2011 starboard 8'5" pro vs 2012 version

[toejammer2]

Bought the 2012 version of the 8'5" pro not knowing it was redesigned. Nice board but the volume and more pulled in nose and tail make it too much work unless the waves are really juicy.
Has anyone owned both  the 2011 and the 2012 boards? I"m about  to order a 2013 version of the pocket rocket but have always wondered if I would have been more satisfied if I had bought the older version of the pro.  My buddy loves his carbon version. At the time I was looking to move up from the pocket rocket I had been riding since 2010.

Cheers!

[14 West]

I'd say you are wasting your money going with a PR. When I first bought my 2012 8 Pro I thought I had made a mistake, after a few sessions and getting the hang of it, I never touched my PR again, instead selling it and buying a 7-7.  Give it some time, you will love the 8-5.

[JeanG]

Ditto what 14 West said. What is your height / weight?

Also, just for clarity's sake, I believe it was the 2013 SB Pros which were thinned out, not 2012.

[Cardiff Sweeper]

I bet switching boards won't improve your experience much.


Get used to falling.
Get angry at falling.
Get up and stop falling.

That's how I progressively downsized.
The Pocket Rocket eventually felt boring.
Then the 8'0" Pro did.

[downwinddave]

2012 8'5" pro was 126l. 2013 model pro is thinned out to 106.    If you were truly bored with the pocket rocket though i think it might be a mistake to go get another one.  i do like Starboards myself but there are just so many options out there, why limit your choice.  It's ok to not surf angry too. 

[toejammer2]

Thanks for the input. I'm sure you remember from your prone days that if you don't have speed of off the bottom you can't do much. At 190lbs plus a full suit it's just to much work to ride a board below 130l in our weak beach break surf unless its good size and glassy.  Don't get me wrong. The pro model is a very good board. I have ridden some good point break waves on it but I've missed to many shapely beach break
 insiders not being able to whip around as fast as a floaty board like the pocket rocket .

In 05 after prone surfing since '72 I lucked into the 11'11" Big Red, then the 9'11" Blair,the 9'extremist followed by the 8'5"pocket rocket, the 8'6" PSH, the 8'6" Jammer and the 8'5" pro. The new Pocket Rocket is going to be my last board....................well there is the 8'2 wide point.........

Cheers!

[colas]

At 190lbs plus a full suit it's just to much work to ride a board below 130l in our weak beach break surf unless its good size and glassy.

I think you should enjoy a Simmons shape. Wide tails gives you all the power you need in gutless waves, and tons of stability. Last time I was out the waves were too gutless for even my small-wave 6'8", but I had a total blast on my 8' Simmons. And if you have one with thin rails, they can handle powerful waves surprisingly well, too.

Anyways, avoid narrow tails.