Simsup S3 mini-review

[OilheadCJ_SUP]

Well, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Simpsup S3.  About me, 6'1", about 165lbs, 44 years old, started sup on July 5, 2013.  First board was a Riviera 10'6", about 2 months later went to a 9'7" surf tech channel islands Caddi, and now to a 8'8", 32" wide, 4.5 thick, 145L Simsup S3.  I went with the vector net and s-glass, black and pinstriped grey decks pad, and a striped paint job.  Quad fins.  It is light, but I did not weigh it.

I may have been able to go smaller, but the place I mostly surf in NJ is an odd setup: we park on the beach, and paddle out an inlet to a break next to a jetty.  I'm bad with distance, and while it isn't a crazy long paddle, it is a longish paddle through some odd current, boat wake, and strange waves caused by sand features.  So, going too short would make that paddle out and back in a chore.

Kirk was fantastic to work with, and he answered all of my newbie questions with patience and a lot of detail.  I was quoted about 8 weeks, and received it at the FedEx Freight location right at 8 weeks, so it shipped in 7.  I cannot say enough about Kirk and the whole process.  This is my first custom board, and I couldn't be happier.

I'd love to give great commentary on it in surf, but I had 2 days of mess in NJ, but being desperate, I went out anyway.  Paddling out, I was impressed by the stability.  The nose punches through waves and foam, versus that feeling of floating over it, which often leads me to feel like I am going to get tossed as the nose lifts.  I purposely paddled it through the messy water, and I had no issues at all, and to me, it is less tippy side to side than the Caddi.  It isn't as fast as a 10' board, but it is certainly not a slowpoke.

I know I stood too far forward on it, a habit from bigger boards.  Paddling for waves, I did pearl a couple until I approached it from more of a surf stance, and not really hammering the strokes until the wave almost got to me.  It is different, so I just need water time to dial it in.  It felt like more of a turn and go approach worked better.

It turns when paddling for waves, in that it is easy to get it from facing out to sea to spun and ready to catch a wave.  My longer boards take so much more effort.  On what passed for waves these 2 days, it is fast.  With the step down rails, it was a great feeling to set the rail and go down the line, trying to do cutbacks when the waves started to close out.  Again, forgive me, but I am really still learning to surf, so what I think it great and cool is probably not to a person with experience.  I did notice i could surf it without needing to stand all the way on the tail, but stepping back I could make more of a quick turn. 

It does plane, I know the wave I caught to get myself towards home, it was all but dying, but the S3 kept right on chugging along. 

It sat on my dining room table until I could get it to the beach, and I kept touching it every time I walked past; it really is a beautifully done board.  It is classy looking, simple, but clean.  I am beyond happy.

I let 2 people try it, and both were impressed, and I will happily let others do so as well. 

I'll add more as I get more time on it, and that is what it will take.  But, literally out of the box, and at my level, the 8'8" S3 was easy to get on, paddle out, and paddle for waves.  Time will help me dial in the best position for catching them, and will hopefully help my skills improve.

Thanks to Kirk, and for the Zoners who gave me advice on this board.

Chris

 

[balance_fit]

Congrats on your new board OilheadCJ! You've just given me a very valuable set of information.

I've read and inquired all that is necessary on the Simsup design (Thanks SUZ and Kirk) and was dying to test it until i finally got my hands on one. I'm 6' at 175 lbs, with bad feet (read balance challenged), many years playing with toys in the surf and SUS'ing for several years now, upgrading to shorter boards since *that* first experience on a 12' Laird.

I had the pleasure of demo'ing an S1 8'x30", at 130 liters. I could paddle it in moderate (1 ft/10 kt wind) chop to one of my favorite local spots (innermost of two reefs), half a kilometer from shore. Never ventured to the outer reef, where the chop is nastier sometimes and it's over a kilometer offshore.

Even though i could paddle it, I found it's quite a chore to stand around and wait for the waves in anything other than glass, so, when it got any choppier, I missed waves in the process, since the sweet spot for standing is quite small for my ability, increasing the chore-ness factor.

The waves that i could catch, knee high at most, made it clear that the potential of the Simsup is huge. Very easy to catch the wave when i wasn't unbalanced. The looseness was enticing and the fun factor high. Like you did, i found the endless planing ability very sweet, specially since the inner reef where i surf features connecting and re-forming waves which are must fun to ride all the way to a deep water channel.

I had two demo sessions and was convinced, i will have a Simsup, but, one that is a bit more forgiving in the balance department and slightly longer. After testing the Simsup, surfing on my 9'6 x 30" Surftech Universal feels like the proverbial barge.

After returning the demo board, i went back home figuring out which combination of length, width and volume would work for my particular set of conditions and ability. I was thinking about 8'6 (to ease the paddle out and back upwind from the outer reefs), around 32" wide and in the 140's in volume for stability. Still unsure if S1,2 or 3.

Your report has made it clear to me that i'm on the right track. Thanks for sharing your experience !

[AJR]

Balance_fit - don't neglect to consider the ST in your options; similar to the S3 but with the split tail it surfs much narrower without a loss in stability.

Also, from one guy with "bad feet" to another - stay with a Hydroturf-type pad. Your feet will thank you; I love the grip if an Xtrak but I'd pay for it for days after a long session because it's so thin.

