So nice to rent a CJ board near Waikiki. Really was the perfect board for this time of year. The location and staff are awesome and everything was just "easy" . I would recommend renting and shopping here. -Such a good selection : ) -Brian
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 46 reviews.
Just picked up an 8'3" CJ Nelson Parallax, and this thing is an absolute machine. It’s that perfect mid-length size—basically a mini longboard or a "mini tank" as we used to call them back in the day. If you’re looking for ultimate crowd control out in the lineup and want to catch absolutely everything, this is the board.
I was struggling a bit on my previous board just trying to get into waves裪t just didn't paddle as well as I wanted it to. That's what made me look into the CJ Nelson Parallax Plus, and I ended up picking up the 8'10". The difference was noticeable the exact second I hopped on it and started paddling out. It floats me perfectly and paddles so well. Because it's nice and wide, it feels super stable under your feet. I heard the hull on the Plus model was tamed down compared to the original Parallax so it wouldn't feel tippy, and they definitely nailed it裪t's not tippy at all. Catching waves is a whole lot easier now. The board just takes off, and you can honestly step wherever you want to turn it without having to constantly rush to the tail. I took it out today in some classic windy, side-shore chop, and it handled the conditions great. Even though the construction is light, chattering is not a problem at all and it just glides right through the wind swell. For reference, I誱 5'4" and around 170 lbs. I誱 still experimenting with the fin setup to find the perfect magic combo (currently running Performer side bites with a 6.5" center fin), but I'm absolutely loving the board so far. Massive upgrade!
That one's been pretty epic. It can be a little challenging because it feels like more of a performance board, but I always take it out when the waves are ankle to waist-high. I’m able to catch them and have fun with it. It’s such a good board and easy to surf. I’ve taken it out in all sorts of conditions and it’s been really nice.
I previously had the 8'3" Parallax, and that board changed my life. It was recommended to me as one of the fastest boards I’ll ever ride, and it really is—it just flies. When you bottom turn and unweight, it has so much rush that I actually kicked out and kissed the board once I was so excited. It goes forever, even when the wave is hardly breaking.
I’ve fallen in love with the Parallax shape and how it paddles—it's so smooth and you always get waves. I have the 9'9" for a big, cruisy 'anytime anywhere' board, plus the 9'3", 8'10", and even the 8'3". Depending on my mood or the spot, I have the perfect size. Most people overthink their surfing, but really, we’re just out there to get waves and enjoy being in the water. This board is perfect for that; you don’t have to be super skilled. It’s buttery smooth in the turns even as a single fin. When I throw the Takayama Halo fin in there, it makes the turning almost effortless. I also ride the 9'4" Harley Ingleby Diamond Drive and the 8'0" Moe—I’ve never met a person who didn't love the Moe.
I’m 6'2", 185 lbs, and I just picked up the 9'1" Parallax. I’ve owned almost every size—the 9'9", 9'3", 8'10", and even the 8'3". Depending on my mood or the spot, I’ve got the perfect board. The 9'9" was my first one. I read about it online and thought, 'That sounds exactly like how I surf'—kind of lazy and cruisy, nothing too rowdy. I fell in love with the shape and the way it paddles; it’s so smooth and you always get waves. I think 90% of the guys in the water should be on this board. Most people overthink their surfing, but really, we’re just out there to get waves and enjoy ourselves. You don't have to be super skilled to ride this—it’s buttery smooth in the turns, even as a single fin. I love throwing the Takayama Halo fins in there; it makes it almost effortless. Unless I’m feeling charged up and want something smaller, I’m sticking with the Parallax and the Parallax Plus. I’ve also got the 8ft Moe, and honestly, I’ve never met a person who didn’t love that board
Easy board to ride super nice flow great for surfer with Style🏄🏽♂️🤙🏾
I enjoyed the surfboard and the folks in the shop were very friendly and helpful.
Love the board! Great board for cruising but also gives you the performance when you want or need. I have the 9’6” which is so easy to paddle and a dream to grab waves. I was a little concerned about how much volume it has but the hull design provides for plenty of speed and flow, so no worries there. Having so much fun on this board! Playing around with the fin configuration and placement to dial in the feel but that’s just a matter of learning the board better. In the meantime, having a blast on this board!
