Any feedback on 2 boards above would be helpful. I continue to weigh about 92kegs and am 5'7". Currently 48 years.
I am still tossing up between to these boards on the way down from a 160l 10' No name that I can turn in the right conditions.
Lots of surfing experience but not so keen on long boarding as I prefer down the line speed and full rail turns.
In particular, I would like to differentiate the boards in relation to:
1. turning, holding a rail and speed (performance i suppose)
2. stability and wave entry
3. durability and strength.
I appreciate some will say both boards are to big for performance surfing and that a wide body shorter board may be better. My experience in the line up, and the number of second hand boards on this site, suggests a lot of heavy guys have failed on the wide bodies. I like a high wave count and early wave entry but know a compromise is in order.
Demos would be great I know but unlikely for a number of reasons.
I appreciate any ideas or feedback.
Still Fatso for now.
I think the Fanatic is a newer shape out of those two.. but IMO you'd be better off with the new 9'5" Mana or an X32.. 
Hi Fatso; I'm 59yrs young; 95kgs;6'2" tall and downsized from a 10'Mana to the 2015 9'5"Mana this year after watching DJ's numerous videos of the Alana model which has the same specs as the Mana. The Mana is very stable and paddles onto waves very well. I've changed the original fin setup to Shapers SKS 5 sidefins and run a 6" Shapers performance fin and this has improved the board both in speed and turning ability not that that was a problem in standard form just being a longboarder l they were in my fin collection so I'd give them a go.
Fatso... I'm 100k, 5'10. I am super happy with my 2014 9'6 Prowave in HRS... so much so that I have been considering my next step.
I was thinking... if it is this good in HRS... it would be just that much better in LTD.
The other thought I had was.... since the 9'6 is so stable, maybe I should move down to the new 9'2?.
At your size, I have to think that the 9'2 would be perfect for you, after the initial adjustment period.
Never surfed the Hokua, but since the Mana was suggested... here's my feedback on that comparison.
I really liked my 9'5 Manas (2013 & 2014) a very stable, fun board.....but once I got the 9'6 Prowave, there was no valid reason to keep it. The Prowave did everything as easily as the Mana did, but at a much higher level, so I sold the Mana.... no contest.
1. turning, holding a rail and speed (performance i suppose)
My 9'6 has fatter forward rails than the 2015 model...
My goal in surfing has always been to lay down the hardest turn I can.... the 9'6 has proven to me, that it will handle any turn I throw at it.
Speed is fine, I hear some who disagree, but I think they stay on the tail as they run down the line, I move forward when looking for speed and have never felt that speed was a problem. Not warp drive.....but makes waves and turns super crisp
2. stability and wave entry
The fat rails of the 2014 9'6 make it almost too stable
paddling into a wave is easy... I can get in early
sometimes the thickness in the forward rail will turn the board out from under me, if I lean too heavily on the front of the board at takeoff. The water wraps around the thicker rail and sucks it down a bit. Easily avoided by weighting more to the center
3. durability and strength.
If you want that... think about the HRS version.... not a lot heavier and MUCH less expensive. I have virtually zero damage to my HRS Fanatics after 3 years and 6 boards. One fingernail sized ding when a 6' wave, body slammed my 9'6 Allwave into a car sized rock.... it would have mangled most boards.
I hear the older LTDs mark up and ding much more easily. I'm hoping the 2015's are better
I'm including pics of me on my 9'6 Prowave in HRS, so you have a frame of reference to judge the board by. I'm old, inflexible and not getting upside down in the lip anytime soon... but these are my attempts, on a pretty big board
....... the last one is rotated to try to put a more realistic perspective on a nose GoPro.... any straightening crops everything out.
Thanks all,
sup the creek you must have the best sup gallery ever. I like the look of the 9'6" and the rail you get. I have been on the brink of buying one several times but feel like I should be going smaller.
I picked up a JP 8'2" ws wide body last weekend and thought 2 things immediately. First, my No Name epoxy is almost as light and second, how does this fat little shape get through the water with any speed. Perhaps my surfing history is influencing my SUP selection. The Naish wide boards at least seem to have a better shape but I suppose those ugly JP graphics make it look worse than it really is.
CrustyD and all, do the Naish's deserve their rep as soft and a little more likely to snap. How dot the wide bodies hold up in durability?
DJ, which XE is the best for 95kgs and had a 160L for a year. I surf bombies and points mainly but beaches if required. Early paddle in means more waves usually.
Finally, my car is probably worth less than many new sups. I struggle with the top of the line prices despite understanding the lighter construction works well. Board damage seems an issue. My no name has one tiny repair from a broken leg rope at a point break. My son has surfed it onto the beach several times and broken the fin without any damage to the board or box. It has also blown off the roof in wind but with the car parked. Rails intact despite no rail tape. This is driving my selection in part as I am probably going to buy second hand.
Thanks again.
Fatso
I think guys that think they're generating more performance by going smaller BUT WIDER is a bit of a laugh. Smaller and proportionately smaller in the width is great. MOST of the time you're better of going that bit longer and keeping it narrow. Its like comparing surfing a high performance DHD MF model to a small wave grovel board. Sure the small wave might be a bit of fun but if you're serious about laying it up on rail the MF will clearly perform to higher standard.
