I really love reading reviews on this site, so I thought I should add my own:
About 4 months ago ago, I purchased a lightly-used Sunova Steeze 8’10” 125 liters 30 inches wide. I’ve found it called a “funboard” shape. It seems like it is a fat longboard. And I love it.
I am coming down from of a Fanatic Allwave 8’9”, which is an inch shorter and 2 inches wider with about 20 extra liters of volume. I thought this board was really slow and "corky" especially when I tried some other boards. I am an beginning intermediate, or advanced beginner. I am 5’11” and 195 lbs — (90 kg) putting me at a ratio of 1.33 to 1 weight to volume. I started (paddle) surfing a 2 years ago having never surfed before. I can bottom turn, sometimes I think I can top turn, but the crowded Rockaways NYC beach breaks often are swarming with better-than-me surfers on the jetties.
The first time out on the Steeze, I got killed. There was a lot of chop and backwash, and the short period swell kept me falling into the water. It seemed super tippy and difficult. I took it out the next day, when the winds had died down (as well as the swell) and I did much better. Okay, I can do this I thought. The next few sessions were more challenging with lots of chop, but it was way easier to adjust to than my Allwave was. Of course on the Allwave I went form 187 to 145 liters, while on this board it is 145 to 125. I upgraded to both boards in the winter, so there is the added weight and constriction of a winter wetsuit to contend with.
I love this board. It is great at catching waves. Once it get a little push from a wave, its really agile and perky (as compared to my Allwave). It also gets over the white water quite easily. Trimming is fun on it as well, and I have been experimenting with cross-stepping and getting up to the nose on it, as the first owner put hexatraction on the front. (I really need a bigger fin on the back though if I really want to try and hang my toes). I feel like it has helped my with my technique a lot, as it seems quite sensitive to my movements. I also feel that it never pearls when on a wave, which also might be because I am getting better. I also like the stomp pad at the back. It not only seems to be in the perfect place, but gives me something to grab onto when I am in the whitewater and want to keep my board under control
https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,34113.0.html Also, really well constructed. Paddle seems to leave little or no marks on it, although again I am getting better at getting my paddle in and out of the water cleanly.
I find that it isn’t terribly forgiving with position. I really have to be in the right spot in order to stand, especially in the chop. I assume that this is also why it is helping my technique so much. I also find that when I am paddling through the chop, it pearls easily, and needs a lot of bracing — I have a feeling this happens as one get closer to 1:1 volume. One more “negative” is that popping up took me a few sessions to figure out: I have to rock the board back a bit to get the nose out of the water before I stand.
Oh, and the carrying handle. People have complained a lot about the LiftSUP handle. It took me maybe 3 times to adjust. Sure, I would like to have a regular handle when I am out in the water as it is easier to grab in the white-water. But it does really make the board easy to carry, and even with my winter gloves, it isn’t really a problem for me.
Overall I love my Steeze, despite it having perhaps the dorkiest sounding name in surfing. But riding a paddle board in the waves is already pretty damn kooky, so I might as well own it.
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