Hi All , really got back into my windsurfing lately after a few years off winging and think it's time to treat myself to something a little more modern than my 2008 rrd fsw 85L 237x 58 Im 67kgs and this is the blasting / bump and jump board at my local spot from 5.3 down to 3.7. My questions are what difference's will I notice in the more recent shapes and do I go for the same size in Litres (not brand new but within the last few years)?
Im assuming the modern shape will plan earlier , gybe & tack easier and might even loop itself !
Boards I like the look of are Severn dyno , tabou 3s and possibly the rrd fsw, I've tried the dyno but it was hard to get a feel for it as the conditions wasn't very good. Thanks

What do you wish your current board did better? What does it do well?

Tabou 3S

New stuff wont be a revelation unless u are waveriding.
A bit more control when fully lit (thruster) and thats about it.

3S would also be my pick for you, more wave use I'd say dyno.
Not a lot of difference though

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Grantmac said..
What do you wish your current board did better? What does it do well?

It is tricky to say as I haven't really used anything else in that size , yes I've had an odd go on friends boards in large sizes over the years but not enough to get a good feel. All I know is that I seem pretty fast in a straight line compared to others ,( but maybe because I'm light and often on a smaller rig).
I do have to be really well powered to fully plan out of gybe though, so if newer boards gybe easier or plan at slightly lower speeds would be a bonus, being able to handle more power would also be nice but as some else has mentioned that's what the tri fin will help with.
I don't want to loose any top speed though ??. I would like to get into my first waves on this board but only smaller waves and will eventually get a wave board if that's something I found myself doing more of etc.

If you're serious about getting into waves then the Quatro Power is probably the best board for learning to wave sail. Very early planing but looses some top end against the Tabou 3S but gains wave turning ability. I think 2018 was the first year of the Quatro Power and all years from 2018 to 2023 are excellent. I don't think the 2024/2025 is available yet.

I second Philn's opinion.

Had the RRD FSW 2008, it served me very well. Good FSW even by today's standards. But quite stiff on a wave.

I've had the Quatro Power 2019 (the blue one) and it was a great FSW, well behaved on lakes but once you take it out on the sea it shows it's wave potential. I think an excellent board for someone that wants to venture into waves.

www.windsurf.co.uk/test/quatro-power-95l-2018-test-review/
www.windsurf.co.uk/quatro-power-pro-105-2021-test-review/
www.windsurf.co.uk/2022-quatro-power-94-free-thruster-test-review/

The new ones are in the shops right now, picked up mine (114) yesterday:




For more pics, check:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Goya-2024-2025?page=-2

Except he is not learning to wave sail

But he mentions that he would like to take the board out into his first waves and eventually get a waveboard. Wouldn't a good FSW with some wave abilities be the way to go then?

I read it as he wants:
(1) B&J, and not losing top speed (compared to the 2008 RRD).
(2) Might try taking it in waves but if going in waves more often he will get a waveboard

I don't see that means committed enough to learning to wavesail to make him want the loosest FSW. He wants something fast for B&J .... and IMHO that is not a Quatro Power, Dyno etc.
The new boards will be a bit slower and be more turny/ have more control. With a big single fin they may be as fast as his old board, but thats an extra purchase and will a QT Power actually keep up with a 2008 RRD in single fin mode? I don't know but given its intended use I doubt it.

Just encouraging the guy to be careful ..... as in my opinion nothing has changed in FSW last 15yrs except making them more turny. Trust me, I see the rocker lines. Don't want him to spend $3000, be disappointed, but a $200 fin and then still be disappointed (albeit a little less so...)

Yes the main use for the board would be bump & jump , flat , choppy , ocean swell blasting and then trying to get my first small wave rides I should mention that I was given a beaten up (but still ok) simmer quantum mechanics 75L quad that I've never used !

ive been offered a fanatic stb freewave 2018 for a reasonable price in the better construction.
Shape does look slightly odd to me though!

All modern shape boards "are faster, plan earlier , gybe & tack easier"

After searching for "the best of the best of the best" in a small size FSW, and wasting a lot of money in the process, I "upgraded" to a 2005 model JP FSW.
Could not be happier.

I have more modern boards in the mid and large sizes, but for the high wind bump and jump, could not find a board nicer than this vintage JP.

I say get used to the Simmer quad in b&j and then take that in some little waves. Its gonna turn better than any freewave.
Stubbies are very niche.... leave it for now

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Mark _australia said..
I say get used to the Simmer quad in b&j and then take that in some little waves. Its gonna turn better than any freewave.
Stubbies are very niche.... leave it for now

I will definitely use the 75L simmer but probably only on the windier days (3.7/ 42) but for everything else I feel I wouldn't want much less volume than my 85L fsw.

