The first thing to mention, especially if you’re a die-hard wavesailor or freestyler, is that slalom will REVOLUTIONISE your sailing ability – plus make you fitter than ever before. The buzz is akin to that of riding big waves and is definitely as addictive. Get into it!
For a start, slalom sailing is within the reach of nearly everyone who can plane in the straps and make a decent gybe. Beyond that there are challenges ahead no matter what you end up purchasing, but that’s the fun of it …
DITCH THE GYM – SLALOM RULES
Be it drag racing with mates, or entering some level of racing, this is one challenging and very rewarding aspect of the sport that even the most dyed-in-the-wool wave or freestyler should be getting into, with amazing benefits for your all-round sailing ability and satisfaction.
Read on to see what kind of things you should be considering when reading the individual reports as you make a shortlist of candidates to test out before you dip your hands in your pocket.
Also, be sure to grab the upcoming June edition to see the results from the impressive 110L freerace board test– the performance of a few from that category and this one overlap way more than you think.
THE EXTRAS
Perhaps you’re like some of us in that you’ve not sailed any modern slalom gear regularly? Or perhaps you’ve never sailed any at all – or are stepping-up from freerace or freeride equipment?
Either way, you may have heard all about how vital things such as top-of-the-range masts, carbon booms and fins are. You may well think they all add relatively small percentage gains that collectively add up.
Well think again. Without exaggerating, the differences are night and day. In fact they’re the difference between being able to sail in a straight line or not, in the case of fins, and determine how much energy you’re going to expend/demand in the case of masts and how soft or hard they make a sail.
Carbon booms are just a given – you need the stiffest, lightest and strongest connection to your rig possible with this kit, so don’t scrimp in this department either.
You’ll also need an adjustable outhaul system to tweak on-the-fly. We’ve traditionally tested this gear before in Egypt in predominantly flat water. Such locations and flat, smooth water make everything easy to sail. – and nice!
This time, in much more challenging conditions, largely overpowered as you should be, we learned so much more about all the limitations of this equipment and the level of skill you need to be able to capatalise on their potential.
BLADES OF JUSTICE
You need at least three sizes of fin to cover varying levels of stiffness required for different wind and water states. There are great U.K. fin producers and sellers on our doorstep, including some top value, moulded carbon fins. G10 fins can be forgiving, but many may be too soft for these types of boards and the kind of power the matching sails provide.
Good carbon fins also deliver a massive amount of the acceleration you’ll feel underfoot too, so try and have only carbon in mind if you’re set on diving into this discipline.
LOCATION
Tenerife is the chosen winter training location of many top pro racers. Why? Well, apart from reliable wind, the water state in Médano is notoriously challenging to sail slalom gear in, with rolling swell mixed with crazy cross-chop and strong currents all presenting very hard-going.
These pros and our team find that the conditions amplify the intricacies of the gear and shortcomings in your personal skill level like nowhere else. Oh, yes, plus it was howling!
CONCLUSIONS
Fastest: A total toss-up between the X-Fire and the Manta with the iSonic very close behind. Possibly ahead if you value comfort over anything else… The X-Fire is slightly less technical to sail so you can argue its speed is easier to access.
Easiest to sail: The iSonic followed by the Falcon.
Acceleration: The super-fin-sensitive Manta edges the X-Fire by a smidgeon.
Chris Rainbow 75 kg. Med. Height Julian Da Vall 83 kg. 1.95 Tall. Experience national and European-level racer. Brian McDowell 100 kg. 1.90 Tall.
Thanks also to the various PWA pro sailors on hand in Tenerife who also lent a hand, showed us the best tweaks on their affiliated brands’ gear and gave opinion on boards and sails from rival manufacturers.
Due to camera battery and GoPro failures during our test trip, we’ve had to use brand-produced images to show the gear in action.
Next on the menu from Jem Hall’s Technique series is stance, the simplest way to get the best out of your sailing. As the great Keith Cunningham said, ‘Ordinary things consistently done, produce extraordinary results,’ so over to Jem as he implores you to Focus,
Believe and Enjoy.
I hope you enjoyed the last piece on Carving 360s and have been thinking and visualising this fantastically fun move, if you had the opportunity you might have even tried some by now! Impossible is nothing and we have got to drag ourselves kicking and screaming out of our comfort zone. That is if WE WANT TO? Wants are more powerful than needs and help you form a commitment to a strategy or action.
You will notice that quite a lot of my technique pieces and live coaching entail aspects of ‘life coaching,’ well this is because I am looking to get the very best out of you and technique is only one part of this and a lot of it is down to your own personal levels of fitness, focus, commitment, self coaching AND enjoyment, the most important aspect!
So come with me on the life coaching bandwagon as, like I do a huge amount on my global coaching holidays, I look to get you to become better self coaches who set targets, try new moves AND actually enjoy the act of learning.
I sail so much better when I’m happy. If I’m smiling and laughing it helps me so much, plus this can transfer to dry land where, if I’m on a tough run – hurting and frowning away – I just take a step outside myself and say ‘come on baldie, get that smile on,’ and the run becomes more enjoyable – yet I’m still pushing it.
3 VITAL STANCE SKILLS – SAIL FAST, PLANE EARLY AND GET UPWIND
Dearly Beloved, some of you may already be showing concern about the life coaching and the title ‘Holy Trinity’ title may also have triggered some alarm too, so let me present what this trinity actually is.
Don’t worry I will not come over all reverend. The ability to sail fast, plane early and get (fly) upwind is of paramount importance in order to enjoy as many sessions as possible and acquire as many new moves as we can.
I will be covering some great ‘tips’ on how to achieve this, without going too in depth as I have already placed a lot of the ownership on you learning.
For the best visual aid out there I can strongly recommend, (warning outrageous plug follows) ahem, my ‘Beginner to Winner’ DVD as a fab reference tool for all levels of sailor and particularly the skills covered in this piece.
This Trinity of skills is required for all windies and at all levels. Let’s look at last month’s technique, the Carving 360, as an example.
If you want the 360 you have to sail fast to get the sail ‘light’. And if you’re sailing fast then the rails are easier to carve.
Yet you will not be able to sail fast unless you excel at the 1st hurdle of planing early and if you’re not able to get fully upwind then you will not have the strategic (upwind) position, or confidence, to bear away and sail fast in order to carve hard and hammer that rail. Tough one hey.
Let me put it another way. Every year I get lots of enquiries to come on coaching holidays, and there is sometimes a thread along the lines of ‘Jem, I’d like to plane out of my gybes, learn to forward and maybe try some Vulcans too’.
Now, I will work my hardest to help this person achieve this but I know, with hand on heart, that on their first coaching experience with me they will be learning a huge amount of skills from the Trinity so they have a great time and can actually learn some fun and rad moves.
Whether it is the 360, their first carve gybe or a forward loop your Trinity skills will be called into huge account, and your tacking too, and, don’t worry, that will be covered very soon too.
1. GET UPWIND – STAY UPWIND
Ok I’m cheating by covering upwind first but then I had to get your attention with the eye catching ‘sail fast’ as the lead skill in the trinity.
If we’re not upwind then we can’t take advantage of gusts in order to bear away (turn downwind) and get planing (early, damn right).
And if we don’t bear away to get planing, then it’s hard to get up to speed. So, Grasshoppers, get some money in the upwind bank by sailing upwind as soon as you are planing and sail upwind by ‘chugging’ if you are not planing, all will be revealed on this … patience.
Lets look at ‘Chugging’ upwind non-planing first. Unless it is very windy, do this as soon as you get going, either from a start or a turn.
This means you can see the wind and are gaining ground upwind (money in that bank).
This will aid all levels of rider and get you upwind to help learning to use the footstraps, and it will aid catching waves for riding and many many more moves.
Some tips: • Best tip of all: where you look is where you go, so look upwind • Step forward and out, in order to sink the rail. Think ‘rail, not sail’ to get you upwind. Find the sweet spot on your board for this • Keep the sail relatively open, leech flapping and upright (arms bent) as you are not using sail power, but using rail power (purchase)
So now you have a significant balance in your upwind account when you see a gust you are able to move back down the board and get low to bear away and push the board on to the plane and utilise your Jedi early planing skills.
As you look to bank on your upwind account then you utilise your slick, early planing to get you sailing fast and then from here you’re now able to get upwind the faster and fun way, whilst planing.
This whole repertoire highlights just how much the Trinity skills tie in with each other. I’m not able to do justice to cover the upwind tips comprehensively in this feature, so lets look at the main ones.
Your first self coaching target, and main one, is if you think you’re sailing upwind enough, try and point higher, point as high as possible, especially when well powered, or in gusts.
More Upwind Sailing Tips: • Once you’re sailing fast then sail upwind as the fin will be creating enough lift to allow you too. • Look upwind and bring the rig back as your body moves forward, which allows you to push / resist through the back leg. • Keep your body low and outboards with your front shoulder dropped. • Rig is kept away and sail oversheeting is avoided by placing your hands close together • The more rig goes back and your body forward, the more you can push through the fin to squeeze upwind higher.
A great tip for flying upwind – and introducing more feel to this skill – is to sail one-handed.
Drop the front hand, which opens up your shoulders, thereby bringing your hips forward and low and keeping the rig back and away.
In fact, sailing one handed on all points of sail is an excellent way to improve your overall sailing and sail off your core.
The more you look upwind, the higher you will go (point) and, whilst looking in this direction, we also look at the wind to examine what sailing line to take.
Head upwind in the gusts (point higher) that we ‘see’ and bear away (turn downwind) when we see lulls. These subtle changes in direction really help you keep your speed throughout.
SAIL FAST
Right, let me get this straight. I’m not about to launch into a huge amount of tips on breaking records, as one of my main peers – a certain Dave White – might be more qualified, so lets keep this bit very simple.
