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#Windsurf JP WAVE SLATE PRO 87L 2020 TEST REVIEW

JP WAVE SLATE PRO 87L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
Maturing like a fine wine and no less relevant today, the Slate shows how the defining parameters of compact and conventional designs have become blurred over time. A supreme all-rounder for UK conditions, it has key performance qualities that both flatter and excite.

JP WaveSlate Pro 480px

THE LOWDOWN
This second generation Slate is now in its third season, offering three sizes from 79 to 96 litres. This 87 is certainly the most obvious ‘compact’ design in the test group, with parallel rails, a squashed diamond tail and squared off nose. Turning the board over, the first thing that grabs you is just how soft the rails become, tucking early after the hard edged tail and softening to provide grip in the turn. JP are keen to point out the Slate’s dual rocker line, with a straighter profile running through the centre of the board and more curvature along the rails, which take over when the board’s pushed into a corner. Available solely in S-glass Pro construction with Innegra parabolic rails, it comes complete with a fresh new colour scheme and refined fittings for comfort and practicality. There are now just three position options provided for each footstrap, yet each one is double screwed to eliminate any twist, and incorporates the brand’s new internal scale graphic to gauge size at a glance. The deckpads are dual density and possess a new horizontal diamond groove that provides excellent comfort and traction. And in addition to the thruster setup, there are extra 13 cm long slot boxes (each with positioning reference scales) to provide setup permutations for every rider preference. Note, the board was first tested with K4 fins as there was no stock fins provided for initial outings.

BRAND CLAIM
“When the wave conditions are not epic, I like to use the Wave Slate to squeeze every extra ounce of energy out of the waves. It planes super fast, so it’s easy to get going quickly to jump when the waves are breaking close to shore and it holds its speed in the bottom turn when turning in onshore waves so you can really utilize it to do radical turns when the waves are soft and slow.” – Robby Swift.

PERFORMANCE
The Slate is a three year old design now, but shows no signs of being obsolete. When we tested it back in 2017 we concluded that it was a great all-rounder and we still stand by those findings today. As power comes on, it does require a healthy turn off the wind to release, stepping back early to push air under the mono-concave. It remains fast and lively once going, accelerating quickly and feeling loose and playful underfoot. It is a great board for making the most of poor conditions, pointing high upwind and gliding through lulls with its innate speed. The fittings are excellent and provide plenty of connection, maintaining control and giving the rider the confidence to push power through the board. In onshore conditions the Slate’s early planing, speed and upwind agility all play their part, and yet we remain most impressed with the board’s ability to maintain its speed through the turn; the Slate has a natural ability to keep its inertia. The rails are just so soft and grip the water superbly, keeping the rail locked in so that the board traverses the face until the rider wants to turn. In cross-shore conditions and clean faces, the Slate is no less potent, the rails biting well before the rider can tighten the turn through the back foot. It may not feel as sharp or aggressive as others, such as the Ultimate Wave for example, yet the speed and ease of the Slate’s fluid rail to rail response makes it highly expressive and all the more rewarding to use.

www.jp-australia.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 87L
Length: 219 cm
Width: 57 cm
1ft off: 39.4 cm
Bottom shape: Rounded vee in the nose, to straight double by the track and onto pronounced mono-concave under the feet and straight vee in the tail.
Weight (‘Naked’): 6.69 kg
Fins: JP Wave 19 cm RTM (slot) + 2 x JP Side Wave 10 cm RTM (MT)
Sail Range (Quoted): 4.5-5.6m
Sizes Available: 79,87, 96.

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#Windsurf RRD WAVE CULT LTD 82L Y25 2020 TEST REVIEW

RRD WAVE CULT LTD 82L Y25 2020 TEST REVIEW

RRD WAVE CULT LTD Y25 82L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
The Wave Cult is a well-mannered machine, at home in any coastal environment. Coming to life once powered, it is playful on the wave, with a smooth and natural rail to rail carving style.

