Despite or perhaps because of the single fin, the Tabou 3S a medal - at least in the classification for the classic power jibe. No board carries more speed through the turn. Power jibes or duck jibes are not only easy - because the board is stable on the edge and holds the radius securely - but also particularly fast. And even with the sail lowered, the board goes through the turn as fast and guided as a bobsleigh in the ice channel. Tight jibes, on the other hand, are naturally limited by the 30 mm spine in the tail, while very tight slam jibes are reserved for boards with thruster fins.
It remains astonishing how light-footed the board reacts to foot control even in full glide, luffing and dropping; here it twitches even faster than the JP Freestyle Wave with the large thruster fin set. It glides particularly high and freely, with the dampening underwater hull in stand-by mode most of the time because the board only makes minimal contact with the crests of the waves in choppy water. However, if contact does occur, the deep double concave effectively absorbs any impact. Together with the easy-to-position straps (the 3S can also be equipped with four straps) on the pleasantly rounded deck, the Tabou 3S offers very comfortable handling even at high top speeds.
The fast feeling, the free planing position and the slightly narrower strap spacing ("stance") convey little to no freestyle or wave feeling, but the fast board not only encourages jumping, it also lifts off recognisable ramps really well, and the large fin helps a lot with the take-off. The free planing position is strongly reminiscent of the freerider Tabou Rocket and even fast room wind runs do not bring worry lines to the face, but rather the corners of the mouth.
surf summary of the Tabou 3S 97 Team
The Tabou 3S remains a successful, freeride-orientated classic: sporty, fast and easy to surf and jibe. However, if you are mainly aiming for waves and manoeuvres, you should take a closer look at the 3S Plus with thruster fins as an alternative.
Fast & sporty, power jibes
Wave suitability
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Technical data Tabou 3S 97 Team
- Weight: 6.52 kg*
- Length: 230 cm*
- Width: 61 cm*
- Price: 2499/2199 Euro** >> available here
*surf measurement
Tabou 3S: Available sizes and data
** Team Edition/LTD Edition