The CJ Parallax in Thunderbolt red is the best shaped and constructed board in the market if you love cruisy, flow-state surfing, don’t want to kill yourself paddling, and expect your log to snap-to when you want to turn and effortlessly run down the line. Dig it so much that have it in 8’3, 8’10, 9’3, and 9’9. Clip shows the 8’10 cruising as a singlefin on a mushy windward wave. Im 6’2 / 185lbs. Get one, you’ll love it.
Hi, I'm Bill. I have a 9'6" Parallax. That's the single fin one. I tried this 9'1" with the two plus one. Big difference. The 5 inches shorter makes it a lot looser. I grew up riding shortboards. I never really grew up, but I'm kind of new to the longboard scene and just getting used to it and having so much fun. This board was really a lot of fun. It's a lot looser and you can really dig into the turns with the side bites, and it sticks. It's really fast down the line. You can really get it pumping. Not as tippy at all. Really stable. I really like it. It's a great board. My height is six foot and I'm 170.
Great board
Tried the 9'1" Parallax Plus. Easy to paddle into waves, great drive off the bottom, and fast down the line for a long board. Thanks again for being a great surf shop.
I'm Ross Morimoto. I’ve been riding the 9'1" Parallax this whole time. It’s a two plus one. I’ve had every single one except the 9'9"—that’s how much I love this board. You have to have a certain kind of style to ride the single fin. I think the two plus one suits more people and more surfing styles. You can surf it more like a normal two plus one longboard. When I first tried a Parallax, it changed a lot of things for me. The hull and the single fin—it was just so effortless to paddle. Even though it’s wide, it doesn’t feel like a lot of volume to me. Especially with the Red construction—it was so much fun. Almost every single one of my friends that tried it—they all bought one. It’s like a go-kart. It’s so fast and just turns. Super loose, depending on where you put your fin. Rail to rail—it just turns so easy. The hull gives you extra glide to get into the wave. On small days it’s great, but I love it for bigger days. It gets you in earlier. You have enough time to set up. I’ve taken it out on 5-foot days—it handles just fine.
I got the 8’3” parallax in Thunderbolt Black. The parallax plus Is a definite refinement from the earlier versions, slightly thinner rails and a more tame convex nose. Took this out in some well overhead rollers, ridiculous speed and drive. Was able to connect the sections from rockpiles to bowls on a high line trim. Im running the 9.5” parallax fin with the 3.5” sky sides, CJs recommendation on his page, might seem like too much fin, but it works incredibly. Hands down one of my favorite daily drivers.
My name is Bill Sullivan. I came in a few days ago looking for a board that I can use to catch all kinds of waves. I haven't been surfing for long; I have gone just a couple of times in different places like Hawaii and Puerto Rico. I did a lot of wake surfing on boats, but I just moved here and wanted to get a board that would be fun. I rented the Parallax 9 6. When I first paddled out, the paddling was easy, which was the best thing. I am working with a bad shoulder, and it still felt super easy to get out. I wasn't struggling to get past the whitewash and through the waves. It was really easy paddling. I sat on the inside, like you suggested, where everybody was taking off at the peak. I caught the longest ride of my life on the first day. It was awesome. We put a big stable fin on there to make it easier, but I think once I get used to it, it will be even easier to ride. Thanks.
My name is Greg. I was initially not too happy with The Parallax and almost wanted to sell it. I came in and talked to Dave, who suggested trying a different fin, specifically a flex fin. That really changed the way the board felt and responded. The flex fin is good for waves up to about 4 feet, but for anything bigger, you might want to switch to a more solid fin. I got the 9 9 Parallax. After figuring out the fin, I noticed the board is very neutral and free-flowing. It doesn't stick and is fast. It's not super stable on the nose, but it's great for turning and carving. Nose riding is challenging unless you're really skilled, like CJ. I'm glad I didn't get rid of it; it's now my go-to board for longboarding. Thanks
My name is Noah, and I own an 8'3" Thunderbolt Red Parallax by CJ Nelson. It's a blast to ride�fast and loose. In crowded lineups, it picks up speed like crazy, letting you catch waves earlier than most longboarders and blast past them. I'm using the regular Parallax fin in a 9.5 and also bought the G10. I prefer the G10 because it's a bit stiffer, allowing for more confidence when pushing off in steeper waves. The original fin is really flexy, which can get squirrely. For fin placement, I follow the recommendation of positioning the back of the fin 9.5 inches from the tail of the box, which works perfectly for me.
