Author Topic: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".  (Read 10531 times)

SUPcheat

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Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« on: January 31, 2015, 04:59:12 PM »
I bought a modestly used Prowave 2013 Innegra Carbon 9’3” today.  My Vernor is already becoming a beater and I have  been fixing it so often, I was hoping a Prowave would be a sturdier long term prospect. I am a board destructor whether I like it or not. I will interleave using the two boards for a while and then keep the Vernor as an injured reserve board.  I really like the Vernor, it has been so good to me for my minor skill advancements, but the beating  and breaking so much has been annoying.

After struggling with the usual angst questions of whether shorter or longer, I decided that at my skill level going a little thinner and longer in a performance board would be all I could tolerate for a while. If my skill levels and balance continue to improve, I can concern myself with the shorter boards later.  After my initial run with the Prowave, I am thinking that might not even be necessary.

Took it out in low tide conditions today.  I told the people at the beach who noted the new board that I was ramping up my yuppie bozo pretentiousness with a board that outclassed me, and please don’t laugh at me as I knee paddle it out and fall off of it for a while.

I am nobody to be writing any type of meaningful review for experienced surfers like Supthecreek etc. but I was able to make some grommy observations.

It was a pretty good day to take out a new board because it was relatively calm. I planned to mostly practice knee paddle and self rescue and try to get used to the balance point.  It is sure a different creature than my Vernor.

However, I was able to stand up on it maneuver it without a lot of trouble for a new balance paradigm.  It does tip more, but it also untips pretty quickly with modest input.  I hadn’t planned on surfing it much, but caught about eight waves on it.  Very sweet drop in, much easier turning than my Vernor, although I am still very grom at the turning equation. It snaps around more easily and because of the thinner rails, sidewise white water doesn’t seem to snag it as much, it slides more.  It in fact seems to handle like a shorter board, more snappy and turn-ey for sure than my Vernor.  I have so far had to stand pretty far forward on it and it likes a modest surf stance even for regular stand up, kind of like an L41.

It looks like it won’t be a tortuous learning curve with this board, even though it is 2 1/4” more narrow than the Vernor, and the board is very light and easy to handle. It also has very nice glide, more than I thought it would, and could be a decent short range touring board.

Unfortunately, I already dinged the rails with my paddle a bit. So, my destructive tendencies are intact.  I am not going to take it out again until I get rail tape on it.

All in all, I am pleased with the decision to go slightly longer and narrower and am looking forward to learning this board.  It looks like it will be more fun than struggle.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2015, 05:07:39 PM by SUPcheat »
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

supthecreek

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2015, 06:37:27 PM »
WOW cheat... that a big boy board you got there :)

The LTDs are a bit tender to paddle and knee wacks... be gentle with her, not a board to wrestle with.

The Prowave , as noted, has great secondary stability, and can take you as far as you want to go on the performance end. It's a good paddler and likes feet better than knees, because your knees won't feedback as quickly as you feet.... so stand up... and got o the next level. That board will punch through waves very easily, so no need to knee.

Look at my pictorial on how to turn with compression and extension in the thread linked below (at the bottom of page 3)
The only way to learn is to take chances and fall a LOT.

http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,3429.30.html


stoneaxe

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2015, 07:12:36 PM »
Nice board, have fun.

Best advice you can get is to get off your knees. It can be tempting sometimes I know all too well but the best way to get better is to stand up as much as you possibly can. I basically figure if I'm not falling I'm not learning and kneeling does not give me the balance therapy I need.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

SUPcheat

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2015, 07:16:50 PM »
Thanks, Creek, my repertoire has always been a mixed bag of kneeling and standing, probably based on my late age ingress into the sport and my learning curve.  I guess I trail my bad habits, but I also kind of like knee paddling and kayaking because it really lets me work my back and torso in ways that standing up doesn't.

  The last couple of months it's been a lot about my torn left knee, which is finally diminishing to a smaller and smaller rotary pain point so I can start to be more aggressive in my squatting and pushing on the board.  I have also started standing for longer and longer sessions again because standing is actually easier once you get used to it.

Of course, when I see somebody else knee paddling I think, "Wow, what a friggin' weenie" as I Pocahontas paddle by. It's OK when I do it, but anybody else doing it must be retarded.
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

Zooport

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2015, 08:18:59 PM »
Really nice looking board there, Cheat!  I expect it will surf as good as it looks.  Hope you have a blast on it. 
8'6 Soul Compass
9'1 Sunova Creek
9'6 WaveStorm SUP
9'8 Starboard Element

wetdogsoup

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2015, 08:19:46 PM »
Beautiful board!

And I really like the idea of going a tad longer yet narrower.  Increase the glide and surfability with a lower volume , lighter weight performance shaped board.

Rock on!


stoneaxe

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2015, 06:37:19 AM »
Its definitely all personal. If you have reason to or even if you just like knee paddling, do what you like. I've had to do it a lot over the years when my head goes south but for me it's a bit of a defeat. What others think?....ppfffftt....I fart in their general direction. Enjoy the board my friend.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

JimK

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2015, 12:44:44 PM »
Enjoy your new board
might I suggest something I learned from a paddling buddy (and zone lurker) 3M Door Trim Tape on the paddle edge ... I know PONO doesn't approve but I can't feel any difference with or without it (I do feel the difference with other paddle edge guards)
It is clear, tough and cheap and it'll save your board & Paddle

Enjoy
JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com

SUPcheat

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2015, 01:40:30 PM »
Thanks, JimK, I think I am going to get the Rail Saver Pro paddle product.  The Rail Saver Pro is really a tough product and has served my Vernor board very well with the rail tape.