[freetobeme]

OIL - I really dig that pattern and color combo. It's funny how I don't like the color orange in general but LOVE it on small SUPs. Keep the reviews coming. Can't wait to score mine!!!!

Btw I was wondering where a guy from PA would put this to good use 

I just ordered a 7'8 x 30 119L ST. I live on Cape Cod and surf New England beach break/points. Me: 39, 5'9 180lbs. Stepping down from an 8'8.

This is a short breakdown of L41 SIMSUP boards by the shaper (Kirk) sent to me via email when I inquired about an S3. Kirk said "This one (ST) seems to be a perfect balance between stability and maneuverability.  The wide tail keeps it very stable with lots of lift and drive however the cutaway detail truly makes it surf like it's much narrower.  If you're looking for the best all-around SIMSUP shape then you may consider that one.  The S3 is a great board but when the surf gets big and round that wide tail becomes tough to command.  The S4 and 5 do a better job in these conditions but narrower overall so harder to handle in chop and not optimized for smaller conditions"

[balance_fit]

Balance_fit - don't neglect to consider the ST in your options; similar to the S3 but with the split tail it surfs much narrower without a loss in stability.

Also, from one guy with "bad feet" to another - stay with a Hydroturf-type pad. Your feet will thank you; I love the grip if an Xtrak but I'd pay for it for days after a long session because it's so thin.

Thanks for the solid advice AJR!  As long as the board provides enough stability for waiting for the waves in the chop, all maneuverability features are welcome.
Regarding the pad, pain free feet are happy feet, which equals better balance.
Advice taken and on the list.
Be well

[surfafrica]

Nice!  I'm so close to pulling the trigger.

What are the advantages of S glass?  Did Kirk recommend it? 

[freetobeme]

S glass is a tighter weave than regular E glass and is stronger and lighter weight.

Kirk did not attempt to persuade me on this construction. It is listed on the L41 site as an option. From what I gathered here on the Zone and the short $ additional cost S glass seemed like the way to go.

**oh geez, my bad, the ? was not geared towards me.

[surfafrica]

That was geared towards whoever would answer.  Thanks free.

How about the vector net vs carbon strip stringer/rails?  Thoughts on what might be better?

[freetobeme]

How about the vector net vs carbon strip stringer/rails?  Thoughts on what might be better?

Better for someone else to give in depth answer as I wanted to keep costs low on my ST. The vector net seems a bit gimmicky but looks cool IMHO. I think the boards are coming in pretty light as is, so I was not concerned with any carbon either. Plus, I'm not super careful with my gear so carbon would most likely not help with nicks n dings.

Again, Kirk was super easy going and did not push any additional construction methods on me. He Just asked what I wanted with no sales pitch beyond discussing which model shape would work best for me.

[OilheadCJ_SUP]

As a follow-up, I got out Wednesday for the start of the Edouard swell in NJ, and stayed out as it grew that day until my feet ached, and I couldn't paddle anymore.  I missed the evening and Thursday due to home and work commitments, but it was so worth it.

This board is 2 things to me: stable and fast.  I made a few drops where the speed at the bottom was more than I am used to, so I did crash, but when I did hold on, to me, the S3 just flies down the line.  I was able to get around the closeout sections and chase the unbroken face.

Given that we paddle out a pretty good distance, I believe the 8'8" was the right choice for me. When another simsup is in my future, I would think I'll go smaller, but this is a board I believe I could have gone to after my first month or so on the 10'6".  The suftech version of the channel islands caddi is a go to board in my area, I have the 9 7 as my other board, but I feel the S3 is more stable, and I feel it punches through waves and whitewater when paddling out a little better than the caddi. 

Only thing is, I am paranoid about damaging it, though I'm sure I'll get over it with the first ding and repair (at which time I will be looking for repair assistance  .

It was so worth it, and I could not be happier.  And frankly, it is pretty cool to have a board that no one else has in my area, at least not yet.

[eastbound]

I rode my s3 for the first time in real waves on wed am long island.
could be waves were a bit big for a first day riding, but i flailed a bit, frankly. the glassy conditions were what made me conclude there was no excuse not to get on it.
Where i can make the big drops, turn early and get down the line on my WP 9 5, i was squirrelling often unable to make the turn after big drops.
had waves been 2-4ft instead of legit 4-6 and steep, i might have had a better day. thurs it was a bit choppier, so i rode the WP 9'5". made it seem easy comparatively. I will keep working with the s3. I feel fine paddling around on the s3, and once on the wave, when i make it, it feels great. just want to get it so i can drop/turn cleanly and consistently.

th morning was a surprise--predicted smaller than wed, but it was just as big and held til i crawled out at noon.

loving the fall!

[Ake G]

Eastbound sounds like me when I went from an 8'10" SB wide point to an 8'2" L41 Simsup.

I'm still kind of shaky with late steep drops in bigger beach break (mostly because of the short length front to back instability) but it got better. What's nice is the Simsup gets on plane so quickly I can catch the wave farther out if I time it right.

At my skill level 8'2" for me gets a little too skatey and gnarly above chest high. I prefer my Prowave when surf gets critical.

[surfafrica]

eastbound, what size of S3 were you on (l x w, litres)?  How much do you weigh?

[eastbound]

see my signature--it's an 8'4" s3--appx 130 ltrs, i am 6'2" 200lbs.

[firesurf]

OilheadCJ,
That is one awesome looking board!   
Can you post more pictures of it?