So DJ whats the verdict on the Maliko?
I have last years, and I love it on days like the one in your vid. It just seems to catch the bumps and go.
The nose buries itself occasionally, but seems to just push through with out losing speed.
Naish have really nailed it this year David, that new Maliko of yours appears to get on and stay on those runners with such ease. I am sure the motor standing on the board has a lot to do with it. 
Great vid.
Nice vid again, DJ.
How well does the Maliko surf, in waist to head-high stuff, relative to other hybrid-type or DW boards (eg. All Star, Fanatic Falcon, Bark Vapor, SIC Bullet V2 etc etc). Can you actually turn it (albeit slowly, in a 14ft board fashion) on a wave without being Kai Lenny?
Would it make a good board for a PPG-type surf race or will the Naish riders be using the 2017 Javs there instead?
Select to expand quotekikaha said..
So DJ whats the verdict on the Maliko?
I have last years, and I love it on days like the one in your vid. It just seems to catch the bumps and go.
The nose buries itself occasionally, but seems to just push through with out losing speed.
I found a noticeable improvement over last years Maliko the way the nose pearls..
The new shape is slightly more pointy and has a more cutting edge that slices through the water a little better and does it with less splash..
These Maliko's do love to catch a bump and go.. 
Select to expand quotenosaj27 said..
Naish have really nailed it this year David, that new Maliko of yours appears to get on and stay on those runners with such ease. I am sure the motor standing on the board has a lot to do with it. Great vid.
I'm really not that good but Naish do seem to have nailed it with this board.. I can't wait to get it out in really wild conditions.. 
Select to expand quoteArea10 said..
Nice vid again, DJ.
How well does the Maliko surf, in waist to head-high stuff, relative to other hybrid-type or DW boards (eg. All Star, Fanatic Falcon, Bark Vapor, SIC Bullet V2 etc etc). Can you actually turn it (albeit slowly, in a 14ft board fashion) on a wave without being Kai Lenny?
Would it make a good board for a PPG-type surf race or will the Naish riders be using the 2017 Javs there instead?
A10 it surfs better than any other Glide/Jav that I've used but that low nose rocker does require some concentration to prevent pearling.. I think if you're in big'ish surf and you get that slight bounce in the nose from being so far back on the tail or you feel the tail being lifted suddenly by the wave before getting back I'm thinking the thicker boof'ier nose of the other boards will resist pearling more..
I'm glad that Naish have not gone the big volume boof nose way like Fanatic/DC/Starboard have because I like a board that doesn't mine poking its nose under at speed and behaves itself when it does.. I think SIC are on the same page with their Bullets and but who knows.. maybe one day even SIC and Naish will go that way but I hope not..
I took these pictures at my local sup shop (The Zu) the other day and you can see how much boof'ier the Fanatics have gone for next year and they may make DW'ing slightly easier because they are almost impossible to pearl the high volume has a major down fall IMO when it comes to strong side winds because the high volume catches the wind and gets blown down wind making it very hard to hold your line if the winds not lined up perfectly..
The other thing about the high volume boof nose is if you pearl really deep the board will almost stop and fire you out backwards..
Hey DJ, I've never done an open water downwinder but it's definitely in my future. What are you carrying in the bum bag with the orange tag hanging out the back?
Select to expand quoteBretto74 said...
Hey DJ, I've never done an open water downwinder but it's definitely in my future. What are you carrying in the bum bag with the orange tag hanging out the back?
Inflatable PFD.. drinking bladder.. small flare.. and spare rope incase I break a leash..
Thanks very much, DJ, those a great pictures of the noses of the Maliko/Falcon/All Star. They really show what a HUGE difference in design concept there is.
I entirely agree with you about big volume noses in side winds and when quartering swell. Although I think it might be more about the balance of the areas that are presented to the waves/wind rather than just the nose. So, for instance, the Ace doesn't do as badly as you'd think in side winds because the rails at the tail are almost as high as those at the nose. Whereas if you have a board where the height at the nose is much greater than at the tail, you've got a problem because there's more side-on area for the forces to act on at one end of the board than the other. It doesn't matter so much if the bigger area is at the tail (like on a SIC Bullet V1, JL M14 etc) because the fin is anchoring it. But if the extra area is at the nose, then you've got all kinds of trouble headed your way in crosswinds.
Anyway, it's great to hear the Maliko surfs well. It's really hard to predict which 14s will surf well. And yes, if you dip the nose when surfing on pretty much any 14 you are stuffed, whether it's a boof-nose or not. At least with a low volume nose there's less weight to keep up, if things do look like they might go South.
I really like the Bark Vapor for general upwind/downwind/crosswind stuff in smaller choppy messy crap. One of the reasons I think it is so successful is that it is fairly low profile, and the rail area throughout the board is quite consistent. But what would be nice would be if the board was a little lighter, and a shade faster in pure flat water. Maybe the Maliko is that board (at a price, mind you...the Bark is *massively* cheaper here in the UK). Caspar certainly did very well on a Maliko in the PPG technical heats yesterday, which bodes well for the flat water/surf capabilities of the board, and the fact that he chose to use the Maliko rather than the Jav.
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said...Bretto74 said...
Hey DJ, I've never done an open water downwinder but it's definitely in my future. What are you carrying in the bum bag with the orange tag hanging out the back?
Inflatable PFD.. drinking bladder.. small flare.. and spare rope incase I break a leash..
Maybe add a PLB? That would have turned your "buoy-hugging" experience into a waiting game rather than a throw of the dice. I'm surprised you don't take a phone, either. Pretty hard to operate one with wet fingers, but it's more for use on shore if you have to pull in and someone is sick etc, or where you or your party have got separated. I once found someone floating out to sea in an offshore wind in a small kids inflatable boat, which was slowly deflating....and he couldn't swim. At all. And was in full panic mode, so was quite dangerous to get near. No pfd, no wetsuit (water around 12C). I was very glad I had a phone with me then. You can also use an app like Motion X to automatically send emails with your location at eg. 5 min intervals so a friend or spouse can keep track of you.
I plan to start taking my phone again because I've just received a new water proof case/bag for it..
I have Motion X.. I like it..
It's interesting watching the difficulties that the boof nose boards have when punching through the surf at the PPG. That's one situation where you don't want to be pushing a big volume in front of you.
Looking at those pics of the noses one could almost think that the SB and the Fanatic are ISups that are over inflated
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said..
Even the ordinary ones..
Hey DJ, How do you get the camera to give your this POV? It looks great for capturing the action and riding the bumps. It doesn't seem to be from the head-cam of somebody right next to this rider? Is the camera mounted on something at the back of the board?
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said...
I plan to start taking my phone again because I've just received a new water proof case/bag for it..
I have Motion X.. I like it..
Waterproof hand held marine VHF in a waterproof pouch is better. For us here around Auckland it gives better direct comms with the coastguard and other boats which are most likely to save your arse. Also better for comms between other paddlers if they keep theirs on and everyone is monitoring the same channel.