What immediately stands out is how early this board gets you into waves, even in crowded lineups. Its low entry rocker and refined planing surfaces allow it to catch bumps and get up to speed incredibly quickly, blasting past other surfers who think they have priority. Once up and riding, the Parallax just keeps accelerating down the line.
Super fun board... fast, loose, easy to paddle! Paired it with the involvement fin and like Jokoy said, cherreh brah!
Im James, demoed out the 9'6 parallx, surfed it on just Ala Moana park it was good, I haven't surfed in like a year so it was good getting back out there. It was pretty fast yeah it was good though like wasn't sure how big the waves would be but it was the right size for the day you catching a lot of waves, it's fast, like turning wise no issues when turning pretty good. We work in Japan just came down. We're here for a couple days at the base so we had a afternoon off right.
A very special mahalo to Brett, Dave, Stuart, Kalo and the whole Hawaiian South Shore team for making my recent 9'3" CJ Nelson Parallax w/ CJ Flex 9.5 fin a wonderful out of water experience. The teams whole vibe is to help you get the right board for the right break to enjoy the H2O. Special thanks to Brett who helped me reserve the board and accessories over the phone, was so well organized on pick up day and helped slot the fin in the perfect box location. Mahalo to you all! Great shop, great vibe, great team! See you on the water. Warmest aloha, Craig
I'm Randy and I've taken my 8'3" Parallax out surfing over two dozen times. I love how fast and loose it turns, and it has great float for paddling. I went with the 9.5" Parallax fin which works well up to head high surf. Once it gets bigger I switch to a 10" fin for more hold. The 9.5" is really fun for smaller days. The board has a lot more drive and is way easier to turn than my regular boards. I've been surfing it at White Plains and Barbers Point near where I live. It can still get in the barrel even though that's not my thing. I highly recommend this board, it's my go-to for anything head high and under.
Recently bought the CJ Nelson Parralax 8’3” from Hawaiian South Shore and I love it. I already own a 7’0” Outlier and wanted to get something else when the waves are a little smaller but just as fun to ride. It paddles like a 9’6” and the hull design makes it super easy to maneuver even through steeper sections. The speed of the Parralax helps you get through sections if you’re taking off deep. Currently riding it with a 8.5” Greenough which makes this board and all around fun board for those shoulder to head high days in town. Once everyone catches on, I’m sure we will see more of these in the lineup! Mahalo David and the HSS Crew!
hi I'm Michelle kitagawa, just started surfing with Koby right for about three years and then I use my friend's Parallax and ended up getting it from him because it was easy to catch waves with it. I only got one board until today. I've been using for that one I either use 8 1/2 or a 9. The parallax is 9'3. I love it, it's fast, good for turning everything, Single Fin. I love it now. My happy place, now I'm picking up a TJ gem, smaller board performance still speed, I want to try something different
My name is John Ellie, rented out the 9'6 Parallax. It's absolutely amazing It was a little crowded but just super maneuverable I think it was like three or four today but it just cuts so it's beautiful, nice and maneuverable. It's easy to get around the crowd, easy to get around, it's fast too, good paddling and it has lot of displacement. Easy to get around everybody it was fantastic board. I'm 6'1 5 pounds on 195.
I'm visiting from North Carolina, and I'm in the military. I was stationed in Okinawa and loved it there. I have a 9'6" Parallax, which I love using on the East Coast where the surf isn't as good as here. It's an easy wave catcher and turns smoothly, getting up and moving with super fluidity. I think it's one of CJ Nelson's best boards. It works great in anything from knee-high to shoulder or head-high waves. I use the TJ Parallax fin on it and have also tried a 10-inch and a 9-inch FCS Connect. They all work well, but the 10-inch Parallax fin is real whippy with a lot of flex, which I dig. It's part of the Flying Diamonds line. I'm 5'7" and weigh about 160 pounds. I ride a bunch of Firewires and love them all.