Main Tips • Keep the rig away and the board flat with the sail relatively still • In lulls (less wind) ensure your hands are together to get the rig upright. Tighten your torso, clench a one pound / euro coin in the cheeks of your bottom. Push down through your toes and lift your hips • In long and light lulls you can angle / tilt your upper torso forward to pull down more on the mast foot thereby maintaining a flat board when the tail wants to sink • In gusts: ‘Get down James Brown!’ Your body and rear hip must get out (boards), back (towards the tail) and down. Your hands spread more too. • In full powered gusts, drop the elbows and pull down hard on the boom and your heels will be weighted heavily by digging in. This is when your leg strength (endurance), core and triceps will be working to the max
An easy way to sail fast in all planing winds is to ensure your head is below boom height and allow your hips to move to balance the sails power.
Go upwind when looking to get control and turn downwind to keep speed in lulls. A lot of people are fast in gusts but really drop speed in lulls. Aim to have a great wind range and high average speed.
PLANE EARLY
I could very much argue that this could be the first priority in the Trinity skills as, without planing, there is no fast fun and flying upwind is simply not possible.
In my experience early planing is the most important skill we require in windsurfing and the area we could all most improve on!
It can be divided into passive and active. As windies gain more experience – and become fitter – they become way more active in their planing.
This means they go more aggressively downwind to get more speed, (speculate to accumulate), and they get lower and pump/work the rig to get more drive and power from it.
This is a whole other article, of course. However, the above first requires being very good at passive planing.
Key Skills • Look forward to spot gusts, get the rig forward and away on extended arms with the hands shoulder width apart and close to the harness lines • Bend your back leg and straighten your front leg to keep the board flat and push the nose off the wind •Think drop (down James Brown) and push (the board away and flat) in windy conditions • In lighter winds the rig is away but you are best to angle your torso forward and be more subtle in bearing away and don’t get so down with your bad self
Further skills to consider are pumping and lazy pumping which I will cover at a later date. There are 4 areas we can focus on / improve to plane earlier. Can you think what they are? They all begin with the letter T? I love this question, go on think, it will really help.
Ok here you are, 2 are on the land and 2 are on the water:
• Tuning – fin size, mast foot position, boom height and sail trim to name a few.
• Temperament – if you believe you will plane and are, in effect planing on the beach, then this will be so. I am a relatively heavier sailor and I’m planing in my mind before I hit the water. Focus and believe young Jedis.
• Technique – we have covered this above and as you self-coach and reflect more it will get even better.
• Timing – by looking upwind you can see the gusts and employ all your efforts and skills at this time and then BOOM you are off and flying!
RRD boards, wetsuits, softwear, Ezzy sails and Pro Sport Sunblock sponsor Jem Hall. Get him live and direct on one of his highly acclaimed coaching holidays but be quick as they are selling out – check out his fab new site www.jemhall.com for details. You can also follow him on twitter / Facebook.
“ AN EASY WAY TO SAIL FAST IN ALL PLANING WINDS IS TO ENSURE YOUR HEAD IS BELOW BOOM HEIGHT AND ALLOW YOUR HIPS TO MOVE TO BALANCE THE SAILS POWER ”
It’s an age-old question. Tame and channel the power to your advantage, OR, be (arguably) smarter and choose a more energy-efficient method to beat your rivals?
But can you have both? And, is genuine, raw power actually ever controllable? We think it can be – and there are a couple of examples in this very test – although, largely, cammed sails generally all fit into a scale ranging from more user-friendly and freeridey, to unabashed, terrifying levels of force.
BETTER THAN BIG WAVES? If you haven’t read this issue’s slalom board test intro and picked-up on our newfound passion for slalom, then please do! We’re hooked! Normally we test all this stuff in Egypt where the going’s easy and everything feels perfect. But not in Tenerife where we ended-up!
However, despite having the workout of our lives, we’re addicted and can’t stop buzzing after sailing all this gear. If you’re a fanatical, wave-only sailor, we think you seriously need to look in the mirror and ask yourselves some critical questions.
Namely – without wanting to sound discriminative – have you got the balls? Because this is one side of the sport that will give you kicks you’d never imagine. It’s definitely time to ‘man-up’ …
Chest-beating aside, Slalom is a special scene – even just drag-racing as opposed to 4-minutes-of-genuine-intense-deep-downwind-racing – because you spend time in the shorebreak socialising and sharing info and experiences on the session.
You’re always tweaking kit and finding better combinations to suit the immediate conditions to hand and get better at being in-sync with your gear.
It goes without saying all this will carry over to other types of sailing you do – slalom WILL bring your sailing level higher all-round. Fact.
Why the shorebreak time then? Well, if you’re really pushing it, you won’t be able to breathe if you sail flat-out for more than ten minutes at a time! Go and try it for yourself and see…
WHAT DID WE FIND? So what have we got here then? Generally there’s two types of sail and power delivery types in this test. ‘Tractors’ and ‘Magic Carpets’.
Before we go into details – and just to confuse you – we also suggest you check our upcoming twin-cam tests and previous no-cam freerace sail reviews (April 2014 issue) as there’s some interesting overlaps.
If we picked our ideal quivers (okay, later in the year we may well do!) there would be sails/boards from all these categories mixed in with the hard-core stuff in our personal picks.
THE POWER SCALE
TRACTORS:
• For serious racing in mind
• Require skill and fitness, plus body weight helps too
• Are sailed overpowered at all times. (‘Rig for the lulls – man-up in the gusts’)
• Suit gusty conditions
• Perform best deep downwind
• Demand you to ‘sail efficient’ and, when required ‘pounce’ and to turn on the power.
MAGIC CARPETS – FRIENDLIER/DE-TUNED PRODUCTS:
• Good for entry-level racers and/or lightweights
• Easier to control and more energy efficient
• Suit more consistent conditions and less hard-core boards
• Overlap with ‘freerace’ models
• Best for across-the-wind reaching not just deep downwind legs
• Finer foils with less glide and ‘carry’ through lulls
• For rougher conditions where control beats brute strength
How to choose: GO TO DEMOS! After reading these reports and getting a shortlist to test, trust your instincts and be aware of ‘feel’ – but be brave.
Strive for low-resistance products that you can trim to suit your skill and style, yet leave yourself some ‘growing room’ for when you progress and are fitter. (Even regular wavesailors will struggle for breath!)
CONCLUSIONS Most Powerful A toss-up between the Point-7 AC-1 and the Gaastra Vapor.
Easiest To Handle The RRD is undoubtedly the easiest and most ‘freeridey’. The North, Simmer and NeilPryde are all ‘chuck-about-able’, but the surprise package is the grunty Severne Reflex 5 that’s also very forgiving despite being a ‘full-on’ sail.
Fastest That’s subjective as comfort can bring great speed over a course. It’s also pretty board-type and fin dependent too. In a straight line, on a dedicated top-of-the-line board and deep off the wind, for us it’s the Gaastra. But, if you’re a monster, the Point-7 would be hard to catch – and the Severne brings a great mix of both worlds to the table too.
Best Value For sail-only and without calculating mast prices in we think the Point-7 and RRD definitely deliver the most bang for the bucks.
Which Ones Would We Buy? With a mix of experienced slalom heads and new-to-the pain members on the team, our collective choice would be the Severne Reflex 5 closely followed by the Gaastra, which is not exclusively a heavyweights sail.
If we all weighed 110 kg. and only wanted to race downwind – not just tear around our local waters – the Point-7 would probably be the pick.
Lightweights should also consider the North, which is pretty rapid as well. Both newcomers to slalom and old hands might also want to read our no-cam freerace reviews and watch out for some interesting results in the upcoming 7.8 twin-cam test …
Julian Da Vall 83 kg. 1.95 Tall. Experience national and European-level racer.
Brian McDowell 100 kg. 1.90 Tall.
Thanks also to the various PWA pro sailors on hand in Tenerife who also lent a hand, showed us the best tweaks on their affiliated brands’ gear and gave opinion on boards and sails from rival manufacturers.
Due to camera battery and GoPro failures during our test trip, we’ve had to use brand-produced images to show the gear in action.
The Vogue is all about control. Light in the hands, neutral feel and perfectly balanced in all conditions. The Vogue MK6 has taken this one step further giving unrivalled control in a radical hardcore wave sail.
DETAIL: The Vogue has seen a complete overhaul over the last 2 years, with huge improvements in the power delivery, balance and above all control. The new Mk6 takes all these elements to new levels. In 4.7 down, through numerous prototypes, we were able to keep all the stability and control of a 5 batten sail and transform it into a lighter and more throw-about 4 batten ripper. The larger sizes, 5.0 and above, keep 5 battens to allow a subtle increase in power, whilst always maximizing control.
Available in 2 versions: Vogue HD, with full X-ply construction and the Vogue Pro, with a high visibility window built into a high strength target window. Lighter, more balance and with the same high levels of control, the Vogue will have you riding even better than ever.
KEY POINTS:
– 4 batten maximum control in 4.7 and below.
– 5 batten increase power and stability in 5.0 and above.
KEY FEATURES:
– NEW Customised Kevlar reinforced foot and head panels
– NEW Stiffer and lighter mini leech battens
– Customised printed X-ply
– 3D moulded tack fairing
– Finger Clew patch with 3D moulding.
– Head curve – Reduction in the top batten length to reduce swing weight at the top of the sail.
– Cross panel construction – Using panel layout to give heavy-duty support along load lines.
– Target Window:
– (VOGUE PRO only) High visibility window surrounded by reinforce X-ply perimeter to give ultimate strength and vision.
– (VOGUE HD only) – ultimate strength with 100% full X-ply construction.
Four MKIV
PROGRAM: Wave 4 Battens
A 4 batten power sail. Low – aspect ratio and plenty of juice in the hands. This is a sail that excels in all conditions and perfectly suits a modern attack to wave sailing.
DETAIL: Now into its 4th generation, the Four has become a favourite particularly when utilised with a modern multi-fin wave board. The focus for the Mk 4 was on the subtle balance between rider feedback and control, taking each sail, size by size and optimizing the balance and power of the sail. Through this fine tuning we have been able to both increase the stability of the sail, as well as the range, opening it up to the whole world of wavesailing. The new Four is more balanced, more reactive and more forgiving, to let the rider enjoy and push their wave sailing to the next level.
KEY POINTS:
– Improved stability
– Increased control
– More reactive performance.
