Gerry Lopez SUP 9'6 & 8'11

[DJD1]

Hi Guys

I've been looking for a review of these boards (other than the you tube clip reviews) and can't find any.

Does anyone have these boards and what's your experience with them been?

In NZ we don't have any demo boards of them but they arrive next month to see in the stores.

Any help would be appreciated

Cheers

D

[DJD1]

Its funny that these boards are by one of the most famous riders & shapers out there but not many people have purchased one. Unlike the windsurf companies that are doing so well in SUP but have no surf experiance.

Is this because surftech have no idea how to market their products?

[newton333]

quite a few by me te 8'11 isa pretty sick board i rode it once for just a short time  was stable and smooth.

[bigdom]

ive tried the9-6 - very nice board for surf

th 8-11 was too small for me - i sunk it

[dietlin]

I'm 5" 10" and 170 lbs.  I had a limited test ride of the 9' 6 in knee high surf in Hawaii during the winter and liked it, so I recently purchased one to replace my Jimmy Lewis Hanalei 10' 0".  (Both boards are about the same volume 135 liters).  The 9' 6" board has plenty of volume to float me.  I've used it twice here in New England.  Both times the surf was chest high.  The board doesn't seem to glide quite as quickly as my JL when paddling into the wave but once on the wave it performs really well - it feels very fast, agile, and stable.  It has enough tail rocker to make late drops and the thruster set up turns great - very easy to make short radius turns up and down the face of the wave.  The nose is kinda of pulled in, so it doesn't sail and stall when taking off in strong offshore winds.  But because it lacks a lot of nose rocker, it's difficult to paddle it out thru beach break.  This won't be an issue at a point break.  I'm capable of riding a smaller board (especially in ideal conditions, which don't occur very often here in New England) but I really don't think I'm giving up much performance for the extra flotation this board offers.  In sum, I think it's a great board.   

[colas]

I have the "riviera paddleboard" version in 8'10", that I guess should be close to the 8'11".
I am 230lbs / 100kg.
For my weight, I am barely floating it, it was an "impulse buy", "you only live once" (this was the carbon edition, only 5 were made for europe in 2010), looking for something for good clean waves, which I didnt have yet, I will have to wait for winter. I just had a few 2' waves with it. I must confess my admiration to Gerry Lopez whose whole life was a part of the motivation too.

For what I experienced, it is a superbly balanced shape: enough rocker for late take offs but not too much to keep glide, not too wide front and aft, but not too narrow, very stable and paddle-friendly for its size, a very cool thickness distribution... a really user-friendly board that seemed to awaken when waves showed some a bit of power (for a 2' session, mind you).

A true "feel good" board to bring you a smile in any surf sessions with 2+ foot conditions.

I would say that the board is designed for a 80kg rider. Heavier than this and you will have a great board for hollow conditions, lighter for this a great all-around board. Also, it is kind of a "classic shortboard" shape, no doubt some boards now have more advanced shapes (PSH, Mistral,... , your local shaper), but I do not see myself selling it. I guess it will be the kind of "trusty" boards I will always have pleasure to ride from time to time in the future.

[surfroom]

I've been riding the 9'6 Lopez for the past 2-3 months. Not much for glide but surfs well. Rides best as  a thruster. I'm 5'8 and 185 lbs. Very stable paddler. 

[DJD1]

Thanks Guys

Great to hear there are some good experiences with these boards.

For an intermediate 80kg rider in surf under head high would you go the 8'11 or 9'6 as I hear the 8'11 needs larger waves to get it going well.

[bigdom]

for your weight go smaller if you are an accomplished surfer

i think both need good waves to get the best out of them
thats what they were designed for

[Essoxlupine]

I've had the 811 for a few months now and it changed the way I think of SUP.  I don't think it takes a big wave for fun, but it does have to be at least waist high.  It is the best board, prone or SUP, I have ridden for the crappy beachbreaks of Florida.  I bought it on a whim and this board really surprised me.  I thought I would just use it when the waves are really good and clean.  Turns out, it I use it all the time on the sloppy onshore days.  It's like riding a giant fish.  Surprisingly stable. 

I am 180 lbs.

[kseal3]

I have the hand shaped 8'11, great board to surf...started out somewhat challenging in the stability department but after getting used to it I'm having alot of fun. I wish the nose was more pulled in to do some straight up turns, but i guess that calls for differently shaped board.

[WB_BB]

I have the 9'6 and I really enjoy the board. I am 6'2 185 lbs and the board has a ton of float for me. As some of the others on here have mentioned not much glide but it surfs well. I would recommend this board to anyone my size