Hi!

I'm going to get JP Super Lightwind PRO (2016) or Starboard UltraSonic (2016), but can't decide which one is better. No testing available - have to order them. So anyone there who has tried both of them? Winds here are terrible low 6 - 12 kts mainly and I weigh between 84 and 90 kg.....I might get 9.2m 2-cam sail for it - mabe new Severene Turbo 9.2m or new Gaastra Phantom 9.2m. Any help would be more than welcome :-)

Thanks and cheers!

Would be surprised if somebody has ridden both these boards- looking forward to the feedback

I've got the older bigger JP Slw wood and recently the carbon 2015 U.S.

Differences - only a 'keen beginners' perspective

The JP was a planing breakthrough machine for me - powers through lulls. Nose volume enough for easy tacking. The US is a bit wet being shorter and less volume

Both boards are awesome upwind - I'm more likely to get into trouble making too much upwind. I find it hard to sail the U.S. sheeted out and slow the JP is a little more forgiving in this regard

Only been on US since Xmas. Feels more lively (carbon?) and exciting in the water

I'm not the king of early planing but at 95kg with 8.5-9.5 Ezzy lion I'm planing when the good guys get going on smaller boards and big sails. - got to improve my pumping

I'm only early to gybes so cannot give feedback on this

Suppose if you were to choose between the 2 which characteristics are you after?

What is your experience level??

Cheers Jeff

no idea but nice bike !!!

Thanks Jeff for your thoughts
And Seanhogan, it's my Zundapp K500 bike - made by Hitler and Himler in bunker somewhere in Nurnberg (Deutschland) in 1937...not for sale - it's mine forever

Too late in season to be worth ordering a 2016 isonic .by the time you get it the 2017 will be available.
Starboard were so slow with prices and specs i gave up on them .

Haven't ride with US but I got JP SLW (2014) and Phantom 9.2m.

Tried only few times with Phantom but love the sail already.
JP is easy on gybes and overall. Had formula before JP as a light wind board and what was lost in early planing was gained back in speed and fun.

I uploaded video couple of days going back and forth in low wind (no gybes due extreme cold water, sometimes I end up swimming ).

Do you have some good fins already?

wrote a post on the subject
joewindsurfer.blogspot.com/2013/03/jp-slw-vs-sb-us.html
ended up with a JP SLW92 for a number of reasons ...
some of that was cost and lack of skills
as a heavyweight prefer the longer bigger JP for tacks , etc
the SB US is shorter and more spirited - more skills required
which is all about what Jeff is saying ...

Cluffy did a write-up on the JP SLW 154 /90
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/JP-Super-lightwind-90/
for him it seems it was price and availability

I have some nice fins but not suitable for these boards...they are Power Box type of fins.

I have a 2012 SLW 90 the two things I like about it are the smooth ride through chop and the gybes. The thing with gybing the SLW 90 is that it has a lot of surface area but nicer rails than a formula board and a better outline for gybes. The trick is to give it enough rail pressure in the gybes for a committed turn but keep that big surface area engaged and working so that it keeps chugging along through the transition. This is a lot easier than it sounds actually and if you can manage a mildly aggressive power gybe then you will kill it on the SLW 90. Also remember to slide you back hand back along the boom a fair bit as you go into the gybe. Try gybing without doing this and then try gybing with this technique and I think you will notice the difference. I love my SLW 90 I'm never selling it ever. It's just fun.

This is a repost from my August post on SB forum:
I bought a new 2013 Ultrasonic as a replacement for my aging SLW154. Using those two boards side by side for a few days now I found that SU is not as early planing board as my SLW. In the same conditions with the same 10m free-race sail and Select S12 59 fin there is about 1- 2 mph difference. It was expected to a degree because of US’s lower volume and much narrower tail. It may also be because I know how to squeeze every drop of performance out of SLW, and US is a new board for me. I also noticed that US is much more sensitive to the fin choice. It gets easily overfinned as it picks up speed and starts doing wheelies in gusts, and as a consequence I have consistently better max speed by GPS on SLW. On the other hand, if I put a smaller (55cm) Select, it is harder to get it on the plane.
At the end of the season I did not change my opinion. Contrary to what you may read on the internet, US is behaving like a big free ride board, it has more comfortable rails under feet, and it is probably better for light weight riders. SLW feels more like a slalom board, but it is less demanding on the fin choice and is more controllable at speed and goes upwind better. It is better if you are heavier. Both boards are not slow. My boards are older models. The difference is going to be bigger with 2016 boards due to larger difference in volume, 147 vs 168. Larger volume may hurt the ride in chop though...

