New Naish S25 Maliko 14' x 26" has just turned up at WSS Boards.

Same great allround shape as last year but just a shade lighter at 11.1kg. Price is pretty sharp compared to some more fancy race brands at $3699.
Haven't paddled it yet but plan to steal JB's personal board very soon to try. JB will probs chime in soon with his own feedback as he's had a couple of sessions on it already.

I'll post some more pics later when I have more time.

Sam.


www.facebook.com/WSSBoards.com.au/photos/pcb.1497872093734500/1497871980401178/?type=3&theater

Looks good. But does the new one have a condom on it (a plastic shrink-wrap-like layer) like the 2020 one, rather than a top coat?

And is it more durable? I don't think anyone was complaining about the weight or price or design of the 2020 Maliko, but there have been criticisms of the construction.

Construction is similar with the exception of the top coat that has a matte finish to it. I'll double check with JB about the construction details tomorrow and take a closeup pic or 2 Of the finish to show more detail. Sam.

Looks awesome.. I want one..

Select to expand quote

WINDSURFnSNOW said..
Construction is similar with the exception of the top coat that has a matte finish to it. I'll double check with JB about the construction details tomorrow and take a closeup pic or 2 Of the finish to show more detail. Sam.

If you look closely on the 2020, you should notice that the nose is covered by a plastic layer mimicking a brushed carbon effect. It start on the side and goes all the way to the blue line. On mine, I could see a bit of a line drawn to the pattern of the plastic before cutting it to shape.

I might be wrong but it looks like from your picture talking about the graphic sticker set that is common on a pretty broad range of boards? Sam.

Select to expand quote

WINDSURFnSNOW said..
I might be wrong but it looks like from your picture talking about the graphic sticker set that is common on a pretty broad range of boards? Sam.

It seems a little bit more than the usual inasmuch as it covers the entire nose. i.e. it is not a blue band or an orange lettering. But yes this is what Area10 was referring to in pointed words :-)
There are some pictures around that show more details but that I do not want to put on this thread as it shows a damaged board.
The performance of the board is definitely an upgrade to 2019/2018 on so many aspects. I can vouch for that. I did not have the board long enough and in bad enough conditions to prove or disprove the choice of construction. I am however sure that if that design was manufactured with the layout and QC of Jimmy Lewis in a true sandwich, I would never consider selling that board ever.

ps: DJ might recognise this leash as one of the inventor :-)

Select to expand quote

LucBenac said..

WINDSURFnSNOW said..
I might be wrong but it looks like from your picture talking about the graphic sticker set that is common on a pretty broad range of boards? Sam.

It seems a little bit more than the usual inasmuch as it covers the entire nose. i.e. it is not a blue band or an orange lettering. But yes this is what Area10 was referring to in pointed words :-)
There are some pictures around that show more details but that I do not want to put on this thread as it shows a damaged board.
The performance of the board is definitely an upgrade to 2019/2018 on so many aspects. I can vouch for that. I did not have the board long enough and in bad enough conditions to prove or disprove the choice of construction. I am however sure that if that design was manufactured with the layout and QC of Jimmy Lewis in a true sandwich, I would never consider selling that board ever.

ps: DJ might recognise this leash as one of the inventor :-)

Hi Luc,

Looks like Naish listened and all the graphics looked are done using a new process that looks a lot like it's printed straight to the board. I've asked JB to find some more detail but it looks way more durable and cleaner. No plastic sticker set from what I can see.
Sam.

Great. That will make Area10 happy for sure and many more....Thnaks for checking.

Select to expand quote

LucBenac said..
Great. That will make Area10 happy for sure and many more....Thnaks for checking.

I'm pretty sure Area10 will hold on uncorking that Champagne. At least until some more information about this new method of adding graphics
to a board comes to light. Quite frankly I'm curious as well, aren't you Luc?

Select to expand quote

burchas said..

LucBenac said..
Great. That will make Area10 happy for sure and many more....Thnaks for checking.

I'm pretty sure Area10 will hold on uncorking that Champagne. At least until some more information about this new method of adding graphics
to a board comes to light. Quite frankly I'm curious as well, aren't you Luc?

Very much so. But I am not technically oriented so I read this to mean that the graphics have been included in the top layer like on the rail or that it is a very fine sheet that has been transferred to the top layer by some means. When I first looked at the nose of 2020, it looks like the graphic portion with color where part of the top layout of the nose with what looked like brushed carbon finish. It is only when you reminded me of the sheet that I started looking closely at the borders until I see and feel where the extra layer started and ended (i.e. the entire nose rather than just the graphics). I was totally fooled until then. After a bit of use, I can see that the plastic layer with the graphic could scratch easily, specially on top of the dome.

Select to expand quote

WINDSURFnSNOW said..
ll the graphics looked are done using a new process that looks a lot like it's printed straight to the board. I've asked JB to find some more detail but it looks way more durable and cleaner. No plastic sticker set from what I can see.
Sam.

