Just thought I would give some opinions on the JP Freestyle Waves...

At about the start of 2007, I purchased the 2006 Freestyle Wave 85 Wood Sandwich. Coming from slalom-only background, I was used to early plaining of slalom boards and initially had difficulty popping onto a plane; at the time I was about 78kg, so the 85 litres didn't help either. However, after a few days of getting used to it, I could get it going just as easy and I was a little surprised by its comfort in rough chop - it was nice to not feel bouncy all the time.

One aspect I really like from the JP's, is the dome of the deck - I reckon its probably one of the best features, as it provides a lot of feedback when turning, compared to say F2 or Starboard (eg: the Kode will yaw a little more than the FWS, when pushing though lumpy/bumpy turns). And the deck pads really do stick to your feet -> its much better than raw deck grip.

Just recently I had the experience of sailing a 2005 FWS 95 and a 2008 FWS 84 Pro Edition. Basically, I dont like the 2005... good deck, but it just doesn't ride very well - maybe its the size, or something else... But the 2008 is pretty good, with a very similar feel to the 2006 model, and it feels just a little bit faster too.

On the 2008 however, there are some aspects which I dont like so much (maybe they made a change for the worse?):

- The carbon kevlar (pro edition) makes it too stiff, as you feel every bump - which is good for going fast, but not so much for bump 'n' jump that we get in Melbourne. The 2006 and 2005 (wood) feels much more comfortable.

- The deck pad is different on the 2008 -> it doesn't cover the area between the straps, thus my feet managed to slip off the not-so-sticky deck grip.

And just one other point on the FWS's in general -> the front footstraps cant go back far enough (and this applies equally to my F2 boards). I am about 5ft 9in (aka 175cm), so not the tallest bloke around, but I just dont have the leg span of someone taller.

On the 2008 and 2006, when sailing down the line 5-6 ft wind-driven swell or even straight line blasting, I can easily set my front foot up to 3 inches behind the strap, to give me more control and more speed. I think the board builders need to use longer footstrap plugs, rather than the standard 3-hole that is normally supplied.

It would also be nice to set the mast track back another inch -> the FWS's just dont feel right when the mast is in the forward half of the track.

thats my $0.02... cheers.

Just go and buy a Fanatic FSW

Interesting read mathew! Cheers for posting.

Mathew,

I think your report is the best proof for why people should support their local shops! You local shop would be able to give you a current model board you are interested in as well as usually the previous season model to test. 85L is what most shops seem to have on demo in the wave and bump and jump category. This can avoid making the wrong buying decision. They will also be able to tell you if the board suits your style of sailing.

SQH in Melbourne does demos and so does Windsurf and Snow here in Sydney as well as Reg from Windsurfing Perth.

As for the JP Freestyle Wave 85 and 92/91 boards... I have had a new model every year since they were first released in 2001/2 (can't remember when the first one came out). I think these are some of the fastest boards in this board category. My personal opinion is that JP has made minor improvements from season to season which always improved the board. The 2008 models also brought the 85 and 92 more in line. I think those boards behaved almost identical. Personally I prefer the ultra stiff Pro edition version. But I guess that's down to peoples liking.

RE your comment in regards to foot straps. That's a common opinion by people that are slalom sailors. The Freestyle Wave type boards are a compromise between going super fast (like a slalom board), turn easy (like a freestyle board) and managed to hold themselves on waves. As such the foot strap position needs to be in a more neutral position. A hard core freestyle most likely would think the foot straps on those boards are actually too far back. I assume they could have added more plugs but the more plugs you add to a board the more stress points you add were the board can break.

Another thing you need to consider is that the fin most production boards come with is a compromise between different styles of sailing, sail sizes and riders weights. My personal experience is that I tend to get a lot more out of a board if I start using my own set of fins that work for what I like. I actually think the fin is the most overlooked part on a board by manufacturers as well as consumers (but that's another story).

I got a new JP FSW 92 pro about a month ago and have only had 45 mins on it as the wind over here has really gone on holiday!!! good to read other peoples thoughts.