RRD Wave-Cult-ltd-Y25 480px

THE LOWDOWN
2020 is RRD’s 25th season as a brand – a significant milestone that is being celebrated with the introduction of a new categorisation strategy. The Wave Cult now sits with the Hardcore Wave, Twintip and X-Fire as the brand’s ‘Pro Line’ range, and is available exclusively in their LTD construction. The lineup of six sizes are in fact the same as the V8 designs of last year, save for a graphical update to mark the quarter-century year. Short in outline, the emphasis of the design is to concentrate the volume in the centre of the board, to improve early planing. This is matched with plenty of vee and double concave under the rider’s feet, whilst the nose rocker starts early, keeping the board’s shoulders high, and finishing in a soft diamond nose outline. In the rear, the Wave Cult possesses what RRD are calling a “rounded pin winger tail” – the pronounced step in the wingers resulting in a narrow tail, said to improve the board’s tight turning capabilities. It comes supplied with diamond grooved dual density deckpads, Da Kine Velcro footstraps and a set of K4 thruster fins. The back strap is double screwed to eliminate any chance of the strap twisting, whilst there are six widely spaced front strap options to cater for various rider styles and gaits. It’s a classy looking bit of kit, the minimalist graphic on the nose highlighting the Carbon Innegra weave along the deck, contrasted by its highly polished gloss rails.

BRAND CLAIM
“This board lets you enjoy every session, even when the conditions are not ideal. It planes earlier than any other wave board and turns tight in the pocket.”

PERFORMANCE
Despite possessing the lowest quoted volume in the group, the RRD is composed in the water at rest and certainly didn’t feel the smallest here. Deliver power and it releases easily, requiring relatively little technical input from the rider. It accelerates smoothly underneath you, the nose and shoulders sitting high out of danger whilst the tail remains connected. In marginal winds, the K4 fins supplied provide the traction, but if you try to drive too hard against them, they can release and spin out, we think in part due to the pronounced double under the rider’s feet. Instead, stand over the board and use the rails to keep the board tracking. Once comfortably powered this sensation ceases, leaving the board poised and ready for action. Feeling compact and responsive, it dances over broken water on the way out, hitting ramps at speed and releasing easily. On the wave it was a pleasure to use, carrying its speed through the turn and transitioning from rail to rail effortlessly. In powered cross-onshore conditions it was incredibly forgiving, retaining its speed and enabling you to extend the turn or tighten at will to meet the section. The flex and feel through the fins certainly helped in this manner, keeping the rider connected and in control of the arc at all times. In cross-shore waves, the RRD performed equally well, its smooth carving manner allowing you to set the turn through the front foot before tightening through the back foot. One word to the wise: we initially set the board up using the middle plugs for both front and back straps, but it does make your stance quite narrow. So use the wide range available through the front strap plugs and experiment. Also, we have to say the Da Kine straps supplied with the RRD are a challenge to set and felt quite rigid initially. Take your time to set and stretch them, otherwise you’ll find yourself cursing them out on the water. With the addition of the extra slot boxes, we had the opportunity to try the Wave Cult as a quad as well, but actually felt the thruster fins supplied complimented the board best in the cross and cross-onshore conditions we tried the board in.

www.robertoriccidesigns.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 82L
Length: 222 cm
Width: 57.5 cm
1ft off: 37.6 cm
Bottom shape: Straight vee in the nose, becoming vee with double concave behind the mast track, with both the vee and double becoming pronounced in the tail, finishing with pronounced vee after the wingers.
Weight (Naked): 6.79 kg
Fins: K4 Scorcher 17 cm (slot) + 2 x K4 Shark II 10 cm (slot).
Sail Range (Quoted): 3.7-5.4m
Sizes Available: 68,74, 82,92,104,114.

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#Windsurf 85L WAVE BOARD TEST 2020

85L WAVE BOARD TEST 2020

THE FLOW OF EVOLUTION
85L WAVE BOARD TEST 2020

Test Editor Tris Best // Second Testers Maurin Rottenwalter,
Joe North & Dan Hallam.

Photos Tris Best //

Test location Rhosneigr, Overcombe, Ringstead & Kimmeridge.

Hot off the 2020 production line, we have nine exciting and eye-catching wave boards in the test lineup to whet your

appetite. Some of the boards were so eagerly anticipated, that the first delivery had already sold from pre-order, meaning we had to patiently wait for the second shipments to drop before we got our hands on them! Of the nine here, six hail from completely new ranges for the coming season, making it quite possibly one of the biggest refreshes the wave market has seen for some time. And since we’ve already been experiencing some excellent autumn conditions, there has been plenty of kit and conditions for our test team to get their teeth into.

