Reviewed by Brendon.

Construction:2lb (density) EPS core with stringer. Bamboo veneer deck reinforcement. Clear Epoxy resin, vacuum laminated. Painted finish. Custom cut 5 mm EVA footpads. Countersunk carry handle.

Size: 9'8 long* Almost 30' Wide by 4.2" Thick.

Fins: Standard 10” tail fin box. 7" glass fin. Future Fin System 3.25" side fins. Two additional Future Fin System boxes for optional quad configuration.

Volume: 132l

Weight: +- 12kg

First Impressions:

The Cabrinha 9'8 Surf caught my eye with its pointed nose, very rounded tail and performance rails. On picking the board up it felt a little on the heavy side. It looked like a lot of attention to detail had been taken into account when designing this board. The board has a self pressure regulating air vent, the carry handle seems to be very well fixed and balanced and the Deck Pad has some honey comb sections cut out of it making the pad lighter. 

Shape:

This board oozes big fat turns on a powerful large open face with a combination of a very rounded tail, sharp rails and a fair amount of rocker. The bottom has a large amount of Vee. The deck is very rolled.

In the Water:

I surfed this board on three occasions all beach breaks varying from glassy weak Bergs to 20knot Offshore 4-6foot heaving Kleinmond. The first thing I noticed was the stability of this board. That big rounded tail and the 30" of width provides a lot of stability. I found this especially helpful when surfing trying conditions where you spend a lot less time in the water. Paddling out through the waves I found the board with its pointed nose punched really well through the waves. As mentioned before I think this board really in it's element in bigger more solid surf. The Quad setup worked really well and allowed for some smooth turns. The session at Bergs I found a bit frustrating with the extra weight of the board and more rocker than I am used to slowing the board down. I do weigh about 103kgs so a lighter Paddler might not have these problems as the board won't be sitting as deep in the water. 

Conclusion:

I found this board to be great fun in more powerful surf . It's stable, maneuverable, good looking, high quality and really well priced. The 9'8 Surf retails for about R 6890.00. If you are interested in trying a board contact Cabrinha at Shop 53a, Eden On The Bay Shopping Center, Big BayTel: +27 21 554 1729.