JL Super Frank 8'8 or JL Stun 9'1 Kwad for mushy florida waves?

[RunningBull]

I am currently riding a 9'7 JL Stun gun.  I love it but on mushy smaller wave days, which accurately characterizes most days in Florida, I feel like I might add a smaller board for smaller waves to my quiver. I am debating a JL Super Frank 8'8 versus a 9'1 Kwad. i have tried the 9'1 kwad and liked it. I cannot find a Super Frank to demo.  A number of the wise elders of the sport have suggested the Super Frank.   I am 6'1 and 210 so I need a bit of volume to float my proverbial boat. Any thoughts would be appreciated. If anybody wants to offload either of these boards at a reasonable price,  I will consider it as well.

[JEG]

I never tried the Stun gun & Kwad and to answer your query sounds like the super frank is your board.

[APPST_Paddle]

I'd go with the Super Frank, I'm riding similar waves on the East Coast, and recently got the 7'6" Super Frank Lean and love it. It's really fast on entry with the rocker line and obviously you can get away with much less length while keeping stability.

Keep the Stun Gun for bigger days (that's what I do paired with my SuperTech). They are very stable, you could maybe go with the 8' wide model @ 127L.

In comparsion, I'm roughly 175 lbs and I could go smaller than the 100L, it's a very stable design.

[devon_sup_surf]

I used to own a JL Stun gun. I'm the same size and weight as you, and surf UK waves which at times of the year are fairly weak and mushy (at least in comparison to Hawaiian and Indo waves!). I was running the 9'2 version.

In truth I never really gelled with the stun gun. It needed a lot of speed and power to really work- less than that and it was sluggish and didn't turn.

I ended up with a Sunova which made my stun gun redundant in every situation.

My only suggestion would be a super frank is the skateboard sup of the JL line-up. A playboat. It's fairly extreme towards the lower end of mush and weakness- with the stun gun being equally extreme in the big steep powerful waves it loves. My concern is it may create a large gap in the middle between each boards ideal conditions- eg average waves where the suoerfrank is at its limit but the stun gun doesn't work either.

If you go super frank- you may well discover the gap in the middle and move the stun gun on anyway and replace with something more suited to the 40% of days where the suoerfrank is at its limit.

[RunningBull]

Great feedback. That is what I was thinking. The stun gun is amazing on big waves since it just gives me so much confidence because I never pearl the board due the rocker an thin nose but on medium waves maybe a jp kwad or jpg fusion 9’2.

[LBsup]

I disagree with Devon’s opinion on the Superfrank, I ride it in all conditions and except for big days which are rare around these parts the SF works great in medium good waves to tiny mushy waves. 

[APPST_Paddle]

I used to own a JL Stun gun. I'm the same size and weight as you, and surf UK waves which at times of the year are fairly weak and mushy (at least in comparison to Hawaiian and Indo waves!). I was running the 9'2 version.

In truth I never really gelled with the stun gun. It needed a lot of speed and power to really work- less than that and it was sluggish and didn't turn.

I ended up with a Sunova which made my stun gun redundant in every situation.

My only suggestion would be a super frank is the skateboard sup of the JL line-up. A playboat. It's fairly extreme towards the lower end of mush and weakness- with the stun gun being equally extreme in the big steep powerful waves it loves. My concern is it may create a large gap in the middle between each boards ideal conditions- eg average waves where the suoerfrank is at its limit but the stun gun doesn't work either.

If you go super frank- you may well discover the gap in the middle and move the stun gun on anyway and replace with something more suited to the 40% of days where the suoerfrank is at its limit.

Yeah, and I would note that basically in Florida - probably 85% of your waves will be covered by the Super Frank, save the Stun Gun for hurricane/winter swell with longer periods.

Basically, I've got a similar quiver, except with the addition of a noserider/longboard style which gets used a ton:

8'8" JL Supertech - Chest+, travel board (Equivalent to your 9'7" SG)
7'6" JL Super Frank - Basically everything else unless.......
10'1" JL Black and Blue - I want to noseride/longboard

So, basically most of our waves get split between the Super Frank and Black and Blue. If you don't like longboard/noseriders then the Super Frank would handle all of the small/medium stuff. Case in point, yesterday we had waist/stomach high waves and I had a blast on the Super Frank, today will probably be a bit slower and I feel like longboarding - Black and Blue.

[LBsup]

This is the Super Frank in medium good waves, belly to head high sets and I felt very comfortable in these conditions.

[RunningBull]

great pic

[devon_sup_surf]

I disagree with Devon’s opinion on the Superfrank, I ride it in all conditions and except for big days which are rare around these parts the SF works great in medium good waves to tiny mushy waves.

Interesting. I have never ridden one so happy to bow down to your experience.

But at what point does it reach it's limit ? Head high ? And steeper waves ?

[APPST_Paddle]

I disagree with Devon’s opinion on the Superfrank, I ride it in all conditions and except for big days which are rare around these parts the SF works great in medium good waves to tiny mushy waves.

Interesting. I have never ridden one so happy to bow down to your experience.

But at what point does it reach it's limit ? Head high ? And steeper waves ?

I'm also pretty comfortable on it in bigger surf, it's not so much the size, we can have head high waves that are still kinda slow. It's more the steepness/speed of the wave.

With the flat rocker, you can make a few quick strokes and catch the wave, on steeper more critical waves, that flat rocker will make it more subject to pearl and frankly, I want something more suited for down the line speed. I wouldn't look at size so much, more what type of waves you are riding. East Coast head high waves it may be perfect on, West Coast/Costa Rica head high waves not so much.

I'll say this - since i got it in May I've ridden it all but 2 sessions in SC, and one of those sessions I wish I had it. I'm guessing you would have a similar experience in Florida. I switch over to my SuperTech when waves are steeper, or more of a quick, down the line barrel (which is rare), or if my legs are tired from riding the SuperFrank.

The main advantage to the SuperFrank is you can ride a much smaller board and for me at least, it helps my progression of working on cutbacks, getting my foot to the stomp pad, etc. because everything is so easy on it. I carry that over to my other boards.

PM me if you have any other questions, I've ridden the SG as well, but only briefly.

[Billekrub]

APPST Paddle,

Great to learn more about the board.  You said:  "...With the flat rocker, you can make a few quick strokes and catch the wave..."

I guess you mean it accelerates quickly?

My main concern with the short shape would be that a lesser surfer might catch fewer waves.  Can you comment?

[APPST_Paddle]

Yeah, so.......my SuperFrank is 7'6", 100L, my primary board (before it) is 8'8", 110L. The 7'6" by virtue of being shorter changes my approach to catching waves somewhat. So, on the SuperFrank, I'm typically on wind-swell, shorter period waves that are typically peaky and not super long lines of ground swell. I typically sit a bit further inside with it than I would my 8'8", and the flatter rocker allows it to pickup a ton of takeoff speed with a few quick paddles. The downside to this approach is that if you are dealing with ground swell with long lines, paddling quickly to the shoulder is not as easy.

So, I would say with a bit of technique, the SuperFrank will catch more waves in the waves as described. If you are surfing mostly ground swell with long lines and more size/power, than I would recommend using a different board.  It's best used as your primary board for most EC conditions, with a complimentary board if you travel to areas with steeper, more critical waves, or for the bigger hurricane/winter swells Florida will pickup.

Again - PM me, or.......since you are debating 2 JL boards, both Jimmy and his son Marlon are really responsive and helpful in recommendations. That's how I ended up with all of these JL boards.

[Billekrub]

APPST,

Insight much appreciated.