Over Naish

[Roundhouse]

After 5 years I gave up on Naish. Not slamming the company but I'm over them. Had several of their boards that ride great, are indestructible and still have a couple. Might surf one occasionally. Definitely for Flatwater boards. I bought the heavily promoted 8'8 X32 and had to give it away after six months. I tried to get the local shop I bought it from to trade this $2400 board for $1200 credit on a left over Mana. No way. It really did not work for me in Florida waves. After one offer of $700 on Craig's List, I had a popular local shaper make me a very similar board that works in our conditions. Side by side they look very close. It is mostly the bottom I believe. I got to demo the same size and shape in overhead glass before buying one. I didn't change a thing. The rides were like night and day. I traded the six month old X32, a very new fish and a little cash. I figure this board cost me $3300 over the last 6 months. I hope it's worth it. Maybe it is just me but I was the target market. Good luck on the East Coast.

[Zooport]

Love my 7'3 X 28" Naish Hokua for punchy Newport surf.  It's a lot of work though, to stand on and to catch waves, but worth it when you are on one.   

I rode a friend's 8'8 X32 a few weeks ago and liked it.  It reminded me of my 8'!0 AllWave.  They are wide and stable and not super high performance.  Respectable performance, but not high performance.

It's sort of a "Have your cake and eat it too" kind of thing.  If you want wide and stable, you are going to sacrifice performance.  If you want performance you are going to have to sacrifice some stability. 

[jumpfrom13k]

Too much rocker?

[Newps]

Love my 7'3 X 28" Naish Hokua for punchy Newport surf.  It's a lot of work though, to stand on and to catch waves, but worth it when you are on one.   

7'3 x 28" that sounds like a handful.  Do you have to always keep moving on it?

[supsurf-tw]

I'd re word the title to

"Over Boards That Are Wrong For The Conditions"

[Zooport]

I'd re word the title to

"Over Boards That Are Wrong For The Conditions"

+1

[Zooport]

Love my 7'3 X 28" Naish Hokua for punchy Newport surf.  It's a lot of work though, to stand on and to catch waves, but worth it when you are on one.   

7'3 x 28" that sounds like a handful.  Do you have to always keep moving on it?

Yeah, it's a handful.  I spend a lot of time with my face uh... getting to know the water better (ahem).  If it's pretty glassy, I can stay still on it, but if there is chop or backwash, I have to keep moving.  If it weren't so freaking fun on a wave, I would use one of my larger boards. 

[Roundhouse]

I would totally agree, "For Conditions". Obviously the board works in the right conditions, too many videos to argue that. Like I said, I was the target market, at 58 and almost 50 years of surfing, for this heavily promoted board. I wanted to stay with Naish and spent a lot and waited a long time to do so. I've never had much brand loyalty and checked out local shapers before I bought my first SUP over 5 years ago and every subsequent board. They were built too much like surfboards (that are about a disposable commodity today) so I went and stayed with Naish. Carbon fiber, PVC, light as a feather, but when it hit a mushy section it stops and on the east coast there is hardly a wave without a mushy section. Today the locals have technology like CoreVac that can make a light strong board for what Naish cost 5 years ago.

[mdsurf]

Roundhouse what did you end up with?  I am just curious because I was looking at the x32 also and decided I could get what I want and colors what I want and sized what I want for less and In the Corevac process and shaped by a local shaper who gets the east coast.

[Caribsurf]

Agree on the 8'8" X32.  What a waste of epoxy.  Worst board I have ever ridden. I am looking to trade mine as well after 2 underwhelming sessions.

Anyone want to buy it?. 😜

[PonoBill]

 a lot of the Naish boards seem to have a huge amount of V. That might account for the sudden slowing.

[standuped]

I would totally agree, "For Conditions". Obviously the board works in the right conditions, too many videos to argue that. Like I said, I was the target market, at 58 and almost 50 years of surfing, for this heavily promoted board. I wanted to stay with Naish and spent a lot and waited a long time to do so. I've never had much brand loyalty and checked out local shapers before I bought my first SUP over 5 years ago and every subsequent board. They were built too much like surfboards (that are about a disposable commodity today) so I went and stayed with Naish. Carbon fiber, PVC, light as a feather, but when it hit a mushy section it stops and on the east coast there is hardly a wave without a mushy section. Today the locals have technology like CoreVac that can make a light strong board for what Naish cost 5 years ago.

Totally get your vibe.  It all makes sense.  Because sometimes, it's hard to demo everything you are interested in, you want to be able to trust the opinions, endorsements, claims and advertisements of a credible, capable, surfer, shaper, waterman; combine that with superior construction. It's an intoxicating mix.  I was soo ready to jump on a x32 LE last year; almost too easy to do in this day and age (literally age).  Watch the add, do a little research, point and click. It's at your house.  I don't know if I'm "over"  anything, but I am going with an Ed Angulo custom (he's in FL now).  First boards will dial in what I'm going for, then I'll go for carbon/core-vac final copy.  We'll see how this works.  By the way,  aren't you going to rush out and get a Raptor,  I think somebody "loves it". But then you might be buying a dinosaur.....

[supthecreek]

Agree on the 8'8" X32.  What a waste of epoxy.  Worst board I have ever ridden. I am looking to trade mine as well after 2 underwhelming sessions.

Anyone want to buy it?. 😜

great ad Don
apparently you have not inherited your brothers advertising genius   

[Zooport]

a lot of the Naish boards seem to have a huge amount of V. That might account for the sudden slowing.

Yeah, I think they are trying to overcome the width with a lot of rocker and V.  Isn't there an issue with such a wide board trying to pivot off of the wide point rather than the tail and fins? 

I was able to make the 8'8 X32 that I tried go pretty good by working it rail to rail.  I really didn't mind the board.  It was pretty similar to riding my 8'10 AllWave.  Wouldn't buy one though.  These are not the boards for people who are attempting to surf aggressively. 

[Dwight (DW)]

Yeah, I think they are trying to overcome the width with a lot of rocker and V. 

I agree.

Now if they had shaped it for 200-300 lb surfers only, they wouldn't need to even think about throwing extra rocker and V in it. Because a true big boy, could make a flatter, faster, board rip with ease.

Where it goes in the crapper, is trying to make it work for everyone. You little guys need to stop buying 32 wide boards and grow a pair! Let them shape these 32 wide boards for true big boys. (I personally know several small guys pussing out on 32 wide boards. If you want easy, go sit down in a kayak  ).