KEY FEATURES:
– NEW Customised Kevlar reinforced foot and head panels
– NEW Stiffer and lighter mini leech battens
– Customised printed X-ply
– 3D moulded tack fairing
– Finger Clew patch with 3D moulding.
– Head curve – Reduction in the top batten length to reduce swing weight at the top of the sail.
– Cross panel construction – Using panel layout to give heavy-duty support along load lines.
– Target Window – High visibility window surrounded by reinforce X-ply perimeter to give ultimate strength and vision.
What Windsurf magazine said about the Four: “Lightning acceleration and good speed make The Four joyous for jumping. Super stable, powerful and excellent for short radius turns – especially in onshore setups – an easy sail to control in a range of conditions”.
GAMMA MKI
PROGRAM: 3 Batten wave ripper
3-batten wave ripper – The latest development in the world of wavesailing. Power, response and manoevrability built into the lightest frame possible, taking wave sailing to new limits.
DETAIL: Following on from the development of the Four, the Gamma takes things even further. By removing a batten the sail instantly becomes lighter, more repsonsive and more manoevrable. The use of a cross batten through the boom helps to maintain control and add stability, allowing a huge range of use. Excelling when combined with the modern
multi fin boards, this sail will transform your riding experience adding additional speed and drive through all your turns. The Gamma is the future.
KEY POINTS:
– 3 battens for the ultimate in feeling and response.
– Cross batten system to improve stability.
KEY FEATURES:
– NEW Customised Kevlar reinforced foot and head panels
– NEW Stiffer and lighter mini leech battens
– NEW cross batten stabilisation.
– Customised printed X-ply
– 3D moulded tack fairing
– Finger Clew patch with 3D moulding.
– Head curve – Reduction in the top batten length to reduce swing weight at the top of the sail.
– Cross panel construction – Using panel layout to give heavy-duty support along load lines.
The move is without a doubt the most versatile sail range in the RRD line. From a powerful 6 batten blaster in the 7.2, down to a radical 5 batten manoeuvre orientated 4.2. It is a range that covers every use through the entire wind range.
DETAIL: The concept behind the Move is to provide the ultimate sail no matter what the wind strength. In the larger sizes, 6 battens give a powerful foil that has been refined to give more skin tension, and therefore increased stability and control. The 6.2 and 5.7 feature 5 battens and are the perfect match for a sporty freestyle wave / freemove board. Blasting, jumping, gybing, they do it all. Finally the smaller sizes 5.2, 4.7 and 4.2, offer even higher levels of manoeuvrability combined with a powerful drive, feeling equally at home on a freestyle wave, Fire wave or full on Wave Cult-
Note* DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE THESE MOVES INTO THE WAVES.
KEY POINTS:
– 7.2 / 6.7 – 6 batten blasters with a sporty throw-about feel.
– 6.2 / 5.7 – 5 batten power sail to bump, jump and blast.
– 5.2/4.7/4.2 – 5 batten power wave/freestylewave sail
KEY FEATURES:
– NEW Customised Kevlar reinforced foot and head panels
– NEW Stiffer and lighter mini leech battens
– Customised printed X-ply
– 3D moulded tack fairing
– Finger Clew patch with 3D moulding.
– Head curve – Reduction in the top batten length to reduce swing weight at the top of the sail.
– Cross panel construction – Using panel layout to give heavy duty support along load lines.
What Windsurf Magazine said about the 5.2 Move: “The Move could be one of the ultimate ‘real world’ wave sailor’s companions. Perfect for reaching ramps fast and early, maximising less-then-ideal surf conditions and the occasional trip to some meatier waves are all well within it’s remit”.
STYLE PRO MKIII
PROGRAM: Freestyle PRO
The Style Pro has quite literally taken freestyle windsurfing to new levels. Huge amounts of power and pop, mixed with immense control for ducking, give a pure freestyle weapon to push the limits.
DETAIL: The secret to the Style Pro is the power luff zone. When the sail is neutral it remains perfectly balanced and controllable, however when loaded, the area at the front fills in to provide huge amounts of lift and pop to power the rider through their moves. Through the use of a single layer of Dacron this power has been amplified whilst taking nothing away from the control. Added to that a reworking of the head curve has improved the balance when ducking, allowing for a cleaner and faster entry into the moves. With the Style Pro’s amazing control and explosive pop this sail will invent the future.
KEY POINTS:
– Single layer Dacron to increase the power.
– Slight decrease in head curve to aid ducking and control
– 4 battens for light and reactive feel.
KEY FEATURES:
– NEW Customised Kevlar reinforced foot and head panels
– NEW Stiffer and lighter mini leech battens
– Customised printed X-ply
– 3D moulded tack fairing
– Finger Clew patch with 3D moulding.
– Head curve – Reduction in the top batten length to reduce swing weight at the top of the sail.
– Cross panel construction – Using panel layout
to give heavy-duty support along load lines.
Freerace boards, as the name suggests, crossover between the freeride spectrum and the full-on slalom racing segments of the market.
Offered as ‘de-tuned’ versions of brands’ no-compromise slalom machines, they’re designed to offer a little more user-friendliness and comfort that allow everyday windsurfers a chance to maximize their speed or dip their toes into the racing or GPS competition scenes.
This test was originally published in the June issue.
TWEAKERS If you’ve read our recent (May issue) slalom tests, you’ll know that the overlap between race boards and freerace shapes is quite significant. PWA or national-level racers like to sail overpowered on all-out boards, deep downwind for short races, while you and I like to mainly reach across the wind more and be able to sustain a session for longer than 10 minutes at a time! Another issue is the level of tuning required. With slightly friendlier, inboard strap settings and subtle variations in rocker line, freerace outlines generally offer comfort and don’t require you to overload the hull with a hideously large rig for the conditions. That also means less tweaks and less time in the shore break or on the beach making adjustments. However, if racing is your eventual target some of these boards will serve as a useful stepping-stone.
PRINCIPAL TEST TEAM
Chris Rainbow 75 kg. Med. Height
Julian Da Vall 83 kg. 1.95 Tall. Experience national and European-level racer.
Brian McDowell 100 kg. 1.90 Tall. Thanks also to the various PWA pro sailors on hand in Tenerife who also lent a hand, showed us the best tweaks on their affiliated brands’ gear and gave opinion on boards and sails from rival manufacturers.
WATER STATE This test was conducted in super hectic conditions in Tenerife. Hard work but a real eye-opener on what kind of boards work best. And this should be a vital factor in your decision-making process. If you’re wanting to stay local and reach across the wind, maybe the odd deeper downwind run with the GPS on, then buy what boards suit your local stretch of water. If those conditions vary a lot, or you travel or intend to compete in a broad range of conditions then, again, choose comfort over all-out, flat-water speed. At least until you’re a proficient master of the dedicated slalom board. Some of the sticks on offer here suit full-on slalom sails and would therefore allow you to experiment with the levels of rig power you need to race, but on a more forgiving hull and fin setup. Others are better matched with freerace sails such as no-cams and twin cams that you may already own.
FINS Unlike race board, all of these boards are supplied with fins – mostly softer, G10 models – that match the boards and offer a flexier, forgiving nature. As you progress, for any kind of use, you should start experimenting with different foils to see the massive effect they can have in transforming a board’s performance. Our advice is to try out smaller, but still powerful, carbon fins and get in sync with the added acceleration and top speed they offer before buying larger ones nearer to and larger than the supplied G10 models.
CONCLUSIONS In addition to the individual reports to follow, here’s some pointers on how they match up in relation to each other.
Fastest: The Tabou Speedster is the best ‘racy’ model and quickest in a straight line on all points of sailing – that and it’s comfort make for a compelling proposition. It definitely offers the best natural acceleration and suitability for dedicated sails. The Fanatic RAY is a dark horse for speed. Best for bigger riders and a more traditional stance. Also suits dedicated cammed sails best.
THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND
ABOUT THE TESTING
• We’ve tested individual models, NOT ranges, so have an open mind if it’s other sizes of the products we review that you’re considering.
Rough Water/Surf Slalom Use: The RRD Firestorm is the best all-round/versatile range of use and night-and-day best rough water choice and new-to-racing or ‘not fussed about racing’ pick. Suits any type of sails, especially no-cam freerace sails.
Comfort and Control: The Starboard Futura is the best ‘ticking-every-box’ board that’s super smooth and refined. Suits draft-further-back sails best. The JP SuperSport is also good for entry-level comfort and for those who like to sail in a narrower wind band and not so powered-to-the-max. Suits more traditional, outboard stance. Good deep downwind GPS potential. Best on twin cams/friendlier race sails.
Gybing Machines: The RRD Firestorm, Simmer Monster and Starboard Futura give the most fun and control around the corners.
Which Ones Would We Buy?: For genuine speed and racing potential, the Tabou is, without doubt amongst our core and guest testers, the benchmark board of the class. If control was a bigger factor or we wanted a wider, freeride/wave/slalom range of use – say in and out of breaking waves – the RRD with a few different rakes of fin would be amazing.
THE LOW-DOWN The Firestorm isn’t actually RRD’s stated freerace board, which is actually the Firerace. However we knew from previous experience the Firestorm would be more than competitive, so in the absence of the Firerace’s availability, happily green-lighted this fun shape into the selection. The Firestorm sits alongside the X-Fire, said Firerace and the Firemove at the heart of the RRD flat-water collection. This 111 comes with a 40-cm. CNC-foiled G10, powerbox fin.
