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Just received a beautiful Pat Rawson ImpalaSS 8'2" x 32" x 4 3/8 from Hawaii. Put a pad on if and went for a surf. Amazing board, Pat is the best. This is a Mo Freitas shape on steroids for an old man. Quad only of course. Easy turn initiation with no sliding. The funky Freitas tail is thick but with an edge you could shave with and accererates so hard when you stand on it. Worked unreal in some long hollow chest high walls. Never thought I could go this short, but no worries at all!
Nice! It doesnt 'read' (/appear) 32" wide
Holds its volume well
Tail looks cool and i like your description
What about the rails? If you get a chance, would really appreciate a photo/description
Many Thanks!
Ehukai - Rails are very hard from the tail for almost a third, then go to tucked, finally to soft. It is a carving machine for me; but I suspect a younger bloke could bust the fins loose and look like Mo!
Just noticed that Colas of Gong posted a pic of his big ( haha) 8' board with a tail that looked similar to the one on my board. It really does work. Would be interested in Colas' thoughts on it!
Actually the general outline reminds me more of the Gong 6'10" Fatal
I like these kind of shapes, and I think yours should work very, very well too:
- wide enough nose for confort
- fuller outline for stability in chop, and prevent squirelling at speed
- the "round tail with ears" which gives a smooth rail-to-rail, but bite in turns even at speed and volume for accelerations in weak waves. I found it a very good "do it all well" tail.
Or this "Solid" custom posted by JeanG on http://www.soulsup.com/
Colas - Thank you so much for your comments. It carries much more weight when a shaper and designer such as yourself share your observations! I have had the opportunity to surf it several times now and it absolutely rips! I try to explain how the tail works, but as you know, anything outside of the mainstream is viewed with suspicion! Would Mo Fiestas use it on his boards if it didn't work? I think not!! Unexpected consequence of going short - as a friend of mine described it "all of my other boards are now junk" LOL!
Thanks, but I am no shaper! The Gong shaper is Patrice Guenole, I only use his shapes. However, as en engineer, I tend to try to (over) analyse my feelings and post them...
I am a kind of "second hand expert" if you will :-)
Thanks for the clarification! Definitely a resemblance to the Gong 6'10" Fatal. And the tail rocks!
No reason it shouldn't. Plus a board is a combination of rail, rocker, foil, and I would trust Pat Rawson to know how to make all them work together...
Windara - Have other boards that are short, but the Rawson is the best for me at 66 years young with reconstructed knees. He is a master shaper and will work with you to create a board that is unique. A lot of the production old man, big man short boards have rails that are way to thick for me and the 30 wide Airborne would be too narrow for me. The wide Airborne at 4" thick would be interesting, but 97 liters is not enough unless I move to the tropics. I wanted to try a JP 8'2" but demo not available here. The Hokua LEx32 and I didn't get along. My personal needs are wide and relatively thin, with hard rails, surfboards not windsurfers. If I had a windsurfing background I am sure I would feel differently! Heck, I like hand shaped, glassed sups, made by humans. The Gong Fatal looked awesome, the Infinity Phoenix V3 looks really nice. I am sure there are great boards in Australia that we in the states have never heard of.
Hey CBigSup, you mentioned the new 32 Hokua LE's didnt agree with you. Did you try the 8'3" ? How would you compare the Hokua and your new Rawson?
Thanks !
The Hokua X32 was just a little too thick for my personal taste. I am old, but small - 5' 7" and now weigh 67 kegs. Not as easy in turn initiation with a carving turn as opposed to a sliding turn. Also the tail and nose were pulled in so that the Nash was more difficult to drive hard and go straight. A great board but I seem to do better with wider and thinner as opposed to thicker. Just saw Rawson now has an Australian Distributor!
I havent been on any of these boards... But the listed volume and thickness of the 8'3 Naish and your new Rawson seem pretty similair. I wonder if Naish biffed on volumes again like they did with the old Mana
Let's bust out the calipers! LOL! Nash 8'3" listed 4 11/16" thick at the stringer. My Rawson 4 3/8" - that is a big difference. Nash volume listed at 130; Rawson 129. The extra thickness on the Nash was why we didn't get along. It is designed for a bigger and probably stronger guy. Pat takes so much information from you when you order a board from him. Mine is for me, nobody else. A younger more skilled cat would think my board is sooo wide dude, a real barge!
I wont pretend to compare skill level... But im a younger, decently skilled bloke. Clocking in at over 100kg tho I need the width/thickness to provide the necessary volume when the board length drops. So I doubt I'd be saying its a wide barge. Thanks for your thoughts!
Ehukai - At 100 kegs the volumes on either would work IMO. My buddy on his Airborne - the narrow one - at 97 liters is the primary "barge" proponant; but all in good fun. Am already planning my next move to go slightly shorter and thinner! Good luck with your search.
This stubby little Rawson flat out rips. Hollow little beachbreak zippers, superfast down the line and turns on a dime with no sliding. At 66 years young did not think I would ever make a floater reentry on a sup, but whomp there it is! Put a huge set of Jimmy Lewis quads that I had in my giant 9'4" Rawson to help with chop stability issues that are my problem not the boards. Now that Pat has an Australian distributor you lads should check 'em out! And I am sure he would be delighted to make a 7'10 x 27.5 x 3.75 for young studs!
Cheers,
Cleve-o
