Heres a short vid imade feachering the JL mano 9'4' gives you an idea how well they both paddle and surf . larger boards feel heavy on the paddle after riding these babies.
G'day Courts
As per the emails over the last week or so, I can't make up my mind between the 9'9" or the 10'2" Mano.
Logic tells me that the 10'2" is the board for me (100kg) but I want to take it to Bali with me in July, so that points me at the 9'9".
The thread www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=57239&SearchTerms=plane tells me Garuda will accept boards up to 3m, the 10'2" is 3.01m, which with a cover would definately be over.
For everyone's benefit - what size JL's did you take on your Indo trip, and with which carrier? Any hassles? Any excess?
Thanks mate
Tim
Gday Tim,
Damon and I flew Garuda for the Indo trip.
I had a JL 9'4" & a JL 9'8" and 2 paddles all in a Creatures Sup bag. I also had a 7'0" coffin with 4 surfboards in it. On the way (PER - JKT- PDG) there I was charged $50 AUD excess. On the way back we went to Bali for a few waves so it was PDG- JKT- DPS-PER, and I wasn't charged anything until I went to leave Bali to come home, where after some discussions I ended up paying $100USD to get everything home.
Damon had a 10'0" JL in a Creatures Sup bag and a coffin with 4 surfboards. He was charged $120 AUD leaving Perth heading up there and nothing coming home, though he did leave the JL 10'0" in Bali.
Typical Indo/Travel story right there eh!
There was no hassles, the boards were all accepted easily but depending on your check in person the excess varied.
Hope this helps,
Courts
Thanks Courts
That helps a lot, I'll come down and buy a 10'2" as soon as I find a buyer for my Laird. What colours do you have left? How much are the creatures covers?
Tim
Any takers?
Laird 12'2" (Surftech epoxy) with full creatures grip, leggie and paddle $1,350 the perfect board for entry level, cruising (plenty of waves mal style) or a big guy 0423 628 370
Make that $1,200
Hey Tim,
Just sent you a message re: JL 10'2" Mano's and C of L Bags.
Cheers,
Courts
Hi Courts how is Hawaii? Getting some bombs?
Got the 9 9 as my all rounder for beachies. Love it so far in the knee high dribble I have had it out in. 
Very stable for my 105kg of relaxed muscle and light/loose on the waves a real winner.
Got a few waves down south just after you left but on the PSH woodie. Looking forward to getting out at Esperance on the Mano, I think it will love the waves down there. leaving soon.
Got my 9'9 mano , stable, nice feel, refreshing to have some rocker and a pulled in nose. I was expecting a bigger loss of paddle performance due to the rocker/nose combo but to me it is similar to the SB 9'8. I'm hanging to get it out in some clean waves.
Stoked to hear you are on a 9'9" JL Mano Hilly!
Great boards, so fast and squirty out of turns and super loose. Gotta love em'.
Hawaii has been pumping the whole time we've been here. Stoked!
How was Esperance? Waves?
Cheers,
Courts
G'day Hilly,
I got back at the end of January.
Mano went awesome over there.
Catch up next time you are down.
Courts
Courts tuning question for you.
Love the Mano below head high just flies along and you can turn where ever you want. Only problem I have had is in slightly bigger waves at speed it seems to be less willing to turn.
You talked once about them being really fin sensitive. Using the stock fins how far back do you put the centre fin in solid waves? Or do you change fins?
Gday Hilly,
We haven't had any problems turning the Mano's regardless of wave size, we ride them from grovel up to 3-4 times overhead reef surf.
Two things that come to mind if you are having trouble is where your feet are on the board and fin positioning.
I find that the Mano's performance based shape require you to be back and surfing off the tail - for example the JL Hanalei allows you to commit to turns from almost anywhere on the board - whereas the Mano's have a more defined sweet spot - with the back foot being back near the tail pad kicker region. I am right on the kicker in small surf.
Personally I have to not go all the way back to the kicker wit my back foot in double overhead + surf as I find the board is too loose and turns too quick from there for my liking in those kind of waves. I tend to be roughly 6" from the kicker in these waves.
My centre fin positioning for up to head high waves, is right up against the top of the box. Double overhead surf I have it back about 1"- 1 1/2", then after that it is in the middle of the fin box.
Here's a couple of pics on the 9'4", centre fin in these shots is 1" from the top of the fin box.
Cheers,
Courts
Thanks for the photos it may be the contrast with my other boards that have narrower tails I might need to move around a bit more on the larger stuff. Bit hard when the toes are grabbing hold
I tend to leave the fin central which is still seriously loose on small stuff when the foot is on the kicker. Had a couple of head high lumpy things yesterday that it just ripped; having a ball on it.
I bloody love my 9'9! I am 85 kg. Sure these smaller boards are tippy enough as sometimes sitting out the back it feels like it just bucks you off! But godfathers, they take any drop and are fast as. Who needs a gun! A real confidence building board on the wave. I would hit it anywhere ( up to my head high high, head deap limit) with this board!
Too right they do rip!! not as impressive a wave as courts. But for a 105kg guy to be able to turn so well on small waves is proof these are serious performance boards
Ive just had my first session on my 10-2 Mano.
The 10-2 Mano is the most amazing board I have ever ridden. I'm 125 kgs, so I'm on the heavy side, but the board is brilliant.
Its is very very very fast, but super loose and I'm still blown away at how much it accelerates through a turn. The speed and drive is impressive, I was making sections 5 - 10 metres ahead of what I normally could make.
Another thing that I love, its that I dont need to move my back foot around from rail to rail to turn it. This speeds up the rail to rail turns a heap, and I feel more fluid.
The Mano is so under rated! If you are after a perfomance board, definately try and demo the board at any chance you get!
I am stocked!
Against my better judgement pushed the centre fin forward freaken rips. Yeh I know Courts you told me so loving the 9 9 in anything now
Haha, stoked you like the fin pushed forward Hilly. Perfect for small to medium surf.
Cheers,
Courts
Hello guys,
just to let you know that we now have all the sizes Mano JL ready for testing and renting down in Bali... From 9'0 to 10'2..
Bye Jankie
Hi all, I had a go on a 9' x 28" mano down at gearys a few weeks ago. At 84 kgs and not been on many narrow boards found it challenging staying on the board out back (pretty calm off shore wind). After spending plenty of time in the water slowly gaining some stability I persisted tenaciuosly for a while but eventually handed the board back to the 74 kg owner whom the board suited them both just not me not yet. From the thread I think the 9'9" could be more suited what the opinion? I tried the 9'Coreban Fusion easyer to ride and the 9'6" Coreban which was very easy to catch a wave and ride. Haven't bought any of these still thinking! Whats that burning smell!!
