Webster Spartan Gun
Nobody seen one? Freeride?
I have seen one, also helped Webby do some content for his website so have heard his spiel on it......I won't post here without his permission but I know its what Webby himself rides in Hawaii and it sounds exactly what you are looking for.
Cheers, mate.
Webby said exactly as much.
Picked up my 7'6 Spartan from Webby last Sunday, and got to surf it at my local today. Not as big, nor as clean as I'd hoped, but a very powerful 6ft with serious chop at times.
First wave I thought it felt sluggish and not great, but then I got my feet in the right spot and caught some bigger waves, and it flew. Only 10 waves on it, but so far it's everything I could have wished for.
Hope the images will show. Hooray, they did! Oh, and it's 7'6 x 19 3/4 x 2 7/8. And I'm 6'1 x 80kg x 55yo.
whoooeeee.
sleek!
Beauty, aye!
And can I just add, that Webby is a real pleasure to deal with. After all the back and forth emails, we met up on a Sunday as he was busy getting ready for Indo. I was really careful to not waste any of his time, but we ended up chatting for a good while, and looking at some of his other board models (Wacko and Mod Rocker, yes please!).
Gary enjoys ogling that stick, IB
Very nice indeed.
Hey Island Bay, just wondering if you have anything more to say about the Spartan model?
I've been looking at them on his website and like the look of this model.
Obviously looking at both the Spartan and Desert storm, seems the spartan could be more versatile in different style waves. Both look like epic boards though
Cheers
Hey Cotter.
I can't quite compare the two, as my DS is a 6'10 and the Spartan a 7'6. That they're the same volume says something, though :-)
The Spartan is much more foiled, has slimmer rails, can be duck dived when the DS resists that. It feels more nimble in that it can be manoeuvred quickly to paddle for a wave, when the swing weight of the DS slows it down a little.
The Spartan feels more refined and 'slicey', whereas the DS is more brute force (albeit surprisingly alive when you get the foot back on the tail. That Spartan looks and feels like a barrel board.
I got the Spartan for waves where you have to whip around and go in a flash, often late, and it is excellent for that. If I were a Pipe surfer, I'd say it would be perfect for a wave like that. Or for good size Indo waves.
I haven't surfed it for three months (lockdown), but every time I do, I love it. It's a beautiful, clean shape, and it makes you want to surf good waves well.
This is me riffing on distant memories of good waves, having just come in from 1ft longboard waves, haha. Ask me some good questions, and I might just be able to make a little more sense.
I’ve got a question!
If you were in Indo and in front of you was 8 foot hollow waves what board would you surf?
I’ve got another one!
Now if you were in NZ in winter head to toe rubber with 8 foot barrels what board?
Haha, it's 4/3 booties and a hood now over here.
#1: Spartan.
#2: Clean and perfect, prob Spartan. Normal choppy conditions, DS.
I'd happily ride either - and kook it and get smashed :-)
Edit: That last remark was just to highlight that I'm not some semi-pro hellman, just an ageing punter trying to get into more solid waves.
IB have you gone for a quad set up in your DS? Picked up a second hand 6’10 a few weeks ago. Dying to get it in the water. In hindsight, yesterday would have been perfect here to get a warm up surf on it before giving it a go in solid stuff. It was a really nice 4-5ft+ point day with a long-period swell.
Seems that most people recommend the quad for the DS.
That Spartan of yours looks incredible.
Bnkref, as per my post above, don't take my opinion as any sort of gospel at all.
But for what it's worth I really like it as a quad. Mine's an FCS2 setup, and medium Accelerator fronts with small to med double-foil rears have worked best for me. Much better than with AM fronts (too rakey in a quad setup, I think).
I know that Blowin rides his as a thruster.
Experiment, is my advice.
Thanks for that. Appreciate it.
I bet Webster will be busy with step / gun orders after this run of swell. If only it was like this more often
Thanks for the reply Island bay. Always good to hear from someone that has ridden the boards, even if they are different in size.
I’m hoping to try visit the shop and compare the two models next time I’m up the coast.
I usually ride boards that are pretty big on volume. My everyday board is a 6’1, 34L, and my step up is a 6’4, just under 35L.
I’m 6’3 and about 89kg, so I’m a fan of extra volume.
But recently rode a 7’1 pyzel that was quite thin ( not sure what model as it had no markings) and that felt like it might be a little more similar to the Spartan.
If I can get up there to look at both models no doubt it’s probably the best way.
Yea Solitude, will be plenty of orders coming his way you’d think.!
I
Maybe even a few Black Hulas :-)
Anyone looking for a Spartan?
8/6x19.75xcant remember.
Its at Sanbah in Newy,been there a week or more.
850,no idea what the new price on these is?
Thickness is 3 inches @ 52 litres
Quadzilla, guessing $950 or thereabouts for a custom 8’6.
DS 6'6 - by far the best step-up I have ridden, my brief was give me something that will paddle well and make waves...…
nice shot mate.
All this talk about 12 foot guns that can shrink to six-foot-something and essentially remain the same board? Not the same size obviously but still hold onto enough characteristics to be called the same model.
I've been a doubting Thomas but have relented and got Stretch to work the curves of a Comp Gun (about which his website says,"optimum size is in the 9’0”-10’0” range, though it's offered in sub-8' lengths") down to a 6'3".
He didn't like doing it, though it'll be ready in a few weeks.
Stu, I can understand your scepticism.
There are lots of boards that I wouldn't want to neither scale up nor down significantly. And there are probably plenty of surfers that wouldn't rave about a short DS.
