Rider: 80kg, Advanced
Style: Wave/Surf
Weather: 15knt onshore
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: TBC
Disclosure: Ex kite retailer

My Comments:
So I've always ridden the North WAM as its a great all-round kite surf board.
Strapped, unstrapped big waves or mush. It excels in everything.
But with a big east coast road trip coming up, the X SURF really caught my eye for my choice of 2012 wave kiteboard.

As always the north range of products is 2nd to none.
The quality and overall finish is fantastic.
Sweet bamboo tech top/base sheet with a great clean colour scheme to top it all off.
The board runs a Quad only setup (Futures Fins).
For those familiar with the WHIP, it looks to be a bigger version.

Im yet to kite this board as i only received it 2 days ago, but i had a quick surf on it last night.
The surf was less then perfect. Mushy and onshore.
But by golly, the thing actually worked.
I have a great choice of short boards in my quiver, and to be honest i didn't think the X Surf would excel as a surfboard as much as a kiteboard but it actually surfed great.
Sure its specs (5"11 X 19 1/2 X 2 5/8) are quiet floaty, so i won't be surfing 6ft barrels on it, but if your after a board (as north says, to do it all) then so far it would be a really good choice.

Im not overly concerned about the kite factor as I've never had a surfboard that doesn't kite well.
Ill try to get out on the water this arvo on the kite.
so stay tuned for the wind result.

cheers.

I like the idea of these boards that paddle also, plus with strap inserts for those gnarly days.

How's the flex compared to a poly board?

Pity they didn't put an extra fin insert for a thruster option.

I used to be a dedicated "FIREWIRE" guy and it feels alot like one of those to paddle and surf.

Pretty light weight.
feels solid.
after all if you can kite on it, it'll be fine for paddle surfing

Select to expand quote

bene313 said...

Pity they didn't put an extra fin insert for a thruster option.

Yeah, I would have demoed one if they had the thruster option, looks like I,m keeping the Wam for now.

so had a few chances over the weekend to ride the board in some wind.
both in marginal and in 7m honking sideshores.

first jumping on the board with a kite it felt nice.
the extra width makes a very stable platform and helps with gybes and tacking in lumpy conditions easy.

Having the board as a quad makes its straight line speed a little slower then Im used to with the thruster WAM.
It planned and went up wind easy, but just had a cruisier top speed, feel.
once flipped and on the way back in, runnning down the swells, it felt a whole lot better.
with a loose and jumpy feel, the board just wanted to shred a wave.

In the pocket the thing absolutely rips.
Loose, powerful turns and heaps of drive to "throw buckets" off the top.
the extra width in the tail made powered up bottom turns a little "sketchy" but overall it was sick.

and the fact that you can put the kite away and still surf this thing no worries is a major +.

if your in the market for a "do both" board.
this is it.

great concept, surely more , manufactures will follow.

cheers