Board: 5'9" x ~21" x ~2.4" Shawn Ambrose stringerless, bat-tailed EPS Sputnik quad.
Rider: 6'1" x 175 lbs., 40 year old landlocked 9-5'er.<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I've had this board about 2 months and have ridden it primarily in small waves (ankle high to head high plus) in LA, Orange, and San Diego county. I recently took it on a trip to Central America.
I'm still learning how to ride this thing, but I can say that it is the fastest small-wave board I've ever had. Paddles great, catches waves easily and planes through the flat spots remarkably well. The waves on my Central America trip were small and mediocre, with predominately onshore winds, and this board absolutely made the trip. I could go out in sloppy, onshore, head high beachbreak for hours and still have a lot of fun. With my normal shortboard I might not have even paddled out, but this board opens up a ton of possibilities in marginal conditions. It's skatey and fun and feels like cheating because I know I would be struggling if I were on my usual shortboard.
The Sputnik generates a lot of interest; it's unusual and unique, especially with Shawn's "Flex-Drive", and on my recent trip it was the board that everyone wanted to pick up and take a look at. I've gotten comments and compliments from random people in the water too, which is nice for an aging kook like me.<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
The board is set up with Lok-Box and I'm using glass fins in Shawn's template (with the small rear fins). They're positioned right on the shaper's mark and I wouldn't change anything about this set-up.
Anyways here are a few pics from the trip; this was a session at a soft wave with a cobblestone bottom, the conditions were relatively clean that morning (it was the only time the guide took shots the whole week):
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Rider: 6'1" x 175 lbs., 40 year old landlocked 9-5'er.<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I've had this board about 2 months and have ridden it primarily in small waves (ankle high to head high plus) in LA, Orange, and San Diego county. I recently took it on a trip to Central America.
I'm still learning how to ride this thing, but I can say that it is the fastest small-wave board I've ever had. Paddles great, catches waves easily and planes through the flat spots remarkably well. The waves on my Central America trip were small and mediocre, with predominately onshore winds, and this board absolutely made the trip. I could go out in sloppy, onshore, head high beachbreak for hours and still have a lot of fun. With my normal shortboard I might not have even paddled out, but this board opens up a ton of possibilities in marginal conditions. It's skatey and fun and feels like cheating because I know I would be struggling if I were on my usual shortboard.
The Sputnik generates a lot of interest; it's unusual and unique, especially with Shawn's "Flex-Drive", and on my recent trip it was the board that everyone wanted to pick up and take a look at. I've gotten comments and compliments from random people in the water too, which is nice for an aging kook like me.<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
The board is set up with Lok-Box and I'm using glass fins in Shawn's template (with the small rear fins). They're positioned right on the shaper's mark and I wouldn't change anything about this set-up.
Anyways here are a few pics from the trip; this was a session at a soft wave with a cobblestone bottom, the conditions were relatively clean that morning (it was the only time the guide took shots the whole week):
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