Review ongoing.......

I wanted to build a FSW to the bottom shape I like, with a good onshore oriented waveboard outline and kinked in tail for turning ability.
Luckily for me, Martin Love from Atomic Surf offered to do all the CAD work for me from my numbers. Well, and corrected some of them too, to achieve a smoother rockerline.

I'm currently on a 2014 model 3S 116L for my crappy days board, and was using it with a 6.4 Gaastra Cross, 6m Gator or 5.7 Blade. I mostly use it with a smaller than factory fin - MFC FSW 28cm - and have found it very fast but obviously stiff on a wave. Its a a bit harsh when going hard in short sharp chop too.
Thus the 122L for earlier planing, same speed hopefully, a bit more chop eating with vee and double concave carried slightly farther forward.

New board - 230 x 66.5 x 13.7 - 122L
Styro, 3mm corecell top, 5mm bottom. Glass bottom, glass/wood/carbon deck. The keen eye may notice the nice honeycomb pattern carbon for the w^nkfactor
7.5kg bare (about 300 - 600g lighter than similar factory boards, so happy)

Me - 105kg ish


So finished:

After much whinging that the season was over and the board got close to completion I just needed a ****ty seabreeze to test her (and hadn't even unrolled the '21 Gator 7m after 3mths of having it) two days ago I knocked off work to see the forecast late 12 - 14kn seabreeze was in fact much earlier and already 16-18kn at 4pm. Stoked!!!

Raced to beach and setup as per first pic. (Bad pic as the battens haven't made their mind up, the Gator set beautifully)

I love the set of the Gator- deep forward draft, tons of progressive leech looseness. Very tuneable. Easy downhauling. Up and planing you just don't know its there! So so stable and smooth I can't say enough about it. For wavesailors who want a freeride that feels nice not all heavy clunky and cambered, its just magic.
What I love is that I can get a 7m Gator on my 430 RDM (no need for another mast for my lightwind FSW stuff) and a wave boom.
Speaking of what wavesailors want, I learned many years ago buying freeride stuff for when you can't quite get out there, that cambered stuff is no good. Modern race - freerace - freeride stuff is designed to be used in much higher winds than days of old of course - so for me, a wave quiver that finished at 5.7m then needed a jump to an 8m plus for the ****ty days. I got frustrated..... then realised what I needed was a powerful stable wavesail - a crossover. Gator is perfect as you still have low end power, unlike race sails (for their size I mean)
No need for more masts and booms and it feels familiar, it just feels like a really powerful, non-cumbersome wave sail. As I said, up and planing you don't know its there. Unlike race sails where if you only use it a couple of times a year and predominantly wavesail it just feels awful.


So to the board. Yum
Tested with MFC FSW28 which was a tiny bit small, then 34cm Liquid Pro which is well renowned so of course felt great.
It was not compared back to back with 3S yet, but in exact same conditions at same spot only a couple weeks earlier I found the 3S a tiny bit faster but so flightly it was a bit scary at times in the short sharp chop. However, my FSW - nice :) Possibly a smidge slower but I haven't changed straps or mast base positions yet. AtomicSurf / M_OzCustoms FSW was so much more planted, eating up the chop with no scary moments, at what I reckon is 95% as fast as 3S. Will see with GPS..... but its nice to be going as fast or thereabouts but not having the whiteknuckle ride, just fast and so easy. So some setup tuning will have it just as fast and more comfy, no more whiteknuckle ride. Very happy.
Much earlier planing, feels like a lot more than 5L bigger when you're just getting going, but that volume disappears when you're up to speed - now that's perfect
Can't wait to try as a thruster on next outing.... and can't wait to try in strong winds as I think what I designed to be my 15-18kn board might just be really nice in 20+ too and if the waves are crappy it might just get busted out a lot more often than I thought!!

Caveat - being a team rider I'm biased but no, in all honesty its a beautiful ride.

Only negative - a bit of spinout. I was fully loading the fin, and there was a lot more weed than I'm used to. I think my rear strap is about 20mm further back (in relation to the fin) than most FSW boards so I may be overloading the fin. It may be the weed though. Will see.

US Box for the center fin?
Do my eyes see some toe in the thrusters?

Can't wait to hear how it goes in waves. The newest batch of plus sized FSWs hitting the market definitely seem to fill a role mostly left empty or poorly filled by WindSUPs.

Looks great Mark.....glad I could help out and hope that you really enjoy it.

Select to expand quote

Grantmac said..
US Box for the center fin?
Do my eyes see some toe in the thrusters?

Can't wait to hear how it goes in waves. The newest batch of plus sized FSWs hitting the market definitely seem to fill a role mostly left empty or poorly filled by WindSUPs.

No PB
There is a tiny bit of toe, its negligible
Just the rail curve optical illusion

Select to expand quote

Mark _australia said..

Grantmac said..
US Box for the center fin?
Do my eyes see some toe in the thrusters?

Can't wait to hear how it goes in waves. The newest batch of plus sized FSWs hitting the market definitely seem to fill a role mostly left empty or poorly filled by WindSUPs.

No PB
There is a tiny bit of toe, its negligible
Just the rail curve optical illusion

Does the screw go in one of the strap inserts?

Excellent job guys.

Select to expand quote

Grantmac said..

Mark _australia said..

Grantmac said..
US Box for the center fin?
Do my eyes see some toe in the thrusters?