This test was originally published in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue.

FINDINGS
Unlike seasons past, when new concepts and revolutions have appeared on the scene to grab the limelight, we believe 2020 will go down as a year of subtle yet significant evolution in wave board design. There has undoubtedly been a gradual blurring in the line between compact and conventional designs. Sure, there are still some visual hallmarks between the two, yet it is unquestionable that the progression and development in compact design has pushed performance in the conventional too. After all, it’s the natural path for iterative design: see what works by making bold leaps, then whittle down the design to identify the most defining attribute before integrating the features into existing lines to improve their performance as well. Whether it be subtle changes in outline, rocker, volume distribution, rider stance or bottom shape, the changes have come about through many prototypes and countless hours R&D from each brand. As a result, the new designs seem to get going sooner; they point higher and reach faster speeds than their predecessors. All qualities that, in effect, make them easier to use than ever before … and there is a lot to be said for plug and play comfort! Your time on the water is precious, so why bother struggling? You want something that flatters your riding style or ambition, and makes you feel like you’re sailing like the pro you aspire to!

Looking at the boards in greater detail, there seems to be some correlation in the developments witnessed this year, in both design attributes and practical aspects. Wingers and swallowtails are en vogue for some brands, as is the use of a straight rail edge in the tail. The reasoning given for this feature by its advocates is that it improves grip in carving turns, and stability in the transition from rail-to-rail. It’s obviously hard to quantify the claim without isolating the exact design element; we just found it interesting that more than half the brands have incorporated it into their designs this season. Practical improvements start with the introduction of dual screw inserts for back footstraps, to eliminate the chance of any twisting. Some have gone further and now use double screw plugs for all straps. Dual density deckpads with diamond groove patterns are used exclusively throughout to provide the traction and connection, albeit the thicknesses and densities used vary between brands. And whilst the majority give the option to play with various multi-fin setups on their boards (even providing long fin boxes to facilitate fin position experimenting), there are two notable exceptions in Quatro and Goya that use a combination of mini-tuttle and short US boxes, so that any tuning range is eliminated. We played around a lot with fin setups during this test, and my gosh does it make a difference! The different approach between brands is therefore unambiguous, some saying ‘experiment away’ to meet your riding style or match the conditions, whilst the other brands mentioned above are taking any guesswork out of the equation, clearly defining the optimum position for you.

Which brings us onto the last point worthy of note. When testing low volume wave boards relative to the other tests we conduct throughout the year, the weight of the rider plays a larger determining factor in findings, simply due to the narrower margins between weight and volume. It means more time on the water is required; a greater variety of conditions and more setup permutations to fully understand and confirm results. Test team rider weights for this review varied from 75-83 kg, meaning that many of these boards would work as the ‘one wave board only solution’ for some … or fit neatly as the smaller sibling in a two board quiver, since the performance range, versatility and top end control of the modern wave board has improved so much over the years.

