Had a session on the Aboard 137 in 15-17 knots NE seabreeze, yahoo!!!!
Was on a 10m rebel and small to medium surf in various conditions depending on where on the beach i was riding.
Have been riding nearly four years, weigh 80kgs, prefer boards in the 135 to 139 range and consider myself an intermediate level rider, just.
Rode a Stuey 6'2 unstrapped for an hour before riding this board.
IN MY OPIONION
This board rode very well.
The quality and finish of the board is excellent
On first impressions I was not too keen on the footbeds(just didnt like the shape).
Like all boards i have ridden for the first time, this one took a little to feel comfortable on, but the longer i rode, the more i liked this board.
The board has 45mm fins which i really liked as i prefer my boards loose/skatey and not too tractioned. This was a good combination.
The board loads n pops nicely, holds edge and has excellent upwind performance.
The footstraps/footbeds worked excellent and had me changing my mind a little on my earlier critisim as they work so well. Excellent adjustment, comfy and beautifully cushioned footbeds that took away some of the hard landing impact from some not so well perform freestyle/big boost landings.
Am not a keen fan of the semi pickle fork/swallow nose tail setup, but it works very well, little to no spray off the front of the board. Really enjoyed doing little ollies n big healside carves on transitons, especially on the wave faces.
I love riding any different equipment i can get my hands on, kites boards, anything, variety is the spice of life.
For what its worth i rate this board four plus out of five. Would have no problems buying one afte riding the board.
Regards
Richard T