I've put an order in for a new LE big-boy Hokua..

So I should be able to say more and post pics of it next week..

DJ

Adoy said..

Sounds good they needed a Hokua model for the big guys

I agree.. btw.. There's four of them..

DJ

5 inches thick & 9 kilos???

Zeusman said..

5 inches thick & 9 kilos???

and 150 liters though.

I was kinda hoping they'd keep in Hokua tradition & make them fairly thin. Would've thought that volume could still be in there but I am no expert. Also seem fairly heavy for the LE construction type. I've seen all the other LE Hokuas in the flesh & they're all super light!

BrisKites said..

The reason they decided on width was to keep the rails thin, apparently during testing they worked better than the 30" wide prototypes.
The additional weight is because they decided to make the base in a stronger sandwich laminate construction than the original Hokua LE boards, still very light though.

Thanks for the info...so the question to be asked....Naish Hokua x32 or Starboard WP?

Anyone?

I'm interested....pretty nice looking on paper. I need a winter board that handles the wetsuit, wind and general mayhem of winter conditions.
Looking for stability & performance, but I don't want to break a board.... so I guess added weight is the price you pay.

Probably way out of my price range... but I'd like to see one.

Here's a link to the launch page, has the construction on there.

www.naishsurfing.com/hokua-x32-le-series-versatile-performance-wave-product-video/

Lacey, please note these are not just Carbon layup for the "tagging" purpose. Carbon is not always the best in every application. The Hokua LE uses a Carbon Kevlar deck and a Glass Matrix bottom, with the board having a full PVC sandwich. Weights are good for the volume of the board and the strength (approx. 1kg lighter than a similar volume Naish's GT construction (an excellent strength to weight ratio) ). It's important to understand that not all boards are created equal, so comparing between brands etc is extremely hard as not all brands use the same construction, types of carbon, kevlar, sandwich and so on. The 9'1" retails at $2349. down to $2099 for the 7'10".

Jase at Briskites is right, and I look forward to putting it into practice. Naish have always designed around performance, not just the trendy numbers on the market. Numerous R&D found the performance of lower profile rails and thinner tails far out weighs a narrower board with boxy rails, and to reach the volumes 32" was the perfect width.

One thing to point out, and take this with some sense ability, the rider weights Naish recommends is to help guide you, not to limit you. At 95kg, I can ride the 7'6", 8'3" and 8'10" in the Hokua LE range where "suggested" weights are as low as 79kg. however have ridden with lighter riders that struggle on these same boards. So don't religiously follow numbers, use them as a guide. As always - Demo is the key!!

Hanging to get on em.

Ride safe,

JB

JB said..

Here's a link to the launch page, has the construction on there.

www.naishsurfing.com/hokua-x32-le-series-versatile-performance-wave-product-video/

Lacey, please note these are not just Carbon layup for the "tagging" purpose. Carbon is not always the best in every application. The Hokua LE uses a Carbon Kevlar deck and a Glass Matrix bottom, with the board having a full PVC sandwich. Weights are good for the volume of the board and the strength (approx. 1kg lighter than a similar volume Naish's GT construction (an excellent strength to weight ratio) ). It's important to understand that not all boards are created equal, so comparing between brands etc is extremely hard as not all brands use the same construction, types of carbon, kevlar, sandwich and so on. The 9'1" retails at $2349. down to $2099 for the 7'10".

Jase at Briskites is right, and I look forward to putting it into practice. Naish have always designed around performance, not just the trendy numbers on the market. Numerous R&D found the performance of lower profile rails and thinner tails far out weighs a narrower board with boxy rails, and to reach the volumes 32" was the perfect width.

One thing to point out, and take this with some sense ability, the rider weights Naish recommends is to help guide you, not to limit you. At 95kg, I can ride the 7'6", 8'3" and 8'10" in the Hokua LE range where "suggested" weights are as low as 79kg. however have ridden with lighter riders that struggle on these same boards. So don't religiously follow numbers, use them as a guide. As always - Demo is the key!!