SUMMARY
Onto the individual boards and we’ll start with the most established design of the group – the JP. Three years and counting, this second generation Wave Slate was an exemplar of the compact concept when it first arrived, and remains so today. It is a pleasure to use in any UK coastal environment, particularly when the conditions need a bit of spark. Another real all-rounder is the Quatro Cube, retaining the line’s reputation for early planing, quick acceleration and a planted feel, yet with more top end control and bite through the tail. It excelled particularly in cross-onshore conditions, when it could carve tight all over the wave, before cranking hard back upwind and out of trouble. The Fanatic Grip is a masterpiece of a board, which is just so easy and accepting to sail, its forgiving nature belies its raw ability on the wave. We’re now full advocates for its use in quad setup and it’s impressive how subtle tweaks have made all the difference. On the other hand, the Simmer Flywave is supplied as a quad, which is stellar for those clean cross-off days and large open faces. For typical UK conditions though, this board’s character is transformed when changed to a thruster. Lively, active and engaging, it just felt a little stiff as a quad to get back up the face tightly, but change it into thruster mode and there’s an addictive level of bite, before flowing seamlessly from rail to rail. The Tabou Da Bomb is a full rail carving thruster through and through, and whilst feeling a little dampened and quiet in humble conditions due to the cushioning effect of the thick deckpads and soft footstraps, it switches on when the waves come in and the wind turns on, and the aforementioned fittings come into their own for comfort. Play with its settings and you really learn to trust it when the chips are down. The Starboard Kode is unique amongst the group with its onshore wave / freewave design brief. It is however a real gem, being incredibly versatile and performing well in the onshore to cross-shore conditions we had during the test. Much like many ambitious slalom sailors would actually be better off sailing freerace kit, those that aspire to sail in good waves, yet all to often find themselves faced with typical coastal slop may be wise to consider a board with true freewave capabilities. The Severne Nano is another unique natured board amongst the test group, but for very different reasons. It has a definite back foot surf style personality, thriving on an active riding style, full-blooded bottom turns and aggressive hacks at the critical moment. If this sounds like your riding ethos and you’re looking for the next level, this could be it! The Wave Cult from RRD is the smallest board here by quoted volume, yet gets going early and easily. It likes to be comfortably powered, where it sits high on the water’s surface and has a connected feel with the fins; carving smoothly and carrying its speed well, forgiving of any clumsy pilot error. That leaves the Goya Custom 4 – an all-new quad range championed by Marcilio Browne and used by him in both training and competition. A compact rocket ship of a board, it is all about control and simply seems to get better and better as the wave conditions improve, with supreme feel and grip through the rails and tail. There is something for everyone and all coastal conditions in this pack; just start the journey of deciding which is for you by being honest about your needs and what conditions you sail in predominantly … not the conditions you wish you sailed in most regularly.

THANK YOU
Thanks to Steve Thorp and Murray Saunders from K4 Fins for their support in supplying a vast quiver of fins for us to use and play with during this wave test. This in turn helps us to vary and experiment with the setup of each board here, an invaluable tool in understanding their potential.

uk.otc-windsurf.com

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#Windsurf TABOU DA BOMB 84L 2020 TEST REVIEW

TABOU DA BOMB 84L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
More adaptable than the Da Curve 88 tested last year, the Da Bomb is a wave board thoroughbred, offering comfort and balance through both feet, and with a versatile carving style that simply loves to be pushed.

THE LOWDOWN
The Da Bomb has been in the Tabou range for three seasons now, and in the words of the brand, has been “evolved steadily to adopt the latest trends and styles in the sport”. Described as their option for the ‘new school wave rider’, it is short yet wide, retaining plenty of width in the tail, with a subtle wingered step before finishing in a swallow tail. There’s plenty of dome to the deck, tapering down to thinned rails, intended for easier initiation into the corners. The rails themselves are super sharp in the tail, before tucking under the board early and becoming soft in the nose – reminiscent of a short surfboard. Yet the key development for the new season is a faster rocker and reduced tail kick, aimed at improving the board’s early planing and speed. Any loss in turning potential is then said to be countered by the inclusion of large channels in the tail, with the aim of increasing looseness and control in the turn. Produced in the brand’s new wave carbon innegra flex (WCIF) construction, it certainly looks the part in its bright green-blue livery, and draws the eye with its definite surf style influences. Supplied with an MFC thruster fin package and a double screw back strap setup as standard, it offers six front strap positions to provide an abundance of tuning permutations to meet varying riding styles and demands. The diamond-grooved deckpads are also incredibly thick, albeit surprisingly easy to compress when screwing in the straps.

BRAND CLAIM
“The Da Bomb’s fast rocker allows you to catch every wave, while the mini-channels on the bottom add looseness for tight and controlled turns.” – Fabien Vollenweider.

