BOARD REVIEW - SUNOVA 8'4" FLOW & 8'8" ACID

G-Day fellow SUP surfers.

I have been asked by a number of you, who have PM’d me, to provide a review pertaining to my thoughts / opinions regarding the SUNOVA Flow and Acid boards that I have been using of late.

I am going to the trouble of writing this as reading other users comments and opinions about their own experiences with their boards etc has really assisted me in the past with making the decision as to which direction I would go with my own board purchases. Please note that this is ‘my opinion’ and or experience of these boards and if your particular ‘opinion’ differs from my own that’s cool but I will not be drawn into a ‘your right, your wrong’ debate. So basic caveats out of the way here goes.


[b]Surfer Rider Experience / Biomechanics etc[/b]

Surfing stand-ups since 2008 after third spinal surgery. Height - 8’10” (been ‘squished’ a bit). Weight 85 – 90kgs (depending upon how dedicated I am at any given time to training/eating right or too many beers etc.) Age – late 50’s (But according to my family suffer severe and acute ‘Peter Pan Complex’). Surfing Style? – prefer power / rail surfing. Predominate surfing location – South Western Victoria.


[b]Why SUNOVA Boards?[/b]

I was heading over to Indo back in April/May and needed a new board after snapping my primary HP (High Performance) board (a Dave Boyd 8’3” Custom) and then creasing my back-up / step-up board (Naish 8’10”) in the same week. Of note is that the only boards I have ever purchased new are my custom boards as I tend to surf my boards rather hard and maybe put them in places that one should probably not and therefore to pay large amounts for something that I am likely to break doesn’t seem all that smart.

Now given that I was in a bit of a hurry to get some boards organised part of my research included looking here on Sea Breeze to see what other users had to say and I also viewed the videos etc from SUNOVA and SurfFX. I then rang and spoke with Jon at SurfFX and I must thank him for his time and his very candid responses to my many questions. As a result of this discussion I subsequently purchased from Jon a prototype 8’4” Flow (dimensions later) that he had available.

I still needed a step-up board so I then contacted Trent at SHQ in Melbourne and he was fantastic and put me in touch with a chap who was selling his 2015 8’8” Acid. So two boards purchased sight unseen and untested, what could possibly go wrong? However, without appearing egotistical I should say that I would like to think that I am now A relatively proficient at SUP surfing and very aware of my relative capabilities and limitations and therefore I knew that I could ride these two boards but would they ‘go’ for me?

[b]NOTE:[/b] I also have to say that one of the other key decision criteria for me was the apparent exceptional durability of the SUNOVA boards but also in honesty a big appeal was their relatively minimalist appearance and aesthetic. I personally find that the majority of other board manufacturers boards are just too garish and loud for me. Again this is just my opinion and my preference.

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[b]8’4” SUNOVA FLOW (Proto)[/b]

Dimensions – 8’4” x 17 3/16” x 29 3/8” x 18 13/16” x 3 16/16” – 101Ltrs [b](Note the current Flow is 8’4” x 29 3/8” x 4 ¼” – 110ltrs)[/b]

Personally for me I find this particular board too big and would rather have dropped down to the current 8’1” at 101ltrs. However, that said the board performs very well in all conditions up to 4 to 6 foot and if you are looking at an all-round GP (General Purpose) board or only having one smallish board the 8’4” Flow would be a very good choice as it is very good in a really broad range of conditions and waves.

[b]Standability[/b] - Hey it may not be an actual word but you all know what I am referring too. For my chunky butt this board is exceptionally stable, it should be at 29 3/8”. I have had mates up to 100 plus kg on this board and they loved it but did obviously find it a bit more tippy. I would certainly recommend that you try and have a go of one at a demo day if you can as I think you might be surprised at what it can float.

[b]Paddleability[/b] - Again not a real word but you should know what I am referring to. Have to say that this board tracks really well and I have paddled it for miles. At Lhoknga in Aceh I once paddled this board without difficulty to the outer reef which is over 2000 meters off the beach, hey I got to surf a really great 2 to 3 foot peeling long right hander all by myself. The board went very well on this particular wave by the way.

[b]Durability[/b] - Overall outstanding. I have used this board in some serious juice over Indo reef and also at home along 13th beach in nasty beach breaks etc and she has taken a pretty good beating and come through with flying colours. Board does have rail tape by the way.

[b]Fins[/b] - The fins that come with the board are actually Ok but I have tried a lot of different fin setups over the journey and tend to change them out depending on the waves that I will be surfing and because I like to try new things. That said I know that some of you will ask so in my opinion she and I generally seem to prefer FCS H3 Nexus (large).

[b]Deck Pad[/b] - Really good and I have no issues at all.

[b]Handle[/b] - Excellent and I want to have it in all of my boards.

[b]Weight[/b] - No complaints, easy to carry.


[b]Surfability / Manoeuvrability[/b] - For its width this board is very good and if you are looking at only one smallish board suitable for most conditions I would strongly recommend the Flow. You do need to get back onto the tail and ‘compress’ to get her to really turn hard but she is also quite manoeuvrable from the centre but in my opinion obviously goes better the further back you go. I did find that in suckier / barrelly waves she has a tendency (like most SUP’s) to catch a rail and want to come up the face and also be ‘pulled back’ into the vortex but it’s a big board and rail to fit into a generally small space. That said I have found the Flow to be relatively quick, can take a steep drop without peeling and comes off the bottom and the lip really well for what is a wider board than I am used to. In slush and chop this board is really very good and extremely stable for my weight and she will be a great summer wave board.


