I just got my new carbon Falcon today. It's an upgrade from my 2013 HRS falcon which I have used heaps for flat water training and for downwinders in Dunedin, New Zealand. The new board looks very cool and the new features are awesome. New features include new handle, new deck mounted handles , different deck pads and new Matt finished graphics. I will post some picture soon but it's heaps lighter and I reckon heaps faster as well :-)

Big thanks to Tony and Geoff at Watercooled Sports in Dunedin and there continued support of the local SUP community. :-)

Right , I'm off now to put some rail tape on new Falcon and then for a paddle of a few ks at Broad Bay.

Cheers Bruce

looking good

Some shots



showing soft handles and new ledge middle handle



Handle plus vent plug



New deck pad (no double thickness) with diamond grip pattern

Looks awesome.. Thanks for the pictures..

Btw.. I'd be taking the handles off unless you're paddling with a child on board that needs something to hang on to.. and just put them on for the odd race where you might need them.

DJ

I think you might be right DJ. The new ledge handle makes it so much easier to carry and probably don't need both handles.

Just been for a quick flat water and it felt fast. I,m looking forward to testing it on a dW soon.

Cheers
Bruce

Looks good...looks a little different to last year's, is that just a trick of the eyes with the new graphics? I understood the 14 x 30 shape wasn't changing for the new season.

I think it's the same , the graphics on the bow are some sort of weird optical illusion ;-)

Felt the same on the water but just lighter and more responsive to the power.

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brusier said..

I think you might be right DJ. The new ledge handle makes it so much easier to carry and probably don't need both handles.

Just been for a quick flat water and it felt fast. I,m looking forward to testing it on a dW soon.

Cheers
Bruce

I was hanging onto those handles for dear life the other day trying to get through the surf zone to start a DW..... eskimo rolls by the hundred : )

is it my eyes

but is that vent plug screwed in all the way.

No :-)
But I did before I hit the water.

thank god i didn't sleep all night

I have had a few days on the water (had an injury so missed a few days) and I think this board really works. I had paddled the HRS version for about a year but felt it was a bit "slow" and the Carbon version is just so much lighter ( I reckon 5-6 kgs if not more) it picks up little waves and just performs heaps better. I have also lost a bit of weight so the overall package is about 15 kgs lighter on the water. The carbon board just seems more alive and accelerates and turns easier.

So an excellent board for choppy conditions that we get on the Otago harbor.

I am going on a DW winder today from Port to Watercooled so might have some video to share. Lets hope the NE picks up at about 1 today :-)

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brusier said..

I have had a few days on the water (had an injury so missed a few days) and I think this board really works. I had paddled the HRS version for about a year but felt it was a bit "slow" and the Carbon version is just so much lighter ( I reckon 5-6 kgs if not more) it picks up little waves and just performs heaps better. I have also lost a bit of weight so the overall package is about 15 kgs lighter on the water. The carbon board just seems more alive and accelerates and turns easier.

So an excellent board for choppy conditions that we get on the Otago harbor.

I am going on a DW winder today from Port to Watercooled so might have some video to share. Lets hope the NE picks up at about 1 today :-)

Look fwd to your vid, and report.
Thanks for sharing.
Ken.

I tried to video my last DW from Port Chalmers Yacht Club to Watercooled , Dunedin. First time effort and it fogged up only after about 15 mins. I'm a iMovie novice and not too good at editing but you should get the general idea of the training run. The entire leg is about 15k and the wind was about 15knots NE at start to 25 NE at end from Ravensbourne down to Watercooled. The tide was going out and made for a slow trip but there were some nice small runners but I think an ingoing tide makes for better natural waves. It took about 1hr 45 I think and we didn't really stop paddling. I was a bit tired the following day. We try and do this whenever the breeze if blowing from the NE. At low tide you need to take the Victoria channel route and it takes a bit longer and you have some side chop going along past St Leonards to navigate.

Thanks Bruiser, is that a river?
Are you happy with the board?
Did it turn out to be faster than your old one?
Cheers,
Ken.

no it is Otago Harbor. I need to work on my video :-) We only get small harbour chop and the occasional tide generated larger waves that you can surf down.

Board is really nice. The reduced weight of the Carbon construction makes this board work. Heaps faster accelerating and a faster overall speed due to having to push less weight. I would recommend this for larger paddlers. I am 95kgs

Just curios,
hase the 14' x 30" the same bottom curve /scoop rocker line than the narrower 14'x 27.25" and 24.75".
Any idea ??

Greetz from cold Old Germany

Is this board a wider version of the 2014 Falcon with the bulb nose or is it the older 2013 shape with new colours and possibly newer carbon construction?
I checked the specs on the Fanatic-sup website but you can't tell!
I am interested in the wider board for downwinders otherwise it might have to be the new Glide.
Decisions, decisions ...

Has anybody tried the 2014 14x30 carbon falcon in downwind conditions to share some light???