What skill level is the Nova for?

The Nova is designed for All levels surfers.

What kind of waves is the Nova best in?

The Nova works best in Beach and Point Breaks, Reefs.

What wave size does the Nova suit?

The Nova performs best in 1-4ft waves.

What type of surfboard is the Nova?

The Nova has a Groveler outline.

What volume does the Nova come in?

The Nova is available in a 25.7–47.4 L volume range.

Nova

Name: Nova
Brand: Haydenshapes

Haydenshapes

Visit Haydenshapes website

Owners Rating:

The Nova is Haydenshapes' high-speed small wave driver, built for the conditions you actually surf rather than the ones you wait for. A flat rocker through the centre with kick in the nose and tail lets it hold speed down the line off a fairly parallel outline while still fitting into tight parts of the wave, and a single concave running into a double with a touch of vee out the tail keeps it lively and composed in the pocket. The nose is more pulled in than a Hypto Krypto, so the added surface area does not cost it freedom through tight arcing turns. It runs 5'3 to 6'8, comes as a thruster in PU and a five fin in FutureFlex, and is meant to be ridden 2 to 4 inches shorter than your standard shortboard.

Specs Overview

Outline: Groveler

Ability Level: All levels

Wave Height: 1-4ft

Wave Type: Beach and Point Breaks, Reefs

Fin Type: 5 Fins

Concave: Single to Double to Vee

Entry Rocker: Low/Moderate

Exit Rocker: Low/Moderate

Overall Rocker: Low/Moderate

Rail Type: Medium

Volume Calculator

Under Your Feet

Ultra responsive for its size, to the point where the board has often started the turn before you have finished deciding on it. Speed shows up almost immediately off the takeoff and keeps humming through flat sections, then it arcs tighter in the pocket than something with this much nose area has any right to. There is plenty of foam under the chest so paddling feels easy, and despite the short rail line it still holds when you lean on it rather than washing sideways.

When it's pumping

The kick in the tail keeps it usable once the wave stands up, and it gets to the lip fast with plenty of squirt off the top.
If it feels too loose, more rake in the fins settles it down and draws the turns out. A quad adds the drive the short rail line gives away.
It will handle better waves, but you have to get the length and volume right first, because very short and very loose stops being an advantage once there is real power.

When it's fair

This is the whole point of the board: weak faces, flat sections and a wave count that makes an ordinary session worth suiting up for.
It generates speed off the mark without pumping, and still turns tight rather than just gliding along.
Right at home in a wave pool, which is where the flat centre rocker and parallel outline show up most clearly.

Quick compare

	Nova HaydenshapesThis board	White Tiger Pyzel
Dimensions
Wave Height	1-4ft	0-4ft
Concave	Single to Double to Vee	Single to Double to Vee
Entry Rocker	Low/Moderate	Low
Exit Rocker	Low/Moderate	Low
Rail Type	Medium	Low

Silhouettes are normalized to the same nose-to-tail length, so this is a shape comparison rather than a true-scale view. Outlines are generated automatically from product photos, not CAD files, so minor inaccuracies can occur.

Want the full spec sheet and up to four boards side by side?

Full comparison →

Videos

What owners think about this board

Be the first to review this board.

Frequently asked questions

What skill level is the Nova for?: The Nova is designed for All levels surfers.
What kind of waves is the Nova best in?: The Nova works best in Beach and Point Breaks, Reefs.
What wave size does the Nova suit?: The Nova performs best in 1-4ft waves.
What fin setup does the Nova use?: The Nova has a 5 Fins set up.
What type of surfboard is the Nova?: The Nova has a Groveler outline.
What volume does the Nova come in?: The Nova is available in a 25.7–47.4 L volume range.

Haydenshapes

Haydenshapes is an Australian performance surfboard brand founded by Hayden Cox in 1997, when he was just 15 years old after snapping his favorite board and being unable to afford a replacement. The brand's most iconic model is the Hypto Krypto (arguably the world's best selling surfboard board model of all time), and it's best known for FutureFlex — a patented parabolic carbon fibre frame construction that reimagines the traditional wooden stringer surfboard. Cox is also recognized for innovative use of custom materials and modern construction methods, with FutureFlex now sold in over 70 countries.

Check out all his boards here