Naish 7'8 Hokua stability test

[Dwight (DW)]

I love the small backfins. Loosen up the ride.

My friend with the 7'3 loves them too. He's always wanted to make slashy, break-the-tail-loose turns like Kai Lenny and now he can.

Unfortunately for me, that's not the style turn I dream of doing. I like being hooked up and carving my bottom turn and would like to smash the lip on edge, not sliding it flatiish.

The little rear fins in the quad, slip catch, slip catch on me doing bottom turns or even making steep drops. Naish put fins so tiny in the rear, FCS doesn't even make something equivalent. So I went searching for something slightly bigger. FCS doesn't make anything slightly bigger, only way bigger. So using FCS rears of 4 to 4 1/8 tall the board gets the nice carving hooked up feel, but also gains a narrower sweet spot.

Switching to all thrusters of 4 1/2" widens the sweet spot and makes it feel right for what I want from the board.

[LBatBeach]

7'8 ordered today!  wooohooo!

[tautologies]

awesome. I think you'll like it a lot. I have mine in the car ready for a lunch session!! The southswell should be fun!!!

[LBatBeach]

Thanks Taut....We get back to the east coast in about 4 weeks.  So hopefully it will have arrived by then.  Based on all the reports, I am anticipating bringing it back here to PR as a small wave, low tide alternative to my 9'3 custom swallow.   Waves here at Shacks get really steep when the tide is low. 

[tautologies]

Thanks Taut....We get back to the east coast in about 4 weeks.  So hopefully it will have arrived by then.  Based on all the reports, I am anticipating bringing it back here to PR as a small wave, low tide alternative to my 9'3 custom swallow.   Waves here at Shacks get really steep when the tide is low. 

nice..how about some pics of those wave?

I had some friends that went to PR for kiting, and they were amazed at the conditions and the waves. Solid winds and a very friendly local community.

If the waves are big enough the board will go in sloppy waves. :-) I guess in big wave anything will go :-)

[LBatBeach]

http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=9430.0

Not to hijack, but the above has a few pics.  Not really the ledgy, low tide I was talking about.   Re your friends, if they were not in SanJuan, they were probably here at Shacks kiting.  We SUP in the AM, and kite in the PM on many a day. 

[tautologies]

Nice shots.

I think you'll be able to ride those waves fine with the 7'8'' for sure...you'll be a little deeper and later on the takeoff..but on that board it is just fun with a late takeoff.

If the waves are shoulder to head high, it almost doesn't matter if the wave is pitchy...the board will just fly down the line until you pull the breaks climb up and smack the lip ;-)

I must say though I look a lot better surfing in my head than in reality..I've just accepted that. :-)

[LBatBeach]

Its better to be a legend in your own mind than no legend at all!  Tear it up!
LB