Product Review: Sufix 832, the best braid you can use?

The guys and I have been using braid on our reels to get maximum line capacity, and maximum casting distance.  Braid lasts longer than mono but is more expensive.  We had tried different brands before trying Sufix 832 Advanced Superline.

Thad:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returning from a 7 year fishing hiatus due to new daddy duties, I was surprised to learn that braid had become the prevalent line used by most fishers. Hearing about the benefits of braid made it a no–brainer to switch. This meant having to upgrade much of my old gear to “braid friendly” versions. Keep in mind I’m still a relative newbie to braided lines so this review is limited to first hand use of a few brands.

With so many braid choices on the market, I decided to start with one I had heard of and that a coworker swears by – PowerPro. It took a little getting used to the characteristics of braid and I had to learn some new knots to replace ones I used with mono, but I loved being able to cast my light lures with lines rated at such heavy breaking strengths. Further research of the pros and cons of PowerPro made me want to test other braids and see the differences for myself.

I wanted to start with the affordable brands available in the US market and not dive right into the ultra-expensive JDM ones. In addition to PowerPro, I purchased Spiderwire Stealth, Daiwa J-Braid, and Sufix 832. I spooled them on to different braid friendly whipping reels to test on the flats and off a marina dock. Both the PowerPro and Spiderwire are 4-strand braids while the Daiwa J-Braid and Sufix 832 are 8-strand.

I prefer the casting smoothness and suppleness of the 8-strand braids. I feel like my casts are longer and I hear less humming of the line going through the guides on both the cast and retrieve. I also haven’t experienced any wind knots – something I had occasional issues with when using the 4-strand PowerPro and Spiderwire.

One noticeable disadvantage of braid compared to monofilament is its abrasion resistance. For this reason, monofilament is still my line of choice when dunking certain rocky spots. But for whipping lures, I won’t (can’t) go back to mono. Between the two 8-strand lines I tested, I’ve noticed much less fraying on the Sufix 832. Repeated casting of the braids cause the lines to show signs of fuzziness or minor fraying where I hold the line with my finger when casting. I cut that section off and re-tie my leader when I notice this. Anytime I feel line rubbing the reef or underwater structure, I always inspect it carefully to find the damaged area for removal. Honestly, there have been a few times where I could not find a frayed section on the Sufix 832 even after feeling a line rub.

Line diameter on the Sufix 832 is also noticeably thinner versus the J-Braid. A friend who was using Daiwa J-Braid asked me what line I was using so I recommended Sufix 832. He later told me he bought some Sufix 832 but didn’t buy a big enough spool to fill his reel because he didn’t know it was so much thinner than Daiwa J-Braid. The thinner Sufix 832 meant he could fit more line on his reel.

From what I’ve seen, some JDM braids are at a whole nother level of strength and performance – if you’re willing to pay the big premium in pricing. Are those braids so much superior to my current favorite Sufix 832? I guess that would depend on your fishing style and how big your wallet is. For my style of fishing and budget, Sufix 832 is more than enough. The advantages I gained over monofilament in terms of casting distance, breaking strength, line diameter, and longevity of the line, far outweigh its higher cost and decreased abrasion resistance.

Scott:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sufix® 832® Advanced Superline® is the strongest, most durable small diameter braid on the market”, or so says the marketing claim.  “832” is called such because it incorporates 8 fibers woven 32 times per inch.  8 fibers make a “rounder” braided line than the 4 fibers that a lot of the competition use.  All of that sounded great when I made the switch from PowerPro a few years ago, but I mainly wanted a braided line that wouldn’t cause backlashes when casting my bait casters.

I had some really bad backlashes prior to switching to Sufix 832 that required scissors to cut out the tangle.  Often I ended up with so little line left that my casting distance was greatly diminished.  Sufix 832 was a smoother, slicker line, and I had far less backlashes. The few backlashes I did get could be easily pulled out, and the subsequent cast was backlash-free.  This was enough to get me stoked on Sufix 832 and loaded it on all my reels.  I’ve never had Sufix break on me, even when fighting sharks that weighed more than twice the lb test rating.  I now realize that more yards of Sufix 832 went on my reels than PowerPro because the diameter of Sufix is smaller.  Smaller diameter braid translates to longer casts and less resistance when dropping a jig or weighted bait down, even more reason to switch to Sufix 832.

In this video, I had freshly spooled Sufix 832 Coastal Camo on a 13 Fishing Concept Z reel and not only was it packed loosely, I cast it dry which increased the chance of backlashes.  The backlash happened immediately and my lure flew off, but the tangle was really easy to pick apart.  I packed the line tight and had no problems after.  Charley’s Fishing Supply just started carrying Sufix 832 in bulk spools. It’s the best braid I’ve used so far.

Wet Sufix 832 pinched with my left thumb and forefinger to provide tension still eventually cuts into my thumb but the waxy coating delays slicing a lot more than less coated lines did.