New board arrived today. Very nice finish with smooth finish and nicely fitted deckpad. No handle recesses :-( Weight was ok and passed the getting onto roofrack test, but then again I am used to my Bark Dominator which is only 12 Kgs.



Initial thought after one 45 minute paddle on the Otago harbour , flat water with slight breeze and outgoing tide (I will compare to my Bark as its my only reference)

Stable - I could do dance on this board, its so stable cf to my bark which I don't have a problem with but you need to concentrate all the time. I need to test on a DW but I think it will be perfect for this.
Deck pad very nice and its nice to have dry feet cf to Bark which can be an issue. BTW I am 105kgs so probably a bit heavy for the Bark.
Flexibility - Its stiff. I jumped up and down and only a little bit of flex. Bark flexes quite a bit.



Bow wave pattern is very different to the Bark which just slices thru the chop. It feels like this deflects the water more but thats why I brought this board as I wanted a board for DW and taking off the coast. The bark loves to pearl so I am hoping this won't and the bow is very full.
Tracking - seems ok I was doing 15 strokes easy without feeling like I was snaking all over the place. Fin seem nice and its very light.
Speed - ok, but the Bark is a flat water monster. Seemed ok. Felt like I had to work harder, next time I will take my GPS.
Turning - seems easy to handle and because it extremely stable you can sink the tail and pivot easily.
Wake - there doesn't seem to be any, it very slight.




Overall - very happy. I wanted a board for training and doing DW/Coastal trips on and it will be perfect for this.

Congratulations on your new toy.
Have fun with it.

I had another paddle today. Gusting 20knots with a outgoing tide the waves were short and sharp. Making little headway into wind but when I turned around the board took off. In broad bay you can creep up under Yellow Head out of the wind and then cut out and down with the wind and chop.



I had it surfing (back to the start of the deck pad) doing 9-10 ks according to my GPS. It started to pearl a few times but recovered well and it was not a problem once I got my feet in the correct position. My foot position was back off the main pad when surfing. cf to my Bark , I would have been pearling all over the place and cross chop would have been very challenging. With the new Falcon, it was great fun. Very stable and handles the chop very well. This will be my "choppy" condition board and DW.

Hey Bruiser,

I like the look of the HRS version, the white bottom looks great. Fun board eh? I rode my 14 x 27.5" Carbon in a stiff downwinder and big waves on Wednesday from Brighton to Pinnaroo Point ~ 10km and it was so easy, incredibly stable and fast.

Great Boards for DW and Racing.

DM

Absolutely dying to get mine, apparently it should be here either Tuesday or Wednesday this week. Rode a 14 foot Bark today so bloody fast compared to my 12'6" Fanatic.

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gregc said...
Absolutely dying to get mine, apparently it should be here either Tuesday or Wednesday this week. Rode a 14 foot Bark today so bloody fast compared to my 12'6" Fanatic.

Carbon or HRS?

I would have liked carbon but too much $$$$ for me to justify when I have The 14' Bark Dominator. I mostly paddle flat water so Bark is great for this. I took falcon out yesterday , water was flat and no wind. Speed wise slower than Bark but not by much but just feels like you have less glide cf to Bark. The Falcon is a completely different shape ( and of course 2 inches wider cf Bark) and is perfect fo what I needed to complete my quiver. Bark Dominator for flat (probably Upto 12-15 km) then Falcon for choppy,windy conditions and DW/coastal runs ( i can put on roofrack with other boards without worrying about damage cf bark which is very fragile ) and my Allwave 9'6" for the odd surf.

sorted :-)

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gregc said...
Absolutely dying to get mine, apparently it should be here either Tuesday or Wednesday this week. Rode a 14 foot Bark today so bloody fast compared to my 12'6" Fanatic.

Mine have arrived.

Still waiting apparently Wednesday this week :(

The 14 x 25 is fast. Did a new PB at the JPP time trial today. For me it's certainly faster than my times on the Ace and Ace Pro.(by 30 seconds) 25 for flat water and 27.5 for rough chop and DW.

Any idea how much your carbon boards weigh. My HRS is a bit of a tank and its pretty heavy but I haven't had a chance to weight it yet. I suppose it all comes down to the $$$$$ but I am not complaining as I knew what I was getting re the HRS weight.

