Would the glide 14x29 be a good board to start dw and racing on?
I'm around 90kg and 176cm
current ride is a quest 11'2

Cue DJ...

I bought one to learn to DW on and it is a fantastic touring board and ok at DWing but a good starting point due to the stability factor. Loved the board but had to eventually trade up to a Carbon board to get more value out of the DW experience.

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Bigjimkawasaki said..
Would the glide 14x29 be a good board to start dw and racing on?
I'm around 90kg and 176cm
current ride is a quest 11'2

Yes.. it's an excellent board and I love mine. It's fast, stable and DW's great.

Good board bigjim.
i have the 2015-16 glide has a little more kick nose than the 2017 ,great for DWing .
being bigger you will appreciate the 29 wide .
also have a 2015 javelin x28 ,very fast board ,if you want to race ,that's the one .
i think DJ will agree you need at least 2 .ha .ha.

going to any 14 footer will be a big step in the right direction to being more competitive
they just glide along and take off in wind ...good move .

Make sure you get the GTW model they are a few KG less in weight and will allow you to get a bit more speed, it's not a race board it's a fun board.

Don't make the mistake of going too narrow...downwinding is a new set of skills to learn...narrower boards may be faster, but only if you're standing on the board.
Not fast (or fun) if you're in the water beside the board.
Downwinding is an unforgiving activity on a board that's too narrow for you.
Err on the side of wider, not narrower.

You would be better off getting a second hand Maliko carbon in 28 Inch or any board in Carbon for that matter at 28 inch and you will enjoy yourself much more and you can race in social groups while your at it.

I've got a 2014 14 x 29 Glide GX and its great for downwinding but wouldn't be competitive in most forms of racing ( the Maliko would definitely be the better option there ) . I had a look at a 2018 Glide recently and it looked to me as though it hardly had any rocker ; probably more built as a cruising board shape now which is a shame because I always felt the 14 x 29 glide was a great DW board for the bigger guys IMO.

How stable is the maliko 14 x 28

This is my 2017 14x 29" Glide GTW going downwind.



I have both the 29" Glide and the 28" Maliko.. The Glide is noticeably more stable.. Noticably stiffer and stronger.. and noticably heavier than my Maliko.

Great Video DJ . Looks a bit daunting to me . I will have to start in more gentle winds . Would the Puma 14x29 be a good board for bigjim ? I'm hoping it will be a good one for me to learn the DW art .

How would the stability of the glide 29 compare to my 11'2 quest?

I think the Quest is slightly more stable in flat water paddling conditions but the extra length of a 14'er makes the Glide easier in open ocean or DW like rough water conditions. Very different boards.

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Dartboy said..
Great Video DJ . Looks a bit daunting to me . I will have to start in more gentle winds . Would the Puma 14x29 be a good board for bigjim ? I'm hoping it will be a good one for me to learn the DW art .

Yes.. the 14 x 29 Puma would be a good board and a great board for someone learning downwinding.

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DavidJohn said..

Dartboy said..
Great Video DJ . Looks a bit daunting to me . I will have to start in more gentle winds . Would the Puma 14x29 be a good board for bigjim ? I'm hoping it will be a good one for me to learn the DW art .

Yes.. the 14 x 29 Puma would be a good board and a great board for someone learning downwinding.

Hey DJ, how do the more recent 14' boards from Naish compare in your opinion to the 2014 GX Glide? Keen to know your thoughts.

take a look at a Bark Eliminator