JP  8’1” SURF
PRO EDITION
TEST REVIEW.

Verdict
A solid feeling board which has been slowly refined over the years, the 8’1” JP offers loads of speed and precise control. It’s super quick on a wave and snappy off the top if you push it. The 8’1” JP Surf with its Innegra rails and sandwich deck is built to last but still super light for its size. With the slightly lower nose rocker the JP is stable for its size; it slips into waves easily and will hold its line in just about any surf. If you’re looking for a performance wave board that will last a few years, this quick board should be high on your list of options; it’s flattering to ride and sharp as you can get.

Overview
The JP’s feel very solid in the Pro edition. On deck up front there’s a camera insert, a fairly flat deck and small ledge handle, windsurf insert, three part deck pad with kick pad and centre arch in tail, and a single leash point. Underneath the board come with single concave blended into double through to a V in the tail. The fins are straight (not towed in) to provide more speed. Also the rear centre fin has an extra insert so it can be moved further forward. Rails are soft up front and hard in the tail, comes as a tri fin but has quad boxes on the rails.

Brand claim
The JP-Australia Surf range is designed for the “no-compromise”, top to bottom performance in proper surf conditions for riders of all sizes. The whole Surf line has unique features; single to double concave flowing into a V tail, pulled in nose and tail, progressive rocker line and thin rails. All of the Pro boards come with a 5 fin setup option and 3 fins. All come with 3 FCS plugs for the centre fin position instead of the US box to keep the weight down to a minimum. The Pro layup of our Surf boards has no carbon as we believe that carbon makes the boards too stiff for the surf. We have kept a natural flex pattern with strategic dual density sandwich layup and optimised fibre direction. No more paint chipping: Innegra on the Pro boards adds the abrasion resistance but it doesn’t add stiffness as we didn’t want to alter the flex pattern of the boards.

Performance
JP’s 8’1” Surf is a tough attractive package, maybe the colour might not be to everyone’s personal taste this year but we loved its fresh tint. This board is the fastest wave board we’ve tested and feels super sharp too. OK there are better turning boards out there arguably but we enjoy speed and this board felt like a rocket ship! The slightly fuller shoulders of the board make catching waves easier than most, and the thinned out rails and narrower tail at the back gives you confidence in less than ideal conditions. Going back to the build of this board, it feels really solid and had no signs of wear after some rigorous testing, unlike a lot of light boards we’ve seen. The tough exciting ride of the 8’1” will no doubt will give years of excitement ahead of you, it’s easier than a lot of 100L SUP boards we’ve used and hides the volume a bit further forward so feels a touch bigger than you’d expect. Yes, we really enjoyed the JP, yes the handle was the smallest on test, but it’s not really an issue with a board of this size. It could be considered expensive, but you get a lot of advanced construction inside this board.
Overall, a very refined board which should last for years and certainly something you won’t get bored of, start saving and bite the bullet, you’ll thank yourself. 

www.jp-australia.com

OTHER BOARDS IN THIS TEST:

• Bic 11’6 Performer Tough 
• Fanatic 8’5 ProWave LTD 
• JP 8’1” Surf Pro Edition 
• RRD  I-Wave Pro V2 8’0 
• Starboard Longboard 9’0 Pinetec

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