From my one session, I think the Prowave likes me and we are going to have fun together.  The 95-99 percent time cruising and snapping around, as well the 1-5 percent time on the waves.

A year ago, I didn't have much in the way of formed elements to decide on a particular board. I got the Vernor because of dimensions and five fin boxes. The Vernor has a concave to double concave underside and general surf shape with width for floatiness and I got to try it before buying.  It is really a nice board, albeit with noted fragilities, but I am hoping the Prowave will kick me up a notch when I catch up with it and last a while in sturdiness.

I saw the You Tube video where an innegra board was run over twice by a truck and just sprung back, so I guess it is the carbon parts that are most fragile.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2015, 01:56:23 PM by SUPcheat »
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

SUPcheat

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2015, 02:26:23 PM »
After getting rail tape and a rubber nose pasty on my newly acquired Prowave 9’3’ 134L, I took it out again for a second session.  Conditions were more challenging today, though not the extreme by far, with a lot of churn and shore break. 

Yeah, I had some challenge standing up and balancing it today.  It ’s going to take me a while to develop some neuromuscular maps for it, but I am still very happy that I believe it is do-able for me with some time and practice.  The board has some advantages as well over something wider and with thicker rails like my Vernor.  It feels like it is lubricated on the water and slide-ier, but in a good way.  White water doesn’t engage it, it punches through the white stuff pretty easily and doesn’t catch a rail so much. It has a stable but delicate secondary balance that looks like it could be very useful when I dial it in.  I almost felt I could ride it around with just my right foot.

The board is also frisky with a built in tension.  Some performance cars have that kind of tension where they just challenge you to drive them hard.  The board seems to say, “Get off your butt and RIDE me, dammit!”.

My 75 yo, 170 pound neighbor was out there  with me and wanted to try the Prowave, so we switched boards after about 45 minutes and I got to try his recently built Pearson Arrow custom 9’1”x32 3/4.

I saw my neighbor ride some waves on the Prowave, and he looked amazing.  He owned the whole wave face on it with a couple of shoulder to head high waves.  He didn’t look like a slightly stiff older man, he looked like a 35 year old.  He went up and down from lip to face with real ease on the Prowave.  He wasn’t thrashing, but he was riding like there was just no part of the wave he couldn’t use at will and RELAXED.  I told him he looked like he was born in Hawaii on that board.

He kept the Prowave for the rest of the session and brought it back home and I kept his board and brought it back home.

He told me back home he absolutely loved the Prowave and didn’t want to give it back.  He said he had the longest, best ride on it he has ever had in Santa Cruz, going from Shark’s break all the way over to deep around Privates.  He actually planted a hand kiss on the Prowave and thanked it for giving him his best ride in memory.  He said that he just had to “think” about where he wanted the board to go on the wave and it went there by itself.

On the other hand, for somebody my size and weight, his Pearson Arrow 9’1” was just great.  It is the first board I have ever ridden where I actually felt some confidence.  Me and confidence in athletic endeavors is a rare event.  I could step around on it, sink the rails without getting queasy, I could rotate it on the lip of small waves with my feet.  Balance is brilliant on this board, and it is pretty easy to turn. It has a slightly domed effect on the deck with narrower rails than my Vernor.  It is  nicer board to ride, stand on and surf than my Vernor and a lot better the Jerry Lopez Surf Music 34”.  Catching and riding  waves was pretty dreamy, and I could roll off without destabilizing. I have to say kudos to Bob Pearson for shaping this gem for my neighbor.

Even in my grommy state of progress, I can tell the Prowave is  better overall even than the Pearson Arrow when it is actually on the wave, but my neighbor’s custom Pearson Arrow is fantastic as an all around and pleasurable board to ride.  I actually didn’t expect that the Pearson Arrow would be that much fun.

Hoping I can get the Prowave up to balance speed for me after ten to fifteen sessions and start having the sensations my neighbor was describing.

So my neighbor is thinking about buying a Prowave now,  and I am thinking about selling the Vernor for leftovers and getting a clone of his Pearson Arrow as my “stable” board.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2015, 03:16:13 PM by SUPcheat »
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

Fog City Rider

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2015, 02:32:19 PM »
Why don't you guys just trade boards?! 
San Diego, CA
10'0 Naish Nalu Pro (2017 version)
9'0 Pearson Arrow Laird custom
9'3 Pearson Arrow custom (prone)
9'8 Takayama In the Pink (prone)

SUPcheat

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2015, 02:43:52 PM »
Why don't you guys just trade boards?!

Yeah, I am thinking we could just share our quivers and split repair costs.  He still likes my Vernor, too.  The Prowave is my "next level" challenge board, which is why I got it.  I am just going to mix the boards up at my leisure until I can improve on the Prowave.
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

supthecreek

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2015, 06:34:12 PM »
First time I met Mr Big
I was on my 3 week old 10'6 Hobie RAW
He was on a 3 week old 8'11 Hobie RAW

I liked his, he liked mine.... never knew his name, traded even right there in the line-up.
Great trade for both, friends ever since. :)

Pic is the official handshake to seal the deal, after the session.

SUPcheat

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2015, 07:33:47 PM »
Wow, Creek, I didn't think they made Hobie Raws that big.
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

SUPcheat

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Re: Bought a used 2013 Prowave LTD 9'3".
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2015, 07:58:35 PM »
A pix of my neighbor's Pearson Arrow 9'1" (2"?)x 32.75"
2013 Fanatic Prowave LTD 9'3"x30.5x@134L
Sunova Speeed 8'10"x29.12@131L
Sunova Flow 8'7"x30.25"@121L
Carbon 9.3x32@163L Hammer
Me: 6'1"@230 lbs 68 years old

 


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