8'8" Hokua G32 LE Review

[supthecreek]

MrBig said:
"+1 I'll buy almost anything! "

ha ha.... true that!

[Zooport]

Roundhouse,

I'm relatively new to SUS, on a good day I may generously call myself an intermediate. I have a X32 and my prior boards were a 10.6 C4 and a 9.6 Allwave. I'm trying to better understand your comments about the X32. (Maybe I just don't know enough yet??)

I've surfed my X32 in Nosara and during the recent Joaquin swell up and down the treasure coast in Florida. These are what pass for "good" waves in (or within easy reach of) South Florida and therefore in my book. I've switched out to quads and the board appears to turn fine but I will admit that, in these "better" conditions, I do have a nagging sense that maybe it could use more speed down the line. (I'm guessing this is what you mean when you say "The board would not carry through weak sections") I figured that's just part of the necessary compromise one makes in having a board with that width and shape, but maybe not.   

More often than not, I'm surfing in sloppy, on-shore wind chop and I think the board's stability works well here and its shape makes it work here.

Maybe it's a function of my place on the learning curve. When you say "It would not even think about working in our typical mush" are you referring to the swell of the past few weeks?

When you say "The board from a local shaper I ride now has the same lines, same width and size as the x32 but a completely different bottom" what board is that (because I definitely would like to try one)?  Is it a SS?

I think it just a matter of what works for you.  It's not surprising that what one person hates is exactly what you like.  Doesn't mean you suck, just means you disagree on your tastes.  I know a lot of people who hate the X32 and a lot of people that like them.  I personally like the shortest one and may still buy the 7'10 one of these days if I find a steal on it.  Maybe from some guy who hates them so much he gives me a really cheap deal just to be rid of it. 

[tautologies]

What Zooport is saying makes sense to me. I think we are in general a bit over confident in our statements and generalize quite a lot, so when I read stuff like that I always add a virtual IMO to whatever someone is saying.

The funny thing to me is I kind of understand part of what they said, though I disagree that is doesn't take you past the flat sections....(to me that is just a positioning thing though it will not glide like a longboard)....but I like the board much better now that I am heavier. We'll see what happens when I lose some weight.

So far I like the 7'10 a lot. I have not ridden the 8'8''

[jondrums]

I must not be very picky because I like my 8'8" x32.  Yes, it is a bit slow paddling, but it catches waves super easily as long as you line up with the shortboarders and drop in fairly late.    If I'm in the right spot I can go from stationary to dropping in with one quick paddle stroke.  It isn't a fast board on the wave by any means but it responds really well to pumping - maybe folks aren't used to having to do that on a SUP.  I've outrun plenty of tricky sections.

[Roundhouse]

SUPJorge, if you are riding that board and having fun in treasure coast waves, keep doing it. I come from the “everything works” school of surfing, but did not have that experience with the x32.
That last swell was a once in five year event considering size, strength and duration. The x32 probably could ride those waves. If you weren’t on a steep, powerful section, the wave was over. That is not typical Florida surf.
I rode a friend’s 8’8 Cannibal in very small, clean surf and was amazed. Last winter I demo’d a 9’ Cannibal on overhead waves at Hangars and ordered an exact copy. It is not carbon fiber but CoreVac is very strong. After this last swell I cleaned off the paddle tape marks and was amazed to find not the slightest damage.  I traded the X32 and a short board for it which sealed the deal. It was like new when I traded it.
5 years ago I bought a 9’6 C4 in my first attempt to go short. It surfed great but at 28” was too difficult stay upright paddling. I had to sell it for a big loss and went to a 9’5 Mana. The X32 is plenty stable even at 8’8. Because they were so new I could only demo it on flatwater. If I had surfed it in anything, I would not have bought it.

