Kalama vs Sunova Speeed?

[B-Walnut]

Wing foiling has been pretty front and center for me over the last year since I live in the gorge but I'm missing the waves a bit and am looking to chase our local beach break again this year.

I've had great success riding my 9'2"x30" 126l Kalama in past years. It's stable in the nasty wind chop and washingmachine ocean conditions that are the norm here. I really like the quad setup on it as well. However, I've had a glimmer or two of more performance oriented longboards in the past and my mind is wandering towards a new ride.

I'd like to go narrower, I demo'd a 28" board (NSP DC Super X) and was stoked on how fast that board got rail to rail in comparison to my Kalama. If I could find another quad, I'd steer towards that as well but quads seem uncommon in the industry. I have zero desire to go longer, but I also don't crave anything like the misery I had on a 8'2" Quatro Carve Pro. I want to score tons of waves, go fast, and I don't mind moving up, down, side to side on the board to optimize my turns and experience.

So... I'm wondering if the Speeed checks these boxes? My weight seems to fluctuate between 90-100kg when fully soaked in winter vs summer gear so I'm thinking the 8'8" 123l would be the easiest transition. Drops 6" of length, 2" of width, but only 3l less than my Kalama (does this mean super thick rails?). I've comfortably paddled down to 108l on a 9'x28" Kalama but worry that the 8'5" x 27.5" 113l Speeed would feel drastically less stable out the back and would sacrifice too much on the catch for my taste, but I'm open to hearing if I'm wrong about that.

Any thoughts, comments, direction folks can give me?

[sflinux]

I'd listen to your gut with regards to the 8'8" versus 8'5". That planshape is good if you want narrow and less rail length.
I believe the reason the 8'2" Quatro was so unstable is because of the pulled in nose, making the board feel 6" shorter than a choptop style board so like a 7'8".

But the Speeed is not a quad?
What about the 9' x 28" Kalama?
Or you may want to check out the quad L41 S5.
https://www.l41surfcraft.com/models-sup
"Ridden narrower than your normal board with little effect on overall stability.  The parallel rail outline makes this one paddle and catch waves like it's a much longer board.  Single concave entry and through the middle transitions into a channel bottom to make this model loose and fast with control!"

I am similar weight, this is my race to the bottom board at 7'6" x 28.5" 110L.  It is stable for it's width, but I am still getting comfortable with it in our usual choppy conditions.  I really like the grip of the channels.  I reckon ~8'6" would be comfortable.

[B-Walnut]

You're dead on about why the Quatro was too tippy for me. Definitely turned me off to that shape for now!

I'll check out those other boards as well but am now convinced that the 8'8" is the right choice between the two speeeds.

[FRP]

Hi Walnut

I have ridden an 8'-10" Speeed for quite a few years now and it remains my go to board for fast beach break waves under head high. I also have a Creek and Revolution but most times find an excuse to take out the Speeed. The rales are quite refined as it hides its volume in a doomed deck. I have ridden an 8'8" Speeed and didn't find the stability an issue but I am quite a bit lighter (72 kg). To unlock the potential of this board you need to be on your back foot near/on the kicker. It doesn't turn from the middle. Fin selection makes a difference and C-drives what I use after lots of trial and error.  I have tried the Quoba fins on it and prefer the hold of the Cdrives. There are lots of posts on the Seabeeeze SUP site about the Speeed. It will be a very different board compare to your longboard shape but perhaps a good complement. Cheers Bob