Given I relied on this site for my board selection, I felt it only fair that I leave my thoughts.

I purchased the 7'11" Speed last week and it arrived on Thursday (awesome price and service from Surf FX). I have to be honest, I was nervous all week, as I was going from and 8'2" Starboard with 130ltr and 32" width down to 92ltr and 26" and a bit width. A massive step down.

I have been SUPing for about 6 years now and weigh in at about 75kg. I have only taken the board out once (this morning for about 3hrs in 3ft Middleton peaky but pretty clean conditions). I'll split my review into the following categories:

Board Quality
Stability
Paddling into Waves
Speed
Manoeuvrability

[b]Board Quality 9.5/10

[/b]When I saw the board on the internet I was blown away by how it looked. When I unpacked it I was not let down. It is beautifully constructed and is designed unlike any SUP I have seen. If nothing else, it would make a great piece of art (I'm not tech savvy enough to add pictures but they're easy enough to find). It is extremely light and has very sleek rails. The pop out handle is awesome; when I was out today I used it quite a bit in the water and it enabled me to push the board through white water with ease. I had a quick look over the board when I came in and the rails looked unblemished. Given I've only surfed it once I can't really comment on it's durability but I tend to think it will be very good.

Stability 5/10 (but given its dimensions very good)

If you'd seen me out in the water you would have thought I was a beginner; I spent a lot of time in the drink. However, it's actually more stable than I thought it would be and I reckon I'll get my head around it. At 26" across you need to be realistic about what you are getting yourself into. It is not a board you can stand around and feel completely relaxed on and it hates side winds. It actually pushes through white water quite well when paddling out (just step back and pop it up). I was knackered at the end of my surf but I had a ball and left feeling confident I can tame the beast (I hope!). You would not want to weigh much more than me though.

Paddling into Waves 9/10

This board wants to get onto the wave. I was blown away with how well it paddled into waves. My brother was trialling an 8ft Starboard and I rate him as a very good paddler; it blew his board away. As I said before, I ride (I tend to think rode is more applicable) a Starboard and this board leaves it for dead in this department. I can't talk this aspect up enough and I was shocked at how well it got onto waves.

Speed 10/10

Unbelievable!!! This board flies. It is designed for speed and is appropriately named. Getting past sections was a breeze and because it has such sleek rails, you can get past the white water without feeling unsteady. The designers have nailed this aspect of the board. I can't wait to get this board over to Indo as it will come into its own.

Manoeuvrability 8/10

I've gotten so used to riding my Starboard a certain way that it took me awhile to get used to the Speed (still loads to learn about it). Kind of felt like being on a snowboard in terms of how much the rails dig in (in a very good way). This board wants to ride barrels but it also wants to be thrown around. It felt great. I spent most of my time playing with its speed and enjoying the wind on my bald dome so have lots to explore in terms of its manoeuvrability but it felt great. When a section fell in front of it, I had the choice of shooting around it or doing a fast bottom turn a riding up and over it. I may well rate this higher down the track; all I know is that I have not been so excited about a new board in a long, long time!

I think it's fairly obvious how I feel about this board. It will not be for everyone but those who are up for a challenge and keen for speed, will not be disappointed. The designers of this board have done an amazing job and have really gone out on a limb. Yes this board is a little unstable but given its dimensions it is much more stable than you'd think. Thumbs up from me.