Just recieved my new JP FSW and NP Firefly during the week and got out a couple of days ago in gusty 15-20kt conditions (gusts up to 25kts) off my "home" sailing area Salonika Beach (about 25mins south of Mackay).

The chop/swell here is messy at times and pretty bumpy but the board never felt out of control. It proved to be super manouverable on the face of swell/small waves and very fast when bearing off in gusts. Just the right amount of float for what I wanted giving me plenty of room of error in gybes. I weigh in at about 75kg and upgraded from a JP 261 freemove (89l) I brought new years ago. What was once a floater was now extremely marginal at best due to putting on about 12kg. It's nice to have the extra float in the stinger season up here.

The sail was very tuneable. To me changes in downhaul/outhaul were pretty apparent. Overall the sail was light, easy to handle and really suited the board in these conditions. For the ligher conditions, I am looking forwarded to trying out my 6.7 Hellcat - hopefully later this week.

Hi Greg, I also picked up a JP FSW 101 this season. Great board in lumpy conditions. Maily use a 6.2 Alpha on it and occasionally 5.4. Let me know how you like it with the Hellcat. Are you changing the fin for a hellcat? I found mine ( carbon) very fast for a cross over board, and have concidered a hellcat or V8 for flat water Just to see how it goes. Look forward to hearing what you think.
Regards
Bill.

I have a 32cm select freestyle wave fin I used to use on my 261 freemove with a 6.2m expression - it helped with upwind performance and early planning. At first I ran a 6m V8 on the freemove but while very fast, the sail didn't really suit the board. I was planning to bolt this fin in for the 6.7m. I am hoping to get out on it tomorrow or Thursday. Wednesday was looking pretty calm last time I looked.

The 29cm fin feels really good with the 5.7m. I spun out once but I still have to fine tune the mast base adjustment and conditions were very lumpy and gusty at the time.

I got out for a second time on the board and sail yesturday in slightly less windy conditions. I can't believe how good these boards are in a heavy chop/swell. When the tide is going out down here, you can get some really decent swells around shoaly areas away from the shore.

I was thinking about gettin a smaller fin around 25cm for using with my 5m sail - do you run any other fins on your board?

Well yes and no. I have a FSW 84 2009 as well. I bought full wood with this size and it came with a 25 Jp fin. So when it is windy enough i switch boards and fin. I haven't tried it with 5.4 yet. Only 4.7. The 25fin ( black version ) went very well . No to big and not to small. I rode it in very rough conditions off redcliffe about 25-30kts. I have tried to sail both boards on a 5.4 Combat but was to underpowered to get a true evaluation.

I sail also on flat water and concidered a Select 33 SL7 in Powerbox to try. I have these fins in Tuttle and liked them so it should be okay.

I'm heading up to Caloundra on Thursday for prediced strong Southerly so will get to try it again in the surf or bar with a bit of luck.

Thanks for the report. My JP FSW92 PE is been waiting impatiently for an an outing, looks like today may be it. A southerly forecast, should be nice and bumpy.

The colour combo on that sail looks interesting. At first I thought that's a bit different, but now it growing on me, works great with the orange board in a grafitti art sort of way.

I'd also be keen to know how it goes with the Hellcat, I may do something silly and take it for a spin with my RSS.

i use my Hellcat 5.7 with my 07 FSW 93 & 08 FSW 84. It's more suited to the 93L. I use a 28cm MFC FW with the 5.7 and it is a good combo. I'm mainly doing flat water, B&J but that combo hoots along. Whenever i can actually remember to wear my GPS, I can always get 27-28 knots without really trying too hard.

What footstrap positions do you guys use?

I went out with all straps in the second hole from the back, two rear straps and the front straps in the outboard position.

Next time I go out with the 5.7m I was going to move the front straps inboard and use only a single back strap. I was going to leave the straps where they are for the 6.7 sail which hopefully I will get out on this afternoon.

I got to give the 92 a brief run today in a Botany Bay southerly, so lots of chop and 1-1.5m swell out the back. This was in powered to overpowered 5.2m sailing, the wind was 20-30 kts. Much stronger then forecast... a bonus.

I put a 23cm wave fin on which was very loose but not a good match for the straps which were all four on and outboard (2nd hole from back). I was putting too much pressure on the fin.The board handled the chop very nicely and felt slashy. The gybe was great, while easy to get around the rails had a nice bite, felt like it was on rails.
I put the stock 27cm fin on and that was much better for the strap set up, and still the board had good control even though I was maxed on the 5.2.

I was switching between the 92 and my 07 FSW78, and I would say that this is the most wave capable JP FSW I've ridden to date. Even though the (07) 78 is my all time favourite, this board outclassed it in it's ability to slash around the swell.
Look forward to getting it out with inboard straps and single back. But before I reconfigure I'll have to try my 6.7 RS Slalom, just as an experiment.

I think the speed will impress you Des. Come and grab my Meanline slalom 30 powerbox fin if you want. It felt great in my Supersport 91 and should give the FSW some serious top-end.

