Puddle Jumper HP Round vs regular ol' PJ?

Jul 21, 2015
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Seems like round Pj would be ideal in sloped yet semi powerful points like Pleasure Point HH and under, better than squash.
Depends how many longboards you are competing with lol. I could see a lot of merit to this board in that zone though.

I had a couple late-ish drops on mine t. The board is remarkably stable and has so much inherent speed. Yesterday it was too fast as a quad when there is some size... even if slopey.

The front half of the board is similar to my 5.5 short round. It’s almost as if he melded the short round with a og pj. The pjhprt is noticeably wider in the back half though. Pjhprt Rocker is lower in front and rear then the SR.

looking forward to giving it a go in more punch waves // hollowed waves this weekend. Ifall goes well I could see my SHORT round and SS2 dws being on the chopping block. and I really like both of those boards.

This pjhp feels like a grovel stubby fattened up version of an SD2. Just works so far every time I surf it.
 

chilly1

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Depends how many longboards you are competing with lol. I could see a lot of merit to this board in that zone though.

I had a couple late-ish drops on mine t. The board is remarkably stable and has so much inherent speed. Yesterday it was too fast as a quad when there is some size... even if slopey.

The front half of the board is similar to my 5.5 short round. It’s almost as if he melded the short round with a og pj. The pjhprt is noticeably wider in the back half though. Pjhprt Rocker is lower in front and rear then the SR.

looking forward to giving it a go in more punch waves // hollowed waves this weekend. Ifall goes well I could see my SHORT round and SS2 dws being on the chopping block. and I really like both of those boards.

This pjhp feels like a grovel stubby fattened up version of an SD2. Just works so far every time I surf it.
Nice! My PJ and PJHP (both squash). I have had those out there in conditions like that, exactly same feeling, is why I envisioned round fitting better. Thruster even better, Mine are 6.0-6.1 42L and have never tried anything except the controller quad set. I couldn't imagine a thruster set that would work with that large of a board/tail. My windows to surf are scarce and I didnt want to risk precious time experimenting. Maybe someone on this post has tried?
 
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Jul 21, 2015
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I dont know about the controllers or seaworthy fins. I tried them in a lazy boy and rv but just never wow-ed me or made me feel like i was surfing better.

Depending on the wave i could see using an SF4 as a quad, MB (large) as a tri, and a MR twin plus trailer and having tons of range. ironically those are the same i use in my SS2 dws and experience similar result --- tons of range.

I will try a thruster this weekend and let you know how it goes.

i will say the c4 tech construction is nice and light and lively in a good way. the one observation i have about it is the concave and vee both do not feel as defined as the standard poly versions i felt up in the shop.
 
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chilly1

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I love my Seaworthys, they fly and arc(really nicely) in slopier pockets but not suited for straight up or tight pocket turns. *for me, fairly certain I am larger scale and would find those too big on smaller equipment certainly
 
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Mar 13, 2019
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I ran Seaworthy's on my 5'2" PJ for awhile and really liked 'em, but I agree with chilly1's assessment. Now I'm running Rasta quads and it's kinda the best of both words - still fast but more agile. Also ran Gorilla Handclaps (PC2 template?) with QD2 rears and it worked ok, but a little too small in bigger/stronger surf. I never really liked it as a thruster.
 
Jul 21, 2015
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Ok tried it as a thruster and was a bit disappointed. Granted the waves were not as good as the few sessions before as a quad. I am not ruling out a thruster at this point but will be sure to set the default configuration as a quad until convinced otherwise, lol. SF4 seem to work so darn well. Fast. I will try MB fins in the font with sf4 trailers to see if it makes any difference. I also want to try it as a tin plus trailer when the waves are small.
 

Chile Verde

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Ok tried it as a thruster and was a bit disappointed. Granted the waves were not as good as the few sessions before as a quad. I am not ruling out a thruster at this point but will be sure to set the default configuration as a quad until convinced otherwise, lol. SF4 seem to work so darn well. Fast. I will try MB fins in the font with sf4 trailers to see if it makes any difference. I also want to try it as a tin plus trailer when the waves are small.
I have a PJHP and when ridden as a thruster it goes well frontside but was awful going backside. So bad that I almost sold it. Saw the Noel SalsaI review and he recommended riding it as a quad so I decided to try and now it goes amazing. A buddy of mine (who surfs competely differnt than me) has a similar shape and said the same thing about his board & the fin set up.
 

chilly1

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Slightly off topic... curious if anyone running/enjoying the Controllers or Seaworthy fins try swapping in the Machados?


I love the seaworthys in this model (or like kind design 40L+) but these certainly look like they could be a nice alternative.

Thanks!!
 

SeaFoamGreen

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If you are looking at the PJHP vs OGPJ maybe take a good look at the Rad Ripper? Its basically the tail off the Lib Tech version with a narrower nose as far as the outline goes. Had a PJ years ago, which was good but currently have a Rad Ripper and it grovels quite well. Also like it because it's less stubby and closer to a standard SB in length and covers a wide range. I try to stick to 3 or 4 board quiver, so dig the boards that cover a good range, a board I can throw in my rig, hike into a beach sight unseen and fit the bill. Rad Ripper has been an excellent daily driver, prob similar to PJHP in range, just a bit of a different trip.
 
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4daBOYZ

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Jul 27, 2011
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looking at the Fling and puddle jumper RP for something for summer, which one paddles better? im 6'0 230 too and trying to figure out dims is a pain. something like 6'0 x 22 x 3 would go good?
 

20W-50 and blood

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looking at the Fling and puddle jumper RP for something for summer, which one paddles better? im 6'0 230 too and trying to figure out dims is a pain. something like 6'0 x 22 x 3 would go good?
unless you are dealing with age/rust, you easily could go shorter. i rode somethign stubbier at 5'10x260something and the board was 5'10x22x3 with tons of float.
 
