Just thought I'd write a little about my first in-counter with a Raptor 128 ,I have been using a 9.6 Hokua .for a while now .And was really looking for something a little more Rad .had some good advise from JB ,and a few others on the breeze ,thank you ..so took the punt and dropped .40. Litres ,and 2-5 foot ...big call right ..
my first go on the 128 litre Raptor was on shore and shirt surf ..got trashed and only just managed to make it out the back ..this thing was slow compared to the 9.6 ...at paddling ..I thought I'd made a big mistake ..
2 days went by and I was not going to Let this board beat me ..It did say it was meant for a 95 kg dude and Im under that by one kg . It was off shore and knee high to shoulder high waves ..took on the right hander first ...had to paddle hard ...I had to get my foot right up the front to get it down the wave ,then it took off ,I stepped back and the board being so short ,my foot was right on the rear foot stop ...far out this thing is loose ,you can turn then turn the other way not even thinking about it .A few pumps and it was flying across the face .
headed to the lefthander,being a goofy foot ,the first wave was insane I done a big bottom hand turn and it was sliding sideways ,but quickly took the pressure off the back foot and it straighten up straight away .I was hitting the lip turning back into the white wash..,and it takes off again ...wow..I did put bigger rear fins on the rear as my first surf I couldn't keep it straight ...I came up to a steep section of the wave applied rear pressure and yep ,I could spin it .the next one I done a sliding 360 .I use to do them when I surfed ,but didnt think it possible on a Sup ..this is not a SUP it's a surfboard with a handle .
After the wave had finish I had done 3 tail sliding cut back s 1 x360 .I feel off laughing .will happiness ..this thing is sick .. 
Im stoked ...I still need more practise ...
ps...go the sharkys...
Cool, welcome to the club of lovers of the short and fat .... boards :-)
You are sliding because your rear foot needs to learn some new dance move and explore all the corners of this large dance floor of a tail!
Select to expand quotecolas said...
Cool, welcome to the club of lovers of the short and fat .... boards :-)
You are sliding because your rear foot needs to learn some new dance move and explore all the corners of this large dance floor of a tail!
Thank s .i will watch a miceal jackson concert to pick up a few moves. im enjoying this short board .its sooo lively.
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
colas said...
Cool, welcome to the club of lovers of the short and fat .... boards :-)
You are sliding because your rear foot needs to learn some new dance move and explore all the corners of this large dance floor of a tail!
Thank s .i will watch a miceal jackson concert to pick up a few moves. im enjoying this short board .its sooo lively.
Yes welcome to the club, you won't come out of it forever 
IMO, avoid Jackson moon dance, step firmly in a single prone position, feet on the stringer.
Mind to paddle on feet stepping the stringer in a large surfing stance. It will take some time to get it but once you will get that trick, paddling is straighter and taking off the wave is early. As well all surfing maneuvers will be as expert prone ones.
For exemple why I missed the pocket on this picture below because my front foot is on the outside rail: I didn't paddle foot on the stringer already at take off time.
Hey Kami, what are the dimensions of the board, and what are your dimensions? Is the Raptor like yours? 7' seems so short, but I guess if it has the width then it is OK. Do you have to go for late take-offs?
Yes kami .that pocket had your name on it ,but good tips ..
I seem to be riding it like a surfboard ,I don't use my paddle as much to turn my board now .if at all.
moves are fast .I have to keep up with the board now .eg...think fast .
a few pump s and you can get some real speed to get around sections .
Select to expand quotecantSUPenough said..
Hey Kami, what are the dimensions of the board, and what are your dimensions? Is the Raptor like yours? 7' seems so short, but I guess if it has the width then it is OK. Do you have to go for late take-offs?
Hello CantSUPenough"like me" , this board is 6'5" 27.75" 85 liters' I'm 78kg, this is just a minimum to float the crew but there is enough liters! Buoyancy's board is very well balance with the main buoyancy part on tail & flat entry rocker with less buoyancy on front part of the board. Those two last parameters of buoyancy and rocker make the whole board able to do early take off . It's possible to do early take off as well as late take off despite of its size and proportion to my body size. A very attractive feeling of fish type drive with a good amount of lift tail. On outline, a widest point pulled back and wings up the front fins end up to do a very loose short board.
I've been inspire from the Raptor when I computed design this board . For sure the Raptor looks very beefy on side of mine ; I've done it in a smaller version and I've to say: this Raptor was the only board which make me froth from all big brand compagnies's SUP board of its time.
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
Yes kami .that pocket had your name on it ,but good tips ..
I seem to be riding it like a surfboard ,I don't use my paddle as much to turn my board now .if at all.
moves are fast .I have to keep up with the board now .eg...think fast .
a few pump s and you can get some real speed to get around sections .
Hello Tardy. At 95 kg to the 128liters of the Raptor you are going to spend your Austral summer 2016 on it, I reckon you ought to try a smaller version next summer 17. You have just to practice the tip to stand up paddling both feet on the stringer in a prone stance position , just slide the back foot in the tail block during the take off and enhance your shoulder torque with the paddle shaft. Once you get fit to do that, you will be on the threshold of a new world like you already enter it. Yes that's almost short boarding 
Kami: 78 kg & 85L. I don't know how you do it 
. But I want to give the 116L Raptor a go (93 kg). I had some great waves night before last on my 8'7" flow. Had fun, and it sounds pathetic, but I feel I have to stretch too far back to get properly on the pad to really turn it. Tardy's doing 360's on his. I got to try that!
