G'day guys,

Could anybody please let me know the difference between a fly and a falcon.I'm looking at getting a down winder either 12'6 or 14 and 27 plus wide.I'm about 85kg and am quiet competent on the water surfing a sup,mal or short board a few times a week.

Any info would be appreciated.

Cheers,Brad.

I have a 12'6 Fly Race x 27" and use it for the odd downwinder but a 14' would be way better. I think the Fly Race is the 2012 model which was updated to become the Falcon.

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Stev0 said..
I have a 12'6 Fly Race x 27" and use it for the odd downwinder but a 14' would be way better. I think the Fly Race is the 2012 model which was updated to become the Falcon.

Thanks Stev0,a mate just bought a 2012 14 x 30 falcon which he says is like a floating footpath and loves it due to the stability.I'm a bit lighter and am thinking about a 2012 Fanatic Fly Race Carbon - 12' 6", 27.75 inches and was wondering if it is more of a flat water or down winder.

Again any info would be appreciated.

Cheers,Brad.

The 2012 Fanatic 12'6 x 27 Fly Race is the flat water race board but I got it based on what I saw in these reviews and video:


www.sup-guide.com/sup-paddleboards/race-boards/126-race-board-test-supvic/

www.sup-guide.com/sup-paddleboards/race-boards/fanatic-fly-race-126-carbon-first-impressions/

Check out a comparison of the Fly Race and the Falcon: thewavehobbit.wordpress.com/stand-up-paddle-boarding-s-u-p/articles/the-evolution-from-the-fly-race-to-the-fanatic-falcon-126-x-25-a-look-at-it-on-land/

I think the Fly Race has been surpassed by the latest shapes but I still have a lot of fun on mine but get my arse kicked at racing on it - but more to do with my fitness as a guy won the 2012 NZ Nationals on a Fly Race so it is fast. But for doing heaps of downwinders I'd go for a 14' but the 12'6 is ok. You can pick up the 2012 Fly Race second hand pretty cheap these days.

Thanks Stev0,Guess I'll be looking for a 14 footer.

Cheers.

Stevo is correct. The Fly Race has been updated to the Falcon. In the 2015 range the Fly Series is more the All Round style of board. At 85kg in 14 foot there are a number of options for you depending on the type of paddling you're doing. I have both the 14 x 24.75 and 14 x 27.25. I'm about 87kg at the moment and use the 14 x 24.75 in marginal lumps and small swell but if I'm paddling down winders in the ocean and larger swell I'll often use the 14 x 27.25 for its improved stability.

If you're paddling flat water or enclosed waters the thinner 24.75 is the go as it is definitely faster on the flat than the wider 27.25. It is slightly less stable, however, time spent on it will make this negligable if you're really not paddling in swell.

I'd suggest the 14 over the 12'6" every time unless you want a BOP board or have a smaller garage.

As you live in Cronulla, call Sam Parker at WindsurfnSnow at Collaroy. Sam has demo boards and is one of the most experienced paddlers in the country. He'll sell you the board that is best for you and he'll encourage you to try as many options as possible to help you out.

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Bramaj said..

Stev0 said..
I have a 12'6 Fly Race x 27" and use it for the odd downwinder but a 14' would be way better. I think the Fly Race is the 2012 model which was updated to become the Falcon.

Thanks Stev0,a mate just bought a 2012 14 x 30 falcon which he says is like a floating footpath and loves it due to the stability.I'm a bit lighter and am thinking about a 2012 Fanatic Fly Race Carbon - 12' 6", 27.75 inches and was wondering if it is more of a flat water or down winder.

Again any info would be appreciated.

Cheers,Brad.

I used to have the same board (im 65kg and is the lowest volume board I could find at the time).
Great stability, flatwater and BOP and surfs really well.
Downwind the 12'6 fly doesn't quite get onto those bumps (due to the hull design I think). Even harder for heavier guys that have tried my board.
As stevo said it's a bit slow for racing now, and I upgraded to a 12'6x24 LE only a few months after having the fly race. I can handle the width but the difference downwind is like night and day.

At your weight the 12'6 fly race is probably a bit low volume so get a 14' if find a cheap fly race.
any of the newer board designs will have improvements over the fly race.
don't get anything too skinny width wise for downwinding ;)

The 2012 falcon is like a floating footpath, at least the 30" wide one is. It is however very fast in flat water. Not at all good in the ocean though. I have a 2014 falcon and a mate I train with has a 2012 falcon. He is about 5-10 seconds per km quicker than me on flat water but in the ocean, the falcon picks up the bumps so much better and I am usually a couple of hundred metres ahead of him in a matter of minutes (nothing to do with skills - we are both novice in the ocean).

So, I wouldn't recommend the 2012 falcon if you are stuck on getting a fanatic and want to use it for downwinding - the 2014 or 2015 falcon would be much better. I haven't paddled the 2013 falcon but I believe it is more suited to downwinding than the 2012 but not as good as the 2014/15

PS I have paddled the 2012 fly race a few times and it is less stable than the falcon but also seems better suited to the flat water than the more recent falcons