Given the topical nature at the mo, I'm gonna have a guess at "not having a foil" for starters 
Area 10, I am probably not the best qualified to give you an opinion on downwind handling characteristics. I mostly paddle in very short period inland conditions, so take it for what it is worth. I am drawing from my experience which is limited to just a handful of boards in much tamer conditions than you paddle. When you first step on the FX, it feels a little tall and you suspect that the somewhat higher deck height might result in instability. However, this feeling quickly goes away and you begin to realize that the board actually has very good stability. You are even more surprised and pleased when you get into cross wind and chop. At 25 inches, the board handles very well. If you find yourself in a save situation, the recovery angle seems limitless. The thick rails provide incredible side buoyancy and allow you to rebound where you definitely would have lost it on other boards. I have been amazed at some of the saves I have made even though I very rarely get out of shape. The thick rails seem to me to provide the additional advantage of not being overtaken by side wash. In 1-2 foot down breeze/wind conditions, I feel like I can do whatever I want with the board, which allows me to do quartering directional changes and link bumps with ease. Thank you nose rocker. In upwind quartering conditions, the board tracks very well, but does not lock into a direction. It does NOT get pushed around in the wind. You can still pivot the board direction as desired. In short, you have confidence in your board and you can focus your attention elsewhere. The flat deck and pad provide a great feel under your feet. I really liked my X-14 Pro at 26 inches. The FX has taken the best qualities of that board and has improved upon them. It is equally as fast in flat water, handles better in all conditions, is more stable and is faster downwind. And it has stunning graphics as a bonus. I have been buying a new board about every 9-12 months, but I think I may have found the board that ticks all of my boxes.
I'm so close to pulling The trigger on a FX 14... The Bullet 17 I placed a deposit on is yet again delayed to the fall because of manufacturing issues with the new FAST steering system. I was offered a 2016 with the old ASS system , but thats not what I signed up for...
Has anyone checked the bottom shape of the FX carefully? Is it flat, or is there any concave? Even if i end up with a "flat" or open water shape, i'd like it to have a touch of concave, as that's key to a fast release when down breezing/downwinding... Flat bottoms suck onto the bump and stay there, even when starting to plane, there's not the sudden release and subsequent acceleration that one gets when you're on a concave shape..
SUPerD,
I previously commented on the board shape many pages ago. Here's my quote, "Slight V in the rockered nose, rides with about only 3- 4 linear inches out of the water when flat. The shape quickly goes to flat throughout the board and all the way out to the very sharp rails, which begin around midpoint and continue through the tail. The back third of the board has a very slight Vee forming slowing and increasing slightly toward the tail. Very interesting." This is not a concave, but more of a flat (on the sides ), but with a slightly ridge or Vee running down the center. Maybe helps with downwind handling directional changes. Might help tracking. Board tracks really well. The rear tail rocker kicks up very high. At rest, the fin is showing an inch or two above the waterline. It has to release well, given its shape. And it does. 
Thanks Rideordie, i guess i missed that page, or forgot... 
.. I guess what i should do is make the drive to my dealer to demo one.. Though the end result of that is pretty much a given... I better go sort out my storage arrangement in the garage...
I agree!! When you first step on it, it feels just a bit tall and tippy. That feeling quickly goes away. Stability is actually better than the X14 Pro 14 x 26. Trust the fat rails. It is an excellent down breezer and quite fast. Have not had it out in a proper down wind yet. Floats me very well at 200 lbs. I can not emphasize enough that this is a race board. This board is designed to go fast in all conditions. Helmy can tell you. Look at what he accomplished on it in his long race detailed above. It is not down wind specific or flat water specific or rough water specific. You can get a board(s) that can excel in a given conditions, but building one board for all has inherent compromises. I think that SIC and Starboard have it pretty well nailed. I suspect the Starboard Allstar has better stability and might be faster upwind, if you have an extra grand to throw at it. If not, this SIC FX 14 Pro is hard to beat for an all water race board. You will not regret it. As a bonus, it is one of the best looking boards made, in my opinion. Get yours now!! Life is short. Paddle long.
In Europe, the FX costs the same as a 2016 carbon All Star. But the AS is a full PVC sandwich whereas the FX only has PVC in the deck area. Mind you, the FX does have innegra reinforcement on nose, tail and rails. And you get the wonderful SIC handle and a proper paint job... But if you can get a FX for a grand less than a carbon AS you are very lucky.
SUPerD,
I think you need to basically ask yourself whether you want an unlimited board or a 14' board.
Also what you want to do with it, and in what conditions?
Vastly different animals that I shouldn't need to point out at this juncture.
I've downwinded my FX in 15-22 knots on our standard Port Phillip Bay track (see any of DJ's vids), and it's do-able, but I wouldn't like to downwind it in 25+ knots. 25" starts to get a bit narrow, and I'm not Jeremy Riggs.
