PSH 10'6 WAA review

[diesel]

I just bought one too and this board is so fun.  It's got the glide and it's got the turning and it's stable. It is a winner for an all-arounder.

[1paddle2paddle]

The good old wife trick...  Been there... Done that too on a PSH 11'...

Hey just don't tell my wife! 

[Stewart]

I just wanted to give my two cents about the 10'6" WAA.  My current quiver consist of the 9'3" Ripper, 9'6" WAA, 9'8" Ripper, and 12'0" Gun.  I ride my 9'3" for everything from waist high to almost triple overhead 8'-10' Hawaiian.  The 9'6" for 8'-12' Hawaiian, and the 12' for the bigger stuff.

Up until a few days ago the 9'6" WAA has been my go to board when it was small.  The width made the board very stable.  The thickness and width of the board gave extra flotation that allowed me to catch the weaker waves easily and early.   Yet the board remained very manueverable.

Using the 9'6" WAA is great.  Unless you're with Blane and Austin on their 12's.  We have been surfing a spot lately, since it's been small, thats only been about waist high or smaller.  It's a fun wave that allows you to ride it for about 400 yards.  Being on the shorter board I obviously wasn't getting first pick of the better waves, and wasn't able to ride the waves as far as Blane and Austin.  So the next day I show up with my 12' and even up the odds, and had a great time on the small waves.  It was classic to watch from where ever you happened to be.  While on a wave I could see Blane on a wave 50 yards in front of me, and 50 yards in front of Blane was Austin, just classic, and fun.  While paddling out the other view of friends on waves all separated by about 50 yards yelling and smiling.  This is what SUPing is about.
 
Anyway I go to the shop later in the day and pick-up the 10'6" WAA (I've been updating my quiver from the old FCS fins on the production boards, to the new boards with Future Fins).  I used the old "It's for the wife trick", while picking up this board.  My intent was to have a bigger, stable board just for paddling around.    Being that the board iwas just for paddling I put on a center fin and side fins that I really don't care for, thinking that it really won't matter just for paddling.

The next morning I take the 10'6" WAA with me.  I knew the waves were really small, and wanted to see what the board would paddle like.  I pull up to the SUP capitol of surfing on Oahu (everyday at least 20 SUPer's in the line-up, I've counted up to 60 on one day).  The waves were about waist high and weak.  I decided I would catch a few to see what the board felt like, and boy what a surprise I got. 

First of all the board is prettly light for it's size and easy to carry with the new built in finger holds to carry the board.  Once standing up the board was very, very, stable which was to be expected.  It paddles very fast and planes well on the water surface.  I would compare the paddling speed on flat water similar to the 12'.  On my first wave I expected the board to bog on the bottom turn due to no wave power, so I kinda of went gently on the turn thinking that I would keep the tail of the board kind of flat so that it would not stall.   As the turn progressed I realized that the board had carried/created enough speed to allow me to put the board on rail for the bottom turn.  Once I sank the rail the board accelerated off of the bottom and allowed me to go straight to the shoulder and pull a full round cutback.  Not what I expected to be doing on the 10'6"WAA on small weak waves.  That was the first surprise.

The second surprise.  Coming from a shorboarder background and only longboarding for a few years I would consider my nose riding abilities as just fair.  I can hang five on my longboards, and have never been able to get all ten on the nose.  With this 10'6" WAA, with great regularity, I was able to CAMP on the nose hanging five for 30-40 yards at a time without the tail sliding out on me.  I also was able to hang ten for the first time on several occasions.  WOW what a surprise.

The third surprise.  As I mentioned earlier this spot is the SUP surf capitol.  There was other SUPers catching and sharing the same waves with me.  The difference I noticed is that as the wave came to certain sections in would back off and reform in the deeper water.  The other SUPers would loose the wave once it backed off.  The board maintained so much of its speed/glide that I was able to connect the sections and ride the wave for 400 + yards.

The fourth surprise.  I'll let you know, today I'm gonna put on some fins I like.

[diesel]

Stewart,  I am so stoked on this board too.  I love walking the board and Blane seems to have incorporated this into the 10'6 WAA.  I feel like I can have fun on the smallest waves but also charge the biggest bombs on the same board.  Please let me know your fin setup.  I have setup mine with 4.5" sides and a 7" center from the PSH shop.  Seems to work good.  I plan on surfing this board a lot because it doesn't tire me out when I stay out 4 or 5 hours. 
I still love the handshaped 9'6 WAA I bought at the shop.  I think my 9'6 is a bit more progressive than the molded one because it is a handshape with a super thin tail and nose.  It is so loose and rippable.  I use that one when the waves are cherry and hollow.  I hope to get a nice tube ride with the 9'6. 
Stewart, How is your tuberiding with SUP?  Any techniques you can share?

[Mauiguy]

Now I'm stoked because I did the unthinkable this week (against most people's advice - except you diesel) and bought one.  I should have it in time for the weekend and will let everyone know what I think.  Cannot wait.

Pray for surf!

Alohaz,

Gary

[diesel]

MauiGuy,  you are going to love that board.  I mean, we are doing standup to get the glide of the big boards.  If not we could surf shortboards.  This big board can turn.  I have done some full rail carves and floaters already on the 10'6 WAA.  I love it.

[Blane Chambers]

Stewart, How is your tuberiding with SUP?  Any techniques you can share?

[hawaiian.style]

looks like he's on the 2 step program.

step 1: catch wave
step 2: get shacked

[Mauiguy]

Right on Diesel.  It's summertime.  Waves stay small kine.   I tried a bigger board this week and really liked the feel.  I've heard nothing but good things about PSH and can't wait to get my paws on the new stick (hopefully tomorrow).  Goal is to get as much water time as possible this summer.  Will be out when it's flat, windy, whatever.    Super stoked!

Aloha,

Gary

[Blane Chambers]

Well, with 167 liters of volume, its bound to be good right?

[blackmagic]

Can you translate that into cubic feet of volume please ?

[outcast]

44 gallons
0.7 Akebono
nobody uses cubic feet in sup (yet!)

[hawaiian.style]

I might have missed it, but for all the people riding the 10'6" AA, if you don't mind me asking, how heavy are you?  I guess I'm just wondering how this board performs for the lighter riders (< 170 lbs)...

[southwesterly]

5.89 cubic feet for the 10'6"WAA.
5.19 for the 10'6" AA.

[diesel]

I might have missed it, but for all the people riding the 10'6" AA, if you don't mind me asking, how heavy are you?  I guess I'm just wondering how this board performs for the lighter riders (< 170 lbs)...

HawaiianStyle,  I am 5'11 and 185 lbs and so is my friend 1paddle2paddle.  We have many years of longboard experience so we are used to riding bigger boards and carving them in juicy waves.  As long as you get your weight in the sweet spot on the tail, you can turn any size board.  Every board has a little different sweet spot so you have to play around with it.  For me on the 10'6 WAA, I just make sure to get my foot over the fins and closer to the inside rail of the turn.