Hanging to get on em.

Ride safe,

JB

Fair enough JB.

I certainly do look forward to trying them.

yep - would be great to see a profile shot - to see where theyve added all that chunk - if in the middle and a nice thin depth tail / thin rails , i would consider these

cheers4that - unreal speedy service ! that looks super nice - just about skinny enough right on the tail pad - lots of chunk logo area and just in front of the N - would have alot of that last few seconds stability catching a wave (although quite a bit of rocker there) ... rocker looks alot - ?? say more than 8'5's & 9's

Naish 8'8 and 9'1 Hokua X32 Review:

Rider: 117kg

Location: Palm Beach, NSW
Wave size/conditions: 2foot slop???. Slight onshore winds ??? steep take off into a shoulder high wall, into a deep trough fattening the wave into a shallow shorie???

Overall:
Incredibly loose boards all round. Surfing more off the front foot, slightly touching the back to engage rail in a turn. Never felt anything like it. No doubt a big mans performance/competition short board. Advanced riders only.

8???8:
As soon as I took pressure of the front foot and transitioned to the back, the rail engaged and threw the tail out. Bucket potential: EXTREME!! Board held it???s speed through fat sections whilst maintaining maneuverability.

While it felt alittle sketchy to begin with, adapting to the glide and directional stability of the board, I still managed to catch waves where I normally would, and negotiating late take-offs with ease. Paddling onto a wave was similar to the JP 8'8 Widebody.

9???1:
NO DIFFERENCE ???PADDABILITY??? BETWEEN 8???8 AND 9???1!!!!

Stability wise, the 9???1 felt more comfortable whilst out the back. The board performed similar to the 8???8. Again, incredibly loose for a board it???s size, especially at 151L.

To choose between the 8???8 or 9???1 personally is a hard decision. From a comfort level, the 9???1 is the obvious choice, however as a step up, which is what the these boards are and what I actually need, I will get more out the 8???8 in the long run???

Now, the $2399 question: How do they compare to other boards of similar volume???

The Hokua X32 LE are definitely unlike anything I???ve surfed. In saying that, they are for advanced riders, essentially a Hokua for those who aren???t Kai Lenny or Beau Nixon.

In comparison to the Fanatic All-Wave (9???1), these boards are a step up, hands down. In the conditions that were surfed this morning, the All-Wave wouldn???t have made the transition through the fat sections without paddle assistance. However I wouldn???t have surfed the All-Wave in what was offered. Usual board of choice would be the 10???6 Nalu. I use the All-Wave in 4-8ft beachies. My other board of choice is the Fanatic 9???3 Pro-Wave, again this board is only used in decent surf, ie. 6-8ft reefs with fast walls.

So where do the Hokua x32 LE fit in? These guys are definitely small wave shredders for sure, but I do want to get them into some size to get an accurate and opinion. New boards are always strange at first, however as I get used to it, I should get a better understanding of how it performs. Potentially, the 8???8 is a new comp board given it???s performance this morning, taking the place of the 10???6 Nalu. THIS IS A BIG CALL!! The board was almost too loose for my liking, however it was set with stock fins. In the morning, I???ll surf it with quads which should stiffen them up, allowing a better understanding of how the rails and tail engages.

Whether they are the board for you only you will know depending on what you want to get out of it. You could end up preferring a Fanatic All-Wave or Starboard Widepoint for the particular essences you want.

All in all, sick boards no doubt!! Probably will be making an addition to the garage.

As allways, DEMO, DEMO, DEMO!

I paddled my 9'1" at St Kilda today to check for stability.. I give it two thumbs up..

DJ

GizzieNZ said...
Go Zeusman....right up with the play........a board for every day
or so it seems to the casual observer :)

Haha...! Well of course Gizzie. & why wouldn't you?!