PERFORMANCE
Taking the Da Bomb out in marginal vanilla conditions, it gets going early and accelerates to a respectable speed, yet feels a little lacklustre and passive in manner. We tried to understand why and believe it’s to do with the setup and fittings. Firstly, the deckpads of the Tabou are incredibly thick and soft, which combined with the soft straps provide a uniquely cushioned ride. The mast track of the 84 is also a good 5 cm further back than on most, increasing the nose length and making it feel quite directional initially, despite its short length. We played with the mastfoot position and it certainly changes the character of the board, yet the dampening of the fittings can’t be overcome. As the conditions turn on however, they become a real asset rather than a drawback, absorbing harsh feedback and allowing the rider to lock in to maintain their stance. It is worth taking extra time to adjust the straps precisely to your taste; if the straps are too big you can easily find yourself slopping around in them. Feeling controlled and connected through the tail, rather than loose or nervous, the rider can drive power through the board confidently, using its speed to charge at ramps on the way out for some serious airtime. Yet it’s on the way in, in a wave environment that you soon appreciate the Da Bomb’s capabilities. On the wave face the Da Bomb has a truly versatile manner, gripping through its rail during front foot entries, yet providing plenty of feel and bite through the back foot if the pilot wishes to tighten the radius mid-turn. In cross-onshore to onshore conditions, the 84 holds its speed well through the arc, the channels and width in the tail enabling the rider to gauge and redirect on demand. We moved the mastfoot right to the back of its track in these conditions, which increased the board’s pivotal nature through the tail. The by-product means that there is also plenty of volume and stability as you step round the front during a tack! And in larger cross-shore days we moved the mastfoot forward to increase the control and drive through the length of the board’s rail. In these conditions the Da Bomb feels more and more at home, thriving on being driven hard through the front foot for a smooth, addictive and powerful carve.

www.tabou-boards.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 84L
Length: 220 cm
Width: 58.5 cm
1ft off: 41 cm
Bottom shape: Vee in the nose, to vee with pronounced double, which extends all the way to the channel in the tail.
Weight (‘Naked’): 6.62 kg
Fins: MFC TF2 19 G10 (US) + 2 X MFC TF 11 RTM (Slot).
Sail Size: 4.2-6.6m
Sizes Available: 77, 84, 94,104.

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#Windsurf SIMMER FLYWAVE 85L 2020 TEST REVIEW

SIMMER FLYWAVE 85L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
A live wire of a board, the Simmer has a familiar feel and character, with an altogether very contemporary and compelling twist. Get yourself the thruster setup to realise its potential in all but the most perfect cross to cross-off conditions.

THE LOWDOWN
The 2020 Flywave lineup consists of the same four sizes as the fourth generation series introduced in 2019. Described as their ‘ground swell’ wave board lineup, the design incorporates the fast efficient rocker of Kai Katchadourian’s Jaws inspired stick, yet has been evolved thanks to the input from their young PWA star Marc Paré. There’s vee with double concave throughout the board’s bottom shape, said to provide smooth rail-to-rail transitioning whilst maintaining control as it irons out the impacts from messy seas. The more noticeable feature of the Flywave’s outline is its marked wingered step in the tail, finishing in a straight edge to its swallow tail, giving it quite an aggressive appearance. The idea is to provide improved grip and stability during powerful top turns. Produced in Vietnam using the brand’s Electric Flex Technology (including a PVC stringer, providing flex and stiffness where needed), for 2020 all Simmer boards now have a ‘Hot Coat Finish’ – a process whereby a colour pigment is implemented into the outer layer hard epoxy gel coat. The benefits, Simmer say, are significant, with improved UV and scratch resistance, truer colours and a reduced overall weight, as a base coat layer and two layers of top coat paint are now replaced. It is certainly a light board when put on the scales naked, weighing in at less than 6.0 kg! Supplied with a set of Simmer’s own quad fins, the Flywave houses five slot boxes, so that it can be configured according to conditions and riding style, from quad to thruster and twinzer. All the straps benefit from double-screw inserts, to eliminate any twisting, sitting on thick dual-density diamond-grooved deckpads.

BRAND CLAIM
“I’ve sailed the Flywave all over the globe and in all imaginable conditions and there is no board that I trust more in a bottom turn than this board. There is no limit to how hard you can push it.” – Marc Paré.

PERFORMANCE
Easily the lightest on test, the Flywave feels small yet nimble underfoot, sitting low in the water at rest and requiring a good turn off the wind as power is supplied. Rising to the surface, it releases quickly and accelerates in an instant, feeling fast and alive once going. With the quad setup supplied, it is planted and grippy through its narrow tail, dancing over chop with an energetic and edgy nature. This alive character might unnerve the timid pilot, yet will inspire the more experienced, encouraging them to drive it hard into the corners. In large clean faces, the grip through the tail of the board is wondrous, the fin and thin rails sucking the back of the board through the turn to help steer the nose back up to the face. In cross-onshore conditions however, we found the level of grip almost overbearing, making the board stiff and hard to redirect. Change the board to a thruster however and its fortunes are instantly transformed. It feels much freer through the tail, playfully transitioning from rail to rail without a chance of catching or getting stuck. It allows the rider to use the board’s innate speed and play its grip through both rails and fins to really make the most of tight pockets and challenging conditions. One observation to note – when setting the straps larger, the toes of our front feet rested off the front deckpad and on the non-slip deck. It wasn’t uncomfortable necessarily, just took some getting used to. Some even liked the sensation, confirming that the foot was fully seated in the strap.