BRAND CLAIM “The firestorm program is been redefined in technology and expanded with two new shapes. Based on the scooprocker of the X-fire boards, the thinner volume configuration and the narrower tail allow these designs to be competitive boards with burning accelerations after jibes, but also great pleasant comfortable freeriding machines! The real GranTurismo line of windsurfing! New sizes available 101 and 129 lts.” (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE We were already familiar with this 111 – a real testers’ favourite – that’s unchanged since our July 2013 test, so it was interesting to see how it performed against the latest crop of rivals in what were pretty challenging conditions with rough seas of rolling swell mixed with death chop in 18-30 knots. First up the number one thing every tester comments on is the turning ability. Tight, hooked, long and wide, this board is so forgiving it seems to finish any kind of carve off for you. It also really holds its own against dedicated slalom boards, being fast, early planing and with what, we all pretty much agreed, is the most comfortable ‘on-your-toes’ stance. We handed it to some top PWA pros too who all commented that it’s very quick – and that the comfort adds to the speed factor in messy water. Is it the fastest? Well, to most it may be as it’s easy to control – but the speed potentials in this group are all close and all rival dedicated slalom boards we had to compare against. In flat water it’s probably not. Nevertheless, this is a freerace board – and more. It loves to be jumped and a small quiver of fins will deliver a super-wide scope of use and especially add appeal to wave sailors or freestyle-wave riders looking for a true ‘wave-slalom’ board. Our only wish is that, if RRD thought it was in their remit for this shape, a more outboard strap option would give an even wider range of use and help eek out some extra speed.
THE VERDICT The most manoevrable board in this class, the Firestorm 111 also offers the widest range of use while being clearly the easiest to sail and control in rough going. We’d recommend this as the perfect board for first-time racers who also want a fun vehicle for all terrain sailing in the 11-27-knot range. Invest in a couple of fins (a smaller swept back number for ‘burn ‘n turn’ and a larger, more powerful carbon foil for the low-end) to make for the most perfect and versatile ‘wave-slalom’ design.
I hope you had a chance to reflect upon and put in place the tips on the ‘Holy Trinity.’ If these skills are the fundamentals that will serve you well through all aspects and disciplines of our great sport then this next move is the single most important transition you will require. I believe and suggest to you that tacking is more important than gybing and, shock horror, you heard it here first. It is hugely relevant from ‘Beginner to Winner’ and is crucial for improvers, intermediates and wave sailors alike.
(This feature originally appeared in the June2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
Words JEM HALL // Photos DAVE WHITE & NICOLAS JONES
Now I should be selling the tack to you but in some ways I feel I have to. I am looking to get you ‘moving on up’ and therefore out of your comfort zone. Carving 360s started this, and now tacking will not only challenge your learning and self-coaching but it will give you many skills that you will use throughout the sport. As ever, “If you always do what you have always done, well then you will always get what you have always got,” Anon. So please learn, improve and tack a lot. The tack is a fundamental move in windsurfing and it definitely assists intermediates in their quest for the carve gybe giving them that all important upwind advantage from where they can bear away and go for gybes. For wavesailing it is well known that if you tack at both ends in a wave break you will shorten your reaches by about a third and therefore get more jumps going out and more rides coming in. So I suggest you ease up on the ocean grooving, massive long reaches and please get tacking, that is if you want to get better. In fact I can say that from my coaching the people who struggle to learn to forward loop are more than often the ones who are unable, as yet, to tack.
The tack has 3 key stages and like a good book there is a clear beginning, middle and end. Focus on improving on each of these areas and most of the winning is done in sound preparation. Keep your focus simple, look where you want to go, keep low and get the rig away. As in all moves the head is the key. You are already moving your head more effectively and looking where you go a whole lot more as you are already embracing the ‘Trinity,’ so this means you will find tacking learning, improvement and mastery all the more easy, hoorah! Now, I know you are waiting for a blatant plug here, so yes, the tack is covered extensively in my very complete instructional movie ‘Beginner to Winner.’ In order to present the move to you I will be giving you tips on each of the 3 stages, rather than a whole move breakdown – and for this piece I am looking at the planing entrance tack.
BY FAILING TO PREPARE, YOU’RE PREPARING TO FAIL
When learning to tack, people, try to remember and even focus on ALL the aspects of the move. This is a mistake and it is best to focus on the relevant stage and even competent tackers are best to revisit and refocus on the vital entrance sequence in the tack. The top tips are:
• Get the order right: Back hand at back harness line, so it’s easier to get it around to new side. Stay low and move front hand along boom and low down on to the mast. Then, unhook by bending arms and keep low and out. Next are the feet. • Now ze feet: Pull down on the boom to unweight your feet! This helps them slip out of the straps and the back foot comes out first, then the front foot, both just in front of the straps. • Keep the speed: Aim to maintain your speed in this unhooked / unstrapped position – this is a good drill in itself! Keep your front arm extended to get the rig away. Body is low with a bent back leg and straighter front leg. • Carve gradually upwind: Carve on your heelside whilst looking forwards. The feet will initially be placed just in front of the straps and then step up as the board slows down and you come more into the wind. • Counterbalance the rig: As the rig moves back, shift your body forward. • Eyes on the prize: Look forward and aim to be in the position in the pics at just before head-to-wind – looking forward, rig back down centreline, hips swinging forwards and out AND crucially front foot wrapped right round the mast foot.
Look at these different targets / key body positions and visualise them and even walk through them and think about choosing 1 or 2 as targets for your 20-minute tack session. If you have got the prep phase you’re already succeeding, well done!
MOVE THOSE DANCING FEET
The footwork and transition comes at just before head-to-wind and you know you are there because you can see it, as you are looking that way.
The toppest transition tips are:
• Fast feet: Slick footwork comes from getting the weight off the back foot by swinging those hips forward whilst creating space with the rig back. The back foot can then step up and pivot. • Get in order: A great way to remember what to do in the transition phase is to think ‘release, reach and pivot’. At head-to-wind, release the backhand and reach round to the new side of the boom. This will make your footwork and the pivot that much sweeter. Think hands before feet! • Foot Work: The key is in the words you have to work and pivot the feet, so bend those ankles and get on the balls off your feet. Think about getting on down, James Brown. • Look: All of this is much improved by looking where you want to go. Forward at start, back down new side of boom to move hand, then forward again as soon as you are around to the new side. • Don’t think, do: No time to pause here, get round and believe you will make it.
As for the entrance, work on your chosen targets from above.
HAPPY ENDINGS & SCISSOR KICKING
You’re so not done yet, so let’s finish this off …
The top exit tips are:
• Never give up: By looking to finish off the move and recover yourself from all sorts of positions, you learn and improve a great deal at saving all manner of tacks. Windsurfing is so often about ‘dynamic recovery!’ • Look forward: This action will save you so many tacks, do it as soon as you are round to the new side. • Pick it up: The new back foot must be lifted up, heel to bum and then moved aggressively towards the tail in front of the rear strap. This helps you steer / scissor out and stops the nose sinking too. • Forwards and across: Get both hands down the boom so as to twist the rig and draw it forwards and across you. Front hand should slide down to front line and backhand goes way down the boom (key forward-loop skill!). • Scissor: With the back foot way back and your front leg forward you can be in counterbalance (away from the rig). The rig is moving forward and you are moving back and being aggressive at pushing through front foot and pulling with back foot to scissor out from a low position
Focus on your chosen targets and you can even write key words on the back of your palms to remind you. I believe in you, so you believe in you.
TACKING SALES PITCH
I really shouldn’t have to ‘sell’ you the tack, however through my many years of coaching at all levels I now feel I know you windsurf types very well and your shying away from tacks is legendary. And I have also personally witnessed how much tack competency – and focus – has transformed many of my clients. I will now present the skills present in the tack and how they transfer to other moves.
Entrance: • Unhooking and hand movement: Moving hands prior to unhooking – and smooth unhooking – is also hugely important for gybing • Carving upwind and keeping speed: Essential for wave riding and freestyle moves like upwind 360s, shuvits etc.
Transition • Weight change and hip movement: Vital in gybing and wave riding • Slick footwork: Huge factor in the mid part of the carve gybe
Exit • Moving rig forwards and across to steer: Massive in learning and improving forward loops. Non-tacking loopers simply don’t loop as well as tacking loopers! • Scissoring board with feet: The push and pull of the legs helps you steer into gybes and position the board in the air in jumps, amongst other moves.
TAKEAWAY
As I’ve said before, you may need to do a move, but until you WANT to do it, all it will be is just talk and procrastination. There’s no better time than now to get into tacking on any board that floats, including big beginner boards and SUPs. The water is warm (er) and you should be looking to make the most of any opportunity to improve your sailing. Whilst I’m covering it here from a planing perspective, you can get it better and better on bigger boards and in lighter winds and look to move down in volume and up in wind strength as your competency and consistency improves. I will be covering this more in a future piece.
RRD boards, wetsuits, softwear, Ezzy sails and Pro Sport Sunblock sponsor Jem Hall. Get him live and direct on one of his highly acclaimed coaching holidays but be quick as they are selling out – check out his fab new site www.jemhall.com for details. You can also follow him on twitter / Facebook.
RRD X-FIRE LIMITED V6 114L 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT
RRD X-FIRE LIMITED V6 114L 2014 TEST REVIEW REPORT
THE LOW-DOWN
Back-to-back world titles and two in the top-5 in the past two seasons leave little to be explained on the pedigree of the winning RRD X-Fire line. Sitting atop the Firerace freerace and Firestorm ‘freeride sport’ and alongside the X-Fire light wind boards, RRD have a full-bore flat-water programme.
BRAND CLAIM ‘The next step….we are in it to win it! Building on the world title design framework from last season and also leading the PWA 2013 World Cup standing in 1st and 3rd overall, RRD continues their market reference dominance with a clear leap forward in the form of the 2014 V6 series… The new X-Fire V6 is the result of 5 hard working years of constant research and development and this is our best work yet without question.’ (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE
We remember the previous version of the slimline X-Fire being electrifying in flat water – well, terrifying really in terms of speed. So it was with some trepidation that we first launched in Tenerife in nearly 30 knots with 40-centimetre fins and 7.8s. However, what we found was a nice and pinned-down and planted, controlled and secure hull that behaved very well indeed, sailing smoothly above the chop and swell that would otherwise make the going a lot tougher. The sailing sensation is unique. There’s a strange, but nice, feel of crisp/lightweight, sucky, downforcey behaviour that really lends confidence as you approach the limit of speed and concentration. The nose stays down beautifully and never felt like it would take-off when fully lit. The general ride and stance is nicely balanced between the front and back foot and, although smaller testers found it a little unstable at times (bear in mind it was howling!), we mostly found the lateral stability at speed excellent. We remember the X-Fire being super easy to gybe in flat water in Egypt, but of course this time it was certainly more demanding of technique, but definitely dependent on what sails it’s paired with. For sure it likes sails more bagged out and over-powered, but those are also tricky beasts to handle approaching turns, so bear in mind what types of rig you’d use if you opted for this board. Our suggestion would be to go for a crafty, full-on sail, but start with a smaller – say 36 cm., but still stiff and high-acceleration – fin at first and then grow into the combination and increase fin size as you go. On that note, this board is insanely fast and does possess super acceleration, but how this is amplified is massively influenced by what fin you’d pair with it.
