Harbour HP1 vs. 6'1" Shortboard!
31Mar2011 Harbour HP1 vs. 6’1″ Shortboard!
We’ve had quite some buzz around our HP1 model lately so I felt this would be a great opportunity to elaborate on this fun model!
What is the HP1?
The HP1 model is our highest performing single fin longboard currently in our production line; hence the name HP1=High Performance Single Fin. It’ll do anything from riding the barrel, to making tight turns to noseriding!
What fin works best with this board?
This board really shines with our HP fin…the fin has a wide base for drive and stability and a flexy midpoint to get you a burst of energy to snap you out of your turn and down the line. Remember: Inch of fin per foot of board. If you ride a 9’0″ board…ride it with a 9″ fin. If you ride a 9’6″ board…ride it with a 9.5″ fin. You get the idea!
What is different about this board?
Besides the fin, the shape alone on the HP1 calls for quite an aggressive style of surfing. This board is thinned out with a fair amount of rocker and a pulled in tail…all factors that a high performance surfboard possesses and what a cruiser-type model does not. Example, there is a difference between an old Cadillac (cruiser models) and a Porsche (high performance models)! Thinner boards are easier to set on rail and turn because it is easier to sink the rail into the water and effectively turn the board at will. Boards with more rocker (bend in the board) fit easier into the pocket of the wave. Waves aren’t flat so why ride a surfboard that’s flat?? A flat surfboard in a curvy wave will certainly act like a shovel (unless you’re one of those crazy cats on those wooden alaias!) rocker will also allow for you to step back on the board to pull the nose up and out of the water to make a quicker turn. Lastly, the pulled in tail allows for tight arcs on your turns. Wide tails will yield wide turns…small, narrow or pulled in tails (like the HP1) will yield a tight turn!
Show me the proof!
If you take a look at the picture, the green board on the left is a 9’0″ HP1. The board on the right is my standard 6’1″ shortboard. You can see that the tail on the 9’0″ HP1 is actually pulled in more than the tail on my 6’1″ shortboard!! This is insane! What does this mean? You can surf this 9’0″ HP1 as if it’s a shortboard! Sure, it won’t turn as quickly as my 6’1″ shortboard because you still have three more feet of board in front of you which means you still have more swing weight but you better believe this thing turns quick for a longboard of legal length. Boards 9’0″ and above are considered to be of legal longboard length in contests.
We heard the upside…what’s the downside?
you will have to put a little more effort into your paddling if you want to catch a wave on this board. If you’re used to riding shortboards, this thing will paddle like a walk in the park. If you’re used to riding standard longboard cruiser models (San-Os, Rapiers, Bananas) then this model will be a bit of a challenge.
If you’re looking to have a longboard that turns extremely well and you’re not ready to step down to a shorter board, try the HP1 out! Come on by the shop and our staff would be more than happy to pull one down off the rack and talk board design with you. A wave, a bar of wax and a sense of humor all help!
I hope this answered a few of your guys’ questions. If you have any more, please feel free to call us at (562) 430-5614 or email us at contact@harboursurfboards.com ATTN: Jake. Thanks for reading!
