Wingboards 2026: Lightweight & stiff – putting the Starboard Above Air Foil through its paces

​The Above model is Starboard’s new inflatable concept. As Mid-length board Designed to be versatile, the board is available in three sizes (95/110/125 litres) – we were able to test the 95-litre version.

On land

Compared with other inflatable designs, such as the Skybrid Air from Duotone, this model is slightly narrower; the width of the 95-litre test board is just 21 inches (53.3 cm). Starboard employs a fundamentally different design concept: instead of mounting the foil onto a rigid plate on the underside of the board, Starboard places the rigid plate on the deck. The foil is then fitted into a large recess, which is finally sealed with a plastic cover. The advantages: you stand on a hard deck plate, comparable to a standard hardboard. The foil is screwed directly into the rigid plate, resulting in a very stiff connection between the board and the foil. However, you have to accept that this system means you lose around ten centimetres of mast length. Fitting the foil into the recess is also slightly more complicated. Special track nuts are required for assembly, but these are included with the board. The board also comes with footstraps, a pump and a bag. The board’s packed dimensions are approximately 95 x 60 x 15 centimetres.

The rigid deck, fitted with plugs, allows footstraps to be fitted; it also features a non-slip deck pad. Compared with other inflatable board designs, the Starboard Above has a more sophisticated shape: Usually, the shapes of inflatable boards are limited by their design – but not so with the Starboard Above: the hull has even been given a slight ‘V’ shape, which ensures that the board can cut through choppy waves smoothly. To minimise drag when getting going, a trailing edge has been bonded to the stern. The weight is also impressive – the test board weighed in at just 5.61 kilos.

On the water

The Above’s deck is quite narrow, but is noticeably stabilised by the foil mounted along its longitudinal axis. Nevertheless, the narrow deck does require a fair bit of finesse; compared with other board designs, this model feels a touch smaller for the same volume.
Its behaviour when taking off is very impressive: the board cuts through the water during the take-off phase, builds up speed superbly, settles gently into the choppy waves and offers an exceptionally smooth transition to take-off speed. The result is light-wind performance that is, in principle, on a par with that of a comparable hardboard. In the air, the lightweight board feels compact and playful underfoot; however, due to the narrow width of the board and tail, you do need to be confident on the deck and have moved beyond the beginner stage to be able to fly with true ease. Background: The narrower the deck and the more central your stance, the smaller the lever arm and thus the less control you have over the foil. The same applies to manoeuvres – here, the narrow and slightly domed deck offers slightly less room for error.

Starboard Above Air Foil – the verdict

This narrow and very stiff inflatable board perhaps offers the best light-wind performance of any inflatable design. With your eyes closed, you can hardly tell the difference between this and a hardboard when taking off and freeriding – in this respect, Starboard sets the benchmark in the market. Its stability is comparatively low, and the narrow deck simply requires a bit more finesse when riding in a straight line and during manoeuvres – if you haven’t yet mastered the basic manoeuvres, you should simply opt for the next size up. Ultimately, however, the Starboard Above offers a high-performance, stiff board for light winds, freeriding and even downwind riding in waves.

Stiffness, light-wind performance

Feels slightly smaller; the mast length is reduced

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Starboard Above Air Foil – technical specifications

• ​​Test model: Starboard Above Air Foil 6’0
• Length: 6’0’’ (183 cm)
• Width: 22.7" (53.3 cm)
• Weight (measured by us, excluding straps): 5.61 kilograms
• Volume: 95 litres
• Available sizes: 6’0’’x95 // 6’6’’x110 // 6’9’’x125 litres
• Contents: Board, bag, foot straps, track nuts, pump, foil cover
• Price: 1,256 euros
• Info: Visit the website
• Special features: Hard top plate

Editor’s note: We’ve put the Starboard Above through its paces. Unfortunately, we lost our underwater camera on the day of our photo shoot, so we can’t provide you with any action shots (yet).