Lightning Bolt SUPsonic 8'4" X 27" X 3.75 Review

[Byronmaui]

Aloha,

Test drove this board today in waist to shoulder high surf. Yes the wind was killing everything today on the North shore of Maui but was able to take the board out in some fun waves in the Harbor.

Positives
This board absolutely rips and I mean rips. The board is super loose and tail slides were super easy and at will. With the tail slides in abundance not once did I catch a rail as the sliding was happening and I was able to control the slide for as long as I wanted. The floaters were just as easy and I could do them at will without getting a rail caught or hanging up. Cutbacks and off the tops were a snap away with the ease of getting back down the wave. Getting speed with this board was unfricken real and sometimes I deliberately pumped the board to hit closeout sections. I spent almost 2 hours in the water with this board and the only reason I left was my wife was honking the horn for me to go (I had been in the water for almost 5 hours total today). I normally don't get to free surf with a SUP alot but I had a fricken blast and the next session should be better because I believe I was only using 60 percent of the boards capability.

Negatives
Very tippy and not for the beginner. I am no expert but I fell alot in the beginning. The falls were mostly on paddling through the whitewater and occasional fall down for no reason. I believe this board is good for small to a little overhead surf. I would not take it anything larger because for me and my capabilitites I would get smashed with such a small board.

Overall
I have not ridden an 8'4 this good yet. The board was soooooo good that I want it more. For anyone on Maui seeking a challenge I would definetly give Lightning Bolt a call for a demo. Overall there is no custom SUP like this available on Maui that I have seen. Hopefully Frank will let me borrrow it again because I have some unfinished business with this board...

Frank if you read this please post pics because I could not find any.

Maybe I will get some vid action posted if Frank burns me a DVD of todays action.

Mahalo

Byron

P.S. I am 5'9 155lbs and intermediate SUP with a little over a year in the SUP thing. I have never ridden a lightning bolt SUP prior to today. Yes I am friends with Frank but I had to post this because I had such a blast. Sooooo much of a blast I smeared my makeup (colored sunscreen) all over my jersey.

[Lightning Bolt Maui]

Here is a photo of the board Byron was speaking of. Its my newest personal board. Its a Lightning Bolt Maui SUPsonic model  8'4" X 27" X 3.75

This board is heaps of fun and surfs like a short board.


Lightning Bolt Maui SUP board's are production custom board's. Which means you can get this model board at the dimensions that fit your height and weight. So same shape in different sizes.   It takes usually 3 weeks from deposit to completion.  All of our SUP models are production custom boards and can be adjusted to your height and weight. The boards are done on a computer design program and cut with a computer shaping machine. The computer allows you to get the magic board over and over again. It also allows for faster production times.

come by the new shop for a demo
Lightning Bolt Maui
99 hana highway
Paia Hi. 96779
808 877 3484


.

[SUP2MAUI]

I was with Byron in the water yesterday and can attest to him ripping on the 8'4". I tried to get him to switch with my 9'0 but he was having way too much fun   His wife was honking at him for at least a half hour or more but he was too busy to notice and couldn't have anyway because that board takes all the concentration you can muster just to stay upright. Here's a photo from the session. More to follow....

[Byronmaui]

Yeah my wife was pissed. How many 41 year old guys have their wife honking at them for half an hour......

I lost all travel passes for December because of you and your thompson twin but oh was it worth it. I can't wait to steal the board in bigger surf with a nice wall to kill.

Aloha

Byron

P.S. Wow Frank you look good holding the board.

[Sam Pa'e]

Aloha Byron,

Yeah my wife was pissed. How many 41 year old guys have their wife honking at them for half an hour...... 

I think, if my wife waited that long......my punishment would have been, for every minute waited one board would be locked up for a month. And I don't have that many boards to spare..

Needless to say.....That board looks sweet under your feet. (Instead of in the arms of another man.  )

Aloha........Sam

[Lightning Bolt Maui]

 My new Lightning Bolt Maui SUPsonic 8'4"X27"X 3.75 and Greg's new Lightning Bolt Maui SUPSONIC 9'X27"X3.75"





Take Your SUP surfing to the next level

Come by the new shop and check one out
Lightning Bolt Maui
99 Hana highway
Paia Hi. 96779
808 877 3484

[Byronmaui]

Aloha Byron,

Yeah my wife was pissed. How many 41 year old guys have their wife honking at them for half an hour...... 

