Hi
Looking for some board advice.
Been supping for about 9 months. I'm 110kgs and 6'4". Riding a JP 10'8" fusion and riding mostly in the waves now. Finding it stable enough but a dog to turn. Used to ride longboards but can't anymore due an old ankle injury. Used to throw mals around and I'm looking for something that is more maneuverable. Pretty interested in the 8'6" Hypernut but just can't accept that 140 litres will be enough. Can't find an 8'6" to try.
It would be great to hear from any big guys that have tried one.
Thanks
Gday Yeti! I have ridden the fusion 10'2 which was super fun at 170 litres then went out on the 9'8 31 wide 152 litres . It wasn't the cleanest of days and struggled on the smaller board like really struggled , the few waves I caught I loved really ripped but in between those waves was a nightmare . I am 6'3 108 kg and really wanted the hyper nut for the exact same reasons as you , but I think unless you have super clean conditions you won't get much use out of such a short board even with all that width but that's just my two bobs worth . I am looking at e starboard wide point or even a fanatic 9'4 which comes in 170 litres but is 33 wide
Thanks Krist. SB's claim that it is OK for 110+ kg does seems a bit too optimistic. Let's see if anyone else has any experience with it
Yes that's what pricked my interest as well the 110 kg rating and it's such a cool looking hoard but everyone I have spoken to has said it needs clean conditions for us big guys to really perform . And as I said I was running off the end on the 9'8
so a 8'6 ? Unless you kept moving who knows how much work it would be . Will be keeping a close eye on This topic . If you can get to the Gold Coast surf fx will let you trial one
that's my next option
Hi I've had the 8'6 hypernut for 2 months now and it's freakishly stable for it's size, it's good in all conditions but excels in onshore slop.
It's as stable as the 9'5 widepoint . I'm 106 kg 6'4 54 years young hope this helps Merry Xmas
I guess the key question is, if it was stolen or you snapped it, would you replace it or get something with more float?
The shapes pretty dialled for me, id go another.
carbon though if I had the $$ obviously ,weights negligible difference but durability and flex response.
ive got the 8.6 blue carbon hypernut, 106 kg. Its pretty stable to a point. no problem standing on it in moderate chop. trickier to turn to paddle into waves. No where near the glide of a longer board. nice and loose on a wave. quicker than my 9 foot lopez surf music but no where near as quick as my 8.4 minion. the taller you are the trickier these things become. During a grovel session last week I swapped with my cousin on an older 9.2 allwave. the hypernut is as stable as that board. at your height id recommend trying to find a 9 foot lopez surf music. 34 inches wide and 160 litres. A wide loose tail setup. the perfect board for a heavier taller bloke. I wouldnt get rid of mine for the world and on anything less than glassy overhead waves i leave the minion and hypernut in the shed and ride the lopez. the minion and hypernut are much faster and better performing boards in better surf but really work best under an experienced intermediate surfer. Maybe contact simon at deep. I reckon an 8.8 minion * 33 inches wide would give you over 150 litres of super stable platform. Unless you want to ride deep in the pocket and get barreled don't be scared off by extra width. Width is the best friend of us larger older guys.
Thanks for the responses guys. Real world experiences are exactly what I was after. Sounds like it might be a good option when I am a bit more experienced. At the moment I need to stay focussed on keeping the wave count as high as possible. Might consider another slightly larger in-between board first until I can find a 8'6" HN to try.
Hi Seayeti,
I'm 6'2", 100kgs and 60. I've been surfing a 8'4" Minion and loving it. It's super stable in most conditions and more than my 9'6" Prowave. I did try a Hypernut 8'6" in Perth and was left feeling it didn't compare particularly on the wave. My Minion is also a little heavier than the HN and I felt it sat nicer in the water and as such was easier to paddle. Mine is 30.5" wide and I have heard a number of people have found that at 31" they are way more stable. Good luck with the search.
