Author Topic: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?  (Read 2411 times)

marvinhecht

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Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« on: May 29, 2020, 01:03:43 PM »
Hi,

I own a 10"2 x 29in Gerry Lopez Big Darlin' Surftech Surf SUP, with his signature on the board. It is awesome, but I need a smaller board - I can now ride 9"3s, plus I have lost weight. I also moved from Hawaii to Canada - and at least so far, these wind swell generated waves seem to come quickly and so I need something more maneuverable to turn around quickly!

If I want to stick with Lopez, what are my options? I know that Gerry left Surftech for Naish in 2013. I know for sure he was shaping Naish's surfboards- did he shape any surf SUPs? I think the Hokua and Mad Dog are Naish's surf sups. Someone told me that Naish is different than Surftech - the surf sup "line" and board name remains the same, but different shapers are in charge over time and may "fine-tune" or "adjust" the form or rocker slightly. So therefore it is hard to tell which model (s) of surf sup Gerry worked on, for which years? For example did he work on the 2013, 2014, 2015 etc Hokua ?

It also appears Gerry may have left Naish - because I see a new line of Gerry Lopez surf boards by Surftech (but I do not see a line of surf sups by him). if so, would the 2018 , 2019, or 2020 model be the "last" versions of the Hokua that Gerry shaped?

Thanks! Marvin

10"6 x 29" Gerry Lopez Big Darlin Surftech SUP
GL1 and GL2 quads
Hoe Nalu Carbon Paddle (Surfing)
QuickBlade 86 Trifeca Carbon Paddle (Flatwater)

TallDude

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Re: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2020, 03:12:44 PM »
Funny thing is Gerry almost never shapes. He does shape but he has a lot of great shaping friends who he instructs as to how he wants it. Ron House shaped a lot of Gerry's SUP boards. They are close friends. Both spend more time in the snow than on the water. Danny Brawner who ran Hobie's glassing shops probably signed Gerry's signature more times than Gerry ever did. They are Gerry's shapes... they way he likes them. Barry Kanaiaupuni, Tom Parrish, etc. all shaped for Gerry ish boards. Now days various manufactures buy rights to use Gerry's name on various shapes. Some I bet he didn't like himself, but there it is. Endorsements. Iggy was Naish's all time great shaper. I have an Iggy shaped Naish I will never part with. The magic rocker. Most of the older more surf oriented Naish Nalu's were Harold Iggy shapes. RIP. 

You should look at L41 boards. I've surf just about everything SUP, and these boards took my surfing to another level. They are well made, surf shorter and wider with wide tails. Very stable standing in wind chop, and are great in waist to head high waves.


« Last Edit: May 29, 2020, 03:15:53 PM by TallDude »
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

marvinhecht

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Re: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2020, 11:04:29 AM »
Hi,

I made this post a while ago, then I forgot about it! Thanks - great information!

I just came across an add on Facebook Marketplace for a board as follows:

 Naish Hokua - model year unknown
 9"10 x 30 1/4 x 3 7/8 - 155 Liters
sticker says "Iggy's custom shape Hawaii" -so must be shaped by Harold Iggy
 is it for sale for $590 US
 it apparently has 1 hole that was patched. not known if professionally patched.
it only has 3 fins (2+1) - cannot do quads which I like

I wonder if this would be significantly more maneuverable than my current Gerry Lopez 10"6 big darling with quads?
10"6 x 29" Gerry Lopez Big Darlin Surftech SUP
GL1 and GL2 quads
Hoe Nalu Carbon Paddle (Surfing)
QuickBlade 86 Trifeca Carbon Paddle (Flatwater)

Dusk Patrol

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Re: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2020, 12:02:23 PM »
The Hokua should be significantly more maneuverable than the Big Darling, based on their respective shapes and lengths alone. I don't think quads on the GL would overcome the disparity. BTW back then the Hokua came in two constructions, GS and GT, with GS being the slightly heavier.  GTs typically had wood decks, if all you have to go on is a photo.   But the weight differential lessens on smaller boards, so not the biggest deal.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2020, 12:04:09 PM by Dusk Patrol »
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

marvinhecht

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Re: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2020, 01:25:24 PM »
wow thanks for the quick response. Interesting going from 10"6 to 9"10 would make that much of a difference! Found some pics. The last pic is of the repaired area (dot in middle) which was apparently professionally done.

-Ok had to figure out how to attach multiple pics.

I found it the board is a 2014 (possibly give or take a year) - per the sticker shaped by Iggy. Looks like the non-wood deck.

Is $590 usd ($800 cdn) a good deal? The seller bought is a week ago and likes the board but found out she does not have room so she is swalling $100 (she originally bought it for $900 cdn). I'd have to drive 3 hours to buy & pick it up. I think I'd want to ask to test it in the water first - is that something people usually do?

As an aside, I am comparing this to a Starboard HyperNut 7"2 x 28" which I am worried may not even float me at 208 lbs, and it is more ($1,200 cdn). Also apparently it has a fuller nose & tail so that while it is small  (and only 105 L) it feels like a bigger board.

Also - i should say more about what surf I would be using these boards in. I was in Hawaii and my home break was Populars in Waikiki - very nice,  long rolling waves, up to about head high, with plenty of time between sets and plenty of time to adjust my stance on the board as I got on a wave. Now I moved back to where I grew up in Canada (near Toronto) and I go to Kincardine / Lake Huron and it is all windswell, much less tall waves, with little force behind them, sometimes mushy, and all windswell. The main problem I am having is that my Surfech Big Darling feels like a massaive OIL TANKER here. And I can't turn fast enough to get into the wave. Then the waves break so close to shore I have to abort right at the end or the nose of my board hits the gravel at the start of the beach. I was even thinking of switching to regular prone surfing, but I do prefer sup surf and I have 4+ years of sup surfing but only about 10 times prone surfing.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2020, 01:39:46 PM by marvinhecht »
10"6 x 29" Gerry Lopez Big Darlin Surftech SUP
GL1 and GL2 quads
Hoe Nalu Carbon Paddle (Surfing)
QuickBlade 86 Trifeca Carbon Paddle (Flatwater)

marvinhecht

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Re: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2020, 02:13:18 PM »
Hi TallDude,

OK I found out this this is not a 2014. It is a 2013 Naish Hokua GS 9'10"

   9"10 x 30 1/4 x 3 7/8
   300.5 x 76.7 x 9.7 cm
   Volume: 155 Liters
   Fin: US 6.5 + FCS Thruster
   Composite Construction

https://pdf.nauticexpo.com/pdf/naish-surfing/2013-sup-catalog/26955-88761.html

 It's too bad this isn't a little smaller - looks like this is the biggest Hokua made that year,
 they have sizes all the way down to 7"6.




Harold Iggy
10"6 x 29" Gerry Lopez Big Darlin Surftech SUP
GL1 and GL2 quads
Hoe Nalu Carbon Paddle (Surfing)
QuickBlade 86 Trifeca Carbon Paddle (Flatwater)

Dusk Patrol

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Re: Anyone know which Naish SUPs Gerry Lopez shaped recently?
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2020, 03:48:11 PM »

You might start another thread asking "what surf sup for Great Lakes low powered windswell waves". 

That would generate some baseline criteria about what kind of board you should be looking for.  I have no personal experience experience with those conditions, but others might suggest a groveler shape like a Jimmy Lewis Super Frank or something like that.  I do surf more at Pops than anywhere else and it has spoiled me... board shorts and those waves...

$500- $600 is a fair price for that Hokua. It looks to be in good shape. Is the round trip going to cost you $200 in gas?  No matter really... a road trip to get a board is fun enough : )
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

 


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