THE VERDICT
The X-Fire is still the reference board in terms of speed and acceleration and for really attacking swell and chop. On this rough water test the handing was certainly challenged, but the 114 is not out of range for the committed and will< be a joy in smoother water. Wise fin choice will be highly rewarded – go smaller at first if you’re nervous of the power!
Summer brings us plentiful sea breezes, warm water and, hopefully, sunny weather – perfect for a blast or cruise on a fine and bright day.
With the winter wave boards tucked away, for now, in the garage, it’s time to make the most of moderate thermal wind and enjoy some gybing, blasting and the occasional carving move perhaps?
We took five of the current crop of 135L freeride offerings for a spin to see which might be best for the job.
This test was originally published in the July issue.
WHO ARE THEY FOR? Perhaps you’re new to shortboarding? Working on getting in the straps and harness and attempting those first few gybes? Or maybe you’re a seasoned sailor looking for a lighter-wind fix? For sure, none of these boards will hold you back. But, are they the right pick? These ‘traditional’ freeride boards now have rivals from the up-and-coming wide-and-thin ‘freemove’ board movement. (See our test of 120L x 80-wide Freemoves in the April issue and on our website www.windsurf.co.uk)
PRINCIPAL TEST TEAM
James Randall 70 kg. Med. Height
Julian Da Vall 83 kg. 1.95 Tall. Experience national and European-level racer.
Tony Gibson 87kg 1.90 Tall
Brian McDowell 100 kg. 1.90 Tall. Thanks also to Kevin Salmon 85kg & Kevin Pijl 70kg.
VERSUS NEW SKOOL ‘WIDE-STYLE’ FREEMOVE BOARDS Freemoves offer many of the qualities of the traditional freeride hull and, in terms of rocker line, more or less, replace a Freestyle-Wave board of the same volume, but with added benefits of a larger board. (Float, early planing etc. – all with a smaller fin than a larger-volumed ‘traditional’ board of equivalent float/stability.) In discussion about freemoves, we’ve often spoken about ‘perceived volume’. That is, these shapes feel like a board 10-15L larger when off the plane – and 10-15L smaller when flying. They have plenty of stability and carve well so why would we want a traditional board? Well, as nice as the compact nature of the freemove is, entry-level riders in particular still need some degree of length to help them both on and off the plane. Plus the traditional boards are a lot less demanding of technique, namely ‘passive’ planing, whereas the freemoves often require a degree of ‘active’ technique to get them going. There are exceptions in both categories, but the length of the ‘normal’ freerider will still pay dividends when off the plane, tracking upwind, stability and early planing power. Luckily, in this selection we have some of both to achieve a good comparison, with the Fanatic Gecko – and to some extent the Starboard Carve – having the most modern freemove-style outlines in this bunch.
TRENDS – WHAT DID WE FIND? Some of these boards offer improvers a ‘Fixed radius’ gybing arc, taking natural and almost pre-set radius for added security. These fixed turning circles are also possible at pretty low speeds for added forgiveness to intermediate gybers. The Fanatic Gecko offers this more than anything else in this bunch. Some are more demanding – yet exciting – and cater to a wider range of abilities. One or two offer the best of both worlds.
THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND ABOUT THE TESTING • We’ve tested individual models, NOT ranges, so have an open mind if it’s other sizes of the products we review that you’re considering
• We mainly used these on 7.8 twin cams and 6.0 crossover sails
• All findings in these reports are relative to the selection we had on the beach at the time. So, for example, if a board isn’t listed as the best early planer or fastest, it doesn’t mean it’s a poorly performing board, just relative to the rest of the test selection in the conditions we had during the process
• A lot of these boards are in the most expensive constructions. Bear in mind the mid-range layups are only slightly heavier, arguably stronger – and most definitely better value for money. Also consider the ‘High resistance Skin’ (HRS) versions that are durable (but significantly heavier, although this isn’t a massive deal for improvers) and even better bang for your buck.
• We tried these shapes with fairly inboard straps as improvers might choose. For sure we could eek out more speed et cetera by fitting them further outboard but that would defeat the object.
WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU BUY? Best Gybers: The RRD Firestorm, Starboard Carve, JP X-Cite Ride and the Fanatic Gecko. The RRD and Carve – and to some extent the JP – deliver a wider variety of arcs for more advanced gybers, while remaining soft and forgiving to improvers. The Gecko is best for first-time gybers but has a more set radius that might limit more advanced sailors.
Early Planing: The Starboard Carve by a country mile followed by the JPAustralia X-Cite Ride.
Fastest: Tough call. Comfort is everything, so probably the RRD, Starboard and JP followed closely by the Fanatic and Goya.
Which Ones Would We Buy? For us the benchmark is still the Carve, but the RRD is very close behind – and arguably best for more advanced sailors – with only the Starboard’s excellent early-planing ability making the difference. First-time gybers and improvers should give very careful consideration to – or go and demo – the Fanatic Gecko.
THE LOW-DOWN The Firestorm sits alongside the Firerace (freerace) and the Firemove (freemove) at the heart of the RRD freeride collection. This newly added 129 comes with an MFC 44-cm. RC 2 CNC-foiled G10, Powerbox fin. Available in either LTD. or wood constructions.
BRAND CLAIM “The firestorm program is been redefined in technology and expanded with two new shapes. Based on the scooprocker of the X-fire boards, the thinner volume configuration and the narrower tail allow these designs to be competitive boards with burning accelerations after jibes, but also great pleasant comfortable freeriding machines! The real GranTurismo line of windsurfing! New sizes available 101 and 129 lts. Each board has different length and width to accommodate the appropriate balance of the average rigs you are going to use on them. Simple V with double concave bottom and a slight flat vee tail release bottom simplify the water dynamics and create a very effective, sharp feeling of compact and fast boards in any conditions.”. (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE If you’re a regular reader of our tests you may have noticed we’ve loved the Firestorm in the past couple of seasons – namely the smaller 111L version (as tested in the June 2014 and July 2013 issues.) So, after frothing on the universal ‘wave-slalom’ nature of the 111, we were really interested to see how the 129 would cope on our first outing in very challenging, hectic conditions in Tenerife. The smooth, easy ride characteristic is still there and very similar to the little brother, but with added glide in the lulls. All of the boards in this test planed pretty early in the rare lighter wind sessions, but it was the acceleration of the 129 that stood out. We’re always saying it, but the RRD boards all seem to have a super-positive, ‘up-on-your-toes’ stance characteristic – and this larger model is noticeably easy to get into the straps early as well. In the rough water, even with 7.8s and up to 30 knots of wind, we felt completely at ease – as did various guesters of intermediate ability – which is a testament to how this hull performs. But it’s the carving nature that’s the most special and it’s amazing the variation of arc you can achieve with both the sizes of Firestorm we’ve tried. It really is incredible for being able to suddenly change the radius and hook or widen turns without losing much speed at all. Although this board will deliver excitement to more accomplished sailors – as well as be a viable freerace option – the Firestorm 129 would also make a great match for improvers looking for some growing room as they progress. Well done RRD.
THE VERDICT A smooth, easy, modern-stanced ride with outstanding gybing qualities, the Firestorm 129 will appeal to entry-level freeriders and more advanced sailors alike. Lightning-quick acceleration and superb glide add to the stress-free fun and performance. Suitable for all sail types.
OVERVIEW OK, so RRD don’t have a presence for their sails on the PWA race scene, but, after dabbling with the Firewing, you get the impression they’re pretty much ready now. The Firewing leads their line as the only cammed sail from John Skye’s loft to-date. All sizes have 3 cams and 6.2 and below go on an RDM wave mast.
BRAND POSITIONING ‘The 3 cam freerace sail combines top slalom sail performance together with unrivalled ease of use and rigging. The New Firewing will take you faster than ever before … At the same time the fundamental goals of keeping the sail easy to use means the Firewing rigs effortlessly and thanks to refinements in the luff pocket, the rotation is smoother than ever in the gybes.’ (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE Nice and manoevrable with a friendly, ‘freeridey’ feel, the Firewing automatically puts you in the usual RRD sailing position, with an upright-and-in-control stance – that we found was better with a relatively high boom around the nose. To be honest, there’s not as much natural low-end drive as some of the sails here have, but, as we’ve mentioned in the introduction and in several other reports, if you’re racing, these types of sails are intended to be used well powered-up, if not very overpowered in true slalom scenarios. In wind of up to 30 knots – and with way too much fin under our boards at times – even the heaviest of the group found the Firewing to behave impeccably when pushed to the upper edge of it’s range and we all enjoyed bearing off super broad on it in the hectic swell and choppy water too. Speed-wise it’s not far off the podium-topping brands at all (we sent some pros out drag racing on it too) and in the hands of punters like us the variance between this model and a ‘full-on’ sail will be even narrower. The speed and handling is impressive and carries a strong argument for control in the control vs. power debate. Okay, the Firewing doesn’t have the level of acceleration out of the gybe as the ‘tractors’, but you’re more likely to make it to said gybe and execute the turn in cleaner air on an easier-to-use sail such as this. And ease of use – especially in gybes – is it’s major strength, especially if you’re new to racing, so this is a strong candidate for intermediate/keen amateur competitors to consider for better placings. Just three cams isn’t what makes the difference to the handling – and there are no stability issues at all – it’s the narrower sleeve cut and forgiving draft that that make it so effortless in the hands. We think the Firewing is a perfect pairing for freerace boards or dedicated slalom boards that specialise in rougher water/heavier-going conditions. Of course it’s much, much easier to rig too.