www.simmerstyle.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 85L
Length: 223 cm
Width: 58 cm
1ft off: 39.0 cm
Bottom shape: Vee with double concave from nose to tail, finishing in flat vee in tail. The double is most pronounced behind the mid-section.
Weight (‘Naked’): 5.80 kg
Fins: Simmer 2 x M105 (Slot) + 2 x BT150 (Slot).
Sail Size: 4.0-5.6m
Sizes Available: 72,78, 85,92.

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#Windsurf QUATRO CUBE 87L 2020 TEST REVIEW

QUATRO CUBE 87L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
The new Cube maintains its predecessor’s lively compact reputation, extending its range and appeal through subtle refinements. It is a stunning all-round contender and one we’ll find hard to give back!

Quatro Cube 480px

THE LOWDOWN
The Cube has been updated for the new season, gaining ‘Pro’ in its title and rebranded as Quatro’s Powerwave Quad, rather than described as their ‘control wave’. There are now six sizes in the lineup, ranging from 75 to 106 litres, although the same Pro Carbon and S Glass construction is used, and same excellent MFC straps and fins supplied. Under closer inspection, the design of this new 87 is also a clear evolution from its predecessor, rather than a complete reworking. It retains the same squashed diamond tail and compact outline, yet subtle changes are also evident in volume distribution and tail shape. There is now a straight-sided outline in the rear, leading from the tail to just in front of the back deckpad, helpfully emphasised by the matt back graphic along the rail. The tail is also narrower and has been thinned down, pushing more buoyancy into the board’s mid-section. Finished in a sanded yellow to reduce excess weight, it has a minimalist graphic appearance, which in turn draws attention to the polished rails along the board’s mid-section and nose. The MFC straps sit on top of the brand’s excellent KT dual density deckpads, the back strap benefitting from double screws to eliminate twist. One final observation is that the fin boxes are small, resulting in the fins being placed exactly where they’re intended … as there is no real room for them to go anywhere else!

BRAND CLAIM
“For the Cube Pro’s latest generation I worked on putting as much emphasis on early planing as possible, giving you every single bit of boost you might want at any moment. It’s like a turbo that’s constantly spooled up. I’m keeping this powerful board stable with a fuller, more parallel outline, aiding to keep your speed when bottom turning and backside riding in side to side onshore conditions, where turns toward the lip are longer, drawn out, and require more stamina than in side-shore locations.” – Keith Teboul.

PERFORMANCE
Balanced and easy underfoot, the Cube releases cleanly and quickly as soon as power is supplied. The ride is smooth and comfortable, the deckpads and straps providing just the right amount of comfort and connection. The most impressive part of the Cube’s ride though is its planted nature. The tail of the board just sits connected to the water, without ever feeling sticky or awkward, gliding through lulls and providing the security and dependency to plough power through during gusts. Its speed is ample and comes easily, the Cube capable of pointing high and cranking upwind at will. Used in clean cross-shore waves, it feels alive and active underfoot, gripping beautifully through the tail to be driven as aggressively as you wish. Compact underfoot and easy to redirect off any broken water, it just feels as if it has been programmed beforehand, happy and willing to obey any command. However, in cross-onshore or dead onshore conditions using the Cube feels almost like you’re cheating! It glides out through turbulent seas and is easy to tack and transition quickly to make it to the lineup. On the wave it can be taken wherever the pilot requires, turning sharply and aggressively by pushing hard through the back foot, or equally happy maintaining speed through a more drawn out turn to reach a more distant section. As the conditions turn on, the 87 shows little sign of suffering from its predecessor’s Achilles heel. In the past, the wide tail outline of the Cube meant it felt a little cumbersome when trying to turn loaded. The new Cube’s thinned down and straight-edged tail helps to improve grip and keep the rails locked in on their trajectory up the face.

www.quatrowindsurfing.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 87L
Length: 222 cm
Width: 58 cm
1ft off: 38.1 cm
Bottom shape: Vee with double concave from nose to tail, the vee being most pronounced either side of the mid-section.
Weight (‘Naked’): 6.22 kg
Fins: MFC QS RTM 300 quad set (US centre fins, MT side).
Sail Range (Quoted): 3.7-5.5 m
Sizes Available: 75,82, 87,93,98,106.