20-30 is better than the sub 10kts and surrounded by coral spawn that I got. Not a good test for the 6.7m although it felt pretty comfy slogging around the place Went back and got the 155l Starboard Go but even that was too much like bobbing around.

Hi Again Bluedog, I've used my 101 pro inboard and outboard. Allways 2nd hole from the back as advised by JP. I found for Bump and jump the out board position better. Inboard i had to work hard to get up wind with the ankles. Coming back in was great. Out board position I fly upwind with out the heavy pressure on the ankles. Coming in riding swell I was very surprised at how well I could do top to bottom turns. I had a lot of speed at the bottom and the board just bit in and turned without that bouncing feeling I had on previous boards. I will leave the staps out for bump and jump and flat water, and take the time to move them in for proper wave riding. On the smaller board ( 84 FSW ) I only use inboard position. Crusier who sails at my spot also has the 101 FSW 2009 and I've only seen his inboard. I guess you'll just have to try and see what you like.

I heard yesterday a few JP pro editions are breaking in half, be interesting to see how things go.

Been totally drooling over the JP FSW 101

Do they take a few decent catapults?

I'll prob end up with an older model, but upgrading soon from an old expoxy board that takes all forms of punishment, what sort of durability do these boards have?

Fitz - Yeah heard of a JP 09 Pro Wave in halvies

Dism, can't answer that question as I haven't had them long enough to know.

I heard also about the hire board in Brazil busting. Don't think mine will be dropping from 30 feet every day of the week. So I'm not concerned.

I know they great fun to ride. I've had one catapul so far on JP's, but i never hit the board. Let go with the back hand as you go over and it sends the mast to windward. Hard to think fast enough but in time it becomes automatic.

Hey there Bluedog76, had a blast on my new 92l fsw and extremely impressed. Easy to "tune in" and very stable at speed.

You got me Salty, said broken boards are indeed at the hire centre in Jeri where they are punished every day, just wanted to provoke a reaction. Apparently the 09 super sports are super fast. Are you out at the weekend?

YEs if there is wind. The supersport I orded won't be in until late Nov early Dec. Always waiting.

I have had a 2008 101 FSW FWS for a couple of months now and find it an absolute blast. Really stable during gybes in messey chop in Port Philip Bay. It was sublime during the recent speed week at Sandy Point, got loads of gybes in at full speed, great at going up wind as well. Mainly use it with a 5.9m NP Excess and my favourite sail a 5.2m Loft Wave Lip . As far as protection is concerned, I bought a PROPER nose protector from SHQ made of Fibre Glass (but already painted so it looks ok), not the crappy looking grey EVA pads. I know it adds weight to the nose section but I have had one on my 120L X-cite ride for a couple of years and I know it can take a hell of a lot of punishment. You may need to shop around as some shops don't like to buy them in case they end up with unsold parts (I got one sent over from NZ).

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mgorman said...

I have had a 2008 101 FSW FWS for a couple of months now and find it an absolute blast. Really stable during gybes in messey chop in Port Philip Bay. It was sublime during the recent speed week at Sandy Point, got loads of gybes in at full speed, great at going up wind as well. Mainly use it with a 5.9m NP Excess and my favourite sail a 5.2m Loft Wave Lip . As far as protection is concerned, I bought a PROPER nose protector from SHQ made of Fibre Glass (but already painted so it looks ok), not the crappy looking grey EVA pads. I know it adds weight to the nose section but I have had one on my 120L X-cite ride for a couple of years and I know it can take a hell of a lot of punishment. You may need to shop around as some shops don't like to buy them in case they end up with unsold parts (I got one sent over from NZ).

i read something on the boardlady website which basically said that the fibreglass noseprotectors are not very good at all, and the eva ones are much better. :o

JP now have the EVA foam protector with two layers of foam, a harder and a softer layer plus a hard plastic strip over the top. They are quite chunky and would absorb the impact really well.

However they are not very flexible and the FSW has quite a bit of curve near the edge of the board. I tried fitting one and one edge kept coming up, eventually it lifted the the board decal up with it. So you will either have to fit it further in from the edge (risking some exposure) or put a cut in the hard top plastic layer to allow it to curve around.

There must be a reason all the hire places in Dahab etc use the fiberglass ones and not the EVA pads. Also if you look at the JP site, they explicitly mention that the EVA ones are not for demo and windsurfing centres, maybe its because they just aren't that strong .

I've used rental boards with the glass protector. IMO this is quite hard and would transfer the shock to the board in a really hard hit. So you could have a crack underneath the protector and not know it.
The eva one is built like a brick SH. Apart from the solid plastic layer on top you have a softer layer of EVA to absorb the shock plus a harder layer for protection. Starboard have a similar protector with a nicer looking design which wraps around the rail.

However, the fibreglass one is much easier to fit as there is an exact size for each board. Dab on some silicon, slip it on, tape it up and let it dry.

Why not both?
Hard fiberglass on outside, then EVA one, then board
Or way overkill and too much height/weight?

Lucky i've got old indestructible boards atm!

