Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Nah Skwel 7'8" - The morning after.



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It's fair to say that I was pretty revved last night, still am really, I just can't get over the fact that I'm standing on a Paddle board that's only 7'8" long.

My first board was the Jimmy Lewis 11' and I can remember thinking that was challenging. Last night was not challenging just great fun. In fact I cant think of a board that I have ever tried that has been as easy right from the off. I was desperate to get back in the water tonight to see how it would go in a proper wave or choppy conditions or wind or anything, to be honest I just wanted to get back on it. Unfortunately work conspired against me, but it did get me thinking. Where the hell is this all going to end up? If the board is this easy to use then it stands to reason that the limit (my limit) has not yet been reached. God I love this sport!

It took me weeks before I was comfortable on the Naish, at least to the extent that I would not worry about turning to it first time every time if I was going out. The Nah Skwell is easy from the very first time. It makes me want to experiment and play about and fool around like taking off the fins altogether and try and slide it IVV style. Steady - take a breath and get a grip. . . . and breath.

I think we (I) can get a little too serious sometimes and forget how to just arse about - it's harder with a bigger board to just goof around especially if you are surfing around other people - which I tend not to do. With friends though all the normal surf politics and etiquette shoot straight out the window. Well mine do anyway.

I'll drop in on Shane or Gavin or Steve or Jason, ride the same wave and generally do all the bad stuff you read about on the forums, and expect them to do the same to me. (When it's just us and no one else about). The problem is you sort of hold back a bit on a Sup because the consequence of getting it wrong and cleaving someone open with a 9'plus epoxy scalpel would take a bit of explaining. But with the NH78, well it feels like it's a hot dog board - full on fun for nothing other than fun's sake. Plus and this is the big one - It's not a bloody mission to go out. Easy to store, easy to load, easy to carry, easy to ride. Its so convienient.

I can't imagine where this range is going to go but already I'm thinking 'Slightly slimmer - a little more nose rocker, tuck that ass in slightly . . . make it more serious !!

One thing I forgot last night was the nitty gritty.

The board is distributed by AHD UK Limited -
telephone number 023 80894333 and costs £879

and they are actually in stock and available.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You say: "'Slightly slimmer - a little more nose rocker, tuck that ass in slightly . . . make it more serious !!"

I guess you are speaking of the Gong Nanaogene, which predates the Nah Skwell 78
http://www.gongsup.com/Nanogene-7-7.html?lang=en

(I have the nah skwell 96 for the kids, but it is much more heavy than my Gong/Drop, which are much better built)

csx355 said...

Hi - thanks for dropping by - I have never seen a Nanogene in the flesh - I have seen them on the Gong site and always assumed that they were too far beyond my limits (weight and skill).

The more that I ride the Nah Skwell the better that it seems to get as you would expect, obviously it has it's limitations, the board has zero glide so it has to 'fall' into the wave fairly late but it does make me smile.

I have just fitted 6" fins instead of the standard 9". That was fun this morning in some lumpy onshore swell. Less stable at rest (I fell in more) but it surfed fine.

I was under the impression that the boards are made in the same factory as Gong. Quality seems excellent so far.

Colas said...

yes they are built in the same factory, but using the lower quality process (similar to Gong "proteck" construction). Nice quality but heavier and less dynamics.

csx355 said...

Hi Colas
It does seem that there are quite a few different methods / levels of board construction coming out of the same factories at the moment. I guess that if the board does the job and the cost is acceptable it is good value. It does seem to be fairly light to me in comparison with my other boards. What do you ride?

Colas said...

I started (briefly) with the sealion (7'6"), and a nah skwell 9'6", but am now wth a Drops Vulcan (8'11"). I only could see the Nah Skwell 7'8" in shops. Actually I am doing the opposite progression of most people: I started small, and grow bigger (my next board will be a 9'11"). if you have a good shape and light construction, especially forwards, you can still go - relatively - big and have both glide and maniability.

Anonymous said...

csx355 - how heavy are you and what do you think the weight -limits will be on the 7'8"?

I am over 110 kgs, so i think I would be pushing my luck on a board like this.

csx355 said...

Hi anon thanks for stopping by - I am 90kgs and although I am at what the manufacturer states is the upper limit of the board I would reckon it would take a few more kg's. I would say I'm average ability. 110kgs would be pushing it a bit though. Where are you? If you are in Cornwall you are welcome to try mine. What it does show however is that bigger guys can ride smaller boards - Imagine what an 8'8" version would float and still be a short board.

Colas - absolutely agree with volume to the front - my Bonga is 'pear shaped' and has good glide.

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