Can't wait to hear how it goes in waves. The newest batch of plus sized FSWs hitting the market definitely seem to fill a role mostly left empty or poorly filled by WindSUPs.

No PB
There is a tiny bit of toe, its negligible
Just the rail curve optical illusion

Does the screw go in one of the strap inserts?

You're too observant lol
I strapped it then realised I hadn't routed the PB screw hole.

Great design collaboration on CAD work to get desired board, I like the outline with pulled in tail
Very much agree with comments on sail that's light and powerful rather than bigger high tension supper loose leach.
Interesting with outboard straps and bigger upright(er) fin and then when wave conditions allow to change to 3 inboard straps probably 30 or 32 FSW fin and 6.4!
Please keep updates coming

Were you stressed when balancing the board against the wall on the slippery hard floor?

^^^Haha yeah a bit....
Easier with a swallow tail though huh

Another run Wed arvo for a surprise hit. Forecast was pretty average so expected bottom end, instead got about 17-18, rising to 20-22kn

Used 6.4 and the thruster setup first time





12.5cm sides and 29cm select FSW - which really is a freeride fin, not FSW I reckon. Went upwind like mad with this setup, not a hint of the previous spinout. However upon jumping I could slide the landing if I wanted and recover easily. Thus, I reckon the smaller 25cm centre fin will be a winner for wavesailing (with those same sidies) -should be loose.
As to how it really rides waves with that fast rockerline, hmmmm. Not a fan of FSW for wave riding
I hope I'm not waiting til summer for those first wave rides but I fear it may be....

Great update with different sail and side fins and look forward to update with smaller 25cm wave fin.
When I first started wave sailing that I used an offset back foot strap closer to the rail for the bottom turn.
As a suggestion it will definitely help you bottom turn a flatter rocker FSW board.
Hope you get a lot more great days on your new board

Select to expand quote

Mark _australia said..
Another run Wed arvo for a surprise hit. Forecast was pretty average so expected bottom end, instead got about 17-18, rising to 20-22kn

Used 6.4 and the thruster setup first time





12.5cm sides and 29cm select FSW - which really is a freeride fin, not FSW I reckon. Went upwind like mad with this setup, not a hint of the previous spinout. However upon jumping I could slide the landing if I wanted and recover easily. Thus, I reckon the smaller 25cm centre fin will be a winner for wavesailing (with those same sidies) -should be loose.
As to how it really rides waves with that fast rockerline, hmmmm. Not a fan of FSW for wave riding
I hope I'm not waiting til summer for those first wave rides but I fear it may be....

Nice looking board Mark.
That 29 is a fast fin & holds solid.
Don't think I really ever tried the 25 though.

Another great session with the same setup but got really windy. I was going too far upwind (not my usual issue!!) and she was a bit of a handful flat out off the wind, so changed to the 25cm centre (still 12.5cm sides)
Wow what a revelation. Just as fast, but tons more settled and control was superb.

Seems so far 7m and 34cm single in 16-17kn is a sweet spot, and 6.4 or 5.7 in 20kn plus with the 25cm/12.5cm thruster is another sweet spot.

I built it for the former setup - too light to go proper wavesailing - but I can see I'm going to use this board in a lot more wind than I ever thought - like when there's little swell and proper windy. Its so controlled, loving it

I reckon I've already got 4 extra sessions in 2 weeks that I'd either not sailed at all, or had a not-so-fun basic B&J session on a quad.

Kelfy, you were right those Select so-called-FSW fins are actually a ripper speed fin.

keen for you to try the 6.4 setup in 16-17knots and comment.

I'm not that skinny lol
Maybe in OK waves I shall

Super curious to hear how it turns on a wave.

I already know - like a FSW lol. So not great but will be better then my 3S for sure.
I only use on the crappy days so try to do only backside riding as DTL is just annoying on a FSW
But yes, might get to find out in couple days :)

You've got the plugs to try an offset rear strap which might let it go DTL. A set of largish toed/asymmetrical fronts could help too.

^^^ yeah but it still isn't quiiite a wave rocker.... so all the tuning tricks in the world won't make it turn like one.

However I finally got a cross shore day to try it. 7m Gator again, and the 29 / 12.5's fin set.
I was just blasting and no waves, now and then a knee high to jump off. Well, I mean now and then waves, there is always chop in the open ocean of course.
Anyway, was coming in and scored the one and only waist hi wave for the day and thought screw it, I'll try. Turned down wind and was pleasantly surprised. It was not great as the front straps are still outboard and too much fin ... and REALLY??!!! a 7m sail ...??!!!! But with all that wrong stuff if I stomped on the tail it went around pretty damn well. I'm thinking the smaller fin set and a 5.7 day and it will turn as good as any other FSW does. Keen to try! That makes me happy as it does everything better than my 3S so far, so if it also turns better I'll be ecstatic!

Now having had it wave sailing.. Love it! Two recent sessions at Corro on 5.7 well powered - early planer and turns great in the wave for a FSW - proper bottom top turn combos with none of the usual stiffness of a free wave stoked!!!!

How would you translate the design to say 105-110L? Would that unlock more wave potential?

Definitely- just the tail narrowing would assist. 122 is a big board.
Tiny bit more tail rocker is possible of course and there's the great thing about custom

Now with a Dyno 24cm centre fin and using it in the higher winds...... I'm using this for wavesailing in 4.5 weather (105kg sailor 122L board) and its magic.
The range is insane :)