Author Topic: Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?  (Read 2442 times)

Seattle-Wind

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Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?
« on: January 25, 2021, 05:48:16 PM »
I have been enjoying my trusty old (2012) Naish Nalu 9’6 x 28” 130 liters for nearly 9 years in the surf on Maui. But I’ve got the itch for something new…something faster down the line and faster on waves of all sizes. I’m considering the Gerry Lopez shaped Naish Hokua 9’0 x 29” (not the older Harold Iggy design) from 2016+ either new or used. For reference I weigh 160 lbs.

Here’s what I’m looking for …
-Wave catching machine, from 2’ – 8’
-Fast down the line
-Fun and fast in mushy and bumpy surf conditions
-Paddles flat water reasonably well (isn’t a dog or draggy)

My main concern is giving up the glide and easy wave catching ability of the Nalu 9’6. It catches small waves with ease and I love that about it. I am not interested in boards wider than 29". In my experience the wider the board, the less fun it is.

Does anyone have any comments and experiences with the Hokua 9’0 that they can share? And how about the Naish quality in general in recent years? It seems that the overall quality of the brands products has been deteriorating over the years in my experience, so I’m hesitant to stick with the brand. Thanks for your input!

Here are a few pics of my trusty old Nalu on a small wave and big wave.





TallDude

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Re: Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2021, 08:00:05 PM »
L41 S5 or Popdart. These boards just rip. Easy to catch waves with. I ride an 8'8 and I'm 6'7 -230lbs. They are built really well and shaped to your spec. Good prices too. I've had mine for over two years and I surf it a couple times a week. Never have had a leak. I don't think the new Naish boards are built like the old ones. My 12 year old Nalu still is in great shape. I've seen newer ones all dinged up. Their PVC sandwich models are their most durable, but it's only on select models. Bottom line is, you're stuck with some fixed sizes.

Call Kirk at L41. You'll get a custom just for you. http://www.l41surfcraft.com/models-sup
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

BigZ

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Re: Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2021, 08:58:43 PM »
Gerry Lopez Hokuas are great shapes.. Great glide and work well in both small and large waves. I “inherited” a 9’0 from my daughter and use it quite often. But I am 240 pounds. At your weight you should be looking at 8’6. However, TallDude is right. Mine is 2019 model and construction is crap. Dents very easily and the standing area has rather large depressions and is getting soft. Paint chips at the lightest strike. The board is relatively light but my Jimmy Lewis of comparable volume is lighter and way tougher.

sflinux

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Re: Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2021, 02:28:01 PM »
Naish Nalu 9'6" x 28" 130L [guild factor = 1.78]
Naish Hokua 9' x 29" x 4.5" 126L  [guild factor = 1.72]
No disrespect, but a guild factor of 1.78 is pretty high for someone who has been riding for 9 years.  I would encourage you to drop in volume to improve your surfing.
Frankly, I don't think you'd see the benefit of the Naish Hokua if you plan on keeping your Nalu.  As someone who has gone through a lot of boards, I think you would benefit from a different shape as TallDude recommended.  I would second a look at L41 shapes to supplement your Nalu.  I just tried the S5 (7'6" x 28.5" x 4.125" @ 110L [guild factor 1.21]) and was surprised at how stable and efficiently it paddled for such a short and narrow shape.  Talk to Kirk, but I think you should consider going down in volume to a guild factor of at most 1.5 (109L).  An example S5 would be 7'5" x 27 3/4" x 4 3/8" @ 108L.  All of his shapes are special imho.  I haven't tried Naish.
To get something faster down the line I would think you would go longer, narrower, flatter, or with a fatter tail.  With your Nalu dimensions, I think going the fatter tail route like a simsup will check all of the boxes for that "new thing" that you are looking for:
-Wave catching machine, from 2’ – 8’
-Fast down the line
-Fun and fast in mushy and bumpy surf conditions
-Paddles flat water reasonably well (isn’t a dog or draggy)

~7'6" may sound short, but L41 shapes typically feel like a board 1 foot longer (i.e. 8'6").  Dropping from your 9'6" to something like feels like a 8'6" should be totally doable.  Wave count should still be high but your takeoffs will be later and closer to the peak.  These types of boards accelerate incredibly fast so 1 or 2 strokes and you are in.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2021, 02:58:46 PM by sflinux »
Quiver Shaped by: Joe Blair, Blane Chambers, Jimmy Lewis, Kirk McGinty, and Bob Pearson.
Me: 200#, 6'2"

Seattle-Wind

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Re: Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2021, 02:12:14 PM »
Thanks for the insight and suggestions. I will take a look at the L41 line of boards!

I would be interested to hear from others with experience on the later Hokua models (not the 32" wide ones) and the Naish GTW construction from the last few years. How is it holding up?

I just returned a 2020 Naish Hover Ascend 5'0 Poly prone foilboard...big pressure dents and bad spider cracks on the deck from my feet after the first use. If the GTW is anywhere near that fragile then I want to steer clear of Naish altogether.

surfercook

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Re: Stepping Down From Old Naish Nalu 9’6 to New Hokua 9’0?
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2021, 07:15:31 PM »
Always wanted to try a Hokua! Nice "Large Wave" pic!
One could go into a mall in Kansas and ask a teenager "What is a surfer looking for?, and the answer will always be, "The perfect wave"
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