sunova flow 8.4 @110L

The not so good.

I presume the flow I am demoing comes with standard Sunova fins - which are rubbish and too big for the board. Throw them away and put quality fins with less flex and make them smaller.

Not enough concave on the bottom…to me this board needs a more pronounced concave…double would be good also…it just needs more.

The balance point seems a bit too far forward to me as I feel like I am way past the midway point on the board.

Deck grip looks nice but is too abrasive on the knees and also on the arms/elbows when pulling yourself back on.

Bobs around a wee bit but with more days on it will be easy to overcome.

The Good outweighs the not so good.

Construction is as we expect just beautiful, a great looking board and the carry handle is just such a step up from everything else.

Weight is negligible and will never be an issue even with a wet deck grip.

Rocker is just about perfect for the board drops in on steeper waves easily and pulls a rail simple as. I got hung up on one wave just on the lip and the board floats down in the whitewater with ease..over the falls is not pleasant at any time but just a bit of weight back pulls the nose and the flow floats down. Probably in a 3ft+ wave it would be the usual Oh **** moment but anything smaller it is sweet.

Runs fast and turns on a dime…coming of a bottom turn back onto the lip is super fun and the flow is very responsive to this.

This board is a weapon….after 2 rides I can surf it so much better and more progressive than my Hokua x32.

To progress and push the limits if coming down from a larger board I can't fault the flow.

would I buy one? YES.

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bobajob said..
Nice review. What size was the Naish you had/have?

x32 9.1 le

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bobajob said..
Just interesting what you say about the balance point being forward. Could it be because the board is shorter so there is less in front of you, making it feel like the balance is a tad forward. IE: Would the 8.7 Flow feel right.
Reading yours and sluggas reviews I am leaning in the general direction of a flow. And with the sizes being in 3 inch and 10 litre increments I wonder how much difference there is.

day 3…was better than day 1 and 2.

yeah bobajob it could be because it is a shorter board..but day 3 I had no problems and it felt right. Once you get the pivot/balance point the flow works.

hard bottom turns and smashing off the lip..so much fun. I even tucked under a lip and got the lamest 2m tube in the world..still stoked.

The Flow does offer confidence and a desire to progress the skills.

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bobajob said..
Good Stuff. Was day three Sunday morning? I had a decent wave at north Burleigh without any crowd 'till the wind got up. How do find the balance hanging around waiting for a wave. I have no problem on the minion until the breeze comes up and swings you around then the lumps catch and its swim time. Then feet position is critical and need to keep paddling to keep things even.

I think I like the idea of going back to a traditional shape......

yes..day 3 was Burleigh.

I found it comfortable…each day got better..no day was glassy. I did feel a few new muscles being used but that is to be expected stepping down in size and volume.

I will never buy a stub nosed board…I think they surf terrible and look worse. For me traditional shapes work and have for many many years..surfboard / SUP design in a traditional sense is the way it is for the very reason it works. No pro ever surfs a stub nose unless the marketing dept says so.

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flowmaster said..
I did not like the looks off a stub nose to, I'm glad however I bought a Speeed and I'm getting used to the looks
I tryed it out myself now and the board surfs unreal, it does everything everyone wrote and more for me.
So i'm kinda function over looks now and loving it

Just wondered , did you ever had a chance to ride the Speeed ?

yes I tried the speeed..and is another awesome board…I thought it turned easily, had speed and was a nice shape. I don"t actually put it in the same category as most stub nosed boards..more a standard shape with a blunter nose..if that makes sense.

The speed would fit easily in any quiver.

uuum no…after all I said

I am an avowed Sunova Speeed freeek, but I picked up a 9'2 Flow as well.

It is a nice complement to the Speeed in my quiver.

I am old and large, so not getting vertical like the young rippersnappers, but I have a blast on the Flow, just the same

Here's add a short vid of me one the 9'2 Flow from last week

and.... for equal time... a vid of a young ripper on a 7'5 Flow

Just wondering Sup the Creek is there anyting you can't do on the speeed that you can do on the flow, or is the nose making things easier.

the movie is great btw.

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burleighlocal said...

burleighlocal said..

slugga said..
What swayed you away from the flow??

I turned 50 and my wife offered to buy me a new SUP as a Bday gift. I have never had a custom made so for me it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

I was pushed away from a Flow and would happily have one..but the opportunity to do something a bit special was the main decision driver.

This will be my only really high performance SUP..to have it tuned 100% to my skill level and beyond is a one off. I wanted to be challenged a bit more in my SUP surfing.

should be

I was NOT pushed away from a Flow and would happily have one..but the opportunity to do something a bit special was the main decision driver.

Cool any photos of the custom board what dimensions is it.

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flowmaster said..
Just wondering Sup the Creek is there anyting you can't do on the speeed that you can do on the flow, or is the nose making things easier.

the movie is great btw.

Thanks Flow
The Flow is turns more from the middle because of the outline curve, so running down the line, it is easier to top turn without stepping to the tail.
I has a different overall feel from the Speeed.... more skatey, less carvey.... but it holds a nice crisp bottom turn, so not just a skater.
To my mind.... nothing has the special sauce that the Speeed has, because it matches the way I surf, so perfectly. That is rider specific, different riders will feel the exact opposite.

If I were smaller, younger and more flexible, a smaller Flow would probably be more natural in a vertical attack... this summer, a lighter me, in boardies, may be able to test out an 8'7 Flow and push myself harder

They really seem like very nice performance boards, pity they crumple like an accordion when an airline puts a container on them (see vandals post). I was worried that you might start SUPPING a 6'6" x 38" egg after Colas let you know how much more knowledge he possessed than you in the supping stakes. I appreciate that he has a wealth of knowledge, but surely he realises that you (and many other contributors) are skilled and experienced surfers and excellent suppers with years of knowledge. I personally don't give a rats about "Gong" nor Patrice Guenole. I understand he tries to be helpful and some of his advice is great, but he comes across really arrogantly and I felt he totally disrespected you in a post a couple of weeks ago. I wish I'd said something at at the time. Please keep your valued input and great vids coming, I was starting to get concerned .