[SUPJorge]

Roundhouse, I asked because I'm trying to determine whether there's any to switch to that would be better for me. Like I said, the X32 works for me in typical small, sloppy, on-shore wind chop. What I'm wondering is whether there's something that will do similarly well in those poor conditions and better than the X32 on those rare days that I luck upon better waves (or travel to CR or PR). My thoughts run along the lines of the Cannibal (which I almost bought), the Sharpe and maybe a regular Hokua. What are your thoughts on these three?

[Zooport]

I must not be very picky because I like my 8'8" x32.  Yes, it is a bit slow paddling, but it catches waves super easily as long as you line up with the shortboarders and drop in fairly late.    If I'm in the right spot I can go from stationary to dropping in with one quick paddle stroke. It isn't a fast board on the wave by any means but it responds really well to pumping - maybe folks aren't used to having to do that on a SUP.  I've outrun plenty of tricky sections.

I agree.  You have to pump a short, wide SUP or it will not go. 

I currently ride a 7'4 that is 30" wide (in my profile pic) and it must be pumped up to speed.   But it's easy to pump and goes great when you do. 

[tautologies]

Roundhouse, I asked because I'm trying to determine whether there's any to switch to that would be better for me. Like I said, the X32 works for me in typical small, sloppy, on-shore wind chop. What I'm wondering is whether there's something that will do similarly well in those poor conditions and better than the X32 on those rare days that I luck upon better waves (or travel to CR or PR). My thoughts run along the lines of the Cannibal (which I almost bought), the Sharpe and maybe a regular Hokua. What are your thoughts on these three?

The regular Hokuas likes cleaner surf. They work well in slop, but definitely shines in the cleaner surf. I would consider looking at the Raptor. Its an amazing little board. Feels a bit more agile than the w32. It is more turny when paddling, but definitely not a slouch when it comes going in bigger surf. Just mind I am riding this well over the recommended weight and find that I have to be slightly deeper than a board you get a lot of paddle speed on.

The mana series is a bit more forgiving, but I tend to lean towards the Hokua series.

[jondrums]

I agree.  You have to pump a short, wide SUP or it will not go. 

I currently ride a 7'4 that is 30" wide (in my profile pic) and it must be pumped up to speed.   But it's easy to pump and goes great when you do.

I was thinking that the "pumpability" is more due to how much rocker the board has, I hadn't considered the width to be the factor.  But it does make sense that the curved outline (because of the width) would have an effect too.

[Roundhouse]

SUPJorge, You can't go wrong with a board shaped by Stu Sharpe. He knows east coast waves. I rode his boards for decades, just not a SUP yet. I talked to him when I was trying to get out off the X32 but could not even sell it on Craig's for half of what I paid. Local shapers have come a long way with SUPs in the last 5 years. You see fewer and fewer mass production boards in the water now.

[Caribsurf]

Like I said earlier, I wasn't happy at all with my 8'8" Hokua X32 and was thrilled to swap it for a 8'7" Jimmy Lewis Kwad.

If you are looking for a shorter performance board that still has stability , catches waves easily and speed down the line, look no further than the Kwad.  Try and demo one if you get the chance…try and demo both the Kwad and Hokua and you will see what I mean.

[Zooport]

Also, the Joe Blair 8'5 is a great surfing SUP.  Domed deck makes it more tippy than the X32, but stable enough and surfs amazing.  It's still wide at 31", catches waves super easy and turns like crazy.  It's my board of choice for any time the surf is not perfectly glassy.  He was selling them for under $900, not sure if he still is.

[SUPJorge]

I've surfed the Joe Blair and spoken with Joe by phone, definitely a great board and a great guy. I just don't like the domed decks.

[Zooport]

Agree, you either love domed decks or hate them.

[tautologies]

To the guys not liking the x32..what fin setup did you use? I bet the thruster set up will slow that board down compared to riding it quad. I am using a stretch quad set on that board, and with the wide base on those fins I feel I can drive the board better.

I had it out in bigger waves the past few days with up to double overhead. If anyone had told me I could ride that board in waves like that when I just got the board I'd say they were insane, but it worked really well for me.