My little brother has had an old JC Hawaii SD-3 surfboard for the past 3 years, and somehow that thing is still kicking around the house. It’s been pretty beat up, but through constant repair, is still surfable.
On top of being used in California, it’s been used on several trips to Hawaii in the wintertime and in heavy surf at Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica. In my opinion, the board dings really easily and has a really thin glass job so I guess it’s just luck that it hasn’t snapped in half yet. Anyway, this summer I have been riding it a lot because my new board has been out for repairs several times. It is not my favorite surfboard, but I have really come to like the JC Hawaii SD-3 model.
The SD-3 is the Shane Dorian pro model. The board has less rocker than some of JC’s other models, making it a very fast board. The way the tail is brought in towards the back of the board helps you pump really fast and have a lot of maneuverability. My brother’s board is a 5’10″, and I have a very similarly shaped 5’10” A6 by Channel Islands Surfboards. The two boards look almost identical put side by side, but surf completely different from one another.
I love how easy it is to turn this board. Sometimes I feel like there is no way I am riding a thruster because of how loose it feels off the lip. I’ve used the board on fast, hollow days in San Clemente and at perfect, rippable Lower Trestles, and in all situations it has performed well. I just wish the kick didn’t rip off on the traction pad so my back foot wouldn’t keep sliding off constantly! If you are in the market for a new thruster, I would definitely take a look at the JC Hawaii SD-3.
