Can you really put the spurs to a 185-litre racing car? Or is it like trying to compete in a gallop race on a cold-blooded horse? With the Blast, Duotone seems to have succeeded in creating a breed that combines the seemingly impossible. This huge planing platform gives you the great stability you expect when catching up and planing, and yet the board looks a class smaller and sporty even at a moderately fast planing speed. And even well powered up with a 7.8 mm sail, it is not so easily upset by every choppy wave. Only the flat Thommen flounder slipped away just as early as the Blast during the comparison runs (pumping is prohibited). In the E/LAB design (not very favourable and only available to order) it has the lowest weight of all fin boards in the test.
Fast planing and vehement acceleration
However, the length of 2.53 metres should also contribute to the extremely fluid planing without any tricks. No matter where you're standing, the Blast glides unwaveringly and threading into the straps is very easy, even in the outside position, because there is enough space and the board hardly tilts sideways. Then the light and stiff board accelerates vehemently, immediately overtakes the glide miracle and the Eagle by a small margin and, with the high-quality fin, achieves super speed with very low drag. The Duotone Blast flies light-footedly over choppy waves, but remains very stable around the longitudinal and transverse axis - even when there is a lot of pressure in the cloth - and it never tends to rise at the front.
If it does collide with a choppy wave on a closehauled course, the underwater hull dampens the impact very gently and the board feels like it surfs very lightly against the wave for a few milliseconds. It rolls gently rather than just slapping flat against it. Dream marks for the power jibe: Best planing potential, super tip stable and even if the planing ends early in the turn, the voluminous tail offers plenty of space and time for foot changes. However, you can only manage wide radii in full planing mode - but with powerful foot pressure, it keeps a stable track and speed right up to the exit of the turn.
Surf summary of the Duotone Blast E/LAB 185
You only feel the 185 litres when you need them. The Duotone Blast E/LAB 185 is a great glider, even in the jibe, which remains easy to control even with a lot of sail pull and conveys a sporty feeling. You should be over 1.70 metres tall and weigh more than 80 kilos for sufficient pressure and the necessary stride in power jibes.
Technical data Duotone Blast E/LAB 185
- Volume: 185 litres
- Length: 253 cm
- Width: 90 cm
- Weight: 9.2 kilos*
- Price: 2999 Euro
- Info: duotonesports.com
*surf measurement
