Kalama Ez2 vs E3 SUP

[B-Walnut]

Hey everyone, hoping for a little insight here since I can't find any information via google searches.

I purchased a new Kalama E3 9'2"x30" sup this week and it showed up as the Ez2 model instead. The finboxes are different, all standard FCS, beyond that I can't find any information online stating other changes made to the board. Does anyone have any info on this?

[Night Wing]

Get the board you want and not what was sent to you by mistake.

Since you purchased an E3 with your hard earned money and what was sent to you was an Ez2, then you need to get in touch with the company ASAP and tell them the board they sent you was a mistake on their end and also, send the company a picture of the Ez2  to point out their mistake on sending you the wrong board.

The company needs to send you what you purchased and if it was me, I would hold the company's feet to the fire. And if you paid for the E3 with a credit card, it is easy to hold the company's feet to the fire by notifying your credit card company of the mistake and let your credit card company deal with them.

In other words, your credit card company sent the the company money electronically to their account and if the company does not "Play Ball" on their error, your credit card company should be able to electronically take that money back out of the company's account and put it back into your credit card account.

[B-Walnut]

Well, I'm not too worried about returns, they are a good company. I'm more wondering if there's any reason I should consider keeping this one?

[clay]

misread

[PonoBill]

I thought the Kalama E3 boards are longboards, foil boards and wakeboards and the Ez2 are longboard SUPs.

[surlygringo]

I have not seen one in the flesh, but I have been told that the new Kalama sups come with a center longboard box as well as the quad boxes. If I were getting that shape I would want the option  to run it as a 2+1 or with a big single.

[B-Walnut]

Heard from the shop and Kalama on the situation.

1. Nothing has changed in the board other than the 5 fin fcs changing to a 4 + center longbox and the Ez2 label changing toE3.

2. Dave swears that board was designed to be a quad and should be run as a quad. He also likes that the FCS boxes are lighter.

3. I can trade mine for a different color and get the longboard box, but that does kind of suck when you already like the color you have (trade my blue for an orange).

4. I can keep it, and get a credit back.

Across the board I just can't find anyone that recommends running it as a quad, other than Dave. I'm going to see if they will let me take it out for a demo paddle so I can try it as a quad and as a thruster setup. If that's an option I'll report back on it. If not, I guess I have a weird decision to make.

edit: they just greenlit me to take it out for a test run with no consequence and will send me a set of XL thrusters to throw in it as well. Will take a crack at it and see how it goes!

[surlygringo]

I hope it goes well for you. I actually like quads on most sups and my prone boards. However, the only guy I have talked to who has surfed that board(a 9'0") told me he had a real problem finding find that would work. I think the only ones he liked were the really big HI quads. That is second hand info and your experience may be very different. I will be curious what you think of it as it is a board I have thought about getting.

[B-Walnut]

I hope so as well, the only person I know that has paddled this board was also on the 9'0"x28" which can only be ridden as a quad. He wished for more stability and recommended a 7" center fin. So.... we'll see. The only person I can find anywhere that says ride it as a quad is Dave himself, and obviously he knows what he's doing. I'm hopeful that it works out. Getting gear has been way too much of a struggle the last few years.

[BigZ]

I have exactly the same board -9’2x30 with 5 FCSII boxes. I use it with the thruster fin setup - Black Project Bernd. Works perfectly fine. When you mentioned the quad, I may try it. In fact, I ordered 5 FCS setup on purpose. More thruster options.

[B-Walnut]

Really glad you chimed in BigZ. I'm glad you've got the exact same model. That makes me a lot less nervous about it. Hopefully getting waves Tuesday and Wednesday.

[B-Walnut]

Well, took it out to the coast today and got to run it through some laps in a mix of conditions. Surfed it as a thruster in overhead conditions: Hated it. Felt sluggish catching waves and not as stable as I would have hoped.

Then....

Switched it to a quad and the board lit up like a star in the night. Paddled phenomenally in all kinds of nasty whitewater, chop, beach break, strong rips, didn't matter. Pivot turns were fast and catching reforms became a funky fun game where as I had never even considered it before. Board obviously loves to be surfed from the tail and turns beautifully.

Hoping to take another crack at some larger waves with it in quad setup in the future. Everything mushed out when I made the changeover and I didn't get the chance to see how well it would paddle as a quad in the big stuff.

[Califoilia]

Switched it to a quad and the board lit up like a star in the night.

Hmmm, that sounds familiar...

Heard from the shop and Kalama on the situation.

Dave swears that board was designed to be a quad and should be run as a quad.

One thing I learned long ago...was to listen to a shaper who's actually surfed the board I was buying from him.

[B-Walnut]

One thing I learned long ago...was to listen to a shaper who's actually surfed the board I was buying from him.

Who knew right!? I think this circumstance is so counterintuitive to everyone that they even changed the board as a result. It's pretty dreamy as a quad though and I wouldn't want to change it now that I've been on it.

[blockidog]

Anyone have experience with the Kalama 9'0"x28"/108L.

I ride an 8'2" Speeed and weigh 175#'s - looking for something with a little more volume & glide for winter.

TIA