laceys lane said...I had a quick paddle in the flat .I found the nose shape looked good but has lost stability by a fair margin - a lot less rail around the front. Im used to 24 inch boards and well turning it around in the choppy broadwater was a decidedly hard task-hard then their fw race board
I cant imagine too many be comfortable on the 24.75. The 26.75 being the pick i would think. The local shops are getting in the 26.75 mostly as I understand
the elite will manage as they do
Most who have tried them have concurred they are 'edgy'.
Ive noticed on fb a few of the team crew have copped a few digs by other paddlers over the new boards.
They were tested locally. Makes me think the testers were to shy to speak up
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Ps. In the right conditions a 17.4 bullet will blow away any other board. Key is the right
No,not to shy to speak up. Most of the guys that did the testing aren't particularly active on Sea Breeze, if at all. I only look at it every couple of weeks at the moment so that's your answer for us all being quiet. Yes the boys on FB have had a little fun but many of those digs are coming from other brand team riders trying to give the old guy a hard time. I've got 25 years on Mr Casey.
As you know I am bias toward this board having been involved in the testing but I've used my new boards all a fair bit now so have got a little more time on the water. The new 24.75 is a little twitchier than the previous model but this has seen some downwind benefits, to the extent that a couple of better paddlers have bought this board to race on this year. The difference is that it changes direction a little easier and roles into the next swell when going downwind. This feels different at first but once you've found the sweet spot it gets easier. It certainly is not a stable board, but fast race boards generally aren't.
Having said that, I agree with you that the new 26.75 will be the board of choice for most with the 2016 Falcon. Last year's mid width board 27.25 was great downwind but a little sluggish on the flat. This year the brief was to keep the downwind advantages of last year's board but make the board faster into the wind and on the flat. First the nose rocker was lowered slightly and then the nose was thinned out and the apex of the rail brought higher up the rail to the mid point. This has essentially removed any flat spots where water bounced off the rail. Now the board glides through the chop much better. Everyone who paddles the board comments on its upwind improvement. This design change brought the nose shape more in line with a clubbie paddle board which has the performance characteristics the guys were looking for.
Unfortunately it's not possible to make one board to suit all paddlers and I think this year we've managed to get the boards closer to what we want. The 24.75 won't suit everyone. I'm using it for downwind runs with lots of chop in enclosed waters like Sydney Harbour or Port Phillip Bay, however as soon as the swell and chop gets larger I find the 26.75 is much more stable and just as fast. It will be my choice of weapon at Currumbin and for King of the Cut in WA later in the year.
The fin position is a fair way forward to aid surfing and to work in conjunction with the thin tail. When you're riding the board the fin position works well. The fin is positioned under the wider part of the tail and is essentially under where your feet are when downwinding. If the fin was placed further back the board would be difficult to foot steer when downwinding.
I've said it numerous times before but the best way to see what board works for you is to demo. Listen to team riders, listen to brand loyalists but only you can determine what suits your riding style and ability. Try as many brands as you can. Naish and Fanatic have been traveling for months doing demo days so get down to the beach and paddle everything you can.
PS......,I'm working on the 17'4" believe me.
