On the local auction site a very good condition Tabou 3S Plus 116 is up for sale.
I'm toying with the idea but I am just not sure if the local conditions would suit this board.
I've slimmed down to 85kg and 192cm. It's summer with light wind conditions. The waves are not big. Last year I used a 116 SUP board which was great fun but without a little bit of wind was very hard to stay on the board. I'm thinking maybe this Tabou might be good for slogging. But I'm really not sure if it's going to be the board for these types of conditions. I've got a 105 fantastic stubby Freewave board which just over the last couple of months I have started to enjoy surfing on. In stronger conditions, I have preferred taking it out over a 85L due to being more buoyant, I can make most of my gybes. It is on the hard side to jump though as there is plenty of surface area once I get air.
The Tabou might even be a preferred board with all that extra volume in the windy season.
Also, my tacks suck so maybe I could use this board to practise my tacking and some freestyle moves....
Does anyone have this board or any advice? Maybe I should just save my cash. Hummmm

Get board, get it.

Very very good board but at your weight you might not get it to turn well off the top - when I was 105kg I rode one in 20kn wavesailing and enjoyed it..... but lighter guys found it stiff as they can't give it the pressure needed. And of course no FSW is a wave board.

3S is one of my alltime faves.
You will get it planing in nothing and with a smaller fin set in waist his waves it would be fun fun

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Madge said..
Get board, get it.

Yep, that's exactly what the voice in my head is saying.
The Storage area is overflowing but I might be able to cram another board in beside the gas bottles. After that, I am going to have to start thinking that the boards are works of art so I can hang them around the house.

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Mark _australia said..
Very very good board but at your weight you might not get it to turn well off the top - when I was 105kg I rode one in 20kn wavesailing and enjoyed it..... but lighter guys found it stiff as they can't give it the pressure needed. And of course no FSW is a wave board.

3S is one of my alltime faves.
You will get it planing in nothing and with a smaller fin set in waist his waves it would be fun fun

I really liked the Da Curve 86L and was looking for another board by the same shaper. His largest wave boards are a 96L Da Curve and a 104L Da Bomb Then the 3S+ goes up to 116.
It's not that I'm after a Free-wave board, it just seems that there are not too many offerings on the second-hand marketplaces and many manufacturers don't make larger waveboards.
I have been trying to find videos of the 3S+ in waves but all of the promo videos are bump and jump. They say it can handle the waves but yeah can't find anything.
As a side question do you make many boards for the "larger gentleman"? What are the issues with making a larger waveboard? I think long ago I was reading, on the forum, that it is hard for the boards to fit into the pocket or something like that.

I do indeed mate. Thsts where i started as a guy of then 100-105 kegs and frustrated with wavesailing on freewaves
The new freewaves are way better and i really loved my own one that was lets say a 3S or Dyno rocker (they're basically same) with a tiny more tail kick and a better fin position.

Pure wave is a little harder to perfect for the big fella but can be done. And its not by scaling up the 85L proto and not having them tested which unfortunately is what all companies do. Much rant there so i shall stop. But - Big waveboards that wont fit in the pocket and are too hard to turn are almost always reviews by small people.
Design wise a bit of length and not too wide helps to stop the entry rocker pushing too much water. Faster mid to tail rockers can still turn amazing with other design aspects working too.

You would love DaBomb if u want a slightly more get up n go than DaCurve, without going to a FSW
But the 3S with say 11cm fronts and a sorta flexy tip 22 to2 3cm fin like the Dyno one will just come alive compared to factory setup

I have one from 2021 - they don't change much i think. I'm at similar height/weight as you.
Really nice board for messing around in waves/blasting.
It is way more maneuverable in the waves than my 130 liter SUP (Sealion) but the sup is a lot easier to get through the waves with low wind (up to 15 knots I use it).

I'm in a similar situation but slightly heavier and rather tempted by one of these:
?si=G1wZYJnmJauJRL5v

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Robertos said..
I have one from 2021 - they don't change much i think. I'm at similar height/weight as you.
Really nice board for messing around in waves/blasting.
It is way more maneuverable in the waves than my 130 liter SUP (Sealion) but the sup is a lot easier to get through the waves with low wind (up to 15 knots I use it).

What sort of conditions are you using the 3Splus in?

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Grantmac said..
I'm in a similar situation but slightly heavier and rather tempted by one of these:

?si=G1wZYJnmJauJRL5v

I saw the windsurfing TV interview with the Exocet guy. It looks like a very interesting concept.

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Henners said..
On the local auction site a very good condition Tabou 3S Plus 116 is up for sale.
I'm toying with the idea but I am just not sure if the local conditions would suit this board.
I've slimmed down to 85kg and 192cm. It's summer with light wind conditions. The waves are not big. Last year I used a 116 SUP board which was great fun but without a little bit of wind was very hard to stay on the board. I'm thinking maybe this Tabou might be good for slogging. But I'm really not sure if it's going to be the board for these types of conditions. I've got a 105 fantastic stubby Freewave board which just over the last couple of months I have started to enjoy surfing on. In stronger conditions, I have preferred taking it out over a 85L due to being more buoyant, I can make most of my gybes. It is on the hard side to jump though as there is plenty of surface area once I get air.
The Tabou might even be a preferred board with all that extra volume in the windy season.
Also, my tacks suck so maybe I could use this board to practise my tacking and some freestyle moves....
Does anyone have this board or any advice? Maybe I should just save my cash. Hummmm

I bought a similar Tabou 2019 3S+ earlier this year. It is the 96 liter one. for me at 74kg it is fantastic. Quick to plane, fast, very smooth over the chop, almost impossible to mess up your jibes on it. Wave riding is also very good and fluid. Finally I found a 5.3, light 4.7 weather board which can do it all. Can't fault it basically. If I broke it tomorrow I would go to the shop and buy the same board again.

So if you are hesitating, I would go for it. I think at your weight the 116 will be fine. 106 would also be great.

I currently own 4 of the Tabou 3S's. 96, 106 and 116. and love them all (the 4th one is an extra 116 for back up down the tack should I need it). Am I biased? Sure. But they're really very good boards in flat, chop and I've sailed some serious waves on them at times (ie Gnaraloo and Margaret River). I am not a great wave sailor, but these work for my 100kg frame. They're good boards. I'd buy it if I had the space.

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Henners said..

Robertos said..
I have one from 2021 - they don't change much i think. I'm at similar height/weight as you.
Really nice board for messing around in waves/blasting.
It is way more maneuverable in the waves than my 130 liter SUP (Sealion) but the sup is a lot easier to get through the waves with low wind (up to 15 knots I use it).

What sort of conditions are you using the 3Splus in?

Mainly 16-20 knots river and ocean with a 6.3. (Ocean up to 1.5m side shore, the river always onshore and choppy conditions)
I do have a 5.7 but haven't used it yet on the 3s