With a width of less than 29 inches and the very slim shape towards the tail and narrow nose, the board has already left the class of stable all-round tourers. This is a sports tourer that requires a somewhat experienced or very light pilot and also appeals to them. But then the board is particularly fast, which is of course supported by the slim design but also by the low weight of the riding experience. As is typical for GTS, the nose does not lie flat in the water, but instead raises its nose a good hand's width above the waves. This gives away a few centimetres of waterline, but ensures that the bow glides effortlessly over the water with little resistance, especially during turns.
Lightweight paddlers in particular will enjoy the lively feel of the board and the lightness on the RS, from carrying it on land to the rapid acceleration and fast turns with little momentum. For fast turns where you go far to the stern, however, a little practice is required so that you can safely and confidently gybe in front of an audience on the beach in cold water.
As is also typical, the workmanship is impeccable and the details - such as the valve cover - are lovingly designed. The other features, with large nets, a comfortable pad and the two larger-than-average luggage nets on the bow and stern, round off the board visually and technically. There are two sliding fins at the tail, which keep the track very well and can be fitted or removed in a matter of seconds. The board is supplied in a high-quality, padded rucksack with wheels. The RS, which is also very light like the Sportstourer (right), has an additional glued-on PVC collision protection on the bow, which can be very useful for sporty mooring on gravel beaches.
The split construction of the deck pad and the arrangement of the fin boxes and valve make it possible to fold the board lengthways and thus have a small, thick "roll pug" as a pack size. In general, however, frequent folding of PVC is not recommended, only rolling is more gentle on the material.
Conclusion on the GTS RS 12'6" x 28.7":
A very sporty-looking board that offers a fast ride, almost like a race inflatable, paired with decent touring suitability and touring equipment - at least for lightweights or for experienced, somewhat heavier paddlers up to around 85 kilos.
Technical data and notes GTS RS 12'6" x 28.7"
- Price: 689 Euro
- Length: 381 cm
- Width: 73 cm
- Weight: 8.2 kg
- Volume: 300 litres
- Info about GTS
Very light and fast, double fin, large nets.
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.