I much prefer to downwind my F16 (V1 Maui hollow moulded model) in anything over 15 knots. Why? It's a downwind board made for downwinding. Full stop.
As an aside my F16 has a V shape all the way through it, albeit with concaves shaped into both V's, and I don't notice it sticking to the water! More a magic carpet ride!
thanks for the encouragement guys. Helmy, there's already a 14' downwind board in my garage (2012 Naish glide - a classic IMHO), as well as a couple 12-6's. I really want an unlimited - I know its a specialized limited use addition to my quiver, but i also want an allround open water 14' board. The FX fits the bill. i just have to wrestle with the fact that my budget only allows for one new board this year. 
.
A10, $3500 for the FX here in Canada. The Carbon Allstar is $4k+.. Not much in it, but in my case i already put a deposit down with my SIC dealer. So the choice is moot. I'll be sure to report back here once i cave in to fate..
$3500 Canadian for a FX or USD? If it's CDN then you are getting SICs 25%+ cheaper than we are. I wonder why SICs are so expensive in Europe, and especially in the UK.
The FX is still on my list of boards I am considering. But £2550 GBP is SO much money. I could get a custom made locally along the same lines and save myself 40%. Producing boards in East Asia to keep costs down? What a joke.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said...
The FX is still on my list of boards I am considering. But £2550 GBP is SO much money.
Probably just got more expensive post Brexit too.
I'm planning on an FX but just waiting for Trump to be elected for the arse to drop out of the $US.
Select to expand quoteHawaiiheke said...Area10 said...
The FX is still on my list of boards I am considering. But £2550 GBP is SO much money.
Probably just got more expensive post Brexit too.
Yep, too right. The British currency has just collapsed, so everything will be a lot more expensive. But the people who voted the UK out of Europe weren't generally the people who could afford SUPs anyway. I hope they will feel pleased with themselves when their jobs are gone because the large firms relocate to France or Germany (also the much smaller SUP ones). It's also a dark day for SUP retailers and distributors in Britain. And it was already pretty tough for them.
Heck, you can move in to our place. Bonnie and I are thinking of heading West too... To either EnZed or Oz. warmth, mostly. Endless Summer.
Of course you should enjoy 4 months of snow and -30C temps... ...
Suggest you stock up on gear before you come to NZ and have to start buying with $NZ + import costs + import duty + GST. V2 Bullet now retailing here for $4850!!
Yeah, I'm aware of that not so small issue.. But in reality, we're only thinking of doing the "snowbird" deal in New Zealand.. For the 3 or 4 months of our winter.. New Zealand is a perfect fit for us.. As for the toys like boards, and MTB's, we will deal with that hurdle when the time comes.. My wife has less than two years to Retirement, so the scheming has begun.
Nice one. Have got a mate in the US coastguard doing exactly that. See y'all soon!
Some more Qs for the recent FX owners, if you can spare a moment:
1. How well does the FX surf?
2. How well does it go upwind in medium-sized bumps (eg. thigh-high) - does it slap a lot or can you get it to pierce the waves like with a cutting bow displacement-style board?
3. Any more thoughts on how well it goes crosswind and bumps? Do those big fat rails and high standing position mean you are pushed around a bit or does the relative volume of the rails fore and aft mean that it can cope?
It would be especially helpful if you could compare it with other boards in these respects.
Cheers!
How well does the FX surf?
I'm guessing that the full volume and fat rails mean that this is not it's greatest strength?
Do I hear that there might be different spec versions for 2017?
Area10, you can definitely bury the nose upwind on the FX and it does very nicely. It is great in cross chop and does not get pushed around by the wind. The extra height does not seem to be a liability and in fact is often advantageous. Dry ride and does not get swamped. Does not slap like a Glide does. If it does begin to slap upwind, you can step slightly forward and allow the nose to pierce the ongoing waves like a displacement hull. It is a very well designed shape. Can't really comment on the surfing. Does down breeze very well. By the way, Larry Cain just completed a glowing review of the Allstar. Basically says it is the fastest race board around. Says he did a huge 2015 test and 2015 Allstar was fastest and the 2016 is faster. Don't think that he mentioned the Fx, but it probably is not as fast. Close though. If speed is what you want and have the bucks for it, Allstar is IT for now. Just not worth an extra grand to me right now. I am very happy with the FX. The more time I have on it the better I like it. Keeps getting better for me.
Where I live the FX is MORE expensive than a carbon All Star :(
I keep hearing now more muted opinions from owners about the All Star than I read from Larry and others. It's clearly a very good board. But...
Mostly the online reviews seem to suggest that the FX may be faster in the right hands, but the All Star is easier to use. Which is pretty much what you'd conclude from just looking at the two boards, I should think.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said... Does anyone actually know the principles behind what makes a good upwind board, beyond obvious things like narrow width and pointy noses?Select to expand quoteRideordie said...
Area10, you can definitely bury the nose upwind on the FX and it does very nicely.