I think, if my wife waited that long......my punishment would have been, for every minute waited one board would be locked up for a month. And I don't have that many boards to spare..

Needless to say.....That board looks sweet under your feet. (Instead of in the arms of another man.  )

Aloha........Sam

Sam I feel I got off cheap with no trips. At least my beach pass was not revoked. Hopefully I can video the board in action this week sometime. Life is good.

Aloha

Byron

[Paddle-Plappe]

Is there a big feeling difference beetween Lightning Bolt Maui SUPsonic 8'4"X27"X 3.75 and Greg's Lightning Bolt Maui SUPSONIC 9'X27"X3.75"?

Life is good.

Wife is good 

[Byronmaui]

Is there a big feeling difference beetween Lightning Bolt Maui SUPsonic 8'4"X27"X 3.75 and Greg's Lightning Bolt Maui SUPSONIC 9'X27"X3.75"?

Life is good.

Wife is good 

There looked like a big difference. When I was with Greg and he had his 9'0 (I would have used the 9'0 but probably been banned for life from the wife. ) he was very stable and ripping hard. Of course he is better but beyond that the 9'0 looked like a winner for my height and weight. Greg has taken the 9'0 out in double overhead waves and did awesome. I would not feel comfortable on the 8'4 in those size waves because the 8'4 is more unstable but I am an average joe so a pro will probably think differently. With anything in life everyone is different. I bet Frank will chime in and say a different story. He has ridden it more so he would give you a better answer. Yeah wife is good.

Aloha

Byron

[SUPer Dave]

Frank hope you bring a couple smaller boards here next summer... My new 8/10 works well lot less volume than the old 8/10..got to surf some turtles juice last week... wish we had the testing grounds you guys have...shit !!!  Sorry Sam had nothing to say of my post on the new board..some of his ideas on making it stronger were taken into concideration while building it...  Dave...

[Lightning Bolt Maui]

Is there a big feeling difference between Lightning Bolt Maui SUPsonic 8'4"X27"X 3.75 and Greg's Lightning Bolt Maui SUPSONIC 9'X27"X3.75"?

The main difference is the length. all other dimensions are the same. I made a SUPsonic 8'X27"X3.75 first. love the board in ideal conditions. But at that size i struggled a little in choppy water. I would sink the board a bit more then i liked. I am 6'1" 175 lbs  Lighter guys did not have the sinking problem i was. so it was just a bit to small for my weight. So the next board i made was all the same dimensions except i added 4 inches to the length. This solved the sinking problem and dealing with the choppy water problem. Just adding the 4 inches helped so much with the volume issue. The new 8'4" is much more stable and doesn't sink so much at my weight. I love this board it surfs like a short board.

I have not tried Gregs new 9'X27"X3.75" but i would imagine if adding 4 inches made it more stable that making it 9' must be even more stable. I hurt my leg and cant test the 9' board yet but when i do i will post something about it.  Byron hopes to try the 9' SUPsonic this weekend. Will report back.

Aloha
FF

[Lightning Bolt Maui]

additional photos of the  Lightning Bolt Maui SUPsonic 8'4" X 27" X 3.75" board.




Check one out at our new shop in Paia
Lightning Bolt Maui
99 Hana Highway
Paia Hi. 96779
808 877 3484


If you cant beat them grab a paddle and join them!

[cloclo]

Hello, nice board, can you tell us more about the board, like the weight, rocker, bottom (concave or flat with V ?or something else?)
Thanks.

[Lightning Bolt Maui]

Hello, nice board, can you tell us more about the board, like the weight, rocker, bottom (concave or flat with V ?or something else?)
Thanks.

Howzit Clocio
The board weight with pad and fins is exactly 20lbs the front rocker is 6 13/16" tail rocker is 3" the bottom is flat with a deep double concave running right out between the fins.
I hope this is of some help.
Aloha
FF