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Cuchufleta said..
I second Philn's opinion.

Had the RRD FSW 2008, it served me very well. Good FSW even by today's standards. But quite stiff on a wave.

I've had the Quatro Power 2019 (the blue one) and it was a great FSW, well behaved on lakes but once you take it out on the sea it shows it's wave potential. I think an excellent board for someone that wants to venture into waves.

www.windsurf.co.uk/test/quatro-power-95l-2018-test-review/
www.windsurf.co.uk/quatro-power-pro-105-2021-test-review/
www.windsurf.co.uk/2022-quatro-power-94-free-thruster-test-review/

The new ones are in the shops right now, picked up mine (114) yesterday:




For more pics, check:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/Goya-2024-2025?page=-2

I will check these out but unfortunately new is a little out of my budget, stunning board can't bet getting new kit ??

That Simmer will be perfect for you from 4.5 on down, it's almost 10L above your bodyweight which is considered good "big" waveboard size. They are also very fast and efficient for a waveboard.
I use an 85L Quantum (I'm 95kg) as my high wind board and it works from 5.3 down to 3.7

Agree with Mark and Obelix. Best upgrade may be going back to say 2005/2006 models. Those JPs were nice and super cheap now. I had their freestyle board and it was probably the earliest plaining FS board ever... There is only so many permutations one can fiddle with in board shape or FSW shape but every year they "improve".. I check brand web sites sometimes and one year you see they go super short then next year add 5-10cm back; then they change fin box types around forcing people to change fins if they want to upgrade. Then the cycle begins again.. Now some FSW boards have some offset PWB fins - confusing and making it harder to try other fins and understand the effect..

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leto said..
Now some FSW boards have some offset PWB fins - confusing and making it harder to try other fins and understand the effect..

Are you referring to the new fins on the Quatro Power and Goya One, where the fin is moved forward on the fin base? Fanatic started doing that on their FSW about 5 or 6 years ago. It took many suggestions from many people before Quatro/Goya finally saw the light and joined Fanatic. Starboard has gone one better than both those brands and put the powerbox in the correct position even if it meant the screw is under the rear footstrap in single back strap mode. Kudos to Starboard for showing the most common sense.

I have one of the forward offset mfc fins from when fanatic did it.

And the thing is, while makes the tri fin freewave boards turn noticeably better to initiate a turn and better balanced (fanatic stb freewave 95 & severne dyno 85), if also slows the board down a bit.

But back on topic. I agree with others. If you spend alot of time blasting, chase up a single fin 2010ish jp fsw.
Of new boards. The patrik f Cross 86 would also be amazing

Both of these are dedicated blasting single fins, and having tried severne dyno, fanatic freewave, tabou 3s classic, Goya one... The older style single fins are still in their own league when it comes to blasting.
The other modern freewave tri fin boards are incredible though in a choppy wavey coastal environment when top speed is hard to hit anyway. They are fast and lovely to straight line with for the conditions. But will never be a dedicated single fin board.

Of the tri fin boards. You can certainly get a bit more blasting feel out of them by going for small side fins and a big centre. Sometimes with just a single fin they feel a bit unbalanced, despite being the manufactures recommendation.

Ive found myself going back to 2 boards for ocean sailing. A 95ish litre single fin freewave, and a proper wave board about 12 litres less.

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MHSA said..
I have one of the forward offset mfc fins from when fanatic did it.

And the thing is, while makes the tri fin freewave boards turn noticeably better to initiate a turn and better balanced (fanatic stb freewave 95 & severne dyno 85), if also slows the board down a bit.

But back on topic. I agree with others. If you spend alot of time blasting, chase up a single fin 2010ish jp fsw.
Of new boards. The patrik f Cross 86 would also be amazing

Both of these are dedicated blasting single fins, and having tried severne dyno, fanatic freewave, tabou 3s classic, Goya one... The older style single fins are still in their own league when it comes to blasting.
The other modern freewave tri fin boards are incredible though in a choppy wavey coastal environment when top speed is hard to hit anyway. They are fast and lovely to straight line with for the conditions. But will never be a dedicated single fin board.

Of the tri fin boards. You can certainly get a bit more blasting feel out of them by going for small side fins and a big centre. Sometimes with just a single fin they feel a bit unbalanced, despite being the manufactures recommendation.

Ive found myself going back to 2 boards for ocean sailing. A 95ish litre single fin freewave, and a proper wave board about 12 litres less.

I have watched with dismay as, one-by-one, all the FSW boards sprouted extra fins making them slower and less suited to flat out blasting. Even the excellent Exocet Crosses caught the pox...