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NNSUP said...
The 14 x 25 is fast. Did a new PB at the JPP time trial today. For me it's certainly faster than my times on the Ace and Ace Pro.(by 30 seconds) 25 for flat water and 27.5 for rough chop and DW.

Hi I'm gonna get the 14' carbon Falcon but don't know whether to to go 27.5 or 30. I paddle on the sea (choppy) but generally not in classic down wind conditions. If its windy I tend to go windsurfing. I weigh 92kg and am a reasonable paddler. I've tested the 30" but not had a go on a 27.5 yet. On flat water the 30 was super stable, but threw me off a few times on the sea. it was knee to waist high cross chop though.

NNSUP how do you find the 27.5 on down winders and choppy water?

Hey Brokeit. Im closer to 100kegs. . I reckon you are better off on a 27.5. yes u might drop in the drink now and then, but if you ever cross over to a bit of flat water paddling, or its lighter wind...the narrower board will grab runners better and carry more boardspeed. . . just my two pence worth

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ibrokeit said...

NNSUP said...
The 14 x 25 is fast. Did a new PB at the JPP time trial today. For me it's certainly faster than my times on the Ace and Ace Pro.(by 30 seconds) 25 for flat water and 27.5 for rough chop and DW.

Hi I'm gonna get the 14' carbon Falcon but don't know whether to to go 27.5 or 30. I paddle on the sea (choppy) but generally not in classic down wind conditions. If its windy I tend to go windsurfing. I weigh 92kg and am a reasonable paddler. I've tested the 30" but not had a go on a 27.5 yet. On flat water the 30 was super stable, but threw me off a few times on the sea. it was knee to waist high cross chop though.

NNSUP how do you find the 27.5 on down winders and choppy water?

I dont know why you would get a 14'x30" carbon as IMHO its not really a 'race board', I go for the 27.5 if you are only 92kgs. I'm 105kgs and the extra stablity of the 30 is good for me when I am training (normally by my self) as I don't have to worry if the wind comes in and it chops up. My race board is my 14" Bark Dominator but most of the racing is on sheltered/flat water.

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ibrokeit said...

NNSUP said...
The 14 x 25 is fast. Did a new PB at the JPP time trial today. For me it's certainly faster than my times on the Ace and Ace Pro.(by 30 seconds) 25 for flat water and 27.5 for rough chop and DW.

Hi I'm gonna get the 14' carbon Falcon but don't know whether to to go 27.5 or 30. I paddle on the sea (choppy) but generally not in classic down wind conditions. If its windy I tend to go windsurfing. I weigh 92kg and am a reasonable paddler. I've tested the 30" but not had a go on a 27.5 yet. On flat water the 30 was super stable, but threw me off a few times on the sea. it was knee to waist high cross chop though.

NNSUP how do you find the 27.5 on down winders and choppy water?

At 92kg I'd go the 27.5. I'm 92kg also. Paddling the 27.5 regularly you'll get used to the stability and I think the 30 would be too wide for you. I raced the 30 in very choppy conditions but the 27.5 is faster and still quite stable. I'm using the 25 as my main board now and paddling it in choppy conditions without any problems. For downwinders I'll go the 27.5 just for that little bit extra stability.
Knee to waist high cross chop will knock you off anything.

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brusier said...
Any idea how much your carbon boards weigh. My HRS is a bit of a tank and its pretty heavy but I haven't had a chance to weight it yet. I suppose it all comes down to the $$$$$ but I am not complaining as I knew what I was getting re the HRS weight.

I haven't weighed them yet but they are significantly lighter than the HRS versions. Unfortunately when racing that extra weight does make a bit of difference, as does the extra width.

I just had a 27.5 HRS and carbon priced up. There is $750 in it. at 95kg, I cant justify the extra coin for a few kgs. think of all the cheeseburgers you can get for 750....might be able to crack 100 kegs!

Hey how do the 27.5 falcon HRS stack up to say an Ace 27 AST in flat water???

Thanks Guys. Some very useful comments there. Just confirming what I was already thinking. I think the 27.5 is going to be the best board for me and i think ill get used to it pretty quickly. I just need the summer to return. its bloody freezing here at the moment, and dark!