I have just got a second hand Jp SLW pro 2015. Only had it out once in about 5 to 15kts with a reflex 9.7. It does everything i thought it would and i love it. Sails just like a free race slalom board. I am over 100kg and got it planing before the light weights. On my othe gear like 7.8 and 80cm wide boards i am the last to plane. Handling the big 9.7 is no drama on this board pre planing. Lots of deck area, buoyancy and stability. I assume WA and light winds means washington? If you want to get going in light wind, seriously consider a full race sail, big with lots of cams. They are a bit big and need a bit of muscle to get going, but it is easier to get planing with them and once going i dont notice any real difference in feel, except that you ate planing insread of wallowing. The jp56 fin that was in mine seems fine.

if the wind is too light to plane, it chugs along quite fast. First time ever i chugged past other grovellers On smaller gear i am usually the slowest or
sinking

footstraps outboard and second hole from back suit me. Cant see any reason for the inboard strap positions, if you are out of the straps there is either no wind or you are gybing. Dont worry about the big sail, the board is so stable compared to say a 70cm 110freeride its like standing on a ship compared to a log.

i havent been on a us, or the 2016 jp slw.

it easily sails cross wind, upwind and the bear aways downwind, even in light winds are a good rush. I havent had it in any significsnt chop so cant comment on that. Bite the bullet, its a great concept and i love it.

If you are at melville on saturday you might get to see mine

RRD make a similar board type as well. Love my other two Rrd boards.

there are a few boards in this category !!

Many thanks for your replies . WA + light winds = Pattaya Thailand . Pretty many choices out there, but no tests existing on the net. Im worried about using a big race sails that come with many cams - Im sure I can't waterstart them so I would prefer to keep the cams less - 2 or less. Maybe new Gaastra Phantom 9.2 or Severne Turbo 9.2 - any one tried both of them yet? Im not worried about the chop - just would be happy to find the board that plains first with ease .

Cheers!

Tests exist for each board ... Google
Plus there is a comparison download here...

http://www.surf-magazin.de/test_technik/test/boards/freeraceboards/test-2014-starboard-ultrasonic-147/a15211.html

Need to use google translate. Joe posted the summary above

Long thread on both the British forums and starboard forums discussing the boards. Some reviews of the JP here on Seabreeze plus Iwindsurf forum has feedback on the ultrasonics

Some discussion on a Canadian forum plus Starboard forum at... 6-12 knots get a Phantom 377l longboard

If absolute early planing on shortboard is required get a formula board

My mate with same size sails and weight out early planes me on his formula board. My other mate at 76kg out planes all of us with a isonic 137 and a 7.8 sail when we are on 8.5 and 9.5s
Of the 2 you have nominated maybe the JP as its blurb emphasis early planing

Cheers Jeff
Can't comment on sails - I use Ezzy lions 2 cam. Often the wind is too light to waterstart but both are exhilarating planing machines even in this level of wind

Once you can waterstart, you wont uphaul. Then if you cant waterstart because there is no wind, you shouldnt drop the sail anyway. But if you really want a light rig, try no cam like severne ncx. Just my 2cw. Which ever way you go, i am sure you will like it.

today I rented that US (model 2014). It was a nice board but I felt it was not so stable as I thought (felt same as my RRD Firemove LTD 130)- maybe my board should be 2 meter wide . Thats why I will go with JP SLW as its bigger a bit. Yep that Severne NCX was a lot easier to waterstart than my North S-type sail. Tomorrow water games continues