All I wanted to do is buy a shiny new (ish) board ! so modern fsw are not very good at blasting around in chop , nor can they turn very well in waves.

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Surfing Uk said..
All I wanted to do is buy a shiny new (ish) board ! so modern fsw are not very good at blasting around in chop , nor can they turn very well in waves.

They are all very good at blasting around in chop, they turn very well in waves, and gybe really well...
Go for it. It's always fun to buy a new board

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Obelix said..
All modern shape boards "are faster, plan earlier , gybe & tack easier"

After searching for "the best of the best of the best" in a small size FSW, and wasting a lot of money in the process, I "upgraded" to a 2005 model JP FSW.
Could not be happier.

I have more modern boards in the mid and large sizes, but for the high wind bump and jump, could not find a board nicer than this vintage JP.

second that, I've had a few JP boards single fin FSW or "real world wave" type from that period and i reckon it was a bit of a golden age, I've still got one and it never fails to put a smile on my dial even in nasty overpowered bay mess. And each one cost me bugger all. I've got more modern boards which i like, but these older JPs still hold up. Seem to be well built as well.

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Surfing Uk said..
All I wanted to do is buy a shiny new (ish) board ! so modern fsw are not very good at blasting around in chop , nor can they turn very well in waves.

They are bloody great at both

But you said you want same top end speed and they prob won't. Blasting control though will be much better.

They turn wayyyy better than your 2008 model..... but are not waveboards. The quantum is the go for learning wavesailing as in 20kn plus it will be just right size for u

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Mark _australia said..

Surfing Uk said..
All I wanted to do is buy a shiny new (ish) board ! so modern fsw are not very good at blasting around in chop , nor can they turn very well in waves.

They are bloody great at both

But you said you want same top end speed and they prob won't. Blasting control though will be much better.

They turn wayyyy better than your 2008 model..... but are not waveboards. The quantum is the go for learning wavesailing as in 20kn plus it will be just right size for u

100% agree with this.
The new freewaves have more control, more wind range, gybe better, ride waves better and are more comfortable than the old ones.

But they will never be a wave board. They turn well, but not that well.
They also don't light up and sail super fast off the tail like the older blasting orientated single fin freewaves.

Instead the new ones are smack bang in between these 2 types or boards and do lots of great things as mentioned.

To be honest I think these new boards will probably be fast enough for you. And in the coastal environment you'll really like all the other benefits they bring over your old board.

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Surfing Uk said..
Hi All , really got back into my windsurfing lately after a few years off winging and think it's time to treat myself to something a little more modern than my 2008 rrd fsw 85L 237x 58 Im 67kgs and this is the blasting / bump and jump board at my local spot from 5.3 down to 3.7. My questions are what difference's will I notice in the more recent shapes and do I go for the same size in Litres (not brand new but within the last few years)?
Im assuming the modern shape will plan earlier , gybe & tack easier and might even loop itself !
Boards I like the look of are Severn dyno , tabou 3s and possibly the rrd fsw, I've tried the dyno but it was hard to get a feel for it as the conditions wasn't very good. Thanks

Heila, I am 69Kg and I owned a 2008 RRD FSW 85!!! I bought a RRD FSW 90 in 2019, paired with a Starboard Kode 81, and the board is better for both Bump and Jump and the swell riding I do. Mostly it feels smaller and more agile than the 2008, and ends up having a wider range. It has the 3-fin option, that it is not really necessary for B&J, but is a fun option to have. I use the board mostly with a 25 fin and two very small K4 sides, and Point-7 Spy 4.2-4.7-5.4, or with a 28 Tectonics Falcon, Point-7 AC-X 6.0. I use it almost exclusively for B&J, reserving the Starboard 81 for 3.7-4.7 in "steady" winds.

The most recent version is even more compact, I think more wave oriented/capable, got great reviews (see www.windsurf.co.uk/2022-rrd-freestyle-wave-96-ltd-y26-test-review/), and I think you would be very very happy with it. Keep in mind that you could go up 5L, that is get the 90L, and retain the same range in high winds.

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duzzi said..

Surfing Uk said..
Hi All , really got back into my windsurfing lately after a few years off winging and think it's time to treat myself to something a little more modern than my 2008 rrd fsw 85L 237x 58 Im 67kgs and this is the blasting / bump and jump board at my local spot from 5.3 down to 3.7. My questions are what difference's will I notice in the more recent shapes and do I go for the same size in Litres (not brand new but within the last few years)?
Im assuming the modern shape will plan earlier , gybe & tack easier and might even loop itself !
Boards I like the look of are Severn dyno , tabou 3s and possibly the rrd fsw, I've tried the dyno but it was hard to get a feel for it as the conditions wasn't very good. Thanks

Heila, I am 69Kg and I owned a 2008 RRD FSW 85!!! I bought a RRD FSW 90 in 2019, paired with a Starboard Kode 81, and the board is better for both Bump and Jump and the swell riding I do. Mostly it feels smaller and more agile than the 2008, and ends up having a wider range. It has the 3-fin option, that it is not really necessary for B&J, but is a fun option to have. I use the board mostly with a 25 fin and two very small K4 sides, and Point-7 Spy 4.2-4.7-5.4, or with a 28 Tectonics Falcon, Point-7 AC-X 6.0. I use it almost exclusively for B&J, reserving the Starboard 81 for 3.7-4.7 in "steady" winds.