THE VERDICT Without doubt the easiest slalom sail in this group to use, the Firewing delivers a finer foil and fingertip handling that those who value control will love. Excellent top-end behaviour and good speed make it a prime candidate for newbies to the racing scene.
// The wizard of RRD. John Skye, living the dream in Maui. “We were about to abandon the shoot because the sky had turned black in the distance, but then the sun burst through the clouds and a rainbow appeared. Five minutes later it doubled-up for a few minutes – but after that the heavens opened up! In the words of Judy Garland ‘Dreams come true’! “
Photo
John Carter
(This feature originally appeared in the March2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
THE LOW-DOWN The Move – made largely from nice quality custom-printed x-ply – sits in between the two RRD wave models and the Evolution rotational freeride and Fire no-cam freerace sails in the RRD sail range. RRD are really pushing to be a main player in the sail market with quality items across the board. The bold colours might not be to everyone’s taste but there are distinct handling qualities throughout the collection and the super quality masts also represent excellent value for money. All sizes of the Move are designed for use on RDM masts.
BRAND POSITIONING ‘For the Move we stepped back and analyzed exactly what a rider wants in each size of sail. This changes massively from 8.0 down to 4.2, so the Move is designed to fits the needs of every free-style wave and free move rider. The 6.7, 7.2 and NEW 8.0 all feature 6 battens and a more blasty orientated ride. The 6.2 and 5.7 offer fun maneuver based performance, whilst the 5.2, 4.7 and 4.2 become bump and jump and even wave orientated. Whether its jumping, gybing or blasting, for someone that wants to have maximum fun no matter what the wind, the Move does it all with Style.’ (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE Similarly to the other 2014 Moves that we tested (See October 2013 issue for 5.2 and Nov/Dec issue for the 4.7), this 6.2 delivers a nice upright, agile stance that the freestylers really appreciated. This is one stable, smooth and easy to handle sail, with particularly impressive top-end control. Again, it also flies upwind and absorbs gusts easily, with the upper area of the rig working noticeably efficiently to regulate the drive, aided by a smidgeon of built-in flex. Also of note was how well this foil powered the wider board outlines with ease. Amongst the group this was probably the most true ‘freestyle-wave’ sail while, many others in this selection really display more of a high-wind freeride nature to their handling and suitability. If you’re a coastal sailor with a floaty freestyle wave or large wave board this 6.2 would really deal with lighter onshore conditions well, without feeling too big or tall for higher performance wave riding action. In terms of rigging we preferred this 6.2 set with enough downhaul to allow most of the leech to breathe and maintain a good surface tension and minimal positive outhaul. You can tweak the wind range using both but we mostly found a fuller outhaul setting to be the most fruitful in most wind strengths.
THE VERDICT An ideal coastal bump ‘n jump an onshore wavesailing option. Stable and smooth, The Move delivers positive speed, early-planing, acceleration and upwind performance for hassle-free zip around the park to reach ramps early and prevent losing ground.
Crossover sails probably have the most demanding brief of all brands’ development programs.
As the clichéd ‘Swiss Army Knife’ rig of choice, they have to, in the 6.0 range, ideally, span wave use – probably in more moderate wind, onshore environments – be fast enough to enjoy some drag-racing and bump and jump action, (most likely as a change-down size for inland sailors), have enough manoeuvrability to enjoy some freestyle – as well as being a sensible and popular choice for entry-level freeriders.
That’s a tough call so it’ll come as no surprise that there is a little bit of a spectrum ranging from the blastier, more freeride-oriented end to genuine onshore wavesailing powerhouses.
This test was originally published in the July issue.
TRENDS – WHAT DID WE FIND? Well, compared to recent seasons we reckon this category has seen a massive increase in the upper end of the wind ranges. On this trip we were more than happy in over 30 knots of wind on 105L FSW boards, which equated to a effective wind range of 14-33 knots. That’s not a ‘we could hang on in 33 knots’ statement. We’re talking excellent control and comfort in most cases. Considering some of these sails are more expensive than others, it’s worth bearing in mind that you definitely need less of them these days so budget can arguably be less of an issue than in the past. Bear in mind though that all our test findings are only relevant and in context of what else we had on the beach at the same time. If a sail isn’t the earliest planer in this group for example, it doesn’t mean it’s not got good low-end, it’s just that we can only state what its performance is like compared to what else we were trying on the same days in the same conditions.
PRINCIPAL TEST TEAM
James Randall 70 kg. Med. Height.
Julian Da Vall 83 kg. 1.95 Tall.
Toby Gibson 87kg. 1.90 Tall.
Brian McDowell 100 kg. 1.90 Tall. Thanks also to: Kevin Salmon 85kg & Kevin Pijl 70kg.
FOR BLASTING AND SPEED: The Vandal Addict, Severne Gator and the NeilPryde Fusion are probably your best bet in a drag race.
MANOEUVRABILITY: A tough call in this multipurpose category but the North Volt, Attitude Source, Severne Gator, Gaastra Cross and Pryde Fusion stand out as the most throwabout picks.
GENUINE WAVE PERFORMANCE: The compact Attitude Source, RRD Move, Simmer Iron, Severne Gator and, to some extent. the Naish Moto will all serve well in cross-on wave environments.
WIND RANGE: The widest overall range came from the Naish Moto, Gaastra Cross, North Volt and Severne Gator. For bottom end grunt it’s the Simmer Iron, Goya Nexus and Gaastra Cross that will power the big boys, wider boards and deal with current and patchy wind best.
BUILD QUALITY: The Naish Moto, Pryde Fusion and Severne Gator both display the techiest materials in the lightest packages. At the budget end of the scale the Attitude and Ezzy will be hard to beat too. For techy, cutting-edge materials it’s Pryde and Naish that stand out most.
EASY RIGGING: The straight-luffed Ezzy and the Vandal are probably the easiest to assemble without breaking into a sweat!
VALUE FOR MONEY: There’s the most bang for your buck in the Attitude, Vandal, Point-7 and Ezzy.
FOR ENTRY-LEVEL USE: The Point-7 HF and the Vandal Addict are hard to beat.
FOR HEAVYWEIGHTS: The Gaastra Cross, Severne Gator, Simmer Iron and Goya Nexus will haul your ass best.
FOR LIGHTWEIGHTS: The Vandal Addict and the Point-7 are probably best for ladies, kids and lightweights.
SOMETHING NEW & DIFFERENT: Naish have produced a unique feel with the ‘Fusion’ construction used in the Moto. The Dacron skin is nice and flexy but the frame is well tensioned and locked. You have to try one to experience it!
THE BENCHMARKS: This large group makes it a tough call. If a new crop launched on the market tomorrow, we’d probably take the Severne Gator as the most representative of this selection to measure them by. A sort of ‘Desert Island’ sail if you like. That said, we all liked the Moto’s unique feel. However, nobody would complain if they were given the Attitude for Christmas. Darn it we’d like them all for Christmas! Amongst the various size testers the Ezzy, Gaastra and RRD were all very popular across the board too.
* Also consider: Tushingham submitted their long-standing Storm to this test but have since released the Bolt, a line that changes throughout the sizes to suit most conditions in any given wind strength. We aim to find out the wave credentials of the 5.5 on our upcoming wave sails test trip.
Read on and see which ones stir your burn and turn juices!
Looks like summer is here, so I hope you’ve been getting out on the water and had a few sessions under your belt? So, coach would like to know how are the cracking tacks and Holy Trinity going?
Words JEM HALL // Photos NicK Jones
(This feature originally appeared in the July2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
I really hope they are progressing well, through practice AND visualization, and if you want to move these forward then I will reveal a top secret you, shhhhh get on out there in light winds … shock horror! I can hear you say ‘I’m only going out if it is windy,’ or ‘my kit is too small.’
TIME ON WATER (T.O.W.)
Well I can reliably inform you that quite often the most learning and improvement on my coaching holidays comes in the lighter wind sessions and, often, the high wind moves like tacks, gybes and duck gybes are cracked after nailing these moves’ core skills down tight in less wind. As I have a lot of returners on my coaching hols, I can safely say that the ones who improve the most year-on-year are those that hone their ‘Skills and Drills’ in lighter airs AND on bigger kit, these people are all pro active learners and motivated to improve.
This month we look at what these drills and skills are and what the main tips and guidelines are for successful performance. I will focus on sharpening these skills on a WindSUP (Windsurfable Stand Up Paddleboard) this month and then next month on a floaty freemove/ freeride board. The WindSUPs are here to help us and our sport – and the most popular boards bought after a clinic, either on flat water or waves, are W’SUPs or floatier planing boards so as to have the opportunity to get more EFFECTIVE Time On The Water. Again, if you want to improve, you must choose to take actions to do exactly this, so, what actions could you take?
MOVES THAT MATTER
When I’m coaching in a light wind session I ask my rippers to grab a bigger board / W’SUP and a smaller rig, whilst some of our other more ‘learned’ fellows are on huge sails and smaller boards and sporting their speedos and high wetsuit boots and are generally going nowhere fast. This windsurfing lark is challenging enough, so let’s make it easy and go out and get back to our beginner and the sport’s founding roots and use bigger boards and smaller sails to have the time and control to learn the ‘moves that matter.’ Again, all these skills and a huge amount more are covered in full in my DVD ‘Beginner to Winner’.
STANCE:
The first skill is all about stance and how to get the best speed out of the board. Therefore, lets get all touchy feely and find the best place to put your hands and feet, which are mainly closer together and where it all feels balanced. ‘Don’t think, feel’ the kit is giving you feedback and it is saying ‘don’t over sheet me’, or, ‘stand further forward, and point your front foot forward to make you face forward’ (a huge tip for early planing in stronger winds!)
Drills for Stance:
• One of my favourite skills, in all winds, is to sail one-handed. Drop your backhand and you will control the power more through your hips and feel just how important it is to steer the board through your feet and pull down on the boom – do it!
• Sail with your front hand off will see a similar skill development to the above and also help you to appreciate where the power point in the sail is. Both skills are also quite physical so are great for your water fitness!
• Lift your front leg. This will help you position your back foot better, both fore and aft (pivot) and side-to-side (tilt). Just do it.