But there's something about the grunty yet smooth feel of it that transcends size. It makes you want to surf a bit like Mogwai - quiet quiet LOUD. Pick a line through a hairy section and just feel the energy of the wave, then heave through a big hack.
It's obviously hard to explain, but it can be quite a meditative experience as it encourages you to take it a bit slow (like on a good single fin), but then has this almost violently powerful side to its personality.
I'd guess that a man with your connections would be able to try out a few different sizes. Aren't there a few floating about on the south coast?
And yes, nice pic, Joe!
Mogwai, eh? There's tonight's cooking playlist sorted...
Prolly could source a Webby DS, but I wanted to run it as an experiment of sorts, and I've got two Stretch Comp Guns, so will the 6'3" share some identifiable characteristics with them?
Looking forward to hearing how your efforts go.
Enjoy the tunes.
Mogwai? Brilliant analogy. Not that I've got my DS wet yet but I like the way you think.
There are loads and loads of recordings on here. A lot I want to listen to. Gave Mogwai a spin the other day. From 2006.
https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2020/05/29/864470936/stream-over-1...
I like the way you think too IB
Hey Island Bay, been doing some lurking on the forums, I know you have recently gotten an 8’0 keogh. Just wondering how the spartan and the keogh compare or differ?
Would love to hear your thoughts
Hey Rorpedo
That’s a good question, and I need to meditate on it a bit before I answer. Might take a few days, but I will get back to you.
Thanks IB, appreciate you taking the time
My pleasure. Just wanted to have a think, and make sure I didn’t sound like a wanker who knows everything about guns. I don’t, haha!
Some of the differences are probably related to the sizes: Spartan is 7’6 19 1/2 2 3/4, Haz Gun 8’0 20 1/4 3 1/4, so more beef. Keep that in mind.
The Spartan has more rocker and feels like a gunny hp shorty, so will turn sharply, stick late drops on hollow waves, etc.
The Keogh will glide in early, drive hard off the bottom and feel like it picks up a ton of speed, and carve really hard (while keeping the speed). That’s my kind of surfing, being an old man. It feels like it’s got a magic engine.
Some spot comparisons: if going to Hossegor I’d ride the Spartan at La Graviere, but glide in at La Nord on the Keogh.
Going to Indo, I’d ride the Spartan at say bigger G-Land, and the Keogh at Bombie or OC.
Both are great boards, but I’d keep the Keogh if only allowed one.
Any questions, please ask.
Interesting. You don’t sound like a wanker, just an everyday punter with good taste in boards!
I live on the surf coast Vicco. On the 6-8ft+ days lately I’ve been riding 6’10 (20 1/2 2 3/4) Webster desert twin. Which I haven’t been able to fault, except noticing a lack of drive at certain times when the waves get a bit fuller which I think a quad would compensate for, also keeping in mind I’m just a joe blow surfer and the board can handle far more than I am capable of pushing it.
I’m sort of torn between getting a 7’6-8’0 gun for some extra paddle power and drive and for some of the really big days down the coast. I feel like a the spartan or the keogh are where I’m closing in on so I appreciate your feedback. From what you’ve written would i be right in guessing that the keogh might be suited to a wider range of wave types and sizes as it’s not as ‘refined’ as the spartan.
Hey IB, your style of old man surfing sounds just like mine! Love it!
The JK Haz quad sounds amazing, I’m thinking of taking the plunge and ordering one. I’ve got a 6’6 DS which I’ve only ridden as a quad and has got me easily the 2 biggest pits of my life in indo.
Been loving riding longer boards lately in the 7’0 range and was thinking of a 7’0 DS, but the haz quad sounds like a beautiful board, so might branch out and try something different, maybe a 7’2 or even 7’6 Haz quad?
Has it got a beaked nose like the DS?
Hard to find any real info about them.
Modest beak, but definitely less bulky than DS.
Rails are really low, and edges are hard more than halfway up, yet no catching at all. Smooth.
Bottom contours are typical modern gun, so soft vee to vee to vee double concave. More double concave than the DS.
Tail very foiled and fine.
Deck is light vee with a hair of double concave in the back. Makes your back foot feel glued to the board.
Rorpeedo, sorry my unasked for 2 cents worth on a Spartan, fantastic board I have a 7'6 but if your looking for something for raw thick ocean swells (saw your in Vic) then its not the right board. It's to "refined". As IB says its more like a gunny hp shorty, Indo is where it would shine.
ha typo you're vs your
Thanks Seaslug, appreciate the input. Yeah I was kind of thinking the spartan might not quite suit. I’m guessing the desert storm would probably be ideal. I saw someone surfing a 7’6 DS in the water and it looked like quite a lot of board, which got me exploring other boards and designs.
Thanks for the info IB, sounds like a magic carpet!
rorpeedo wrote:Thanks Seaslug, appreciate the input. Yeah I was kind of thinking the spartan might not quite suit. I’m guessing the desert storm would probably be ideal. I saw someone surfing a 7’6 DS in the water and it looked like quite a lot of board, which got me exploring other boards and designs.
You could easily get Webby to do a slimmed down DS. Take some volume out of the rails, and foil the nose and tail a little. Another option would be a Dylan Laurie Towner model, or Chumbo Flat Deck.
Lots of words written and spoken about the Desert Storm, but I can't find much on The Spartan.
I'm still keen to order an 8'6 DS, but have come to see the sense in something shorter and lower volume. A certain local spot requires the ability to duckdive occasionally and to spin and knife a takeoff, and I think a 7'6 Spartan would be a lot more nimble.
First or second hand knowledge, rumours, wild tales - it's all appreciated.