'I am actually thinking a Flow for sloppy 2 foot beach breaks.
I think a Flow would be a complimentary board to my larger Speeed. Just trying to grasp pros and cons.'
I'll have a go at answering this (without derailing the thread too much, if thats ok chaps)
I bought a Flow 8'7 to compliment my Speeed 8'10. I wanted a board for steeper snappy waves and to take surfing in larger waves/sets. I bought my Flow just before the time Sunova were developing the Flash and Creek, so those boards weren't an option then (about a year ago)
My Flow is excellent, I love it for anything 2' crumble upwards to head +. Yes it has more fun in formed 3-4ft with a bit of suck in them, but it's a very forgiving board IMO and is excellent to develop wave riding on. The nose is pulled in yes, and I too like to lean forward to catch waves, mostly because the waves I get are soft and have a large belly to them, so the first few rides resulted in tripping over the nose. But, you learn really quickly to balance back foot further back on the pad and front foot near the handle (so quite a wide stance) then paddle and off you go. It turns really well and I think because the tail is wider it floats well over crumble and you can still get drive turning in crumble too.
It's definitely a board to compliment your Speeed...
I can't comment on the Flash because I've not ridden one yet, so can't help there.. But certainly respect those that have ones opinion of them... because these guys know what they're doing.
I've ridden an 8'1 and 8'4 Creek in some pretty horrible mixed up conditions and because of those conditions couldn't make my mind up about them.. I'd come out with the same conclusions if I took my Speeed or Flow out in the slop too..
I will be back testing Creeks soon, revisit where I left off and go from there.
HTH's, UK based.
I'M in the maldives at the moment ,
heres a couple of the lads .I REALLY LIKE THE 8,10 CREEK TOO.
I've been testing all the boards .moon tours .
I was out in big surf today on my 9.0 ,had a few hairy drops ,it handled it no problem ,the extra rocker was appriciated.
I just relised something about this board ......why was it so different to my flow ...it's the rolled deck the water when it hits the board ,it rolls off it
rather than holding it down like a flat decked board ...duh ...I always wondered why the rolled deck is put on a performance board .
also explains why it punches through the swell a little easier ...it defiantly works better as a thruster set up .
I had it vertical today ..it likes being in the milk.....not a gutless wave board ..where the flow is a little better having the extra speed .
I can say now.... it is my big wave board now . or steep wave board .I'm still exploring this board ...
its a pity Frank ,run over the nose of the flash in maldives and took it out of action,would love to of had a crack at those big waves we had on the last 2 days .
the thinner pin tail on the flash ,makes it a better option for the big waves .i will stick with the flash .
Anyone tried an insane for bigger waves , or can the new flash produce the goods . On the hunt for something 8,6 -8'8 possibly to fit on airplanes and ride bigger punchy waves , I'm 70kgs my 8'11 by 26 JP is on its last tour , it' has a flatter rocker for early paddle ins , hard to see the rockers in pics of the insane or flash . Would appreciate any feedback , thanks
another thing to think about roachy , is your paddle speed for big waves ,the acid is slightly faster to paddle ,the insane haven't ridden it ,but looks like its a good paddler ,but maybe not as loose as these 2 .i'm guessing you will be looking at a smaller size ,not being 98 kg like me
but both good shapes and will fit your bill.
the 8,7 insane is 86 litres ,8,6 flash 112. 8,7 acid 106 ,by memory ,you got some thinking to do
Sorry...been a bit slack on here lately.
I think I remember speaking to roachy about this in the past so no change from my side...I still swear by my 8'1 Acid & 8'11 Insane...both boards work surprisingly well in smaller conditions (the Acid is easier to throw around) but the Insane is the only shape I'll jump on in anything bigger than 1.5 x o/h
That's not to say that a shorter board like the 8'1 Acid &/or 8' Flash won't handle big stuff but, I personally feel like you need maximum paddle power in order to get in early & set yourself up for the wave + the 8'11 feels surprisingly nimble on a wave.
I prefer my 8'1 Acid vs the 8' Flash only because it feels more lively & snappy but, it's clearly more of a handful in the chop + there are plenty of Breezers out there that love the Flash so it just depends on what you want out of a board
Thanks Tardy and Supbru for your info and photos , might have to be a custom I'm thinking for size I'm after in there range .
Re-reading this old post
tardy/Rick any chance of a detailed comparison between 9"1 creek, 9" flash and 9"6 steeze ???
Hey Dave Ricks ya man having ridden all 3 .
but I would put the 8.10 creek and 9 flash in the more performance zone .
i did have a few waves on the 9.1 .creek found it a little big for me for throwing around .for my weight .
I ended up keeping my 9.0 flash ...and have explored its sweet spots...I like it as a quad set up .
it really depends what you want your board to do ,and what size wave you want to ride it on .
they all sit around the nice volume for us big guys .My favourite volume size at 97 kgs and. My age is 125 -130. Litres .
which tail shape you like ? I like rounded pins .which seems to work the best in my waves ..
it was unusual ,but I found the 8.10 easier to ride than the 9 flash ,it even caught the waves easier with its lower rockers 'twas a sad when I had to give the 8.10 creek back .
its on the list .after the 9.2 black acid .
Ive had my flash for 6 months or so now., I have the 9'0 and I'm 6'4 and 95kg. When I first got it I was very happy in all size waves that I ride, however a few months ago I picked up a second hand 8'5 made by a local shaper, which I also fell in love with! the flash is 133L vs 118L for my other board. I stopped riding the flash for a while then took it out in smaller waves and it felt like a boat and I fell out of love with it.
I have since taken it out in a bit bigger more powerful surf and I'm back in love. My summary of the 9'0 flash for my weight and size is that its stable and dependable, it paddles well and I know that I can get in the right position easily to get in and out of trouble :) It works better with a bit of size and having some wave face to work with, and lends itself to a carving style of surfing , hence working better in bigger waves. Im sure this may be partly due to the size though, and if I dropped to the 8'9, which would be fine for me, it would likely be completely different.
Picked up my new 8'9" Flash on Easter Friday and had an Easter long weekend of epic shred at Manly. I'm 58, 6'1", 103kgs and this baby is an amazing bucking bronco that does not want to be tamed....but it was :-)
Certainly more stable than my Acid.....
Amazing colour scheme
I haven't tried an acid but I do have a 8'0 flash, aside from stability what is it like you like so much more than the acid? Just curious. Prob a bit more versatile in all conditions.
i found mine loved to go more vertical style turns which I loved but not sure how that compares to the acid
they are very similar boards to each other ,the flash seems to handle bigger waves and drops ,and yes benji ,vertical
i reckon the difference is in the tail ,
i would like a acid with a flash tail ,
I like the rocker of the acid ,its a little faster ,my 9,0 flash is a bit big for me ,
but i do use it on big days ,as the 132 litre gives you that extra paddle power .
i never fear dropping down anything ,because i know it will handle it .but you can notice its a slower board
i tend to ride it as a quad to solve this ,both great boards ,
i wish i had the flash out today as it was big ,and i did do some sliding on the 9,1 acid ,...(with the slightly wider tail )
as you know with big waves little bumps on the face of the wave seem bigger
and the current is very strong .