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Wavetest 2005

Wavetest 2005

Wavetest 2005

The short ones are coming! Exactly half of our test group now measures less than 2.40 metres. We tested the strengths and weaknesses of the dwarf boards against the "classics", which are by no means old-fashioned. When it comes to wave sails, the small brands are the "dwarves" in the figurative sense - in addition, the renowned brands offer exciting new models: the newly launched Combat from Neil Pryde, the Blade from the world champion brand Severne, a Sailloft "Made in Germany", affordable Guns - and eleven other models.

You can find these waveboards in the test:

AHD Kauli Pro

Angulo Amigu

Exocet Universal Wave

F2 Wave Guerilla

Fanatic New Wave

JP Radical Wave

JP Real World Wave

Mistral Beast

Mistral Syncro

Naish Wave

RRD Wave Swallow

Starboard Acid

Starboard Evo

Tabou Da Curve

Tabou Pocket Wave

Tiga X Wave

You can find these wave sails in the test:

Arrows Impact Gold

Ezzy Wave SE

Gaastra Manic

Gaastra Poison

Gun Sails Hammer

Gun Sails Wave MC

Hot Sails Maui S.O.

Naish Force

Naish Session

Neil Pryde Combat

Neil Pryde Zone

North Sails Instinct

North Sails Superstar

Sailloft Curve

Severne Blade

We have been driving our Wave trailer over African sandy tracks for eight years now; it was almost as much a part of the team as a seventh driver. And now it is facing a sudden end. But it's not the South African TÜV that has criticised defects in the frame - it's perfectly healthy. It is simply too long for some boards, the new short boards simply fall through the frame. The Mistral Wave measured 2.57 metres in 1996, the Syncro is now not even the shortest board at 2.29 metres. Did these boards also fall through the test "sieve"? After seven weeks, it was clear to us that welding would probably have to be done before next year's test.

We have been driving our Wave trailer over African sandy tracks for eight years now; it was almost as much a part of the team as a seventh driver. And now it is facing a sudden end. But it's not the South African TÜV that has criticised defects in the frame - it's perfectly healthy. It is simply too long for some boards, the new short boards simply fall through the frame. The Mistral Wave measured 2.57 metres in 1996, the Syncro is now not even the shortest board at 2.29 metres. Did these boards also fall through the test "sieve"? After seven weeks, it was clear to us that welding would probably have to be done before next year's test.

Because no two wave spots are the same, we have expanded our range of notes again this year. Three grades for "Waveriding" alone now allow us to work out the characteristics of the boards as neatly as with a dissecting knife. For every home area and every spot for which you are looking for a board, you will now find a criterion that is particularly important for your personal test winner. In some cases, this could even be the grade for flat water suitability. And three wave grades now show in detail in which conditions a board really feels most comfortable and which are the true all-rounders.

Waveriding front foot/large wave: Waves like this can only be found at selected spots in the Atlantic and Pacific (Cape Town, Australia, Hawaii). Fast-running waves of three to six metres. In such conditions, the boards must above all be easy to control, as the wave riding can be quite rough. Waveriding front foot/small wave: With waves of one to three metres and winds from sideshore to sideoffshore, fast, manoeuvrable boards are required that still allow variable radii even with a lot of forward thrust and pressure on the front foot. The board should accelerate well on the wave, but we don't prioritise controllability. Waveriding back foot: In small waves up to around one and a half metres, turns are mainly initiated from the back foot. Such moderate conditions nevertheless present shapers with a major challenge. This is because the boards should turn as tightly as possible - without losing too much speed. Especially in our European waters on the North and Baltic Seas or on the Mediterranean, such easy-turning gliders work particularly well.

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Downloads:

Waveboards 2005 (pdf)

Wave sail 4.7 2005 (pdf)

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