The surf test crew took full advantage of the windy September to test the latest 85-litre wave board models. We tried out the boards extensively at various spots on the Danish North Sea coast and tested their all-round suitability.
They include old favourites such as the Severne Pyro or the Starboard Ultra, but also completely newly developed models such as the Duotone Grip3 or the JP-Australia Ultimate Wave. There are also bestsellers such as the Tabou DaBomb and newcomers such as the We One We Wave. In the Video you can get a detailed overview of the boards tested - here we look at special features as well as strengths and weaknesses in terms of equipment.
How the waveboards were tested
As always in the wave surf tests, the boards are swapped between the testers. Manuel Vogel: "Before we swap the boards again, we each ride for 20 to 30 minutes and pay attention to the most important points: How easily does the board start to glide, how does it accelerate? Then we really step on the gas, drop off and heat up through the chop to see how the control is. With tight jibes onto the wave, you can already get an idea of the turning ability. Of course, you will only realise exactly how good it is when you ride it. Does the board hold its speed well in unpressurised waves? Can the radii be varied? And how securely do the rails grip in the turn? Once you've got a feel for the board, we just swap boards and repeat the programme with the next test model. Only after four or five boards have been ridden do we come together, exchange our impressions and see how we match up. We save the results directly as an audio recording so that no details are lost."
If there are any noticeable weaknesses, an attempt is made to adjust the trim: Starting from an average, medium setting, the fins, mast foot position and straps are partially changed to see whether the riding behaviour might improve. "We run this programme over several days and in different conditions so that each board gets the chance to show its strengths - but also so that we don't miss any weaknesses."
More about the test procedure:
You can click through all the models in the picture gallery above.
HERE you can go directly to the detailed video about the test group on our YouTube channel.
