wave - fsw boards that are fast

I have got a 2024 model Tabou 3S Classic 95 liter single fin, and love that board for inland water and bump n jump. I tried the Dyno 2023 95 liter on holiday and didn't like it in bump and jump at all compared to the 3S. I was actually dissappointed and surprised how much more wave oriented it is. I would understand it in waves and would love to waveride it. The Dyno is a waveboard compared to the 3S. So it depends hugely on where you sail, but the Dyno felt slow starting, slow topend, twitchy. So if the topic starter is looking for easy planing quick board I would go for the classic 3S.
I have friends riding the Tribal Libero and being blown away by them. Havent'had a change to try them yet. But could be interesting option.

Tabou gets so much love from people. Between the tabou and the dyno which one felt more nimble/lively

I have read that the Patrik F wave is meant to be a fairly fast board but not to sure about sail

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Maddlad said..

Gestalt said..

Maddlad said..
JP FSW are the best for me. Fast for bump n jump and great in waves. Not a fan of the Dyno.

Jp always a great option especially for lighter riders. Plenty of used options too.

what was it about the dyno that didn't resonate with you

It didnt feel quick in a straight line to me and i hated gybing it. It felt very tail dominant and i couldnt drive the rail hard in a carving gybe like i could with my free-race/slalom boards and my JP FSW.

Thx good to know.

there was a used jp fsw that came up locally which I almost pressed the button on.. still having to say no to myself.
decided to lean towards faster wave boards for surf and freestyle boards for flatter locations.

I’d like to know how changing construction can make it more reactive. Lighter yes might feel different but this smells of marketing 🙄

Hey everyone, quick question regarding freestyle wave / freemove boards: which one is currently the absolute fastest on flat water?
Specifically, I’m looking at the Naish Mutant 88L. I intend to use it mostly on a lake, so I need something that gets going effortlessly and can really fly over the chop, while still allowing for fun jumps and power jibes. Has anyone tried the Mutant 88? Does it deliver good top-end speed on a single fin setup, or does it feel too draggy on flat water?
To give you guys some more context, I’m currently riding a Starboard Kode Carbon 85 (2022)[/b]. It is an absolute rocket on flat water and handles the high-wind chop of Lake Garda[/b] like a dream. It’s easily one of the fastest freestyle wave shapes I've ever experienced.
My main concern with looking for a future replacement is losing that blistering top-end speed. If I switch to something like the Naish Mutant 88[/b], can it truly match the old Kode Carbon on a straight line? I know the Mutant features a quite stretched outline and comes with a large MFC 28cm single fin designed to blast over lake chop, but is it fast enough to satisfy someone who is completely spoiled by a full-carbon Kode?
Naturally, you might wonder why I don't just buy the newest Kode. After years of being a loyal Kode rider, I decided to rule out the latest models because, according to all the recent tests, the shape has shifted way too much toward the wave side of the spectrum.
Appreciate any insights!

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Mark _australia said..
I’d like to know how changing construction can make it more reactive. Lighter yes might feel different but this smells of marketing 🙄

fair question… to ask Goya, or Severne, for that matter (i neither make boards nor write brands' marketing copy 😂)

haven't tried the Goya One 13 on its own, let alone head to head with the 12 to be able to say anything one way or the other…
but i did try the Fox 3 and Fox 4 back to back (same shape); and whereas the v3 felt dull and boring, the v4 felt crisp, reactive and "alive" (and yes it was lighter too). what details of construction did they change? don't know. ask them

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WindFlyer said..

Manawa said..
… I’m currently riding a Starboard Kode Carbon 85 (2022)[/b]. It is an absolute rocket on flat water and handles the high-wind chop of Lake Garda[/b] like a dream. It’s easily one of the fastest freestyle wave shapes I've ever experienced…

wow… the 2022 is that fast?
i tested the 2020s, which were dog slow… Starboard did say that they had inched the speed side back up, but haven't had a chance to test ride any since the 2020s. i'm rather surprised it happened that quickly.
the 2010-16ish Kodes were absolute rockets (the single-fin models).

Thanks, yes the kode 85 2022 is super fast I've both (also kode carbon 2020 or 2021) . Check out my videos and you'll see the raw speed potential of the 2022 Kode 85 Carbon. Sails North 4.2, fin 26cm Drake.
?si=HF4cp3Y9YeGyRpej

My girlfriend Chiara Kode Carbon 85l 20/21 Blade 4.0 and fin 23cm Mfc.
-WSRZgy6

Ive done 29knts with a 95l Severne Dyno v3 , 3 straps thruster mode and a 5.6m combat on flat water.

Ive got 2x JP quads which I use occasionally as quads and in twin fin mode, my partner has a 68l JP quad and 75l RRD quad which Ive used as well. Im 85 kgs. In the right wave conditions they are great but for bump and jump, occasional waves and freestyle attempts the new freewave boards are the way to go. They are really easy to use, fast, plane thru lulls, jump, good for onshore and super gusty cross off, the new freewaves are alot more versatile fun boards.
I also have a 101l starboard flare freestyle board but the dyno is the goto for everything even in mast high waves. Ive also used the Pyro v1, JP Wizard, Dyno v5 and new Duotone Ultra Freewave. The Duotone was really, really quick and effortless to plane the Dyno v5 felt more engaged. Both boards were instantly comfortable to ride, turn and gybe.
If you are a hardcore wave sailor get a wave board, if your a hardcore freestyler get a freestyle board but if you want to just have a board to enjoy in alot of different conditions get a new style freewave.

