Jimmy Lewis 9'3" x 31.5" Destroyer MP (160 litres)

How does Jimmy Lewis do it? Another super light board that compares favourably to my more expensive carbon boards... and for nearly $1k cheaper!

At 110kg this board floated me very well. My feet were out of the water. If you're not a big lump like me this board will feel like an aircraft carrier. In fact, I'd probably elect to step down to the 8'10" model to avoid the 'floating like a cork' effect. However, if you are a big lump and not very experienced then this is your new go to board.

First, the pros. I love a rounded pintail, especially when you have the option to switch between a thruster and quad setup. The Destroyer turned on a 5c piece and glided across the wave beautifully. I tried it in 2' high tide beach break glass, 3' crumbly reef break and 3' clean sucky conditions. The Destroyer performed well in everything. The slight turn-up in the nose helped with steep take-offs and the rail outline and bottom contour made it glide over flat sections like a skateboard.

As I mentioned above, the board is super light and easy to manoeuvre. You can lift it overhead with one hand using the excellent Y-shaped grip. The deck grip goes 2/3 up the board and is comfortable and functional.

If you wanted a one board 'quiver'...this is it!

Second, the cons. No nose riding this one. Look at my previous review on the Jimmy Lewis Striker if you want a nose riding experience. Meh, a minor point as far as I'm concerned. The only other thing you need to know, if this kind of thing worries you at all, is the slightly rounded deck design. It wasn't really an issue for me as I got used to it quickly but there was an initial tippy feeling that lasted only five minutes or so. Easy to get used to and it certainly didn't detract from the boards many advantages and excellent performance.

Final thoughts. In my last review I stated that I'm a dedicated Starboard fan-boi. I kind of still am but I'm wondering why I have four different Starboards when I could happily settle for this one board to replace them. I do like the occasional nose ride but not enough to have a dedicated board for the experience. If you can live without that you can't do much better than owning this piece of equipment.

Well done, Jimmy Lewis. You nearly have me.