Hi stehsegler,

thanks for the comments, just a quick reply...

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I think your report is the best proof for why people should support their local shops! You local shop would be able to give you a current model board you are interested in as well as usually the previous season model to test.

hmm... not so sure of that. The shops can (quite rightly) only carry so much gear - its not in their interest to keep a previous year board, just to allow comparison against the current year -> its better for them to move all of their stock within that season.

I know that both local shops RPS and SHQ, have some demo gear available, but often the selection of demo gear is somewhat limited (they are trying to sell the stuff - not just loan it out...!). In this case, the 2006 and 2008 were purchased from SHQ, so the shops are definitely being supported by the local sailors.

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As for the JP Freestyle Wave 85 and 92/91 boards... I have had a new model every year since they were first released in 2001/2 (can't remember when the first one came out). I think these are some of the fastest boards in this board category. My personal opinion is that JP has made minor improvements from season to season which always improved the board. The 2008 models also brought the 85 and 92 more in line. I think those boards behaved almost identical. Personally I prefer the ultra stiff Pro edition version. But I guess that's down to peoples liking.

Given your experience, how do you find the difference between a full carbon vs something with a bit more softness?

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RE your comment in regards to foot straps. That's a common opinion by people that are slalom sailors. The Freestyle Wave type boards are a compromise between going super fast (like a slalom board), turn easy (like a freestyle board) and managed to hold themselves on waves. As such the foot strap position needs to be in a more neutral position. A hard core freestyle most likely would think the foot straps on those boards are actually too far back. I assume they could have added more plugs but the more plugs you add to a board the more stress points you add were the board can break.

I take your point - but the JP FWS isn't a hardcore of either discipline -> its a crossover board. I honestly dont think that changing the 3-hole plugs, to 5-hole plugs is going to make the slightest difference to strength.

I have tried the straps in lots of positions -> currently, the back straps in the front holes, and the front straps are in the back holes... I'm not asking for more plugs, just longer ones!

matthew ring mark stone in geraldton and get ssd custom built for you .

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And just one other point on the FWS's in general -> the front footstraps cant go back far enough (and this applies equally to my F2 boards). I am about 5ft 9in (aka 175cm), so not the tallest bloke around, but I just dont have the leg span of someone taller.

On the 2008 and 2006, when sailing down the line 5-6 ft wind-driven swell or even straight line blasting, I can easily set my front foot up to 3 inches behind the strap, to give me more control and more speed. I think the board builders need to use longer footstrap plugs, rather than the standard 3-hole that is normally supplied.

Sounds to me you need to spend more time setting the board/rig up, maybe move the mastbase forward a bit so the front strap doesn't feel so far away. measure the distance from the tale to where your putting it, start with it at about 160 and come back from there.

Also you get alot more control with the front strap as far forward as practical, moving it back just kills the turning performance.
Its a board designed for advanced to pro riders that except a compromise if ultimate speed is your thing its the wrong board for you.

@garyk,

I would argue that the Freestyle wave 85 and 92 are some of the fastest boards on the market outside of the Slalom segment.

@mathew,

I think the question of technora vs wood is personal preference. The Pro edition in my opinion is a bit more direct and seems to plane earlier and stay on the plane longer. Of course the earlier planing could be due to the direct feel.

There doesn't seem to be a huge weight difference in the bigger boards for some reason. It could be down to tolerances in manufacturing... and I'd probably wouldn't buy a pro edition solely based on the reduced weight.

I do think the pro editions are less prone to go soft prematurely.

That said, as far as I remember from what I learned at Uni any material should eventually go soft given enough repetitions of stress.