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ibrokeit said...
Thanks Guys. Some very useful comments there. Just confirming what I was already thinking. I think the 27.5 is going to be the best board for me and i think ill get used to it pretty quickly. I just need the summer to return. its bloody freezing here at the moment, and dark!

Just put some port/starboard lights on and you will be fine ;-) yea if you're around 90 kegs then 27.5 will be a pretty good bet but try and get a demo before you buy

how about 80 kgs, pretty good balance, ride in flat, chop and short period waves in DW.
have a Bark 12-6 x29 that I find plenty stable.
would you recommend 14 x 25 or 14 x 27,5
would love to be able to test, but not possible where I am.

actually, would rather get a 16-17 footer as compliment to Bark. A SIC would be great, but not available up here..

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NNSUP said...

brusier said...
Any idea how much your carbon boards weigh. My HRS is a bit of a tank and its pretty heavy but I haven't had a chance to weight it yet. I suppose it all comes down to the $$$$$ but I am not complaining as I knew what I was getting re the HRS weight.

I haven't weighed them yet but they are significantly lighter than the HRS versions. Unfortunately when racing that extra weight does make a bit of difference, as does the extra width.

It's a shame it's wasn't a bit lighter as it really affects its glide and subsequently it's flat water performance. I have given my falcon the name of " the red barge " as it is heavy and pushes through the chop like a barge would. It's a good training board but its not really a racer as I think it weighs about 17.5 kgs (just weighed on my scales) cf to my bark at 12.5 kgs (which is quite pleasing as it is more than one year old) which is a 14" x 28". Just means when I jump on the bark it will be like shedding 5kgs .

The falcon is nice a solid and it will be great for friends to use as it will take the knocks I think.

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ibrokeit said...
Thanks Guys. Some very useful comments there. Just confirming what I was already thinking. I think the 27.5 is going to be the best board for me and i think ill get used to it pretty quickly. I just need the summer to return. its bloody freezing here at the moment, and dark!

With 4 days under my belt at the Merimbula event I can now say that the 14 x 27.5 rides small waves really well and can be foot steered. It was great downwind and easily picked up runners and glided well . In the choppy conditions we had I think I would have struggled on the 14 x 25. Jacko and crew , however, found the 14 x 25 suited their lower weight and higer ability.

I am still waiting delivery of mine, each time it is supposed to be coming from Sydney to Canberra it gets lost, misplaced, forgotten etc etc etc. I think I am just about over it, any more delays and I will just cancel the order until the new year.

Thanks to all. This is really some great information. I am between buying the bark dominator and the fanatic hrs 14x27.5. Concerned about the speed I may give up in flat water with fanatic? And it sounds like fanatic may be a bit tippier in the chop, but probably rides chop better and better for down winds. I weigh about 80kg at 180cm. I race in both flat and chop including ocean swell? Any additional thoughts on comparing these two boards would be of big help. Also would love to know the weight on the fanatic as I can not find specs any where.

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Wendluver said...
Thanks to all. This is really some great information. I am between buying the bark dominator and the fanatic hrs 14x27.5. Concerned about the speed I may give up in flat water with fanatic? And it sounds like fanatic may be a bit tippier in the chop, but probably rides chop better and better for down winds. I weigh about 80kg at 180cm. I race in both flat and chop including ocean swell? Any additional thoughts on comparing these two boards would be of big help. Also would love to know the weight on the fanatic as I can not find specs any where.

Well, bark dom better in flat and has little or no rocker cf to the falcon. Bark just slices thru the water were the falcon pushes more water. But I think the falcon is better in the chop and seems more stable than the bark in these conditions . Falcon recovers well when pearling and is great in side chop were the bark is very tippy in these conditions and just loves to pearl unless you move your feet back quiclky. I think the Dom is 12kgs (mine is about 12kgs) but don't know weights of the fanatic falcon carbon boards but my falcon 14'30" HRS is about 17.5kgs (I think it was one of the early ones) and I think it's a bit of the heavy side but I wouldn't use it for racing (never intended to , it's just a training board) . As they say, demo,demo and demo.