On land: The Mamba comes in four sizes with 78/84/94 and 104 litres and replaces the wave model Stubby. On closer inspection, however, there are still plenty of Stubby genes in the new Mamba: the centre section is also quite parallel here, while the rear and front sections are much narrower. Co-developer Klaas Voget: "The Mamba is largely based on the Stubby, for example in terms of the underwater hull and the rails. The aim was to retain the planing power of the Stubby, but to make the board more manoeuvrable in larger waves."
Compared to the second wave model in the Fanatic range, the Grip, the Mamba 84 we tested (surf measurement: 6.3 kilos) is slightly narrower, shorter and has a parallel outline. Instead of a quad set-up, the Mamba 84 is delivered as a thruster (18/11 centimetres). The pads are grippy as usual, the straps are soft and comfortable, but are simply screwed on everywhere and tend to twist a little.
On the water: Climb on, pull tight, glide off - that was the case with the predecessor Stubby and this also applies to the Mamba without restriction. The board immediately converts sail pull into speed and is also really fast in a straight line - the best prerequisite for jump sessions in typical Euro conditions. The board runs a little more freely and sportily than the Grip, which is trimmed more for control (we used the Grip 86 tested in issue 11-12/2020 as a reference); Click here for the test video ) and also than its predecessor, the Stubby. Nevertheless, even in rough, stormy conditions, you never get the feeling that the Mamba is uncontrolled or not comfortable enough - the level of control remains high. On the wave, the Mamba feels much closer to the grip and has significantly more turning potential than its predecessor, the Stubby. In small waves, it felt a little easier to get the speed up to the wave lip with the bottom turn on the Stubby, but the Mamba is noticeably looser and more willing to turn, especially when the conditions get bigger and you carve over the front foot in front of the wave with a lot of speed and template turns. It is then noticeably easier to pull the radii tighter and more vertically with the Mamba than was the case on the Stubby.
surf recommendation: In small to medium wave heights (1-1.5 metres), the difference in turning compared to the Grip is barely noticeable, with both boards pulling very tightly over the back foot. Only when the waves get bigger and you enter the turns with significantly more speed in sideshore conditions do you realise the even greater turning potential of the Grip. On the other hand, the Mamba scores with top planing performance and more speed in slack conditions. Compared to the Stubby, the Mamba has retained its strengths in the form of very good gliding performance and easy handling, but has now stepped up a gear in terms of turning characteristics. All in all, the new model is a tip for typical North and Baltic Sea days, with occasional excursions into shallow water or even big waves.