I think that everybody here is awaiting to learn more about this. Hopefully JB gets the low-down on what has been used compared to 2020. Naish has never been disclosing much technical information on their construction in the past.

Select to expand quote

LucBenac said..

WINDSURFnSNOW said..
ll the graphics looked are done using a new process that looks a lot like it's printed straight to the board. I've asked JB to find some more detail but it looks way more durable and cleaner. No plastic sticker set from what I can see.
Sam.

I think that everybody here is awaiting to learn more about this. Hopefully JB gets the low-down on what has been used compared to 2020. Naish has never been disclosing much technical information on their construction in the past.

And I might add that with this latest revision of the board it doesn't seems like Naish were making inroads adapting criticism of previous models (construction aside) so I may be a little bit skeptical the 2021 model is anything different than my 2020 Maliko other than graphics.

I would love to be wrong on that as I can see my self upgrading my Maliko 2020.

Select to expand quote

burchas said..

LucBenac said..

WINDSURFnSNOW said..
ll the graphics looked are done using a new process that looks a lot like it's printed straight to the board. I've asked JB to find some more detail but it looks way more durable and cleaner. No plastic sticker set from what I can see.
Sam.

I think that everybody here is awaiting to learn more about this. Hopefully JB gets the low-down on what has been used compared to 2020. Naish has never been disclosing much technical information on their construction in the past.

And I might add that with this latest revision of the board it doesn't seems like Naish were making inroads adapting criticism of previous models (construction aside) so I may be a little bit skeptical the 2021 model is anything different than my 2020 Maliko other than graphics.

I would love to be wrong on that as I can see my self upgrading my Maliko 2020.

Would you be talking about the position of the fin box by any chance :-) ???
Now that would be a nice update.

Select to expand quote

burchas said..

LucBenac said..
Great. That will make Area10 happy for sure and many more....Thnaks for checking.

I'm pretty sure Area10 will hold on uncorking that Champagne. At least until some more information about this new method of adding graphics
to a board comes to light. Quite frankly I'm curious as well, aren't you Luc?

Indeed, my champagne remains firmly corked. I hope I'm wrong but this looks so similar to the 2020 Maliko that the default belief would be that it is exactly the same, but just with a couple of graphics changed.

If this board was made to the same standard as eg. the Jimmy Lewis Switchblade, then it would crush all the opposition.

That makes me wonder: is there going to be a 2021 Switchblade?

Select to expand quote

LucBenac said..
Would you be talking about the position of the fin box by any chance :-) ???
Now that would be a nice update.

Yes. That would be a great first sign.

Add that extra leash plug, handle for handling the board with two hands in high wind and a GoPro mount so all that happy Maliko owners can share their stoke with the world.

That would certainly make a dream board.

Come to think about it, seems like it all started going sideways when they ditched the Yellow

I'm amazed at how useful bungee attachments are like on the Bullet/RS or Hypr Gun (which has them at the rear for touring).

Very useful for hydration or clothing etc while training. It is these little things that you hardly even think about at first that become so important if you paddle most days.

And yeah, Naish have a long history of putting their fins too far back. The fin position on the very first Glide 12-0 (their first distance SUP) was like that. Naish: STOP IT!!

Select to expand quote

burchas said..

LucBenac said..
Would you be talking about the position of the fin box by any chance :-) ???
Now that would be a nice update.

Yes. That would be a great first sign.

Add that extra leash plug, handle for handling the board with two hands in high wind and a GoPro mount so all that happy Maliko owners can share their stoke with the world.

That would certainly make a dream board.

Come to think about it, seems like it all started going sideways when they ditched the Yellow

You are absolutely right about this.
SIC has a good level of efficient and useful accessories. The ledge carry handle on the Maliko is good and deep to carry the board beside you but for me a sunken ledge handle does not work to move the board around and load/unload from car roof when it is windy. I am always considering if my wrist will break or the board will slip from my hands and go banging around. I do prefer the normal handle of my Sunova or of course the famous SIC handle :-). And I had added some NSI soft bungees to my previous Naish boards.

It did not really register too much with me because I love the design itself and have been using it in previous iterations and most importantly because I bought my board with the 25% manufacturer discount on 2020 model. This makes the price about right for a new board taking into consideration the unknown on construction, lack of accessories and position of the finbox against the great general design and rocker.
At full retail price, I have to confess that I would have bought a Sunova Torpedo for the same amount instead of the Maliko.

What do you think of the Torpedo?
Did you try the 27" wide version?
Have you tried the ONE Evo 2.0?

Select to expand quote

Area10 said..
What do you think of the Torpedo?
Did you try the 27" wide version?
Have you tried the ONE Evo 2.0?

Maybe in a different post than the one showing the new 2021 Maliko in fairness :-) I had a post here regarding the 2020 Maliko I purchased. I will add to it.
I never tried teh EVO 2.0 as it has too much volume for my little self....