You have to be sensible about it I guess. Something is better than nothing be it boom / mast guards or nose protectors. If you have a massive stack the energy transfered to the board can be substantial and it has to go somewhere. I had on epic stack once when I know I smacked the nose really hard . Although the nose cone looked ok I decided to remove it just in case. As long as you don't put 1/2 L of silicone under it, the nose cone can be removed without too much hassle. I did find a small crack which was easily repaired ( God bless the Board Lady). At $200 for a nose repair, these things do save money and above all kepp you on the water .

Took the 5.7 Firefly out at Woodies 2 nights ago (12/11).
Felt fantastic.
The firefly is the expression replacement and is ment to be a bit more wave orientated.
A good amount of x-ply in this sail (But not as much as my new Zones) and a good mono window to see through (I don't like x-ply/pvc to look through)
Build quality is excellent with the foot/tack chafe protection going around past the clew and everything glued and double stitched.
On the water the sail provides constant drive and powers the board easily onto the plane. I think these sails have a better top end than the expressions I have had, but more GPS testing may be required to confirm this.
Once planing it has a very direct feel and I found that outhaul and downhaul changes did make a difference, indicating a good usable wind range.
This sail is a joy to gybe, and that's with me getting back after a hyper extended knee.
Stoked

hmmm just picked up a 92L fsw pro edition today. One problem thou, on close inspection there seems to be a manufacturing defect.

On the top/back of the board there is a countersunk area where the fin bolt sits. There seems to be a 1mm gap between the side of the countersunk area, and the top of the board, and I can see something white in the gap, thou it doesn't appear to be foam. The gap isn't around the whole edge, only a third of the way around the hole. Anyone have any experience with anything like this?

The shops been really good, so I'll give them a ring tomorrow and ask them what they think. I think better I picked up the possibility of a problem now, rather then after it has already been in the water. I haven't examined it closely, but I've taken a few photos for record. Hopefully it is nothing, but it doesn't fill me with confidence.

Will keep you guys updated

Well a little update. I took the board back to the shop, they said it was probably not an issue because the fin box area had reinforcements and wouldn't take on water. Never the less, I got them to unbox me a brand new one, and exchanged it.



Maybe I'm a bit pedantic, but I expect better quality then that when I buy a brand new board. Service from the shop was excellent thou, can't fault them.

I've had the board out twice now, and it goes nice, not as direct of a feeling as my old starboard freestyle board, not as much feedback, a lot more forgiving feel actually, but its definately more turny, and is great in the air. Definately performs thou, planes about as fast as my old board, but holds speed through turns much better, softer through chop, and really pops off the ramps. Not quite as exciting to ride on flat water I think just because it doesn't feel as direct, or give as much feedback as my old board (which probably was a bit too lively). Also rode it in waves on sunday and had a good time, haven't riden any other freestyle wave boards in this size, in waves so can't compare. Overall happy with purchase, still hate the colours, and it wasn't actually the board I wanted, which was a 92L RWW Pro, but none in stock and the FSW was crazy cheap.

One thing I did notice was that the fin spun out easy sailing in flat water, which was weird considering its a massive 27cm fin, compared to my old board which had a smaller 24cm pure freestyle fin, which I never had a problem with. Didn't have any problems in the waves thou, will have to keep an eye on it, probably just took me a day or so to get used to the different way the board rides.

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swoosh said...



One thing I did notice was that the fin spun out easy sailing in flat water, which was weird considering its a massive 27cm fin, compared to my old board which had a smaller 24cm pure freestyle fin, which I never had a problem with. Didn't have any problems in the waves thou, will have to keep an eye on it, probably just took me a day or so to get used to the different way the board rides.

I had a long session in flat water yesterday 25-30kts. All I can say is that the stock fin is pretty poor, I used an old JP freeride fin. After some dialing in ( you need to get it just right) it was a very nice ride. Went upwind nicely and the tail just stuck to the water, you could charge downwind with absolute confidence. The board is not slow, the GPS was consistently in the 28-30 knot range. I was surprised that even with the free ride fin the board was still quite slashy.

The stock fin seemed to be ok in the waves, but do yourself a favour and try another fin. I'm actually a bit peeved that a board that retails for $2700 (Pro Ed) would come with such an average fin. Maybe JP is trying to optimise the board for waves, but I'm sure they could have made a fin that performed better in all round conditions, it's been done before!

I had no problems with the fins. I ridden the 101 FSW Carbon in Caloundra ( flatwater) with the stock 29G10 fin and it was excellent.

I also have the 84 FSW which came with the black fin 25. It doesn't spin out in bumpand jump.

I like them so much I bought a G10 23 for the big days and am waiting on a G10 25 to replace the black one that came with the wood FSW 84. I scraped it very badly on Pummustone so thought I'll get the same one in a better material.


I really surprised to hear others are having trouble.

i agree with the bad rap on the JP FSW fins. Try the board with abetter fin and you'll be amazed at the difference. I just got a 28 meanline and it feels really sweet on my 84L FSW, heaps faster and it tracks much better. The G10 fins aren't as bad as the black ones but a decent fin on these boards definitely makes a difference.