Board really has surprised me on flatwater. Wind is up and hope to get some dwd footage later...

I'd certainly be interested in the writeup from the downwinder.

Thanks for the vid.. It looks great.

DJ

Got mine on order

So we've had two lightwind downwinders so far....rode it back to back with 2012/13 Glide. I'm 84kg - 5'11. Conditions 10-15 knots and 15-20knots - very light for us and very small runners.

Positives: Too easy - stability so good you'd be hard pressed to find a more stable downwind board. Super easy to manouver once on a run, the LE type softer rails seem to be more forgiving so no railing off to one side and stumbling over the nose. Catching waves to the beach the board really surfs nicely, easy to control by stepping back. Board catches runs with ease, even if nose engages it does not slow you down much.

Negatives: Sligthly harder to accelerate onto a run and to link/railroad onto bump in front, I guess due to extra width. Sweetspot not glaringly obvious, I have it down pat on old Glide (but have probably done 800km+ on that thing) so I still need to find out how far forward you need to be to get into run without bogging nose or tail. This could be a good thing as it means it has a wider sweetspot which will be easier for novice downwinders to cope with. It does want to engage nose but it does not slow you down much and its easily resolved with a step back.

Overall I'd be faster on the old Glide for now, simply because the narrower board does accelerate a little more willingly and I don't have problems balancing the narrower one. The ease of use may make new Glide very good in stronger winds as it surfs easier from what I can feel. The nose engaging does not seem to be a problem.

This board will be particularly well suited to the heavier riders - I'm probably too light for it. Combined with the excellent flatwater performance I'd say it its darn fine all-round board - especially for those seeking comfort and stability. It feels like it will be competitive for heavier guys against other heavier guys on whatever is out there - but if you're up against a guy who can stay upright on an LE you'll be shortchanged.......

Nice one Peter, I've got one on order but it's a month away. It sounds like it'll be great in my part of the coast where its pretty hard to avoid open ocean swell and cross chop etc. Probably the only thing that worries me slightly is the lack of nose rocker and getting buried until I get my footwork sorted out. When you say 'engage' the nose what exactly does that mean?

FB - we have one section where there is a fair bit of reflection off the rocks and swell was running on the first day meaning water was quite messy there. The stability of the board made it easy to get through, so I wouldn't be too worried.

The nose engaging is my term for when the water wants to run over the nose. Almost all newer ocean boards have reduced nose lift and you'll have to manage it a bit more than on the old turkish slipper Glide noses. Normally water over the nose will slow you down so generally you'd want to avoid this. On the new Glide water peels off even if it runs over the nose and on the milder runs I've done it has not resulted in me being thrown off at all. When it gets rougher you'd want to stand a little further back - and you can, if the LE 23 is anything to go by. Both boards share a lot of DNA and the LE23 is a hoot even in heavy conditions, this one will be a hoot without the fear of the cross-chop - a limo ride if you want.

thanks Peter, I understand - sounds good. But as it turns out, it seems a month for delivery of the new board was prematurely optimistic and I'm thinking now it might be a christmas present. In the meantime I'm planning on getting a 2013 glide to play on, which from all accounts is a great board, albeit maybe a bit tippier than I was hoping for! I was watching one of your videos the other day DW on glides - very inspirational!

One on order too, pumped!

Im 'only' 90Kg but 6'2" tall and all weight in torso (see chicken legs). Found 26" wide AllStar a little too unstable for me in rough stuff and dugout was not my thing, though loved it in milder conditions, really hoping this will tick all my offshore paddling boxes...

Regarding bag, dealer said Naish bag included in the GX model. Confirm? Quality? Should I keep my 14" Prolimit bag?

Cheers

Steve

Bag included on GX model - nice bag.