cheers

Any up dates? pictures etc

I have the 2015 168 litre Super Lightwind Gold after owning the earlier 154 and two formula boards. I sail with a friend with a 2015 Ultrasonic. I use a 2014 Sailworks NX 9.2 race sail and my friend a 2014 9.0 Sailworks Retro (camless). We both have 30 years windsurfing experience but I am the more experienced sailor having been a sponsored sailor for Mistral and Sailworks from the mid1980s to the mid 1990s. However we are generally fairly evenly matched. The Retro has more low down grunt and pumps better than my race sail. So first off I would say there isn't a big difference between the two boards in fun sailing. Secondly I would agree with most of SL55s comments. The SLW is more stable and motors upwind better and is happier with bigger fins. This is important because putting a 70cm fin in the SLW gets you planing much earlier than the standard 56 and I've never been overpowered with the 70. I think the US would climb out of the water with a 70 in a big gust. I am 78 kg and with the NX9.2 and the 70 fin I can pump onto the plane in 9 knots, when the first occasional white cap appears on salt water. The 2015 168 SLW feels more subdued than the 154 but GPS speeds are pretty much the same. 27.8 knots is my best with the 56 fin in 12 -13 knots of wind. I only take it out in light winds, anything above 12 and I'd pick one of my JP slaloms or 111 Magic Ride. Of course the wind can come up and I've sailed home in 15-17 knots with no problems. The great thing about the SLW and US compared to formula boards is that they are happy beam reaching and they gybe like slalom boards. You don't ever have to fight them. Of course they don't go upwind like a good formula board but turning downwind you don't have to draw breath and go for the chicken strap in a strong breeze. I spent a lot of time looking for light wind solutions, even returning to Raceboards, owned a Starboard Serenity (a dog), owned and sailed a Starboard K15 (15' SUP) which was everything the Serenity should have been. That was all interesting but planing and gybing is what it's all about and the SLW and US are basically big slalom boards that allow you to plane for sure in 10 knots, plane out of gybes and go where you point the board even in swells and chop. You can use smaller sails and fins if you're stuck with one board and even big weed free fins when it's weedy ( I've got the JP 50), my friend uses a JP 42 weed free. So there you are, you could be happy with either board, but I think the SLW is a bit better. The Pro construction is fine, you don't need the Gold.

Thought you might like this photo of fat and skinny. Mistral 41cm speed board and 2015 jp slw 92cm

Imagine how many JP SLWs they'd sell if someone in the chain slashed their margins! I know I'd buy one but at 3 grand a piece a little bit out there with few coming up second hand due to their success

Great photo PIV. I looked up my GPS printouts and my best on the SLW was 26.8 not 27.8.

Great speeds pd, probably twice wind speed which is awesome efficiency. I haven't had GPS with my slw but will next time. In the lighter wind there is less chop and that really works in favour of getting high speeds. I know when I bear away with my reflex 9.7 it's a definite rush. As for second hand ones, I was lucky to pick one up. Funny thing is a few guys tried to talk me out of it but I am so glad I ignored them. It's the best thing since sliced bread for time on the water. Also it's a great board to learn and practice gybes on. There lots of deck area and it really wants to stay on the plane

Select to expand quote

Piv said..
Great speeds pd, probably twice wind speed which is awesome efficiency. I haven't had GPS with my slw but will next time. In the lighter wind there is less chop and that really works in favour of getting high speeds. I know when I bear away with my reflex 9.7 it's a definite rush. As for second hand ones, I was lucky to pick one up. Funny thing is a few guys tried to talk me out of it but I am so glad I ignored them. It's the best thing since sliced bread for time on the water. Also it's a great board to learn and practice gybes on. There lots of deck area and it really wants to stay on the plane

Could have been a 14 knot gust for that 2sec max, but I remember it was a big bear off into flat water. You were lucky to get one second hand. A lot of guys knock big boards but what do they know?

People can knock BIG boards as much as they like ...
Less of them on the water when I go out
In 2015 I went out about 35 times
If I used ONLY shortboards and no SLW nor longboard, I would have been out 5 times ONLY
That just about corresponds with my local windsurf buddy's outings ... and he is frustrated, but refuses to change
I still prefer the longboard(s) in 20 kph winds (~10 knots), but SLW in 12 +
To be a shortboarder locally, you have to be a wind chaser and travel ...
this year hope to try some BIG slalom and see where that gets me ...

Select to expand quote

joe windsurf said...
People can knock BIG boards as much as they like ...
Less of them on the water when I go out
In 2015 I went out about 35 times
If I used ONLY shortboards and no SLW nor longboard, I would have been out 5 times ONLY
That just about corresponds with my local windsurf buddy's outings ... and he is frustrated, but refuses to change
I still prefer the longboard(s) in 20 kph winds (~10 knots), but SLW in 12 +
To be a shortboarder locally, you have to be a wind chaser and travel ...
this year hope to try some BIG slalom and see where that gets me ...

You'll get more by getting both feet in the straps and being properly sheeted in with your harness. Please don't waste any more money on gear until then.

knew i shoulda left that last line out
yes, for me --- footstraps first !! BOTH
and Mistral SLE303 with tuttle fin for $90 was not a waste of money
can use fin on my SLW too