes are more forgiving. Let me know if I can help any further.
I’ve just got a 2020 8’6 jp surf. I’m 85kg & have had 125l & 123l boards before. In comparison the jp surf 113l flies & is a LOT more fun. I’m looking forward to enjoying it improving on it for sure
Yeah its amazing how much the board size makes a difference. Have fun
What we’re the rails like on the jp you had? I’ve got mine 2nd hand & the rails were virtually bald – totally paint chipped away. The paint is incredibly thin & I’ve put coloured rail tape on it which hides it all BUT I thought it had the carbon integra rails which were resistant to that – clearly not!! The picture is the good side too
(also every smik hipster twin I’ve seen have been heavily paint chipped on the rails)
the rails on ours are like new but I guess we are pretty good with our paddles. Its a shame to see boards like this, because the boards are still tough and I almost wish the brands didn’t add any rail paint if this what they look like after a lot of abuse! Yes smiks had issues with paint chips. We saw Scotty the other day and he told us that is a thing of the past because all the paint is in the resin now so it wouldn’t happen. Any JP owners with the same issue let us know… Read more »
When doing your reviews you talk about fins & fin set up but not about fin toe or cant. I was looking at the jp & it has virtually no toe in or cant at all
As I said in my email back to you. Yes this need to happen. Really top suggestion.