Other boards in this test:

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#Windsurf FANATIC GRIP TE 86L 2020 TEST REVIEW

FANATIC GRIP TE 86L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
When using an 86 litre wave board is this easy, it can’t help but inspire. Early to plane, fast and engaging, yet wonderfully loose on the wave, has the Grip 86 just stolen the compact design’s thunder? And whilst its design and fittings encourage diversity in setup, we found ourselves loving the quad configuration this year.

THE LOWDOWN
Fanatic hit the 2020 season with a “new logo and new look”, yet the same business-like wave board range, made up of the flagship Grip and compact Stubby. There is real heritage and R&D structure in the brand’s wave programme, seeing Klaas Voget lead development with the input of various team players, including World Champ Victor Fernandez and the UK’s own Adam Lewis. The Grip range remained unchanged for the past two seasons, since the team was struggling to improve upon the existing rocker line. So instead they decided to look at the Grip’s outline and bottom shape, which eventually achieved the breakthrough. The 86 is one of six completely new designs, said to be a slightly thicker version of the best selling 82 litre and is targeted for the 80 kg+ rider. Marginally wider than the 82, its wide-point is well forward of the board’s mid-point, tapering smoothly to a narrow swallow tail in the rear. The bottom shape sees a mix of vee and double concave, differing from its predecessor with a reduction of vee in the mid-section, becoming straight double concave under the mast track. With a smooth, fluid outline and evenly domed deck, there’s nothing outlandish or unsightly in the Grip’s form, making it very easy on the eye. Fittings are up to the usual Fanatic standard, its plain white dual density deckpads complimented with their ‘Premium’ footstraps, which retain use of single screws throughout. The footstrap plugs have only four options available, yet the 5 x 13 cm long slot boxes provide a wealth of tuning potential for fins.

BRAND CLAIM
“This year’s board achieves the ultimate goal: vastly improved wave riding performance, without sacrificing any of the accessibility, speed and early planing. Through subtle changes to the outline, tail width and bottom shape, the new Grip TE offers a new level of looseness and control.”

PERFORMANCE
Stepping onto the Grip, the first thing to say is that it feels perfectly balanced and comfortable underfoot. Carrying sails up to the suggested 6.0 m without issue, it simply does nothing untoward or out of character, but just sits there waiting for direction. Deliver power and it springs to life, releasing smoothly and requiring little input or encouragement. It then accelerates effortlessly to an impressive speed, whilst still feeling settled underfoot – you don’t really realize how fast you’re blasting out through the surf until you compare your path to others. You can relax and enjoy the ride, when others seem to be having control issues. The resultant effect is aerial antics coming at will – if the ramps don’t line up, you can manoeuvre around the crests until you spot your ramp of choice, hitting it at speed. Fast, loose and exciting yet always in control, it makes light work of any wave environment, from cross-onshore messy maelstroms, to large cross-offshore days. However, the real difference in the new Grip is experienced on the wave face. Whereas in the previous few years we found the quad setup of the Fanatic provided almost too much grip through the tail, locking it in to feel a bit stiff in the tightest pockets, the new Grip keeps carving through the tightest turns. Push through the front foot at entry and it holds into the turn instinctively, before driving through the narrow tail of the board to tighten the radius of the arc. The connection and feel provided through the fins and thin rails really allows you to adapt the arc at any time through the turn. The fins supplied work well, and the option to vary their position in the long slot boxes gives the Grip fantastic tuning versatility to match conditions and riding styles. We did try it as a thruster, yet felt the enhanced carving capabilities of the board were complimented better by the quad setup supplied.

www.fanatic.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 86L
Length: 225 cm
Width: 58.5 cm
1ft off: 37.4 cm
Bottom shape: Slightest mono in nose, to vee with double in shoulders, becoming straight double in the mid-section. The vee returns to compliment the double under the rider’s feet, becoming flat vee in the tail.
Weight (‘Naked’): 7.12 kg
Fins: 2 x Choco Fins Carbon RTM 14.5 cm (slot) + 2 x Choco Fins Carbon RTM 9.5 cm (slot).
Sail Range (Quoted): < 6.0 m.
Sizes Available: 68,75,82,86,92,102.