Select to expand quoteKami said..Tardy said..
Yes kami .that pocket had your name on it ,but good tips ..
I seem to be riding it like a surfboard ,I don't use my paddle as much to turn my board now .if at all.
moves are fast .I have to keep up with the board now .eg...think fast .
a few pump s and you can get some real speed to get around sections .
Hello Tardy. At 95 kg to the 128liters of the Raptor you are going to spend your Austral summer 2016 on it, I reckon you ought to try a smaller version next summer 17. You have just to practice the tip to stand up paddling both feet on the stringer in a prone stance position , just slide the back foot in the tail block during the take off and enhance your shoulder torque with the paddle shaft. Once you get fit to do that, you will be on the threshold of a new world like you already enter it. Yes that's almost short boarding
Thanks kami ..if I master this board I will be happy .it has a lot more to offer ...I already have found out when catching the wave both feet on the stringer ...and a few bounces and your off riding ...it has been a big jump for me going from 170 litre ,to 128 litres ,,,I think i held off too long and it did slow my advancement down a little bit .but I'll never look back now ..it was a big risk jumping down to this literage ,but it paid off ,I can't wait till my next surf on it ,it s exciting and enjoying the moves I can do now ..who knows ,I might go smaller in a year or so ,but at the mo ,I'm having a ball.on this little SUP. 
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
Kami said..
Tardy said..
Yes kami .that pocket had your name on it ,but good tips ..
I seem to be riding it like a surfboard ,I don't use my paddle as much to turn my board now .if at all.
moves are fast .I have to keep up with the board now .eg...think fast .
a few pump s and you can get some real speed to get around sections .
Hello Tardy. At 95 kg to the 128liters of the Raptor you are going to spend your Austral summer 2016 on it, I reckon you ought to try a smaller version next summer 17. You have just to practice the tip to stand up paddling both feet on the stringer in a prone stance position , just slide the back foot in the tail block during the take off and enhance your shoulder torque with the paddle shaft. Once you get fit to do that, you will be on the threshold of a new world like you already enter it. Yes that's almost short boarding
Thanks kami ..if I master this board I will be happy .it has a lot more to offer ...I already have found out when catching the wave both feet on the stringer ...and a few bounces and your off riding ...it has been a big jump for me going from 170 litre ,to 128 litres ,,,I think i held off too long and it did slow my advancement down a little bit .but I'll never look back now ..it was a big risk jumping down to this literage ,but it paid off ,I can't wait till my next surf on it ,it s exciting and enjoying the moves I can do now ..who knows ,I might go smaller in a year or so ,but at the mo ,I'm having a ball.on this little SUP.
That's great to exchange the feeling of doing it as short as possible to be more in contact with the water reaction gaining speed by the same time and getting more to come as you said 
Still 128 litters to your weight is a great challenge you have win. You made the truth that SUP is not so an easy way too and there is still more improvement to do after many years of prone surfing.
Select to expand quotecantSUPenough said..
Kami: 78 kg & 85L. I don't know how you do it . But I want to give the 116L Raptor a go (93 kg). I had some great waves night before last on my 8'7" flow. Had fun, and it sounds pathetic, but I feel I have to stretch too far back to get properly on the pad to really turn it. Tardy's doing 360's on his. I got to try that!
I reckon you should get one cantsupenoungh. 
the 360 .there are a few ways to do it ...one of the ways I do it is to is by breaking the rear end loose
small waves ,not to fast is the secret .head up to a little bit of white water and slam your back foot down ,it almost
automatically comes around ,it's keeping the same amount of foot pressure on each foot .and steering it around .
or find a steep little face and spin the tail ,
some of my surfing mates do it on the lip ,go up to the top and spin it around .
everybody has their own way .It seemed funny doing it with a paddle in my
hand ,as never done one one a sup before .now ..it was a handy tool to stabilise myself .
although I had to pull the paddle out of the water as the board came around .360 s good fun .
It might start up a new thread .it use to be the go in the 80 's .I remember Simon Anderson doing them in a comp
in narrabeen.It blew my mind .now it's 360. ' s in the air ...might try that next .
Select to expand quoteTardy said..cantSUPenough said..
Kami: 78 kg & 85L. I don't know how you do it . But I want to give the 116L Raptor a go (93 kg). I had some great waves night before last on my 8'7" flow. Had fun, and it sounds pathetic, but I feel I have to stretch too far back to get properly on the pad to really turn it. Tardy's doing 360's on his. I got to try that!
I reckon you should get one cantsupenoungh.
the 360 .there are a few ways to do it ...one of the ways I do it is to is by breaking the rear end loose
small waves ,not to fast is the secret .head up to a little bit of white water and slam your back foot down ,it almost
automatically comes around ,it's keeping the same amount of foot pressure on each foot .and steering it around .
or find a steep little face and spin the tail ,
some of my surfing mates do it on the lip ,go up to the top and spin it around .
everybody has their own way .It seemed funny doing it with a paddle in my
hand ,as never done one one a sup before .now ..it was a handy tool to stabilise myself .
although I had to pull the paddle out of the water as the board came around .360 s good fun .
It might start up a new thread .it use to be the go in the 80 's .I remember Simon Anderson doing them in a comp
in narrabeen.It blew my mind .now it's 360. ' s in the air ...might try that next .
I have taken your advice
If I ever do a 360 it will be by accident, but I will claim it anyway!
I still can't imagine how I will stand on 7' x 31", let alone surf it, but it will be fun trying!
