Hello,
im wondering if anyone knows how a 2008 84L Screamer compares to more recent FSW boards? Does anyone have one or remember what it was like to sail one? I'm interested in getting a 85L board and I found a good deal on one of these.
If I had my choice of board I would go with easy to sail, early planing. Speed at that size isn't important to me and I'm guessing that any 85L wavy type board will be fine for gybing.
thanks

Was the Screamer a wavey board? I always thought it was a slalom on? On the old boards the deck grip could be non existant, even with booties. So that should be a consideration - time/cost to regrip the deck. What base are the fins? Could limit choices for getting more. Will current UNI joibts work? or can you get parts for old joint? DONT use the original one ans it could break at anytime.

The mistral screamer was a classic. I think I had the next size up. The model was a freewave style board but in those days still had good speed and early planning.

everyone I know that had a screamer loved the board and rode it till it died.

I still have a late noughties (?2007) screamer 94. It's longer than a more modern board (256) but at 63cm or so wide isn't super narrow for the volume. It's about as thick as a potato chip except underfoot where there's lots of volume. I dig it out occasionally and every time have a lot of fun if there is breeze. Somehow the design just works. It planes remarkably early for the volume and holds speed in the gybe. It isn't a jumper but manoeuvres well- that said it definitely isn't a waveboard- much more a free ride. Every time I think of clearing boards out I decide I don't want to part with it. The nonskid is still fine, though I always wear shoes. The same vintage Synchro is much more wave friendly ( and yes I have an 86!).

That all said, newer boards are better in my book- designs have progressed!

Faster than new FSW, a bit longer so you can slog and tack easier, thinner so it turns at speed easier.

I had to look up the brochure for 2008 Mistral boards.

pdf.nauticexpo.com/pdf/mistral/mistral-08/21423-4933-_6.html

Mistral was such a great brand back in the day and the original Screamer was undoubtedly a classic board for the time, but the company then went through many changes and maybe later on simply traded on its name. The original screamer dates back 25 years.

The Screamer shapes morphed with modern trends and I can't comment on the later versions because I didn't sail them, but boards like the Mistral Synchro were more the thing to have from that brand in that change-over era

The problem with a 2008 board is that it's still old-skool-long and with an odd volume distribution compared to modern boards.
I'd say you'd be better off with a 5 year old Freestyle Wave (FSW) board from JP, RRD, or the Kode freewave from Starboard, rather than a 12 year old model from Mistral.

Unfortunately, just because an old board is in good condition and maybe comes at a good price, doesn't mean it's worth having.
A lot of people may have fond memories of the Screamer, dating back to its original design which was actually back in the mid 1990s. But I certainly wouldn't want to own that board now.

I disagree, NONE of us are doing new school air spin moves.
Advantage of old, 255 length is easier slogging and tacking, but more important is thinner rails and tail for better jibes in rougher waters.
New school track back is BS for everyone except new school spin aerialists. Are you?
For go fast, high jumps, and solid fast jibes, you need the characteristics of that 85 Mistral.

Well LeeD, I'll have to give that some thought when I'm down in Cape Town with the lads this summer.

I guess we'll all be on the wrong gear then, jumping high and ripping up waves, all of us young and older on our 220cms boards with the mast foot set at 120cms from the tail. On the float and ride days I'll be happily slogging out on an 82 litre board.

Seems to me the new boards plane early, go just as fast, and they turn way better.
It is true however, that we can't sail older shapes in the same way, simply by shifting the mast foot back.

To me a 2008 board is not an 'old school' design, and shall have very much normal volume distibution with short length.
Depends how old is old school I guess. For me pre-2002-2004 starts to be old school.

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Yves said..
To me a 2008 board is not an 'old school' design, and shall have very much normal volume distibution with short length.
Depends how old is old school I guess. For me pre-2002-2004 starts to be old school.

But in this case it is. The 2008 Screamers were 254-258cms long.
They wouldn't even fit in my van nowadays.

(By the way, I'm not dissing old boards, just making a point about eras of design.)

Ugh, I'm such an idiot. The board I'm looking at is actually a 2008 Syncro 84L. I actually think the original ad may have been incorrect. It was taken down for a few days and was put up again a few days ago. 237 cm long, 59 cm wide, powerbox fin.

White with assym blue stripe?
Fast, turns great at speed in chop, jumps higher than any sub 225cm length 85 liter board.
But doesn't loop as easy, nor Vulcan or even spocks.
Why does it jump higher?
Because the mast base can be set all the way forward so you create lift from the raked sail.
The new shorter boards just go up and down fast, no float from the sail.

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muzylab said..
Ugh, I'm such an idiot. The board I'm looking at is actually a 2008 Syncro 84L. I actually think the original ad may have been incorrect. It was taken down for a few days and was put up again a few days ago. 237 cm long, 59 cm wide, powerbox fin.