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#Windsurf SEVERNE NANO 87L 2020 TEST REVIEW

SEVERNE NANO 87L 2020 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT
A unique board amongst the group, with a dedicated required setup and stance, the Nano can take your riding to another level on the expressive scale for those looking for a modern surfboard style board look and feel.

THE LOWDOWN
The all-round wave Nano has been completely reworked for 2020, with six sizes now featured in its range, including this brand new 87 litre size. Influenced by the latest shaping developments in surfboards, designer James Hooper has crammed so many unique details into the Nano’s form, it is hard to know where to start! Short and compact with parallel rails, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the new Nano’s outline has softened, looking at the rounded pin nose. Yet peer towards the tail and you quickly realise the bold shaping of its predecessor has not been forfeited. In fact, if anything it’s been amplified. Wingers precede a straight edge outline in the tail, leading into a complex angular swallow tail, matched only by the intricate channels on the underside, said to enhance the board’s already tight turning radius. The rails themselves are super sharp in the tail, tucking early and morphing into bevels in the nose with a soft outer radius. The rail profile is super thin in the tail, yet becomes progressively fuller towards the nose, described as providing ‘automatic trim’ with the nose riding high and safe of danger whilst the tail bites in. The deep vee of its predecessor remains, creating a spine that runs almost the length of the board, the fin boxes located incredibly late in the rockered tail. Matching its modern surfboard style design, the rider’s stance is also positioned well back on the board and is perched high on its heavily domed deck. Supplied with thruster fins, there is also a quad fin setup available as an optional extra, intended for increased stability in down the line conditions. With Severne offering the all-round Dyno freewave board and classic Mako wave board, we were keen to see how the compact Nano performed.

BRAND CLAIM
“Inspired by Tomo’s new-school surfboards, the Nano is a fresh wave sailing sensation. The new Nano takes the compact waveboard concept to the next level. Experiments with rocker, bottom contours, surface area distribution, and fin placement have delivered significant improvements in stability and all-around ‘sailability’.

PERFORMANCE
The unique Nano II design is matched by its riding style and nature on the water. The optimum setup is key for its performance and that setup is in keeping with its modern surfboard styling – mastfoot right to the back of the track and rear footstrap right at the back (with front strap in middle position) to maximise its planing and encourage the wider ‘pro’ stance it is designed to be ridden with. As power is provided through the sail, reach for the straps early and weight the Nano’s tail to aid planing. Under way the Nano had an average speed within the group and prefers powered conditions where it cuts through chop well, the deep vee through its bottom shape helping to iron out the ride. The required stance will take time for some to adjust to, but when riding, whether cross-on or cross-off, the Nano thrives on being driven hard and aggressively through the back foot like a surfboard and is capable of making the tightest sections. Rather than setting the Nano on the rail and heading down the line and redirecting, the Nano prefers a more active approach – you need to wait on the wave until the last moment, before driving through turns confidently and pushing all your might through the tail. Get your timing right and the Nano will punch aggressively off the top, its compact concentrated nature in the rear giving the rider the control for re-entry down the face. It makes you feel like a superhero, inspired to charge harder through the next turn! We had a chance to try the Nano in many different setups and preferred it as a quad, using the Severne fins in the optional extra bundle. The thruster setup was almost too loose in feeling, whereas we found the quad setup complimented its style and performance perfectly.

www.severnesails.com

VITAL STATS
Volume (Quoted): 87L
Length: 218 cm
Width: 57.5 cm
1ft off: 42.8 cm
Bottom shape: Pronounced vee with double throughout, combined with bevels and rail tuck in the nose, and channels in the tail.
Weight (‘Naked’): 6.22 kg
Fins: Severne G10 19 cm (slot+) + 2 x Severne G10 10 cm (slot+)
Sail Range (Quoted): 4.4-5.7 m
Sizes Available: 72,77, 82,87,92,102.

Other boards in this test:

THE LINE UP