The F-wave is available in five sizes (75/85/95/105/115 litres), the 105 and 115 litre versions have been modified and now have more "V" in the underwater hull, among other things. We tested the XL version with 115 litres on the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The board comes with three fin boxes, but is supplied with a long 32 single fin in this size. The rest of the setup with the swallowtail and straps that can be mounted far inwards is reminiscent of a real wave concept. This makes the question of what's really inside the board all the more exciting.
The Patrik F-wave 115 on the water
The F-wave is stable in the water - certainly also due to its wide nose. Even with the large single fin, the planing position is quite full and rail-like. This is a blessing in strong winds and rough conditions, as the board is easy to control and ride. At the lower wind limit, on the other hand, the F-wave lacks a little acceleration and pep, in which case you would want the board to be a little more lively and free. Once powered up, the board gives you an almost sporty feeling, although the far inboard strap position is not ideal for heating with a long fin. On the edge, the board pulls through the turn with a lot of grip and control, good conditions for power jibes, carving 360s and the like.
In our eyes, the strengths of the board are better accentuated with a thruster setup - we used a 26 mm centre fin. Although the board then sits a little more firmly in the water, the overall set-up looks coherent: The board then pulls tightly around the turn and can be steered tightly and vertically up to the wave lip when riding waves. Basic freestyle manoeuvres such as Vulcan or Spock are then also possible - the wide nose also helps here.
Surf summary of the Patrik F-wave 115
The Patrik F-wave doesn't look quite plausible with a single fin, and is probably too sluggish for sporty freeriders. Equipped with thruster fins, however, it convinces as a good-natured, easy-turning wave board, with which you can still get a lot out of moderate conditions and equipped with large sails.
Technical data Patrik F-wave
- Sizes: 75 / 85 / 95 / 105 /115 Litres (tested size)
- Lengths: 229 /230 / 233 / 234 /234 cm
- Widths: 55,5 / 58,5 / 60,5 / 63 /65,5 cm
- Price: 2799 Euro
- Info about patrikinternational.com