Fast and easy to turn from knee-high to head-high surf and the hull-ish bottom slides like a magic carpet! I’m back to my normal 4 hour surf sessions again- nothing but pure fun with my 9’6 Parallax! 🤙🏽🤙🏽
I'm Abraham from Maui and this is the 96 Parallax. This thing was sick, normally I ride on 9'2 performance longboard and for me especially like on the heavier side I kind of do have to like sit more inside and with this thing it was nice because I parked up next to like two tiny little girls and was able to catch the same waves like as they were catching, for a guy my size that's like super rare and it was nice to like be able to get out a little further and kind of get on some of the first pick waves so that was that was pretty cool the other thing right is like with Queens being so crowded like having a board like this and like being able to get in there and kind of put your elbows out for the wave that was really nice if I would have brought my 9'2 out there I would have been struggling just to even try and get on. It's crazy because once you're up and moving right it wants to fly like the only I'd say the only negative thing was for me to like redirect it to like let's say I wanted to like head back in and carry on further or cut back the other way that was the only thing is like you really have to think about how you're going to move the board back gotcha but everything else like if once you're up if you want to like Dart and like clear section you're just like oh I need to get over there and just go and the bar board will take off and take it right and you're using like a more neutral template fin right yeah then uh the fin I think was definitely in the right direction if I was to like buy this board I would definitely probably go smaller just because I do like to move the board around a little more right but other than that the fin was it was nice because it did have a nice hold and just really made the board fly it was kind of wicked how fast this thing was speed yeah the first wave I went to catch with this that was what caught me off guard was how fast the thing immediately started just taking off elseic awesome man it's a just a good glider huh yeah nine six Parallax yeah awesome if you guys want to pick one up too stop by Hawaiian South Shore and we'll get you sorted excellent
My name is Jason. I rented the Parallax here the 9'6. It was a good board it was very fast and easy to paddle. Went out to Bulls in between and then just got back from canoes, definitely a fast board easy to paddle. It's amazingly easy to paddle especially the one being 80 liters it was a good board it was very fun. The waves were pretty good Bulls was pretty nice it was I think like three to four at bowls yesterday and then today at canoes maybe two to three but it wasn't bad at all it was a good set to burst and just kind of hang out there all day and just catch waves. It was surprisingly easy to catch. Super fast, turning was easy I was able to kind of step on the back pivot pretty easily, it wasn't too bad. This is a fun board ride.I'm kind of hooked now nice , I do Ride long board and so this was a a really pretty cool Board to ride. I weigh about 185. I go between a nine and a nine six, I'm normally used to my first board was a 9'6 but this didn't perform like a nine six it's actually performed closer to my 9-0 that I had before so it's actually a really really cool board especially super light to carry so I can't stress that enough.
This board could have also been called the Equalizer because it's guaranteed fun in pretty much anything I throw at it. When in doubt I grab this board because no matter the conditions or how crowded it is, I have fun on it every time. Probably one of the best longboards I've ever owned. It paddles great, super easy to get into waves, goes well in a wide variety of waves, very versatile, effortless surfing, not much cross stepping required but go for it if you like, totally can be nose ridden, & picks up speed amazingly well to do some nice on rail turns. Definitely one of my faves amongst the Thunderbolt range. I'm using the 10" Parallax fin in G10 and it goes great.
I'm Brian picking up The Parallax . I just miss having a single fin in my quiver and the way it turns,The Parallax it turns really well for a single fin. I'm more used to like two plus one thrusters and stuff. like the The Single Fin Parallax it's good I think that the edge it's building stuff in it's a wave catching machine so you know compared to a normal board so this is rounded on the bottom when you're paddling it you can feel the difference in the way it catches waves and stuff it has a lot of Glides so you can just get into waves and there's no problem I think the front is is like rolled or you know that convex bottom and I think it's flat to the back it's really fast I missed that sensation, just highlighting it and you can just ride into the wave
This 8'3" model is everything I hoped it would be. As a single fin it was incredibly loose almost like riding my 9'1 2+1 longboard. Paddling this 8'3" was like paddling my old 9'3 ITP with easy wave entry and glide to get into it. I'm 5'7 155, bought a 9.5 parallax fin, works great up to 3.5 ft Hawaiian based on my use of it. Anything bigger I found that using my 10'Greenough 4A works great with hold, tracking and turning, the 9.5 was just not working for me. If you plan on getting this board and do not have either of these fins, I would recommend the 10 involvement fin, looking at that template it would give you the best of both above fins that I've mentioned. Or you can follow CJ's advice and get the 10 inch parallax, but CJ doesn't surf Winter NS or Westside Hawaiian Waves. For me in Hawaiian waters I just want something with a little more meat in my fin for bigger hawaiian waves . Other than that you can't go wrong with this board, I love it.
