My new NaH Skwell

[coldsup]

Well....here's a mini review of the Nah Skwell 9ft 6 allrounder after being out surfing on it several times so far.

This is my first SUP so I've nothing really to compare it with so just going to write it as I'm finding it. I'm 5ft 11 and 90kg and have four years surfing longboards/McCoy nuggets behind me. I've been surfing it in waist high waves mostly.

Pros

User friendly, stable, picks up waves easy even on later take offs, turns well if you get back on the fins....nice double wing fish tail, tracks in a straight line okay for a shorter board...was expecting worse. Nice and light - only 10kg. Deck grip very comfy for kneeling. Feels well made and solid. Paddles on the flat okay - not fast of course but not bad. Looks funky! It doesn't ride like a longboard - not so mellow and wants to be moved around the wave....it's fun and lively.

Cons

Although the pick up grip is nicely balanced it is basic with no contours to enable you to get a secure grip so your fingers/forearms get tired quick. It is a large fish shape so the rails are quite parallel until you get to the double wings of the fish tail...this means the board doesn't turn easy from the middle...need to get further back for tighter turns but that is fine on most waves...just not really small stuff. I'm used to a very grippy waxed surfboard and found the pad on the Nah Skwell not grippy at all so I wax it.....maybe just me but I want my feet to stick to the darn thing. I give my paddle a thin coating of wax on the shaft too so that gives you an idea of what I prefer.

Overall - I really like the board....a great board for first time surfers and one that you'll probably stick with longer than say a Whopper. Fun to surf, stable and predictable but quite capable of pulling off a few decent moves I'll bet....but that will need to come in time