Actually, pointy noses aren't the best when going upwind. It's much faster to roll over the chop than it's piercing through it.
Think about the Ace, the best board in choppy conditions: round, fat, rockered nose that goes over the chop easily maintaining your speed.
Cheers
Select to expand quoteCoque said...Area10 said... Does anyone actually know the principles behind what makes a good upwind board, beyond obvious things like narrow width and pointy noses?Rideordie said...
Area10, you can definitely bury the nose upwind on the FX and it does very nicely.
Actually, pointy noses aren't the best when going upwind. It's much faster to roll over the chop than it's piercing through it.
Think about the Ace, the best board in choppy conditions: round, fat, rockered nose that goes over the chop easily maintaining your speed.
Cheers
The Ace isn't the best board for choppy conditions. It's the best board (along with the very similar Mistral Equinox -which is probably even better) for upwind in very small ripples.
It actually annoys me a bit when brands claim that boards are best in "chop" or "choppy conditions" when what they mean is 10 knots blowing on a lake creating 3 to 6 inch ripples. To me, chop means knee-high confused bumps in the sea in 15-20 knots. In those conditions, boof-nosed boards do no better than any other, and are worse than some. They boof. They slap. They pitch and (because of other design aspects typically used) roll.
So, in what I think of as "real chop", sometimes you are better off with a nose that pierces the bumps rather than gets lifted right over them, so you can minimising pitching.
This is also where dugouts meet problems - if water splashes over the nose and fills the standing area then it's like a sea anchor til it drains. The Ace is quite clever in that the low volume tail (because of the pin shape) helps minimise drag from pitching. But it is partly a solution to the fact that big volume boof noses can't do anything else except pitch in bigger chop.
I have just purchased the SIC FX 14 27inch and for the life of me I can't find any reviews or any reference to a 27 inch SIC FX SUP.
Does anyone have any information or found any reviews on the 27inch variant?
Select to expand quotedazz1975 said..
I have just purchased the SIC FX 14 27inch and for the life of me I can't find any reviews or any reference to a 27 inch SIC FX SUP.
Does anyone have any information or found any reviews on the 27inch variant?
Page 53: issuu.com/sicmauiestonia/docs/2017_sic_cat_revised-compressed-2
I'm the proud owner of a new FX and here is my take. I am 50yrs old and weight 90kg. I have been paddling for about 6mths but had plenty of surfing, windsurfing and surfski before that. My first board was a 29.75 wide fanatic. The Fanatic is super stable, and lots of fun in the ocean. It surfs ok as well! But it is quite a struggle on the flat and I have to work to hit 7.5km/hr as a new paddler.
I wanted a board that would work on the flat for racing and training, but could do harbour and windy chop, up to about a foot. Anything bigger and I would go to my fanatic.
I tried a sic X14 pro 26, a JP Race Carbon 26, an old Javelin 26, a one storm 24, a one storm 26 and 2015 fanatic strike 24. All awesome boards.
I found the JP and the strike fast in very flat water. But any chop and the rounded hulls made me feel pretty uncomfortable. I managed to average 8kmhr on the JP in flat water. I think the JP would be super quick but the narrowness of the bow makes it a bit tippy.
The X14 pro I raced in mirror conditions. I averaged 8.5kmhr over about 7km. I beat quite a few of the regulars that would normally beat me, but it was a fast day.
The old javelin was nice, but not for sale.
The one boards were very nice but being ocean going boards I struggled to get great speeds. The 24 inch I managed 8kmhr racing but it felt quite twitchy.
I liked the FX because for my weight it trimmed nicely in the water. The volume in the rails, the flat bottom, and the good width through the board made it feel predictable even though it is 25 wide. I have averaged 8/8.1 kmhr so far on the board in 5-15 knot windy conditions. It has good glide and I have felt comfortable in flat, small chop, and boat wakes. I did take the board in the ocean in a 10-15 knot onshore with rough waves. I felt uncomfortable and fell off quite a few times. I couldn't get any power down. But that is what my big fanatic is for. Having said that I did manage to surf a few waves and the nose cut through chop nicely.
In the races so far I am finding that as I get used to the board and able to concentrate on technique, power and cadence I am finishing well ahead of my old rivals. I now have a new set of rivals to chase. I also find that if I can get it together the board keeps getting faster, unlike my big fanatic where I really felt I was pushing water. The FX is a well behaved board, predictable and capable of very good speeds. Upwind I am finding I am marginally faster than my rivals, but downwind I am opening up a much bigger gap.
I found the FX drafts easily and I can feel the weight come off my stroke as soon as I get into the groove.
The finish of the board is tremendous and it just looks fantastic. I do not notice the high deck and I think the fat rails counter any instability.
Are SIC production boards going to be on sale worldwide for 2018 following the change of ownership?
What'd the F***kers do - try to fold it in half??
They're hard enough to get hold of without them being damaged like that!