I've had a few FSW's myself and on our last trip to Maui we had an 06, 07 and 08 in our rental fleet. So we had plenty of back to back riding. I find that each year the boards have been getting looser and calmer (smoother) in the water, but less speedy.... not slow by any means. Also progressively they've needed a bit more power to get on the plane due to the thinner / looser tails

A few weeks back I rode my mates 06 FSW 78 pro ed and compared to a 09 FSW 92 PE, in 20-30 knots. The 06 felt slalomy compared to the 09 and the ride was harsher. In general the ride is sharper and more direct on PE boards, you definitely lose some of the suspension provided by less stiff construction.

My favorite FSW's were 2003 - fast, smooth, early planer and sharp gybe, 2007 - really smooth, planes well, and loose..ish, 2009 Very loose for a crossover board and calm in the water. I found 2002, 2004 and 2006 a bit slappy in chop. 2008 a bit slow to plane.

I bought a very used '05 98 litre model. First board away from Freeride so a cheap taste test of what else is on offer for me.

My other board is an '06 111 Litre Starboard Carve.

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mathew said...


I could get it going just as easy and I was a little surprised by its comfort in rough chop - it was nice to not feel bouncy all the time.

I was blown away with the difference to the Carve. What used to be very challenging conditions for me instantly became fun.

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One aspect I really like from the JP's, is the dome of the deck - I reckon its probably one of the best features, as it provides a lot of feedback when turning, compared to say F2 or Starboard (eg: the Kode will yaw a little more than the FWS, when pushing though lumpy/bumpy turns).

I find the dome a bit flat, but perhaps I am just getting used to it. Gybing, on any JP board actually is excellent. Much less "yawing" and bouncing through tight, fast turns. The amount of pressure on the inside rail is about half what I need for the Carve, although there is a certain satisfaction about that extra pressure.

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And the deck pads really do stick to your feet -> its much better than raw deck grip.

God, yes.

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- The deck pad is different on the 2008 -> it doesn't cover the area between the straps, thus my feet managed to slip off the not-so-sticky deck grip.

I also found getting onto the plane was different to the Carve. There is no real "pop", more of a gradual, smooth curve that begins very early. Useful in surf.

This board feels very "jumpy" to me. Even I can pop it on flat water. It is happiest in the air.

I think a lot of the above has to do with the bottom shape. The brochure info would also hint at this. Because of the chanel there are kind of two bottom shapes in one, one for straight line and one that comes into effect when on edge.

I did find that it sits a little too flat in the water for me for blasting, as in it feels like about half the board is in the water, whereas my Carve feels like just my back foot. I haven't had much of a chance to muck around with fin$ at all yet, or my technique with the board, so that is more than likely the issue. Actually I haven't ridden it anywhere near as much as I'd like to, yet.

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thats my $0.02... cheers.

Me too.

Well I rode MY FSW 101 all weekend with a 6.2 Alpha. It is a very fast yet manoverable board. Also very easy to get good jumps. I use the stock with straps inboard. I agree the Carbon is a bit tough on delicate knees, but I'm getting used to it. No complains from me. I'm very happy with the 101 carbon and 84 wood, both 2009.

How do you find the step down - 101l to 84l. I was thinking about stepping down to 77l (75kg at present but caring a bit of custard so should get down to low 70s) but I'm wondering if this is too low.

bluedog, it's quite a big step down from 100 to 77L but if you're thinking about a Fanatic FW, wait till you've been to Lord Howe and try mine and see how you go.
I find it a great board, fast, nice to turn and really light in the air. Planes early cause it's still quite wide in the tail. Good for high wind B&J.

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qldsalty said...

Well I rode MY FSW 101 all weekend with a 6.2 Alpha. It is a very fast yet manoverable board. Also very easy to get good jumps. I use the stock with straps inboard. I agree the Carbon is a bit tough on delicate knees, but I'm getting used to it. No complains from me. I'm very happy with the 101 carbon and 84 wood, both 2009.

fingers corssed I get to try my 92 pro this avo mate! its been hell having it on the rack for the past 6 weeks without getting wet.

i am definitely thinking of a Freewave. i was going to bring over my 80l wave board along with the kit but I might upgrade before then. Does anyone know what the 78l tabou pockets are like?? it was one of the other options I was considering