9'6 WaveStorm SUP: First Ride Report

[PonoBill]

Yay. Good for you for getting one. I think they're a blast. If you do manage to break one you'll see why they are so tough--triple strigers made from some kind of weird plywood. I haven't come close to breaking one, but I've seen one of the prone boards the Lifeguards at Kanaha demolished. And yes, they took it back for a new one.

[Zooport]

Yay. Good for you for getting one. I think they're a blast. If you do manage to break one you'll see why they are so tough--triple strigers made from some kind of weird plywood. I haven't come close to breaking one, but I've seen one of the prone boards the Lifeguards at Kanaha demolished. And yes, they took it back for a new one.

Thanks for the advice, PB.  It turns out to be a pretty fun alternate surf toy for crowded Newport.  Surfs better than I thought. 

[supthecreek]

Nice Zoo.... have a blast on it!

Great friends & family boards.

[surfshaver]

There's a kid in Malibu who rides a regular size (8 feet and 22 inches wide) Wave Storm as a SUP.  It's pretty impressive.  Needless to say, the kid rips.

[TallDude]

They are taking over the line up for sure. Good or Bad?

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2013/aug/31/board-wars/

http://www.surfermag.com/features/taken-by-wavestorm/#tYesplwhQwJioz3b.97

[PonoBill]

Good. No local shaper is going to lose a thing, and they stand to gain big time. All those folks playing on a wavestorm means ten percent are going to fall in love with the sport and one percent are going to get good. All ten percent and maybe more are going to want something better. Presto, local shop. Biggest thing since Gidget. the coolest thing is that they work really well. Good surfers are rocking on them in ways they'd never bother with on a serious board. there's a lot to be said for leaving the serious, pretentious side of surfing far behind.

[supthecreek]

Pono said
"there's a lot to be said for leaving the serious, pretentious side of surfing far behind"


Well said.... totally agree with that

[RATbeachrider]

I was out on the 12' Bark Commander this morning when I went by a paddler on her 9'6 Costco.  She wanted to try the Bark and I wanted to try the Costco.  As soon as I got up on the Costco, I took a dunk because it was so wide that it threw me off balance ... duh me! For being a "barge" with flat bottom, it glides pretty good.

[SUPcheat]

Pono said
"there's a lot to be said for leaving the serious, pretentious side of surfing far behind"


Well said.... totally agree with that

You mean all my hard work at becoming pretentious has been wasted?

[GingerRawrrgers]

Found a guy who is selling new 9'6's from the back of his car for $280.  So I met him in a deserted Trader Joe's parking lot at 9:20 PM, in the dark, and we struck a deal.  (Hmm, decided I should not ask too many questions there)  Board was brand new.  Has some tail rocker and pretty sharp rails, surprisingly stiff, looked promising, so I pulled the trigger.

First Ride Report: Pleasantly Surprised

Conditions:  Took it out in lame, bumpy surf on the south side of Newport pier this morning.  Waves knee to shoulder high, some walled, others mushy and gutless, every once in a while a nice hollow pealing wave, but rare.

Impressions: Deck doesn't offer enough traction; must be waxed. The thing is crazy stable, has a very strong secondary stability where you should be ashamed if you fall over. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how well it caught waves and surfed.  It's certainly not a high-performance board, but I was able to bottom turn it and ride it in the pocket.   I even managed one respectable cutback.  Foot on tail and rail is a must.

The Reason I Bought it:  Some beginner surfers paddled out after awhile and did what almost all beginners do; sit right inside of you in the take-off zone right in the way.  In the past, I would not take waves because I didn't want to take any chance of hitting them.  Today, while still being careful, I took waves and surfed around them with the confidence of knowing that, even if I fell, (didn't happen) I couldn't do much damage to them or their boards with my softie. 

GINGER: Get one, you will love it!  The guy has 4 more to sell, by the way.

 Damn, how in the hell am I just seeing this now?!   I'll keep an eye out on craigslist...