• Kneel down over your front leg or drag your front leg in the water. This gets you pulling down on the boom and bending your back leg heaps in order to really add dynamism all over – especially in learning and improving your beach and waterstarts!
• Now try one hand and one leg. Feel, enjoy and experiment.
TRANSITIONS
Practice makes permanent and, as they say, it takes 1000 reps to make a skill more automatic and locked into your motor memory. Therefore, a light-wind session of 40 mins could see you banging out 20 – 40 tacks and gybes, which has got to be good for staying dryer in higher winds and also for your fitness and getting your hands tougher?
Oh yes, you should please be doing your force 1 – 3 skills and drills with no harness on to get a feel for the trim and to develop your fitness and unhooked skills.
We covered tacks last month and so please refresh by reading this again. Now you are in lighter winds and on a big, open lovely EVA deck, please work on really using your legs and really moving your hips and feet dynamically.
Top Tack Tips: Feet and hands are narrower on the way in and wider on the way out. So get that back foot down the board on your exit please so you have the opportunity to steer (scissor legs) aggressively.
GYBE TALKING:
I can safely say that, unless people have cracked the light wind gybe (fundamentals gybe) and its all important stages of a clear beginning, middle and (clew-first) exit, then it will be very tough to master the carve gybe in planing conditions. My coaching holidays on flat water without a few light wind sessions see a bit less progress than the trips that are howling all week. So, no, seven days of Force 6 will not make you a gybing legend unless you’re already competent in this area.
This is not a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals gybe, as we’re all embracing our touchy-feely skills, so I’ll give you the basic tips:
• Prepare early with wide hands and feet
• Scissor the board downwind
• Exaggerate, get low and have your back hand at the end of the boom
• Think ‘rig out and hips in’ as you look out the turn, at the clew or back hand
• Switch your feet, front heel to back toe and then step forward
• Sail clew-first out on a broad reach (45 degrees to the wind) and be very very good at this
• Slide your mast hand down and rotate the rig and take your time
• Keep looking forward and take the rig through a big circle
• Sweep the rig forward and across and get low to take the power
A great combo drill here is to do Circles, where you gybe one way and then sail 3 board lengths and then tack the other way and after 10 rotations you then reverse the rotation, i.e., tack and gybe the other way. Or, you can do The Box: sail and tack upwind 200 metres – and then gybe back downwind.
REE YOUR STYLE
Light winds are all about having fun, trying new stuff and being present in the moment. I often, after 30 minutes of light wind coaching, ask my clinic rippers “what drills have we just done and now please name 20 more we could do?” Why? This gets them refreshing their minds about what they can practice and so puts them in the mindset of a proactive learner and thereby boosts their ability to self coach and set targets – both musts if you wish to improve AND have fun, all whilst becoming a learning machine!
So, before you read on, please have a think and write down on paper – or on your phone – 10 more light-wind moves you would try on the right kit and in the right place …
“ Light winds are all about having fun, trying new stuff and being present in the moment ”
SKILL BUILDERS
OK, I’ll now add to your list and also see how many we are sharing on our lists, so, in addition to the above skills, you could perform:
• Light-wind beach starts, fin-first beach starts, clew-first ones too
• Ducking the sail and then sail clew first, then rotate the rig. (Called a sail 360)
• Ducking the sail and then gybe. This is called a, surprise surprise, duck gybe
• Front-to-sail: build skills for learning to heli tack
• Duck tacks, de rigueur for all you budding high-wind stylers
• Body and sail 360s: remember to not think and just ‘feel’
• Boomerangs / floaters
This is not exhaustive and the list is endless. All you need is to focus, believe and enjoy while employing a large amount of perspiration and perseverance that will defo stand you in good stead for all the moves you want in high winds.
Go on and get out there and enjoy the W’SUP action, it’s funner than you think.
RRD boards, wetsuits, softwear, Ezzy sails and Pro Sport Sunblock sponsor Jem Hall. Get him live and direct on one of his highly-acclaimed coaching holidays, but be quick as they are selling out – check out his fab new site www.jemhall.com for details. You can also follow him on Twitter / Facebook.
THE LOW-DOWN The Firestorm sits alongside the Firerace (freerace) and the Firemove (freemove) at the heart of the RRD freeride collection. This newly added 129 comes with an MFC 44-cm. RC 2 CNC-foiled G10, Powerbox fin. Available in either LTD. or wood constructions.
BRAND CLAIM “The firestorm program is been redefined in technology and expanded with two new shapes. Based on the scooprocker of the X-fire boards, the thinner volume configuration and the narrower tail allow these designs to be competitive boards with burning accelerations after jibes, but also great pleasant comfortable freeriding machines! The real GranTurismo line of windsurfing! New sizes available 101 and 129 lts. Each board has different length and width to accommodate the appropriate balance of the average rigs you are going to use on them. Simple V with double concave bottom and a slight flat vee tail release bottom simplify the water dynamics and create a very effective, sharp feeling of compact and fast boards in any conditions.”. (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE If you’re a regular reader of our tests you may have noticed we’ve loved the Firestorm in the past couple of seasons – namely the smaller 111L version (as tested in the June 2014 and July 2013 issues.) So, after frothing on the universal ‘wave-slalom’ nature of the 111, we were really interested to see how the 129 would cope on our first outing in very challenging, hectic conditions in Tenerife. The smooth, easy ride characteristic is still there and very similar to the little brother, but with added glide in the lulls. All of the boards in this test planed pretty early in the rare lighter wind sessions, but it was the acceleration of the 129 that stood out. We’re always saying it, but the RRD boards all seem to have a super-positive, ‘up-on-your-toes’ stance characteristic – and this larger model is noticeably easy to get into the straps early as well. In the rough water, even with 7.8s and up to 30 knots of wind, we felt completely at ease – as did various guesters of intermediate ability – which is a testament to how this hull performs. But it’s the carving nature that’s the most special and it’s amazing the variation of arc you can achieve with both the sizes of Firestorm we’ve tried. It really is incredible for being able to suddenly change the radius and hook or widen turns without losing much speed at all. Although this board will deliver excitement to more accomplished sailors – as well as be a viable freerace option – the Firestorm 129 would also make a great match for improvers looking for some growing room as they progress. Well done RRD.
THE VERDICT A smooth, easy, modern-stanced ride with outstanding gybing qualities, the Firestorm 129 will appeal to entry-level freeriders and more advanced sailors alike. Lightning-quick acceleration and superb glide add to the stress-free fun and performance. Suitable for all sail types.
OVERVIEW The Move is RRD’s ‘do-it-all’ Freewave/Wave onshore sail range morphing from freeride and blasting orientation in the larger sizes down to wave and bump and jump use in the smaller sizes. As mentioned in the intro, it’s time to take RRD sails seriously, very seriously. Credit where credit’s due, this is no package sail brand or ‘they’re just slightly re-worked Simmers’ range, but a genuine, quality contender to add to your demo lists across the board. A testament to now bona fide sail designer John Skye.
BRAND CLAIM ‘The concept behind the Move is to provide the ultimate sail no matter what the wind strength. In the larger sizes, 6 battens give a powerful foil that has been refined to give more skin tension, and therefore increased stability and control. The 6.2 and 5.7 feature 5 battens and are the perfect match for a sporty freestyle wave / freemove board. Blasting, jumping, gybing, they do it all. Finally the smaller sizes 5.2, 4.7 and 4.2, offer even higher levels of manoeuvrability combined with a powerful drive, feeling equally at home on a freestyle wave, Fire wave or full on Wave Cult.’ (Sic.)
PERFORMANCE What we like most and always seem to find out about RRD sails – and with the Move 5.2 being no exception – are the traits that stand throughout their range: namely, a positive, upright stance thanks to the high – and slightly forward – C of E in the case of this model, excellent stability, unmatched drive for early planing compared to the rest of this selection, positive acceleration, upwind prowess, an element of forgiving spring and a light-yet-solid build. The Move is super manoevrable too. A really ‘invisible’, easy to sail product that’s fast and especially suitable for onshore conditions like we had on test. If you need to reach ramps early, deal with current and be agile and on your toes and ready for action then you really can’t go wrong. The linear opening leech operates effectively through the wind range with a lot of natural twist that helps smooth out the bumps and cope with gusts and the profile delivers a solid level of backhand control that’s ideal for fast, tight, onshore turns in the surf, always seeming to pull you in closer to the wave. That backhand power is always accessible on-tap and lends a lot of ‘punt’ throughout tricky ‘clew-out’ rides when you need extra boost and momentum to keep your flow. If this all sounds too positive, go and try one for yourself. We really can’t sing its praises enough.
THE VERDICT For the majority of ‘real world’ wave and FSW sailors you’re gonna struggle to beat this beauty. Effortless control lets you concentrate on what you’re doing with a positive stance delivering speed, upwind power and a perfect onshore riding behaviour. We can’t vouch for its down-the-line performance, but for a ‘go-anywhere’ tool, the Move 5.2 is the possibly the wisest pick you’ll make for some time.
More marginal wind on a wave test trip had us really testing the bottom-end of this selection of the latest 5.3s for all-round wave sailing use. But actually, that’s a good thing, as you’ll see…
5.3 is the size most likely to be most peoples’ biggest wave sail. As well as it being the largest efficient, workable size for boards down to around the 78-litre mark, without being too big or draggy on a toothpick, the do-it-all 5.3 is also more than workable on an 105-litre freestyle-wave. But, as we mentioned last season, the humble 5.3 has a big brief to fulfill, needing to be a powerhouse for heavyweights at the lower end of the scale – and manageable enough for lighter or medium-weight riders to use on a floaty board in on-the-edge conditions.
