I'm curious if anyone has ridden both the Infinity B-Line 8'2 and 8'5 and if there were any major differences between the two. Sometimes boards can really vary from size to size even if the changes are minimal - in this case they're so close to each other... 3" longer, 1" wider, and 14 liters more so I'm hoping/assuming they behave pretty similarly.
why I'm asking: I tried out my friend's Infinity B-Line 8'2 (29 wide @ 101L) and it absolutely ripped. I loved it. By far the best I've ever surfed before - it's how I've been wanting to surf but my current boards aren't quite cutting it. It felt like I simply thought about laying a rail in and carving a big bottom turn and turning up to the lip and ripping back down and it just happened... over and over and over. I had the biggest grin on my face during and immediately after a wave. But I couldn't stand on it in the lineup... I tried and tried and tried and fell and fell and fell and eventually resorted to just kneeling and then popping up and paddling a few times before a wave would come and scoop me up for another joy ride. So now I want a B-Line even though I just bought a Jimmy Lewis WorldWide 8'1 (29.5 wide @ 110L) last week 
. I was able to stand pretty comfortably right from the start on the JL WW so I'm confused why I had so much trouble on what's a roughly similar shape and volume - my guess is the extra 9L is making a big difference, which seems to all be in the rails on the JL (they seem thicker). So this has me wondering about the B-Line 8'5 (30 wide @ 115L). I'm assuming I'd be able to stand around on it comfortably. My main board for the past two years has been the Jimmy Lewis Destroyer 8'5 (30.5 wide and 130L) and I find it to be totally stable in all conditions and I love it but I find the nose a bit heavy and difficult to whip around and when I want to noseride I simply grab my Kalama 9'2. Thoughts?
If you can pop up and paddle it into a wave, I bet you could get used to spending more time standing on it with practice. A board that's any bigger will not surf the same.
It's always a compromise. At what level are you happy to compromise...?
Thicker rails are usually more stable (within reason). Outline and tail volume / shape can change stability massively.
I'd just buy the 8'5" and have it be a little easier to stand on - to me that's the whole point of recreational surf sup in the first place.
However, i'd also add;
The Worldwide absolutely rips on small to medium waves... so maybe just spend a little time getting familiar with that before you plunge $$ in again.
I think the larger B-Line won't have the spark- I had that feeling on 109v99.5L Blurr V2- smaller one way less stable, but epic on wave. Punishing at times but became stable.If you can catch waves on that board now, you'll be fine after some work. I've not surfed B-Line but it's supposed to be somewhat stable for the volume, 29" not that narrow and plenty of float, I think you got this.
My advice would be to look into the more recent models of each brand.
Do-it-all boards (easy performance) are very hard to design well, and I think that shapers still progress on these type of boards, also because they can adapt their shape to the evolution of the level and expectations of their customers.
I never rode an Infinity board, but I guess a new model from them such as the "Wide Speed" may be what you are looking for: stability + performance. If only because it looks quite close in spirit to the latest iteration of the Gong "do-it-all" board, the Karmen, that has become my instant favorite (I have not used any of my other 9 SUP boards since I got it).
Nope. I couldn't afford new plus shipping so I bought 2 used local Jimmy Lewis boards (WorldWide 8'1 and Striker 8'5). But if an 8'5 came up for sale in my area I'd sell my 3 Jimmy Lewis (two I just bought plus my old Destroyer 8'5) boards to fund it.
Select to expand quotenShoreSlider said..
Nope. I couldn't afford new plus shipping so I bought 2 used local Jimmy Lewis boards (WorldWide 8'1 and Striker 8'5). But if an 8'5 came up for sale in my area I'd sell my 3 Jimmy Lewis (two I just bought plus my old Destroyer 8'5) boards to fund it.
I hear you. I am really keen to get out of my Starboard addiction and get myself onto the Infinity band wagon. The trouble is that it's much easier to trade in and get new from the same brand, since the wife is unlikely to notice :D
Just to add, my Infinity New Deal 9,6 is the most fun SUP I have owned. Just surfs better than any other board I have owned, noserides nicely, turns sharp as, cuts through the white wash brilliantly and just holds on a wall superbly. Construction is best I have had too.
But, it ain't perfect. Wish it had a flat deck, wish it was easier in chop as those magic rails are under the water and throw me off balance. And getting onto the wave could be easier at times..that domed deck means if your front foot isn't balanced and just off to the side too much you wobble just as you don't want to be wobbling.
Saying all that, for me, on a clean day, wow! Infinity delivers!
And the weight of the board makes a big difference.will never go back to traditional SUP construction.
Widespeed looks the business??
