Author Topic: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED  (Read 52799 times)

supthecreek

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8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« on: June 02, 2015, 04:29:35 AM »
Well.... heres my new board  ;D ;D ;D ;D
this was NOT intended to be a review… just a “first look” at something new.... but I got carried away  ;)
A proper review will come after I have some quality time on it and some decent video... but I will pass on what I know so far.

Like most Zoners, I am constantly researching boards, trying to find “The One”.
Late last year, I heard about a board that blew me away, but info was scarce, so I was on a mission to learn everything I could.

My Sunova SPEEED arrived a week ago.
8’10 x 29 1/8  at 130 liters
Not a tiny board by new standards, but pushing my limits.

OZ is full of this “Wide Nose” design….they are hugely popular….
Local brands like Minion, Vanguard, Gulliver V-Box
Then the big boys jumped in with the Slate, Raptor, Hyper-Nut

Sunova has taken a very different approach.
This “Wide Nose” board entry, is a MAJOR departure from the rest of the field.... and THAT is exactly why I was soooo intrigued.

The SPEEED incorporates ALL the components that I like in a board and still allows me to go with less width than traditional shapes.... and at a much lower volume.
Rocker instead of flat
Nose scoop instead of flat
Narrow tail instead of wide

One huge appeal of the Sunova to me is their construction, I can't afford to give up durability for light weight.
Light...and durable... and affordable
Not words that generally go together, when talking SUP
Sunova is ALL of them.

Consensus among owners is, these are VERY strong boards using some ground breaking technology, like deck "I beams" and parabolic rails
The boards are stiff on the deck, but have “give” built into the bottom, for a super smooth ride.
Light weight, with none of the stiffness and chatter of carbon…. many riders have said it is immediately noticeable..... I am now one of them  ;D

My board weighs in (on a digital shipping scale) at 18.8 lbs with deckpad, stomper and stock thrusters. I am loving that!

The liftSUP handle eliminates big the hole in the middle of the deck and gives me a super easy way to carry the board.

There is zero paint on this board… the rails are covered with Titanium impregnated cloth, over a carbon rail strip, for impact resistance, plus the look hides any scuffs you may get.

The nose is wide, but incredibly thin…. thinner than the end of my pinky finger, and it has a lot of scoop.
This adds so much to stability, when paddling or catching a wave.
The harder you lean toward the nose, the more stable it becomes, and the scoop keeps the nose from sinking.

The parallel rails give it great speed and the “bump down” at the side bites combine with the deep channels to give it that sweet, crisp, tight carving turn.

While many of these “square nose” designs are built to maximize small and mushy waves, The SPEEED is designed with an eye towards really good waves.
Reports have it ripping DOH in the Mentawais.

Cape Cod has always been fairly thick and hollow when it gets overhead, but this year, the sand has been gouged out by serious winter storms, and left some really deep water near shore, so we now have some very soft conditions, at all but dead low tide.

Deep water and tiny waves have not given me a chance to explore this board yet, but I gotta say…. It even makes crap waves fun.  ;D ;D ;D

As always, pictures to give you a good look….

and.... against my better judgment, I included a short video of some small windy, gutless sessions I had this week.
It was taken with my "point and shoot", as an experiment, so I had to “Zoom” it….
make sure you set to 720HD to make it a little less blurry  ::)

I am very impressed with my SPEEED so far…. I can’t wait to get it in some good waves, and come back with a complete  review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bZopizK6I

coldsup

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2015, 04:50:11 AM »
Looks a lot of fun that board....and fast. Interesting handle too.

spookini

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2015, 05:20:01 AM »
Nice looking board, Rick "Mick".  Aka supthecreekcrikey.
Eagerly awaiting your next thread:  "Why I left primal and went vegemite!"
-- My doctor says I suffer from low kook --
Do sharks attack?  Hope not
Do flying fish hate us?  Hells yes

Ake G

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2015, 05:41:39 AM »
Looks like everything you were hoping it would be, Creek and great to see your continuing dedication is paying dividends!

Thanks for documenting it all and taking the time to share the experience.

Reminds me of the first guys who rode those tiny Firewires up here and how I thought they were so far beyond me (and most average mortal surfers) with my physical size and skill level.

Now I want to try one. But I'd settle for a surf on anything right now.....

surfercook

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2015, 06:07:14 AM »
NICE SIM style sup! Might hafta put that in ahead of the Raptor and Slate on my "Want that one" list! Looks real easy to turn. Beautiful wood grain too. You failed to mention price and shipping costs though. i priced a Slate and it was $1,999 w/100 for shipping. Passed on it.
One could go into a mall in Kansas and ask a teenager "What is a surfer looking for?, and the answer will always be, "The perfect wave"
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eastbound

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2015, 06:10:58 AM »
very nice creek--and it seems, even on the mush from the vid, that the board turns nicely and accelerates on demand.

cant wait to see you and it on some nice faces! maybe even live!

i am jealous of that weight/liter ratio.

enjoy
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surfercook

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2015, 06:16:29 AM »
$1,995 (off the Sunova website) for the 8'5" which would prob be my choice. Didn't calculate shipping. I def want a SIM style sup but already own 3!
Nice vid of the 8'5" in clean shoulder/head high conditions.
https://youtu.be/CaUsH6FeoxY
One could go into a mall in Kansas and ask a teenager "What is a surfer looking for?, and the answer will always be, "The perfect wave"
9'11" PSH Hull Ripper-145 ltr    
9'3" PSH  Hull Ripper- 130ltr 
8'0" Corevac Assassin -127 ltr   
Paddles- Carbonerro PRO SERIES 85 & Riviera Camo at 70"

mrbig

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2015, 06:51:09 AM »
Great stuff Rick! It looked good when I saw it, and is
clearly working in the waves we've had so far. Pray for some grandes olas.. 8)  8)  8)
Let it come to you..
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lunchbox

