Freestyle Wave boards - JP vs RRD?

bobgatpdx1 · Joined: 13 Oct 2002 Posts: 385

I'm interested in a freestyle wave board in the 86 to 93 liter size range. I weigh 160lbs and sail in the Gorge. Want to use this board with 4.7m and 5.2m sails primarily. Anybody have experience with both the JP & RRD boards? Any significant differences you can notice?
thanks,
bobg

Daveryan · Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 60

The freestyle wave board will work well for the range you specified. I lived in the Gorge for years and now only sail the coast and am familiar with the conditions that the boards you mentioned are designed for but be sure you are not missing some gorge dedicated boards such as the Real Wind and Open Ocean boards. at least demo these dedicated boards. They really work well for river swell and winds that resemble dead onshore.

Good luck with your search.

D

hilton08 · Joined: 02 Apr 2000 Posts: 506

I have a Goya 85 FSW that I love for holey 4.7 and all 5.2 sailing. I would say the 90liter size is better suited to 5.5/5.8 sails. My board is 2006 with no bevel in the tail, and I would call it more of an onshore wave than a freestyle wave. The 2007 Goya FSW looks more freestyle oriented. You should also check out the Quatro FSW. I've heard nothing but good reports on them. RRD and JP also make great boards. I would suggest demoing them for yourself before next weekend when all the demos go up for sale in the Gorge.

thomas_tlusty · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 16

At 160 skip the 95ish boards, they'll be too big. I'm in the Gorge and at 185lbs I use the RRD FSW 77 with a 4.8 all the time, and put a 5.6 on a RRD 86 quite often.

My experience is that the JP FWS' plane up a bit quicker but get overpowered earlier, they'll feel a bit flappy when the RRD is still happy. The JP's are probably faster in flat water but in Gorge chopswell the RRD is much easier to handle at speed. For me the RRD's jibe better than the JP's, they've got a bit more initial bite that lets you really scream into the jibe. Neither are what you'd call slashy but the RRD feels marginally looser than the JP to me.

I'd say demo both to see what you like but for me it's RRD hands down.

rswabsin · Joined: 14 May 2000 Posts: 444 Location: New Jersey

I've rented JP's FSW (78, 85, 93) for the past several years while on vacation in Maui. Overall great board for sailing in large swells and onshore wind & waves; quick to plane, fast and very manauverable if sailed aggressively. Their light weight and stiff construction makes them sail well through wind holes and gusty conditions with great upwind sailing ability. However, their lightweight also makes them feel a bit bouncy when the wind gets up to steady 4.5 conditions and below (I weigh about 160 lbs as well). I would have never really noticed this until I tried other heavier wave boards like Starboards Pure Acid 74 & 80 (didn't try the RRD's) which seemed to hug the water surface better and enable more controlled and smoother carving turns on the swells. Definetly try to demo a few different boards and don't ignore the heavier wave boards because at your weight, you might like the way they handle much better than the more lightly constructed FSW's out there. I loved the JP's when the winds were somewhat fluky and varying from the upper teens to low twenties (and this may be perfect for what you're looking for). That extra floaty feeling enabled you to plane through somewhat underpowered jibes especially on large swells. But, when the wind gusts became more consistent in the low to mid twenties, the heavier wave boards offered much better control and their width still offered enough float and stability to carry me through the lulls. The Starboards were also very fast and sailed very well in onshore B&J conditions.

Happy shopping,
Rob

PeconicPuffin · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 1830

I own the JP FSW 93, and weigh 165 lbs. For those sail sizes I would consider one size down (the 84 liter FSW) if you sail powered. I sail a 4.7 on my FSW93 only when the wind is fluky...I think the sweet spot starts at 5.0 for this board, and I weigh a few pounds more than you do.

hilton08 · Joined: 02 Apr 2000 Posts: 506

Rob,

It's not the weight that makes the FSW boards get bouncy, it's the extra width. The width is great for early planing in marginal conditions, but can be a handfull when it gets windy. The "heavier" sideshore waveboards will typically be longer and narrower for the same volume. They won't plane as fast, but will be easier to control as the wind increases.

kmf · Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 503

THIS SUMMER I DEMO'D THE (2007) JP 93, THE (2007) SYNCRO 90, AND THE (2006) RRD 94, LOOKING FOR THE SAME COMBINATION AS YOU, ( I WEIGH 185). I BOUGHT THE RRD, AS IT SEEMED TO PLANE UP QUICKER, WAS FASTER, AND WAS MORE LIVELY THAN THE OTHER TWO. I HAVE OWNED IT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW AND IT IS A GREAT BOARD, I HAVE USED IT IN CONDITIONS FROM 4.4 TO 5.8 METERS IN THE SURF AND PRIMARLY IN THE GORGE. I THINK THAT THE BOARD COULD HOLD A 6.3 FOR ME, BUT I HAVEN'T TRIED ONE ON IT YET.
I DON'T REGRET MY DECISION IN THE LEAST, ALTHOUGH FOR YOUR WEIGHT I THINK THAT THE 86 LITER SIZE WOULD BE WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK AT FOR THAT SAIL RANGE.

KMF

beallmd · Joined: 10 May 1998 Posts: 1154

I think that just about everyone now make great boards and sails, thus the reviews aren't all that worthwhile anymore. However, we go to maui every july and the Freestryle wave JP accounts for up to half the boards you see there. It is unbelievably common. In my opinion, at least on maui, this board is becoming one of the classic great boards in our sport. Like the old bic astro and electric rock, Mistral screamer etc. That does not mean that anyone else does not also make a great board, I for one love AHD boards which are very popular in europe but hard to find here. So the trick is to find something which will work for your weight, ability and conditions. For instance, a classic mistake people make is to go to Maui or the Gorge and rent something made for there. then they buy it beacuase it is a GREAT board and take it home and find it works all of 2 or 3 times a year. Obviously be realistic when buying your home boards.

kmf · Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 503

NEVER BUY A BOARD THAT YOU HAVEN'T DEMO'ED. EVERY BOARD THAT I HAVE KEPT I HAVE LOVED THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE TRIED IT. THE BOARDS THAT I HAVE BOUGHT ON THE ADVICE OF OTHERS HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE A DISSAPPOINTMENT. EVERYONE HAS HIS OR HER OWN EXPECTATIONS ON BOARD PERFORMANCE. I LIKE THEM FAST, LIGHT, AND TURNY. NO SLOGGING ALLOWED. BEING A LITTLE SQUIRRELY IS EXPECTED, APPRECIATED EVEN. AT LEAST BY ME.

KMF