HI , new here and live in the UK. Just wondered what people's thoughts where on the 14' 26" 2017 model of the fanatic strike was compared to other boards. Thinking of buying one but have heard mixed reviews?

This should be interesting. I asked the same question a couple of years ago and the silence was deafening.

I have the 2019 strike as well as the falcon and the 2017 falcon... 2019 strike completely different board to 17.... can't comment on the 2017 strike tho as never paddled it... happy to give feedback on 19 falcon and strike or 17 falcon if you want??

Yeah sure please do!

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maxmoore said..
Yeah sure please do!

The new 2019 strike is a totally new beast to the 2017... I ride the 21.5 wide and it's crazy stable for a board this narrow, I use it in the flat and also out in the ocean and it's becoming my everyday board for most conditions, the bottom shape is totally different from the 17 and is almost like 2 square bottom hulls each side with a massive concave on the middle.... it's fast, stable and surfs well too, you would not be disappointed with it!!
The 19 falcon is a dugout compared to the 17 flat deck falcon...Other than this main difference I find the new nose shape is sharper and cuts through a bit better and is better on the eye too, the tail is similar to the 17 but I reckon the nose rocker is a lot different with the 19 a little flatter allowing it to pick up small bumps very well and paddle well in the flat too. I haven't paddled the new blitz but it looks to be similar to the 17 falcon with a slightly sunken deck. Just my own opinions and I am no team rider just an average joe

Hey thanks for that! Very helpful unfortunately I just can't afford the 2019 model. I mainly paddle flat water again an average paddler moving up from a 12 6. The strike I've seen 2017/18 model is going very cheap for what it is. My main concern I suppose was there is not much of a concave at all on the bottom shape. Very flat which is fine in perfect conditions I am guessing but wondered how it rode in the messy water , wake , small chop etc. I am guessing it's pretty useless down wind but as I say I am buying it for flat water mainly, river racing , lakes, canals but as you know can get messy on the starts and choppy in some of the estuaries. Love the look of the 2019 model. Just for ?900 bp, for a 2017 strike no damage I thought maybe a good buy?

In 2017 there was quite a long thread on the 2017 Strike. I imagine it is in the archives somewhere.

The 2017 model Strike was less stable than the current model, however, having said that the 26" model was stable for me at around 85kg. The new Strikes are very different and have more volume and a completely different shape. At the time we found the 2017 model to be very fast. I still hop on my 2017 24" model now and find it to be a competitive board, though a little tippy in chop.

As far as sutability goes it will depend on your ability and weight. My recommendation would be to demo the board before you buy it as opinions on Sea Breeze are often very conflicting based on different abilities and bias. You will know whether the board suits you or not pretty quickly.

If the boards is at the right price it will give you lots of pleasure. The 26" is fun to paddle and will suit a wider range of conditions.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write all thkd the useful information, I am testing the board out Saturday but based on what you have said I think it will perfect for where I am at. I think it looks a beaut of a board I let you know how I get on, thanks again