Sunova Oldy Paraflex - US Box - Single Fin - Longboard

The Oldy is a board for longboard purists. With this board, you surf with style and grace, yet still perform at your best.

Built as a nose ride machine, you'll park yourself at the front of this board for as long as the wave lasts. You can take on even the most marginal conditions and walk out of the water with a broad smile.

Fin(s) included: None

What is the general purpose or theme of the board?

An old-school log based on a retro design from the sixties.

In what wave type and size does this board work best?

All waves, with an emphasis on smaller days. From knee-high to head-high.

Which maneuvers does this board perform best?

Nose rides and stalling cutbacks.

What skill level is this board for?

Beginner to pro.

What about paddle power?

Above average.

What were you thinking about when designing it?

The entire old-school log movement has gained significant momentum in recent years, so the goal was to create a board that surfs and feels like a traditional longboard. The vee and tail rocker allow for a traditional stall, slowing down your speed. As soon as you step to the nose, the flat rocker ensures the board carries speed well, and the soft rail with a single fin setup really locks it in.

Where might it compromise?

The vee and soft edges don't provide squirt for maneuvers from the tail, and the board is glassed to a minimum weight of 6kg, making it heavier than a standard Sunova.

Shape details and design info

OUTLINE: Full nose, parallel outline, generous rounded square. Surface area in the nose always helps with nose riding, especially at lower speeds when you lean on that surface to plane over the water. The parallel outline maintains a straighter line while walking and nose riding, while the wider tail provides more surface area for the breaking wave to hold the board down, allowing for longer time on the tip.

RAILS: Low, 50/50 with a soft bottom along the entire length. The fine, low rail makes it easier to initiate a turn, but the key is the super-soft bottom: it allows water to wrap around the rail and flow over the deck. Water on the deck stabilizes the board and locks it better into the wave face, making it feel stable for walking and nose riding.

ROCKER: Flat nose to a performance tail rocker. The flat nose helps with paddle power and carrying speed into the wave, and ensures the board continues to move forward and maintain momentum on the nose, even as the wave slows down. The extra tail rocker has been added for two reasons. Firstly, many characteristics of the Oldy make the board stiffer and harder to turn; the tail rocker compensates for this and loosens it up again. Secondly, a good nose rider needs to slow down when at the front to stay in the curl of the wave. Nose rocker, extra rocker in general, or extra tail rocker all slow a board down. The goal is to slow the tail so it drags water, rather than slowing the nose so it pushes water away.

BOTTOM: Flat nose, roll in the middle to vee in the tail. The roll and vee slow the board down when you stomp on the tail, but that's entirely part of the log feel.

DECK: Slightly flatter. The roll and vee in the bottom bring the highest point closer to the deck, making the deck flatter.

FIN SETUP: Single fin. The larger center fin creates a more stable platform for walking and also maintains a cleaner, more direct line during nose rides. While walking, the board tends to wobble from rail to rail if you don't walk perfectly and lightly over the center. The deeper fin counteracts that wobbly feeling and keeps the board flat and stable.

FINAL WORD: A traditional old-school log, both in shape and weight.

Construction - Paraflex

Paraflex is SUNOVA's premium performance construction. Developed over the past five years from an unrelenting pursuit of perfect performance, it is the top construction for all surfboards under 8'.

Paraflex is designed to provide more spring and rebound in shorter boards than its predecessor, Balsaflex. This results in a more positive, flexible flex pattern as the board is loaded and unloaded through sections. The boards flex deep into the pocket, rebound predictably, and shoot out of a section with plenty of speed and life. A lightweight EPS core is combined with a parabolic balsa/composite rail of ½", sandwiched between balsa skins on the top and bottom. This provides unparalleled spring and rebound.

The bottom is a 1.5mm Paulownia/fiberglass sandwich that is not entirely rigid. This softer section on the bottom dampens the ride and makes the board remarkably insensitive to chatter, so you can continue surfing smoothly even in bumpy, mediocre conditions. The deck is a 2mm Paulownia/fiberglass sandwich with highlighted mini I-beams that connect the glass under the wood to the glass above. This creates a very stiff, strong sandwich structure that is exceptionally resistant to impressions and feels solid and responsive underfoot.

Finished with solid balsa/composite nose and tail blocks for extra ding resistance, these boards look even better than they perform. They feature a self-regulating air vent with a lightly permeable Goretex membrane in a special aluminum vent, designed and developed by TBF. This makes Paraflex boards functional and cutting-edge.

SUNOVA Surfboards and The Board Factory

SUNOVA Surfboards creates lightweight high-performance surfboards with advanced materials and innovative technology, for serious surfers who expect durability and quality in every wave. Each board is the result of craftsmanship and precision, delivering an exceptional surfing experience.

SUNOVA was founded in 1976 by surfer and shaper Bert Burger. The brand developed its core values as Bert learned his craft in the challenging conditions of Western Australia. He shaped his first board at thirteen and was later named shaper of the year by Surfboard Magazine for his revolutionary Parabolic Rail design.

Bert elevated his winning competition designs to a higher level with his own production facility, combining traditional board building techniques with advanced engineering.

Bert began shaping SUNOVA Surfboards over fifty years ago, experimenting countless hours with different materials to develop a completely new surfboard technology. His award-winning innovations reached the general public when he co-founded Firewire Surfboards with Nev Hyman.

After Firewire, Bert returned to SUNOVA and joined Martin and Klaus to further his vision and push the boundaries of watercraft design. Martin and Klaus are perfect partners with their extensive experience in production, R&D, and sales: Martin honed his skills earlier at Cobra International, the world's largest surfboard manufacturer, and Klaus comes from the automotive industry.

The Board Factory (TBF) is the home of SUNOVA Surfboards, the place where the brand designs, innovates, and plays. The factory is located in the south of Thailand, in the coastal town of Khaolak, also known to locals as Khaolak Surf Town. It's the ideal place to test and develop boards: close to the ocean and surrounded by nature, the team stays inspired and connected to the essence of surfing.

This is not your average surfboard factory. It's not only the place where the team builds award-winning and record-breaking watercraft, it's also increasingly becoming a destination for visitors from all over the world. You can grab a demo board and some wax at the SUNOVA Flagship store, pick up a boardshort at one of the on-site retailers, cruise the skatepark, and get a snack or coffee at the nTrance café before heading to the beach.

About Sunova

Sunova builds its boards in its own factory in Thailand with sandwich constructions around balsa, Paulownia, and EPS. The brand is known for lightweight, resilient boards that glide remarkably smoothly through choppy water. That's exactly what you want in the often turbulent North Sea, right on Hart Beach's doorstep.