The most recent version is even more compact, I think more wave oriented/capable, got great reviews (see www.windsurf.co.uk/2022-rrd-freestyle-wave-96-ltd-y26-test-review/), and I think you would be very very happy with it. Keep in mind that you could go up 5L, that is get the 90L, and retain the same range in high winds.

I do have an older 2013 95l Kode fsw bought a couple of years ago but only used twice , but now I have more time so hopefully it'll work as a session saver for me , it's actually shorter than my rrd 85L.
volume is a tricky topic as I see bigger guys using small boards for there wait and the opposite with some smaller framed people , in fact a very good female windsurfer I know (55kgs) has a 100L wave board for the iffy cross off days and rips on it.
Still I'm thinking a 85L will work well with my 95L kode and hopefully I'll get confident on the 75l in windy conditions.

I picked up a cheap 2013 FSW Kode, it has that strange Freestyle rail in the tail for going backwards!
I'm 92kg and have the 104 liter and goes well, fast, jumps, can crank turns.
I've still got older single fin wave boards that I used DTL wave sailing but now don't stay there so the Kode is for onshore and will be good for backside turns

Volume to weight is always an interesting topic and have below weight sinker for really windy days, similar volume to weight which when you add rig will still be challenge in gusty wind and then the Kode which floats me with rig.
Like yourself I got into winging but must get out windsurfing again

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515 said..
I picked up a cheap 2013 FSW Kode, it has that strange Freestyle rail in the tail for going backwards!

Sure its a '13 Kode? Like to see it...

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Surfing Uk said..

duzzi said..

Surfing Uk said..
Hi All , really got back into my windsurfing lately after a few years off winging and think it's time to treat myself to something a little more modern than my 2008 rrd fsw 85L 237x 58 Im 67kgs and this is the blasting / bump and jump board at my local spot from 5.3 down to 3.7. My questions are what difference's will I notice in the more recent shapes and do I go for the same size in Litres (not brand new but within the last few years)?
Im assuming the modern shape will plan earlier , gybe & tack easier and might even loop itself !
Boards I like the look of are Severn dyno , tabou 3s and possibly the rrd fsw, I've tried the dyno but it was hard to get a feel for it as the conditions wasn't very good. Thanks

Heila, I am 69Kg and I owned a 2008 RRD FSW 85!!! I bought a RRD FSW 90 in 2019, paired with a Starboard Kode 81, and the board is better for both Bump and Jump and the swell riding I do. Mostly it feels smaller and more agile than the 2008, and ends up having a wider range. It has the 3-fin option, that it is not really necessary for B&J, but is a fun option to have. I use the board mostly with a 25 fin and two very small K4 sides, and Point-7 Spy 4.2-4.7-5.4, or with a 28 Tectonics Falcon, Point-7 AC-X 6.0. I use it almost exclusively for B&J, reserving the Starboard 81 for 3.7-4.7 in "steady" winds.

The most recent version is even more compact, I think more wave oriented/capable, got great reviews (see www.windsurf.co.uk/2022-rrd-freestyle-wave-96-ltd-y26-test-review/), and I think you would be very very happy with it. Keep in mind that you could go up 5L, that is get the 90L, and retain the same range in high winds.

I do have an older 2013 95l Kode fsw bought a couple of years ago but only used twice , but now I have more time so hopefully it'll work as a session saver for me , it's actually shorter than my rrd 85L.
volume is a tricky topic as I see bigger guys using small boards for there wait and the opposite with some smaller framed people , in fact a very good female windsurfer I know (55kgs) has a 100L wave board for the iffy cross off days and rips on it.
Still I'm thinking a 85L will work well with my 95L kode and hopefully I'll get confident on the 75l in windy conditions.

Well, that's the thing. The new shorter/wider breed of boards is putting more volume toward the back, and you end up being able to carry a bit more volume where it actually serves a purpose. But anyway, if you have a 95, sure stick with 85. Many board built today will be a small but nice step up from the venerable RRD 2008.

So does that mean the newer board will feel slightly more stable when not planning as the volume is around the foot straps ?