So 5.3’s a key size that can span a realistic range of use spanning 14-30 knots. Some of this assortment fall into a ‘feel bigger than they are’ group (Gaastra, Vandal and Tushingham), while others have the sensation of being nearer the physical size of a 5.0 or even 4.7 model – but have the grunt of their actual size. (RRD, the North – not in the group, but read on about that – and the Attitude.) If you want real torquey, bottom-end drive, then why not consider a 5.7? There’s plenty around, but before you go shopping, consider that another advantage of an efficient 5.3 is that its mostly the largest size you’ll fit onto a 400 mast, where most 5.7s or 6.0s will require an additional and/or potentially more vulnerable-to-breakages 430. (Although you could use said 430 on a 7-metre-plus freerace or freeride sail on an 110 or 105L slalom or FSW/small freeride board to widen your range of use and justify the spend.) For now though we’ll concentrate on the 5.3s and see how they got on …
PRINCIPAL TEST TEAM
Chris Rainbow 75 kg. Med. Height.
Julian Da Vall 83 kg. 1.95 Tall.
Brian McDowell 100 kg. 1.90 Tall. Also thanks to: Cormac de Roiste,
Laoise ni Dhuda, Chris Grainger and Robby De Wit.
Thanks also to the various other guest testers on hand in Tenerife who also lent a hand, plus the various PWA pro sailors that showed us the best tweaks on their affiliated brands’ gear and gave opinion on boards and sails from rival manufacturers.
TRENDS Okay so we’ve already stated this group are a bit more subtle than you’d think and how they ‘used to be’ and how a good few 5.3s are now quite ‘efficient’ feeling instead of being total animals. However, this size and the brief involved still often means some pretty slack outhaul settings are required to gain the maximum power, as well as widening the upper wind range by pinning boards down further in hectic sea states. The looser, fuller settings also increase backhand control for tightening-up frontside, onshore riding turns. This year the trend is still quite apparent, but there is a finer entry option (Attitude) that bucks that movement slightly, requiring noticeably more outhaul tension. The Tushingham is also quite outhaul sensitive and only ever needs one or two cm. maximum to get the best from it.
MISSING There are a few key brands ‘missing’ here. There’s always a struggle getting some brands’ gear in time to publish the early release tests you all crave so much. A warehousing staff error unfortunately saw us having the North Idol as the early test leader, until we noticed it was the 2014 model that they’d sent … (On the aero platinum mast which revolutionises its performance compared to the mast supplied last season.) This is a real shame, but we highly recommend you strongly consider both the ‘old’ and new Heros – and only with that mast – for your demo lists. The Hero would’ve rivalled the test winner and, who knows, maybe even have taken the title? But sadly we had to stop sailing it as soon as we found out.
CONCLUSIONS Well this time we have an outright winner. There can’t always be, but this time it was pretty clear to all of us which was the most workable, widely popular and best all-round performer, so congratulations to RRD for the Move 5.2.
Not everyone’s the same, so to help you sort out what’s best for you from the individual reports to follow this is what we found:
Early Planing: The RRD Move had competition from the ‘North that never was’ but emerged clearly in the low-end, upwind and acceleration up-to-speed front. The Gaastra Poison and Vandal Enemy are also pretty drivey, direct picks too.
Onshore riding: The RRD was outstanding in onshore slop, but the Severne Blade is also excellent in this department. The Tushingham Bolt and Attitude Rebel are also very manoevrable on the wave.
Best Outright Wind Range: The Move, Blade and Attitude seem to have the widest overall range, but we didn’t get to really test the top-end enough to be totally honest.
Easiest to Rig: Non of these were in the Ezzy league of easy rigging, but the Tushingham – bar the fiddly mast cutout – is a pretty simple ‘one set’ sail while the Severne, Attitude, RRD, Gaastra and Vandal are all quite straight forward and hard to get majorly wrong.
Which Ones Would We Buy?: If we sailed a lot in sideshore we’d consider the Blade, which has added light weight and construction strength benefits too. For value for money the Tush and Vandal and Attitude are impressive, but, taking into account the reasonable RRD mast prices too, it’s got to be the RRD, especially for mostly ‘real world’ wavesailing and FSW outings. BM
Special thanks to Tenerife Windsurf Solution (TWS) centre for hosting us – the best demo/hire centre in the world, F-Hot/Dave White for the loan of their mast mounts, I Love Meet and Greet Gatwick Parking Services and 211 Components for supplying excellent reduced diameter carbon booms that really helped us feel the max from the sails. (Without any forearm cramp or funny blisters!)
Seasonal Affective Disorder affects 0% of the UK’s windsurfing population with a good winter wetsuit. ‘’It’s always summer on the inside’’ was the tagline for a popular brand but far from marketing hype, the rapid increases in neoprene technology mean our bodies are getting warmer in the water even if our winters aren’t. Comfort and enough flex to keep even the bendiest knee’d freestyler happy aside, investment in a good suit should be seen foremost in terms of safety as we expose ourselves to the volatility of winter’s weather unlike any other sport in the UK. On the frontline of gales and cold seas, we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to be as insulated and as a result, as safely attired as possible.
So once we have made our purchase how do we protect our investment? Rick Findlow runs a dedicated wetsuit repair centre at Robin Hood Watersports in Yorkshire so we turned to him for advice. ‘’Most damage we see is caused by getting in or out of your wetsuit so where possible seek help putting it on or taking it off and be aware of the layout of the various seams and panels so you don’t over strain them in the dress and undress process. Even a simple step like having someone zip your suit up for you can reduce the stress at the base of the zip where a lot of failures occur. When drying your suit we recommend inside out first then a final dry the right way round to get rid of moisture in exterior panels which can keep the suit damp otherwise. Store the suit the correct way round for longevity and on a wide based hanger to avoid dents in the shoulder, best of all is if you can store it flat if you have the space.’’
C-Skins have upped the ante this winter by introducing the all new and exclusive DryKnit lining to their range of winter suits. You’ll find DryKnit+ inside the chest and back which uses a foil reflective layer under the DryKnit to utilise the body’s radiant heat and reflect it back to your core. Combine this with the superfast drying capacity of DryKnit and you’ll be wearing the warmest, fastest drying suit on the market.
With the Hybrid Amp you get what you really need. Full flex performance at arms and knees /shins thanks to the lightweight V Type double lined neoprene and skin neoprene wind chill protection at the torso in combination with the warm and cosy Hot Stuff lining inside for maximum warmth during stormy sessions. Hybrid technology means the only problem is staying in the ocean for too long but guess what? that’s no crime, so stay out as long as you like! This suit is for all wind and water lovers, looking for unmatched freedom of movement for all-out riding and sick tricks. Embrace the elements!
Features:
• ION created Sanitized® fabric means no bacteria or bad smells!
The Mormaii Windsurf is one of the few suits on the market specifically designed around windsurfing. With smooth skin on the body, arms and calf to reduce wind chill and reinforced high wear areas such as knees. The suit also has superstretch X3 material in key movement areas to reduce fatigue and increase range of movement. It has an internal waist coat to minimize any flush and is made out of superlight foam to keep the weight of the suit to a minimum.
Features:
• Anatomic design
• Super Stretch X3 on back, arms, armpits, shoulders, knees, calf and crotch.
The Nexus pares down our windsport performance wetsuits to the core: offering only what’s important. The Nexus is the perfect combination of highly flexible, mesh neoprene, ideal for windsport. An inner layering of Hotcell insulation fabric effectively traps a layer of warm water next to the skin, keeping the core temperature up.
Features:
• Apex Mesh outer neoprene – a Closed-cell neoprene with a waterproof, rubbery texture that cuts down wind-chill.
O’Shea is a UK brand ,founded and still operated by Farrel O’Shea ,the UK windsurf and outright speed sailing record holder .O’Shea’s HQ is based in Abersoch ,North Wales, a perfect location for the R & D requirements of today’s watersports industry. The company makes high quality, well researched toys, maintaining the mantra of “Performance, Progression, Precision ‘’ with a mission to produce the best wetsuit to insulate the rider from the worst conditions possible. As a brand inextricably linked to windsurfing, the “Cyclone 5/3 “ is a great suit to sail in those blustery Autumn and Winter winds! Windsurfing is a strong part of our heritage and something that reflects the passion we still have for our sport, its past, present and future.
Features:
• Perfect 360 anatomical fit.
• Made with a fusion of 100 percent limestone based neoprene, the ultimate in stretch, warmth, fit and durability. We are one of very few companies using this material and technology in the global wetsuit market.
The Mercury wetsuit is designed with tons of tech features and designed with the idea of maximum comfort. Built from the latest stretch materials, with a simplistic minimal seam for the ultimate in freedom of movement during your session. The FTM (fluid taping method) seams and Zodiac lining (plush inside) make it one of the warmest wetsuits out there. Our neoprene is made out of limestone which is a rock that is remarkably free from impurities. The maximum of elongation of our neoprene is close to 500% and human skin stretches to around 70% making our wetsuits the most free moving wetsuits available.
The Fahrenheit is the latest development available for a super quick drying wetsuit combined with extra durability and stretch. The whole wetsuit is made without any stitches; it’s fully liquid taped on the outside and fabric taped to offer a superior stretch and a longer lifetime. Internally, it’s made with an especially engineered quick drying linen that features two layers of fibres on top of each other, woven with a squared pattern design that allow water to flow through it quickly to the outside and downwards. It’s like pulling water towards the outside and channelling it downwards so it can dry quickly. We have tested the Fahrenheit in European autumn sunshine, air temperature of 20°, and we got it dry in less than 20 minutes! This special linen also keeps you warmer and longer in the water!
British brand Spartan have been producing suits since 1958 and recently brought some of their manufacturing back to the UK. Specialising in single-lined ‘smoothskin’ suits, Spartan cater for ‘surface’ watersports users and their products are focused on wind chill reduction and core temperature maintenance.
The Reflex is a vertical, zipped overhead barrier sealed suit. The chest lining has a specialist thermal material using the same technology as used in cold weather, technical, sports clothing. Combined with the refined panel layout, adjustable neck seal, water entry to the suit is kept to an absolute minimum; this suit allows maximum flexibility and warmth.
Features:
• 5/4/3 zoned neoprene thickness, extra stretch panels in areas of maximum movement
• Overhead barrier and unique one way drain valves at the ankle
• Genuine YKK Zip
• 100% Yamamoto neoprene with pure limestone for stability and durability
• Superior memory/stretch
• Highly closed cell content for amazing stretch and insulation.
