There seems to be a move on with boards getting longer and narrower again as they were 10+ years ago. Mistrals new slalom and speed boards have got longer by about 10cm and here Thommens by 20+ cm have boards got too short is a longer narrower outline better as it requires smaller fins and tends to have a bigger range of use.

Nice review. Thanks for sharing.


I have an older Tiga wave board I bought off eBay for about $5. According to the tail it's 252cms long and 53cms wide and is 75 litres in volume. I hope to use it in some strong winter winds. Quite narrower than more modern boards. I imagine it's an early naughties board.

It will be a bit shorter once repaired as the nose is smashed so I'll cut the damaged bit off and try to make it water proof.

What do you need the length for? I think in terms of freestyle and wave boards they will never go long again as short is such an advantage. Slalom is less my scene so I'm not so sure but I don't see any reason to go longer and narrower again unless we are talking speed boards? For general slalom/freeride you will not increase the range of a board by making it narrower and longer, I don't think in the history of windsurfing slalom boards have had near the range of the current 'short', 'wide' boards.

A longer board would have to have some major benefits to overcome the convenience of being able to fit my 'short' boards (<235cm) in the car !

It's hard to compare them back to back as it takes time to dial in something you're not used to. But I suspect you can't beat the older longer boards for a tidy drawn out planing gybe in choppy water. If I'm wrong it's either my memory or my skills that have been fading in in synch with board length.

It would seem logical that a longer narrower board would create a smoother more comfortable ride through chop. But the downside is a roof rack might be needed.

I have only just got on shorter slalom boards, and I really like them. I had a 2009 mistral SLRD95 (59cm) which was a beast and very unforgiving, but also very very fast under the right feet (not mine). It was longer, and it felt a lot less buoyant than my old 95l freewave, and also less buoyant than my new Exocet RS2 (90l, 59cm). I weigh 84kgs so its on the edge of sinking when stationary at 95l for me.

The difference for me with the shorter (and flatter in appearance, but the same rocker, just the top shape/curve creates a bit of an optical illusion) is that it doesnt seem to bounce around as much in my peripheral vision, which means I keep the hammer down for longer. Again this is probably a visual thing more than anything, and I react to it differently. Where I sail it is difficult for a fast nautical mile and there is usually big chop for about 200m just over half way. My old PB was 24.8 knots until I got on the Exocets, every time I have gone for it with them I have beaten that PB up to 25.9. More recently on the RS4 I had one run and did a 26.9 (lack of wind and cold here since the end of January so not many long sessions or good winds for nmi runs).

On my old boards I felt like they would bounce a lot more when I hit the chop, and I would end up sheeting out, sometimes spinning out but always slowing down to around 23knots through it, then there is a wind hole after it so never had the speed to carry me to a good nmi.

The new mistral speed boards definitely look interesting though, with good volume at a minimal width, it will be interesting to see if they become the new trend across the brands.

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redsurfbus said...

I have only just got on shorter slalom boards, and I really like them. I had a 2009 mistral SLRD95 (59cm) which was a beast and very unforgiving, but also very very fast under the right feet (not mine). It was longer, and it felt a lot less buoyant than my old 95l freewave, and also less buoyant than my new Exocet RS2 (90l, 59cm). I weigh 84kgs so its on the edge of sinking when stationary at 95l for me.

The difference for me with the shorter (and flatter in appearance, but the same rocker, just the top shape/curve creates a bit of an optical illusion) is that it doesnt seem to bounce around as much in my peripheral vision, which means I keep the hammer down for longer. Again this is probably a visual thing more than anything, and I react to it differently. Where I sail it is difficult for a fast nautical mile and there is usually big chop for about 200m just over half way. My old PB was 24.8 knots until I got on the Exocets, every time I have gone for it with them I have beaten that PB up to 25.9. More recently on the RS4 I had one run and did a 26.9 (lack of wind and cold here since the end of January so not many long sessions or good winds for nmi runs).

On my old boards I felt like they would bounce a lot more when I hit the chop, and I would end up sheeting out, sometimes spinning out but always slowing down to around 23knots through it, then there is a wind hole after it so never had the speed to carry me to a good nmi.

The new mistral speed boards definitely look interesting though, with good volume at a minimal width, it will be interesting to see if they become the new trend across the brands.

redsurfbus how long is the 2009 mistral SLRD 95? I think it would not be more than 250 here we are referring to boards 260-295 which was the length of slalom boards in the 90's I think the idea is that the extra length with a narrower tail gave a smoother ride in chop and wider wind/condition range.

244...so not really that much longer actually, it just feels it. I only started a few years ago so dont have experience on the earlier longer shapes.

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redsurfbus said...

244...so not really that much longer actually, it just feels it. I only started a few years ago so dont have experience on the earlier longer shapes.

The Thommen Gun is 272 the 4WD 266 and Mistral Speed 95 253 the mistral slalom boards are up from 238 to 249 it will be interesting to see if there is now a move away from that 240 length by other brands.

My 90 L salom board is 235*62, extremely smooth in the chop, really nice to gibe and carries sails from 5.5 to 7.8M.

I may be pig headed, but anything over 240 cm probably wont be on my consideration list.

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Waiting4wind said...

My 90 L salom board is 235*62, extremely smooth in the chop, really nice to gibe and carries sails from 5.5 to 7.8M.

I may be pig headed, but anything over 240 cm probably wont be on my consideration list.

I guess then you will not be getting a new mistral slalom then!