I've had a hyper nut 8' for about a month and used it quite a bit. Im 100kgs and it has been perfect. I am right on the max recommended range for a 8' and its super stable etc. fast and easy to catch waves. The 8'6" max range is 110kg so I get the feeling it would be a good fit. Good luck finding a new board.
Thanks for the offer Sharpie. Not up that way much these days though.
Seems to be a lot of love out there for the Minions. What the the volumes of the bigger ones and how much do they go for?
the minion is a much faster and looser board at similar lengths. the 8.4 minion by 30.5 is around 130 litres. The Hypernut is 140 litres. Those 10 litres make a difference as the hypernut 8.6 is more stable. the minion has the 5 fin set up with the nubster. the minion bottom turns like a thruster while holding a high line and being ultra loose and fast. the hypernut is a traditional quad, eases into the bottom turn, once on the wave quick and loose. the minion is quicker and more responsive. however both boards are excellent in this regard. The minion is half the cost of the starboard. the minion ranges from 1600-1900 depending on finish. the carbon hypernut retails at 3200 with a shop price of around the 3000 mark. the starboard is probably bettter built. Ive got compression dings on the bottom of the minion (vacuum bagged) construction. the hypernut looks new still. Simon at Deep was a pleasure to work with. he'll shape you a minion to suit your needs. the thing to remember regardless of the hype, is that these style boards are much more difficult to surf for the average surfer. They have little to no glide if you are at their maximum surfing weight. While they are more stable than similar sized traditional boards they are still sub 8.6 boards and are much less stable and forgiving than say a naish mana, allwave or similar 9.6 plus board. i have been surfing both at avalon lately and when i catch a wave these shapes surf faster and looser than just about anything else out in the line up. The pay off is that my wave count has halved as I am now taking off under the lip. I the lack of glide on these boards at 106 kg means that early entry onto the wave is a thing of the past. in a busy hassled line up you will struggle to get a wave on these things unless you are super fit and a very strong paddler. In my opinion these boards outperform most other shapes in a line up. They allow heavier guys to surf shorter boards. The pay off is that they are harder to catch waves on, make you look like a complete gumby when the seas get choppy and force you to sit closer in. They are as i said earlier a great option for the intermediate to advanced surfer. The better you are the more versatile they become and can potentially be a one board quiver. Personally i surf mine in shoulder plus clean and glassy conditions. in anything bumpy or wind affected i stick to a bigger more stable board.
Thanks Sameh, spot on. As intoxicating as these short Tomo shapes are, in spite of what is being reported re:stability and ease of use these boards clearly aren't for the casual or less than intermediate sup surfer and could turn out to be a rather humbling experience.
We don't hear enough of how they surf in less than perfect and/or more challenging conditions.
the real reason these kind of board aren´t a "one Board Quiver" is basically your mood
I own a hokua 9´6 at 140 liters and a HN 7´8 at 116. I weigth 80 kg now
alltought the HN surf better and it´s super stable, it HAS NO GLIDE
As it has been said, you loose the early entry, you have to be on the peak to catch wave, not in the shoulder.
So, i use the HN from 3 feet to whatever (max here 6 feet, 12 sec period) but, when the line up is full of proners, or the waves are weak, or i just want to catch a lot of waves...there is my loved hokua for the job.
BUT...the HN could be my only board (i choose not to sell the hokua, because i can, if i only had the chance to have one board i choose the HN)
Thanks for the detailed responses guys. Been surfing in amongst the crazy holiday crowds over the last few days and the ability to pick up waves early has definitely been my friend. Think I might stick to something a bit longer so as to not lose the glide. Maybe when I get a bit better I might pick up one of these rectangular boards for winter dawn patrols or trips away to quieter places. They certainly don't sound all that practical for Sydney weekend crowds
an old ankle injury.
If you have difficulties moving your rear foot around, I would avoid boards with a wide tail: these need to be driven with the rear foot exactly on the kickpad.
Do not hesitate to keep a good width and volume if your ankle is stiff.
Something wide at center + 2' in front of the handle for stability + a pulled in tail would be more tolerant to foot placement.
A good tail rocker willl help, too.