[b]OVERALL[/b] The 8’4” Flow is a very good GP board but for me I would drop down to the 8’1” if I were to get another. If you are after a really good, durable and ‘flexible’ board capable of working well in most conditions I would recommend that you demo this particular model. This would also be a very good ‘transition’ board for those wishing to drop down in size and want to develop their surfing skills etc.


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[/b] [b]8’8” SUNOVA Acid

[/b] Dimensions – 8’8” x 15” x 28 11/16” x 4 1/8” – 105Ltrs. [b](Note the current Acid is 8’7” x 28 7/8” x 4 1/8” – 106ltrs)[/b]

This was supposed to be my step-up board for my Indo trip but has actually become my ‘go to’ board that I predominately use in all conditions. I will be honest and say that it did initially take a bit of getting used to its idiosyncrasies, she has a ‘sweet spot’, but now I really enjoy the board and would use it on most occasions except when its smaller, slower and slushy, then I use the Flow.

[b]Standability[/b] - Initially I found the domed deck a bit weird but got used to it relatively quickly. I think that I could drop down to the 8’4” at 97ltrs however I think that that would make the ‘standability’ quite hard and I would use a lot of energy just waiting for the sets etc. For my height and weight the 8’8” (8’7”) is very good and I don’t have any real issues across most surfing situations even surfing in locations with a lot of moving water, chop and in windy situations etc.

[b]Paddleability[/b] - Very good overall and I usually paddle three or four plus strokes on either side before having to switch to realign direction etc. This board also paddles very well into waves but your relative foot placement is important as you do so. However, once you have worked out the ‘sweet spot’ I don’t believe that most riders would have much of an issue. I tend to paddle around a lot at my local breach breaks, up to four to five k’s there and back etc and the Acid deals with it well. Obviously it’s not as quick as a board with more float but it gets you there without too much effort if your relatively paddle fit.

[b]Durability[/b] - Overall outstanding. This board has been my go to board in some serious juice over Indo reef and also at home along 13th beach in nasty beach breaks etc and also at locations at and around Bells and down the coast to Two Mile. She has taken some real beatings and come through with flying colours. Recently I took her out on ‘Big Wednesday’ in 8 to 10ft plus and she and I got some good ones but also paid the price with a number of serious floggings as well. Overall I am very happy with the resilience and toughness of the Sunova boards.

[b]Fins[/b] - As for the Flow the fins that come with the board are not bad but I am continuing to try a lot of different fin setups over the journey. In waves up to 4’ to 6’ I have lately been using PC7 Bamboo’s but in bigger waves you need to fin-up a bit as she gets too loose so I have been using PC9’s.

[b]Deck Pad[/b] - Really good and I have no issues at all.

[b]Handle[/b] - Excellent and I want to have it in all of my boards.

[b]Weight[/b] - No complaints, easy to carry.


[b]Surfability / Manoeuvrability[/b] - As previously stated the Acid has become my go to board for almost all conditions unless it gets soft and grovely and then I pull out the Flow. I have surfed the board in all conditions from super clean Indo reefs to windblown beach breaks here in Vicco and found that I can get it to go well for me in most situations. This particular board does have a definite ‘sweet spot’ when paddling into waves but once you’re across that its fine. Another issue is that I have personally found the board to be too light for bigger waves and tends to want to jump around a fair bit in chop / cavitation but again that’s not what it was specifically designed for. Obviously many of you are no doubt interested if the particular tail design of the Acid makes a real and/or significant difference to the overall performance of the board! The board does turn fast and quite easily once you jamb the back foot on the kicker however my honest opinion is that I don’t really notice that much of a differentiation from my previous custom ‘rounded pin’ tailed boards as I have always tried to narrow the tail as much as possible. That said the Acid does pivot very well off the tail and drives a bottom turn really nicely and comes off the lip without any ‘catch’ or problems at all. The board can also be surfed from the middle if you are so inclined.


[b]OVERALL[/b] I would personally not recommend the Acid as a transition option if coming from a large board directly to the Acid as it could / would be a struggle for most and lead to frustration and exasperation. That said the Acid is a really good high performance board and I would recommend it to those SUP surfers who are already relatively competent and want to improve their surfing abilities and want to surf off the tail.

Mate,

If your ever down Ocean Grove way very happy for you to have a go on the 8'4" Flow and also the Acid if you wish.

Yours,

Matt

Great review..easy to understand and will be helpful to others in here..

Being 5' 6" I must admit I am quite envious of your 8'10" lofty status.

PS great review extremely helpful as I am looking to downsize to a flow. Being around 70kg the 8'1" or 7'10" as my all round single board.

Great review - thanks for going to the effort!

If you were going to the Maldives, with head high to 2X head high and wanted to try and get barreled, which board would you use? Now, if you weren't a great surfer, which board would you use? I am 90 kg+ and have the 8'7" Flow.

Great review Skeeee. I have recently purchased the 7'10 Acid and love it. I'll post a review soon. Just done the census, thats enough typing for 1 night.

great review skeee..logical , and based on experience with a range of boards.

Nice review. I have been riding Sunova Sups for last 20 months. I have a 8"3" Soul and a 8'5" Speeed and I am very happy with both boards. With the Soul I also use the FCS h3s and these have improved an already good fin setup. I too am late 50s and over 80kg. Both boards are quite different with the Speeed being the easier to balance and it paddles extremely well. Recently at Gnaraloo I was able to paddle out a lot quicker than my shortboard surfing friends through the centre in reasonable sets. I had the Speed out in up to maybe 8' surf and it really transforms in the bigger conditions. In larger surf at another spot I was dropped in several times by short board surfers ( I was the only SUP among 18 shortboarders) who all apologised that they didn't think I would make it through. This is also a remote spot and there was no aggression and we were all taking turns with priority.

I have had no durability issues. I have two older Sunova surfboards and these are both still like new.