I respect your hesitation, but I think it is fair in a thread about a particular board to compare it to its nearest competitors. Otherwise it might as well be advertising.

Fair enough. If the price was not an issue, for a two boards setup and my conditions, I would pick the 25.5 Torpedo to complete a 27 wide board like my Sunova Allround.
For one board setup I would pickup the Maliko as where the 25.5 Torpedo is funnier/livelier in downbreezing, the Maliko would have a bit more range I believe for bigger and colder conditions but I would buy it only when there is a change of season discount. At the same price than the SIC, Sunova and One (middle range PVC sandwich construction) offers, the value is just not there on the Naish offer. Which is a great shame, as it has the best design for a true all-around board for somebody under 200 lbs (26 wide) that paddles in confused water with a variety of conditions.
I have not tried yet the 27 wide Torpedo, which might be the exact equivalent of the Maliko.

Naish released a small video for the first time on the Maliko 2020/2021 iteration.
Nothing really informative in its content:

Well, you can determine a lot by what the promo video *doesn't* say. They do not mention anything at all about design or construction changes for 2021. So i will assume there are none. You wouldn't make a promo video and not mention any useful changes you'd made to the board, to tempt owners to upgrade to the latest model.

Not sure how Caspar can say with certainty that the Maliko is the fastest sprint board in the world. His results on one in sprints are very impressive. But that could be him, not the board.

Select to expand quote

Area10 said..
Well, you can determine a lot by what the promo video *doesn't* say. They do not mention anything at all about design or construction changes for 2021. So i will assume there are none. You wouldn't make a promo video and not mention any useful changes you'd made to the board, to tempt owners to upgrade to the latest model.

Not sure how Caspar can say with certainty that the Maliko is the fastest sprint board in the world. His results on one in sprints are very impressive. But that could be him, not the board.

With a V Drive 101sqi and 75spm he sure can take advantage of the unique planing rocker of the board. Kai Lenny pulled a stunt like that a while back if you remember, smoking entire field of stars in the worlds relay final, coming back from way behind.

From personal experience I can say that if you have the engine, this board will do things no other board can.

www.supracer.com/2019-icf-world-stand-up-paddling-world-championship-sprint-race-connor-baxter-record/

The 200m sprint record was not set on a Maliko.

Kai Lenny's incredible performance was over a short course, but it was not a sprint event.

Select to expand quote

LucBenac said..
Fair enough. If the price was not an issue, for a two boards setup and my conditions, I would pick the 25.5 Torpedo to complete a 27 wide board like my Sunova Allround.
For one board setup I would pickup the Maliko as where the 25.5 Torpedo is funnier/livelier in downbreezing, the Maliko would have a bit more range I believe for bigger and colder conditions but I would buy it only when there is a change of season discount. At the same price than the SIC, Sunova and One (middle range PVC sandwich construction) offers, the value is just not there on the Naish offer. Which is a great shame, as it has the best design for a true all-around board for somebody under 200 lbs (26 wide) that paddles in confused water with a variety of conditions.
I have not tried yet the 27 wide Torpedo, which might be the exact equivalent of the Maliko.

In the UK the Maliko retails for significantly less than a SIC (the Sunova Torpedo and mid-range Evo 2.0 are not available here). The Maliko costs about 640 GBP less than a SIC Bullet 2020, which means that the SIC is around 29% more expensive than the Maliko.

So, at least in the case of the European market, I suspect Naish have compromised on construction to bring the board to market at a favourable price point.

However, you can get a beautifully-made Jimmy Lewis Rail for 200 GBP cheaper (ie. about 10%) than even the Maliko...

It is fascinating to see these local market price discrepancies between brands across the world. The differences can be quite substantial.

My double-carbon full PVC sandwich Hypr Hawaii Gun 14ft cost me about the same as a Maliko in the UK. There is no comparison at all between the constructions: the Hypr is giving massively more bang for my buck.

Quite frankly, what is the relevance of the fastest or second fastest 12.6 board for sprint for any recreational paddler looking for a 14' fun board with a wide range? I was more interested by the comments on the same video but for the Javelin speaking about having a really good average or maintained speed over a long distance. It was a little bit marred by seing how much the board was tipping during paddling.

Looks great.. It's a shame they couldn't show it in some real wind and bigger bumps in that promo vid.

Select to expand quote

DavidJohn said..
Looks great.. It's a shame they couldn't show it in some real wind and bigger bumps in that promo vid.

Yeah, it actually looked like quite hard work in the video because of those conditions. They should have given DJ one and let him do his thing and then gone with that :)

As for the javelin, the phrase "fast but tippy" has perhaps applied to every Javelin since they first come out (excepting the 17ft Glide/Javelin)? So you know what to expect, presumably.

I'm quite tempted to buy a Maliko. I was so impressed with DJ's. I just wish the 2020/2021 was full PVC sandwich, even if it meant it was heavier and more expensive. Maybe I'll wait to hear about the 27 Torpedo from Luc.