Hi I'm Jeffrey Kim, I'm from Los Angeles originally from Pearl City Hawaii with a seven foot outlier in California. I got The Parallax for days that was really crappy but the outlier basically serves from two to anything to two to six so whatever I serve right and I can't say like that would like two plus one best sport I've ever had so I started from short boarding and then I wanted a mid length that kind of performs more like a short board but catch more waves that's exactly what it does. I'm using I don't know I bought this like seven inch kind of fat and wide fit baby similar to this fin and then I got reactor quad side small and I put the front fin as far as you can go so that it's loose as possible but without going parallel. If you want to just like floor floaters and the transitional turns then you don't have to instead of a little bit more mid it feels like a short part. But you don't have to like trim it hard. If you don't want to ride a longboard but you want to have some more fun Market requirements
The guys at HSS are awesome! I picked up a CJ parallax board and the Flying Diamonds involvement fin on their recommendation. I was very impressed with the board and the fin worked amazing from knee to shoulder high +. Longboards can be boring but this was a great combo that felt very fast and lively, I’m stoked!
Really good all-round HPLB. Being a smaller/lighter person, I prefer the lighter Carbon Black version. The continuous rocker on the 9'1" version definitely affects the paddle power a lot. As soon as I stopped paddling it felt like I put the brakes on and it doesn't glide as much. Ironically, when I was out at Rockpiles I ran into a someone who had the exact same board and was able to swap and paddle around on the 9'3" version. The extra ~6+Liters of volume makes a huge difference. It almost feels like a totally different board. Overall though I prefer the extra rocker as it allows me to catch waves more easily and earlier as I can "cheat" up farther towards the nose when paddling into a shallower wave face without having to worry about it nosediving on me. The only drawback is that the logo on the new version is back in the center of the board so there's no reference point to line your head up with. I'll have to either put a sticker on it, or used some colored wax. The drawn in tail allows for a lot of extra maneuverability, while the wider nose provides a little extra stability when walking up to the nose, but it's definitely not a noserider. Will probably look to buy a bigger board like a Parallax for that and when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to paddle as much.
I'm Travis, and I picked up a 9'9" Parallax, the biggest one. I love it; it's unlike any longboard I've had. Most longboards have concave in the nose transitioning to flat and then double concave out the back, but this board has no concave at all. It has a pretty big hull in the nose transitioning to flat out the back. This design makes it ride totally differently. It feels like it's in the water rather than planing on top, giving it a swishy, loose feeling. It turns easily and well like a performance longboard, but it's super forgiving - you're not going to catch an edge. It's like a little hot rod, just fun to ride.I'm using a 10-inch fin, which you guys recommended. It might have been the Involvement fin. It feels great, just like CJ said in the videos.The turning feels amazing - really forgiving and turny at the same time. It's quick down the line, good for trimming, and the release when you turn is great. It paddles well and gets in early. The Thunderbolt technology makes it light but not corky, and it's sturdy. Overall, it's just a great board. Thank you very much.
My name is Jay. I got the Parallax about a month ago from Hawaiian South Shore. It's a super unreal, responsive, and quick board down the line. It's really easy to paddle and a fun board all around. I can't thank my friends enough for recommending it to me�I love it! I got the 9'6" size, which has about 83 liters of volume. Despite the volume, it surfs much smaller, being super quick and responsive. It's also very buoyant. I've taken it out on windy, choppy days recently, and it worked like a charm, even at spots like Courts. I really love the board. I'm using the CJ Nelson Parallax 10.5-inch fin, which works super well. For reference, I'm about 5'5" on a good day with gel in my hair, and I weigh around 165-166 pounds. Super awesome board�thank you guys, appreciate it. Mahalo
I recently demoed the Parallax. This board is fast and turns on a dime�it's not your traditional single-fin longboard; it's like a hidden shortboard. On Sunday, I surfed it at Rock Piles in chest to shoulder-high conditions. I was able to connect all the way from Rock Piles reef to the inside of Bowls. It weaves through people easily and even allowed me to pull a floater on a single-fin longboard, which I've never done before. Today, I surfed it in chest-high, slow mush at Kewalos, and it still held its speed, carrying momentum through flat sections and reforming on the inside. I was able to make it to the inside of Renex, where I had to kick out because it was too shallow. This board does it all, even on chest-high waves. The Parallax is a 9'6", lighter than other single-fin boards, and doesn't have the chatter you get with some newer EPS boards. It feels like a PU board but is more responsive and easier to turn. The nose comes around quickly. I'm glad I tried it�it's an incredible board