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Aruka

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Feb 23, 2010
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looking at the Fling and puddle jumper RP for something for summer, which one paddles better? im 6'0 230 too and trying to figure out dims is a pain. something like 6'0 x 22 x 3 would go good?
I have a regular PJ and a Fling, both 5-8's. They paddle and catch waves very similarly. I can't say one really stands out above the other in that regard. Fling surfs a bit more fishy with the fat tail, PJ a little more pivotal, more like a squashed down shortboard. If you are going as long as 6-0 I think the PJ round would be a better call since I have a feeling it would turn better than a 6-0 Fling. Fling tail is massive and board is meant to be ridden short. If you wanted to go custom, maybe in some short and fat dims, I would recommend the Fling because Super is much better to deal with than Lost for customs IMO.
 
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kool-aid

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I have a PJ HP in carbon wrap that I like A LOT. Grovels super well and when those weak sessions occasionally throw up a fun shoulder you can attack it.

I don't think I'd trade the squash tail version for a round tail in exchange for whatever added upper end you get out of it unless you happen to spend a lot of time at a super soft but rippable wave that gets HH or above where you're planning on using that board. That's a pretty unique situation so put another way, just stick with the squash.

I feel like I can get away with the PJ HP as a pure groveler up here in SF but if I was in So Cal I'd probably go for the standard PJ. Also, I think Carbon Wrap is one of the best alt constructions out there and really shines in boards for small waves so don't shy away from that construction.

I would not suggest comparing the Rad Ripper with the Puddle Jumper. The Rad Ripper does grovel surprisingly well but it takes a good amount of work and doesn't really shine in that dept. It has a much higher upper range than even a PJ HP. I would agree that it makes a really solid daily driver but I don't think it serves as a true groveler option.
 
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kdropin

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how are you guys sizing these? Im looking to get a pjhp or the pjhp round for a daily driver here on the east coast. say thigh to shoulder.

i keep going back and forth with the round tail bc waves around here can get hollow even at a smaller size especially the inside sections..i really like the look of the rp... easy on the eyes for sure.. but don´t want to loose the float and speed that the board was meant for though.. 99 percent beachbreaks.. iḿ about 165 can surf pretty well although im now 41 but still in pretty good shape.. 5´6 or 5´7 on both versions i was eying up
 
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ciscojaws

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how are you guys sizing these? Im looking to get a pjhp or the pjhp round for a daily driver here on the east coast. say thigh to shoulder.

i keep going back and forth with the round tail bc waves around here can get hollow even at a smaller size especially the inside sections..i really like the look of the rp... easy on the eyes for sure.. but don´t want to loose the float and speed that the board was meant for though.. 99 percent beachbreaks.. iḿ about 165 can surf pretty well although im now 41 but still in pretty good shape.. 5´6 or 5´7 on both versions i was eying up
I've been thinking about the same thing - I was thinking a round tail with twins for the really small days around here.
 

kool-aid

Michael Peterson status
Aug 28, 2003
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If you like the look of the round tail you should totally go for it. I'm sure it would be a super fun board.

My PJHP is basically the same volume as my everyday shortboard. I didn't size up and I'm glad of glad I didn't as it paddles super well and catches waves easily. For me, that's a 5'7 OTR which I actually bought used. If I went up to the 5'8 I'd probably enjoy the volume but feel like the board is too wide and get frustrated when it gets a bit more fun or snappy. Sometimes I find over-volumed boards to be a hindrance, especially in small, tight beach breaks.

If I were ordering a custom, I would probably bump up the volume by keeping the same height and width (5'7 x 20.25) and adding a touch of thickness (2.5). In you're case I'd probably lean towards the 5'7 unless you typically ride boards with less volume than 30.5L.

Hope that helps.
 
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ciscojaws

Michael Peterson status
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If you like the look of the round tail you should totally go for it. I'm sure it would be a super fun board.

My PJHP is basically the same volume as my everyday shortboard. I didn't size up and I'm glad of glad I didn't as it paddles super well and catches waves easily. For me, that's a 5'7 OTR which I actually bought used. If I went up to the 5'8 I'd probably enjoy the volume but feel like the board is too wide and get frustrated when it gets a bit more fun or snappy. Sometimes I find over-volumed boards to be a hindrance, especially in small, tight beach breaks.

If I were ordering a custom, I would probably bump up the volume by keeping the same height and width (5'7 x 20.25) and adding a touch of thickness (2.5). In you're case I'd probably lean towards the 5'7 unless you typically ride boards with less volume than 30.5L.

Hope that helps.
Hey kool-aid how does it go on the really small stuff (true knee-waist) at your everyday volume?
 
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kool-aid

Michael Peterson status
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The board will fly if it's waist-high pretty much regardless of the conditions. I would not recommend the board for above waist high and if it's waist high and draining it's actually pretty hard to surf.

Knee to thigh-high is doable if there's a pulse behind it and the board is still very fun in those conditions. If it's knee-high and gutless it will get going but just barely. Keep in mind I'm not a huge dude (180lbs) so your mileage may vary based on that criteria as well.
 
Jul 21, 2015
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I rode my pjhp round over the weekend in chest high to head high surf as a thruster (Mb L). It was a bit to much fin but that board screams. 6th gear WFO LIKE A CR 500 2 stroke from the 90s!!! Gonna opt for my regular shortboard am2 (M) and see if I get wild. 5.4 is short but versatile. Small and punchy barrel it fits it. Larger point it also fits. My Liters on it is 27, My ogpj squash is 29, my ss2 sws is 26.5, my sd2 is 26. I think somewhere between hpsb and grovel is ideal.
 
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