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2015, 07:00:53 AM »
I knew I shouldn't have read a Creek review...now I want this board  ;)

supthecreek

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2015, 07:08:07 AM »
Thanks for that Cookie.....The vid of Johnny Maya surfing on the SPEEED really shows the potential of this board.
He gets the rail absolutely vertical in some of his cut backs.
That video, incidentally, was THE clincher for me.... it shows the smooth, crisp carve that I was looking for ;D ;D ;D ;D
What I particularly noticed was how well it carried speed after a cutback on a very soft shoulder... it didn't bog down, but linked smoothly to the next turn.

Also... about cost, I can't speak to what it will be in the US.... other than it is NOT one of the high priced brands
The price on the Sunova site is in Australian Dollars
AUST $1,999 = $1,544 in US dollars  according to todays exchange rate

The shipping is fairly expensive. So I hope the SPEEED begins to show up in the US soon. I know some of last years Sunovas are here now, but hopefully the US will be getting more 2015 models this summer.
At my age... every season is a big percentage of what I have left.... so I needed to find a work around and consider myself extremely lucky to get my hands on this one.

They are coming out with (or already have) a 9'5 x 31 at 160 L that might be my call next winter, in full gear.

I am sooooo happy with this board so far....
Eastbound, I hope to surf some South County waves with you, sooner than later.....
I can't wait to have some rip-able point surf to run this in!

Ha ha lunchbox... YES you do. Sell off some of the fleet ;)

note: so far, not on single mark on the rails... even after I flailed around in the "devil winds" for 6 sessions

eastbound

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2015, 07:20:11 AM »
been awful down here creek--was resigned to mush this am, up at 5, and the cam showed nothing. came to work instead. hoping for tomorrow.
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stoneaxe

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2015, 08:10:34 AM »
I have to say it is a stunningly beautifully finished board. Just looking at it you can tell it's built well......and soooo different from anything I've seen. Crazy light but it feels rock solid. If I can get my fat ass back down to 240 or better 230 I may have to try giving it a spin. Creek was throwing buckets on the better waves last Sunday. His usually smooth longboard style punctuated with some big slashes. Can't wait to see him ride it on a nice OH glassy wave.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

SUPcheat

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #12 on: June 02, 2015, 09:38:46 AM »
Looks very nice, Creek.  Don't think I could catch those mushers on my boards unless they had some kind of hidden extra energy.

It does tend to resemble the tomo type with the more parallel rails and the flat nose.  I suppose categorizing is kind of pointless, but is it considered more of a tomo-type?

The lightness IS nice. My neighbor weighed my Prowave innegra at 18.8 pounds wet from the beach with fins and leash. The weight doesn't make me go off balance when carrying it, easier to protect it from smacking. So far, the innegra durability with rail tape is holding up. To me, durability is worth paying for if it doesn't compromise performance.

I saw IRideYellow on his Jammer 7'10" x 31.5" @ 138 liters on Sunday around Privates/Sharks.  Beautiful board in yellow with black carbon rails.  I lifted it, and it also seemed to be about 16 to 18 pounds and short enough to pile into my WRX if necessary. He was doing very well in surf and just paddling around with it. I think that's Wardog's variation of the tomo type, except no flat nose.
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

SUStenance

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2015, 11:42:33 AM »
Great "first look" post. I will agree that it is a sweet looking board and seeing it first hand it looks well made. I am looking forward to the full review, but even more so, looking to getting it under my feet and taking it for a test spin myself!

Hopefully the NE winds will subside Thursday morning and you'll oblige me  ;D! (I should have asked you Saturday, but you were having too much fun  ;) )
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baddog

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Re: 8'10 Sunova SPEEED
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2015, 12:08:12 PM »
I haven't said much regarding Sunova and the Speeed, but I was right behind STC when we picked up the chatter on the 'Breeze'.  Just like STC, I knew instantly the shape would work, have a healthy disdain for wide tail, flat turning boards and the Johnny Maya vid was the nail in the coffin.

The squared off nose, full length concave and tail channels are all Vanguard'ish. Burt (Burger) used lots of Vanguard cues, but this board is not in the Vanguard camp.  Why?  The outline is strictly a performance longboard / funboard shape.  Just round off the nose and pulled tail and see what you get.  That hipped narrowed diamond tail and tri-fin set up are really what give the Speeed the smooth laid-over rail to rail transitions and rounded carve'y turns.  Watch the Johnny Maya video to see how smooth and seamless turns and transitions are.  Rider for sure, but the board has a lot to do with it.  STC is doing a bang up job as well in teenie conditions (can't wait to see the really stuff vids).

The flipped nose is thin, but what strikes me is how well my 8'5" paddles and how the nose does not push water.  The tracking is excellent with the squared nose profile and with very little yaw.  The other striking feature is how low the volume is in the tail.  The narrow profile with the single channel and concaves means less foam in the tail and the sweet spot for paddling is well past center.

The Balsa construction is amazing; top tier craftsmanship, light as carbon and pretty too.  A lot more I could say, but I'll let STC have the honors.  FYI, there is a bit of paint; the silver brushed band on the rails hides any shatters that can occur in the glass over carbon rail construction.

Check out all the Burt Burger / Sunova / Speeed threads on the 'Breeze' and of course follow along with STC, our east coast DJ.





 


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