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ptsf1111 said..
Anything can go fast in the right conditions or when it's really windy. I once took my quad wave board in 35+ knots winds, and it hit 29 kts speed without pushing too hard, although it was probably close to it's max speed due to the fins. I regularly use that board in a thruster setup (obviously with single back strap) and I could probably go over 30 kts if I'd have the guts. Gets quite choppy here.

To give you an idea of the Kode 2022's speed potential: just last week, a buddy of mine on full slalom gear sailed right next to me and clocked me at 45 km/h (around 24.3 knots) in messy lake chop. I was in 4.2 but not full power, that means without pusching too hard. My friend was impressed I don't know why,

My friend was super impressed, though I don’t really get why; he keeps saying I should get some slalom gear. Long story short, word must have gotten around. A few days ago, I headed out on the water at Lake Garda for the Peler (the early morning wind), feeling pretty chill, but I couldn't figure out why several riders kept trying to engage and race me. After a few minutes, it clicked—they were all gunning for me.
The result? I smoked them all—literally. I was on a 4.7 sail with a 23cm wave fin, but I managed to keep the nose down and hit some serious speeds. Only one really solid guy on an Ignite 87 gave me a run for my money, but I still managed to keep him behind me. I had to push hard, which was tough since I’m not exactly in peak shape right now due to a few nagging injuries that are holding me back from my usual training. I had to head back in to catch my breath after every full-throttle reach.
Later on, I rigged down to a 4.2 to slow things down and try some speed loops, but they kept buzzing around me like flies. Maybe I was being a bit mean, I'll admit... there was this one guy who’d get a head start, but I’d still fly past him while working my tail off. Once I passed him, I gave him the 'call me' gesture—you know, as in, 'I’ll give you a call later.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

FW or FSW boards differ significantly depending on size / volume. Some brands are more radical in that change than others but I believe they all a screwed towards the bigger sizes being more free ride oriented and the smaller sizes more wave focused.

I think it would be helpful for people to state what volume board they are referring to and what their weight / height is before making statements about boards not turning properly.

For example I have a 113L Pyro which I find the board is insane even on big waves and turns super tide plus I have managed to push the board to 35knt peaks fully loaded up. But I am also 6'4" and weigh 115kg+. I have had other people speak not so fondly of those boards but they also are more in the 70-80kg weight range.

Also, look at who the team riders are that test the boards during prototyping. If they are all in the sub 90kg range don't expect the board to work well if you are a heavier rider. They might but they might not.

That said in the past I have had JP FSW boards in different volumes and they have always been amongst the fastest boards. I had a Starboard (can't remember model /year) in a bigger size but it was clear it was blown up in computer and never properly tested because it was a dog of a board.

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Manawa said..

ptsf1111 said..
Anything can go fast in the right conditions or when it's really windy. I once took my quad wave board in 35+ knots winds, and it hit 29 kts speed without pushing too hard, although it was probably close to it's max speed due to the fins. I regularly use that board in a thruster setup (obviously with single back strap) and I could probably go over 30 kts if I'd have the guts. Gets quite choppy here.

To give you an idea of the Kode 2022's speed potential: just last week, a buddy of mine on full slalom gear sailed right next to me and clocked me at 45 km/h (around 24.3 knots) in messy lake chop. I was in 4.2 but not full power, that means without pusching too hard. My friend was impressed I don't know why,

My friend was super impressed, though I don’t really get why; he keeps saying I should get some slalom gear. Long story short, word must have gotten around. A few days ago, I headed out on the water at Lake Garda for the Peler (the early morning wind), feeling pretty chill, but I couldn't figure out why several riders kept trying to engage and race me. After a few minutes, it clicked—they were all gunning for me.
The result? I smoked them all—literally. I was on a 4.7 sail with a 23cm wave fin, but I managed to keep the nose down and hit some serious speeds. Only one really solid guy on an Ignite 87 gave me a run for my money, but I still managed to keep him behind me. I had to push hard, which was tough since I’m not exactly in peak shape right now due to a few nagging injuries that are holding me back from my usual training. I had to head back in to catch my breath after every full-throttle reach.
Later on, I rigged down to a 4.2 to slow things down and try some speed loops, but they kept buzzing around me like flies. Maybe I was being a bit mean, I'll admit... there was this one guy who’d get a head start, but I’d still fly past him while working my tail off. Once I passed him, I gave him the 'call me' gesture—you know, as in, 'I’ll give you a call later.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I regularly do 25-26 knots with my RRD FSW in flattish conditions with a 5.4 Point-7 Spy. With any board slingshot downwind somewhere flat and speed goes up. But still that is well below the top speed of a slalom board. Put me on my slalom gear in the same location (a few years ago) and speed, downwind, goes up 4-5 knots. Put a pro in the same conditions it would be up 10 knots, while with FSW, no matter who's riding, board and especially sail will hit their limits. Andrea Cucchi at Garda casually posts speeds of 35-36 knots. That is close to 20 kmh faster than your speed, you'd be standing still if he passes by.

It's a more demanding way of sailing of course, it takes 1 -2 square meters more of sail surface on boards that do not even come close to the easy fun of a FSW. You are on a hard to stop, or turn, train. Add chop and slalom becomes one of the most physically demanding sports you can pick up. FSW is most of the time a walk in the park, you can go on for hours if you want, which is nice!