Great board, very much a modern design with very similar outline and volume distribution to the current shapes. This was one of Mistrals prime era's they had some very good shapers and riders at that time, aka Marcillio brown. I have a 99L mistral joker (fs board) from that era and it still rips, was way ahead of its time.

They were built super light and super tough, very expensive layups....which I think was part of the reason they got into financial trouble a bit later on.

I would ask though, how much do you weigh and what do you plan to use it for? An 84L board like that is going to be realistically most suited to 6.0m sails and under so I'd bear that in mind.

Synchro- a much more viable option! Just be aware it's old and the deal had better be great to be worth not finding a 5 year old board as opposed to a decade old one. My Synchro is fun, and it's my only waveboard down in that volume range because we get wind good enough for sub-6 sails very rarely where I live. If it's your only board you need to be in a windy place I reckon

I weigh 65 kg and this would compliment my 115L freeride board (Fanatic Blast). I could use it for b&j on sails from 4.0 to 5.0, we get fall to spring storms come through the coast. One of our summer sailing locations is a slalom spot that regularly blows 16-24 knots.

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muzylab said..
I weigh 65 kg and this would compliment my 115L freeride board (Fanatic Blast). I could use it for b&j on sails from 4.0 to 5.0, we get fall to spring storms come through the coast. One of our summer sailing locations is a slalom spot that regularly blows 16-24 knots.

In which case I'd say go for it!

I wouldn't use the board if it was free.

How much is your great deal on this old crappy board?

So you really can't afford $300-400 for a modern design used board around 2014?

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JakeNN said..
I wouldn't use the board if it was free.

How much is your great deal on this old crappy board?

So you really can't afford $300-400 for a modern design used board around 2014?

the syncro isnt a crappy board. lots of people loved them.

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Gestalt said..
the syncro isnt a crappy board. lots of people loved them.

Yes .. loved .. past tense.
Why don't you use one now if you think they are still good?

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JakeNN said..

Gestalt said..
the syncro isnt a crappy board. lots of people loved them.

Yes .. loved .. past tense.
Why don't you use one now if you think they are still good?

no reason other than i already have boards. but if i find a minty one around 105lt for the right price then game on.

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JakeNN said..
I wouldn't use the board if it was free.

How much is your great deal on this old crappy board?

So you really can't afford $300-400 for a modern design used board around 2014?

It's $140 and supposedly in excellent condition, I haven't seen it yet. I wouldn't mind spending $300-$400 on a very good condition 2014 board. I think it's possible to find a deal like that within a year, but it would be pretty hit or miss.

id offer him $100.

take some scales and weigh the board. that will tell you if its taken on water.
also unscrew the vent plug and check that.

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muzylab said..

I wouldn't mind spending $300-$400 on a very good condition 2014 board.

what state? maybe something like this? offer less of course ...

www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~lq97q/2014-Fanatic-FreerideWave-85-litres.aspx?

I'm actually in Canada. Hood River is 6hrs away and I think it has a good used market on this type of board, but maybe not until next April.

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muzylab said..
I'm actually in Canada. Hood River is 6hrs away and I think it has a good used market on this type of board, but maybe not until next April.

Vancouver?

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Grantmac said..

muzylab said..
I'm actually in Canada. Hood River is 6hrs away and I think it has a good used market on this type of board, but maybe not until next April.

Vancouver?

Yes, hey grantmac.. shmish here. I figured there would be some ex-synco owners here on this forum.

If that's the board on CL and they want $140 with two fins and a bag I'd grab it in an instant. From what I remember you are fairly light and that's an awesome Squamish/Boundary Bay (when it's not honking) board.

Leaves some in the budget for that light wind board you'll need.

Yup, my 2 favorite mid/high wind boards are similar to that Syncro...Naish 2001 Freeride 8'6" and JP 2000 Freestyle.
I also own 3 other newer FSW boards and Slalom of that size.
The newer ones run 227cm., 229cm., 332cm..

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Grantmac said..
If that's the board on CL and they want $140 with two fins and a bag I'd grab it in an instant. From what I remember you are fairly light and that's an awesome Squamish/Boundary Bay (when it's not honking) board.

Leaves some in the budget for that light wind board you'll need.

I finally bought a 115 L Fanatic Blast. I've had it out twice. It took me a bit to figure it out, I kept rounding up into the wind. I didn't realize just how much my weight was on the outside rails given that the board is way wider than anything I've ever sailed before. I'm looking forward to getting on it again, soon. I also compared it's shape and design with the Fanatic foil board - the Blast's fin, footstrap and mast position matched the foil board. So I'm hopeful that the Blast will work well with a foil. As long as I am able to get it on the foil I think it might be ok.

I think that's a great choice (everyone seems to like them) and there are definitely foils that should work nicely with that width (NP Glide for one).

With that board in mind and a potential foil in the future the Synchro is a good bet. Might have a bit of a hole in the quiver if only fin sailing but likely you can work around it.