LOCO EL DIABLO 8’9 TEST REVIEW
Verdict
Loco’s El Diablo is a straight-ahead performance surf SUP. There is no truncating of length or stuffing of volume or other artifices. The magic turns on when you need it: on the wave. And is found where you need it: in the tail. Outside of that, El Diablo is full of pleasant surprises. It’s fun to paddle and tracks great, glides into waves and is hard to fall off of. This is a hard-hitting banger for bigger, powerful riders at a great price. Double thumbs up.
Overview
This brushed-carbon El Diablo carries an inch-perfect classic shortboard template. 8’9 x 30” is proportionate and looks sleek and purposeful with a wide point just forward of halfway. Nose rocker is generous and a lift at the tail suggests this big ripper will fit nicely in the wave pocket. Rails are soft blending to hard towards the rounded square tail.
You get four FCS boxes plus a US Centre and five performance fins supplied. We liked two plus one configuration for big rumbly days and quad set up for slashy turns.
Brand Claim
The El Diablo takes performance shortboard paddle surfing to the next level. If you’re looking for one board to travel with that will excel in all size waves the El Diablo is the logical choice. Now in it’s fifth iteration the El Diablo already has quite the following. Unsurprisingly it has been a test favourite with SUP International offering unrivalled speed, power and flow. With a choice of 2 lightweight constructions the El Diablo is geared towards responsiveness, feel and feedback. Our paulownia wood offers a great entry level price point while brushed carbon gives the aficionados our lightest most durable layout without breaking the bank!
Performance
We are huge fans of the 8’2 and were keen to see how the DNA is shared with this bigger sibling. When you aren’t on a wave this El Diablo has excellent manners and has all the tools you need to catch one. Stable, tracks great, rolls in with a few easy strokes.
Once you’re surfing, the excellent tail on the El Diablo takes over. It has the lift you need to bring the nose up clear for a tight cutback or re-entry. More importantly, Loco have kept the tail volume down so you can drive arc hard off the bottom and really drive off of the inside rail. This is not a small board but it leaps forward in powerful surf and loves to climb high up the wave.
By playing with the fin set ups you can cover a very broad spectrum of wave energy from 2ft and reeling to 10ft and rumbling. At 126 litres, this version is for cruiserweights and above or powerful super middleweights that want to max out on wave count.
SUP | Hard & Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards & Accessories For Sale UK (locosurfing.com)
Vital Stats
Price: £1899 including Board bag 5 fins and a leash.
Vital Stats
Length: 8’9’’
Width: 30’’
Thickness: 4 1/16’’
Volume: 126 litres
Fins: 4 x FCS plus 1 US Centre