Sunova Flare 9'0" [ Review ]

I loved riding a shortboard fish when I was younger. The speed, glide and agility of the fish shape just seems to work so nicely with my style of surfing and the waves I generally ride. I wondered why there aren't there many SUPs with a fish shape. So I got Bert Burger to help me design one.

One word: Versatile

The board is 9'0" x 27" x 3.75" x 100L

These are some of the things we chatted about during the design process:

Performance:
- Early planing speed on fatter gutless waves
- Holds a rail through drawn out bottom turns and cutbacks
- Pivots off the lip when right back on the tail
- Can get up the nose (particularly on the bigger sizes)

Shape:
- Wide nose without being a round longboard nose (so can stand up there)
- Straight rails (for speed and drawn out turns)
- Flat rocker (for speed and early planing)
- Thin throughout (for lower centre of gravity)
- Low rails (so can bury them through turns)
- Wide point forward (for front foot trimming but back foot performance)
- Shallow swallow tail (for a bit of extra squirt in turns)

Well the day finally arrived when the first prototype arrived at WSS Boards and I went and picked it up.

First off, the board feels fantastic to hold. The refined rails are sweet as and I particularly like the subtle semi-chine in the middle - it adds a nice touch to the overall design. The black rails look absolutely epic and really add to its overall sickness.

In terms of performance, the board paddles exceptionally well. It's fast and stable, especially even in the messy conditions of my first surf. It picks up waves effortlessly and punches through white water with ease, which is a testament to its design.

I was surprised by how well it handled steep drops and sucky sections, despite its low rocker. The ability to bury the rail during bottom turns and cutbacks is impressive too - it slices through the wall beautifully.

One of the most notable aspects is its speed down the line. The board planes incredibly well through sections, providing a smooth glide that enhances the overall riding experience. It feels loose too, easy pivoting off the tail, which makes it lively.

I also managed to get up on the nose more easily than I anticipated, even in the tricky conditions not terribly conducive to nose riding.

Overall, I can't think of anything I would change or want it to do better or differently.

Here is a clip of the very first waves of this new design:

And here is a clip of the next day trying it with a big, fat 10" single fin:


Can't wait to see how it goes in good surf!

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supthecreek said..
ok.... that explains it!
I was wondering where the Flare came from

I really like the idea of thin boards, so glad you did that, just seems like a feel I would like... if they hold up to poundings.
Looks like it will rip in clean midsized surf.

Have fun!!

Yeah - clean, shoulder high waves!!! Bring it on.

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flowmaster said..
First off all, youre a very good surfer you're timing, balance and turns are great.
The conditions in the first movie, are the conditions where we have to deal with where I live.
I can imagine that you had other conditions in mind in your dreams about the new board.
Personely I would like to have more nose rocker in beach break conditions like this

Thank you Flowy.
Yes, I definitely had better conditions in mind for riding this board in ... still waiting
I was also a little worried about the lack of nose rocker for steeper beach break waves - but it surprisingly holds up really well. True test will be in bigger, suckier waves but I'll let you know how it goes, when I get a chance to test in those conditions.