Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer

Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer - Windsurfing Reviews

Boards: AHD @ Maui

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

AHD Style 245

We had trouble with this one. The AHD Style 245 has a lot of rocker, little vee and a lot of width (almost as wide as the 259). It’s super loose on a wave, but it’s not all that easy to sail. It spins out a lot (a lot) and bounces incredibly in chop. While we don’t doubt that a World Cup sailor like Matt Pritchard can make this one jump, spin, roll over, play dead or even purr on command, our testers didn’t get those results.

Power Rating 50
Length 7’11”
Width 21.4”
Volume 78 Liters
Weight 15.1 lbs.
Planing 3.5
Reaching 8.0
Upwind 3.5
Tight turns 10.0
Wide turns 6.0
Ding rating 14
Price $1,525
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail: Wave 4.0 to 50

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

AHD Wave 259

All things considered, the AHD 259 Wave is the best wave board in the test. It’s quick, fast and loose, like the other good wave boards, though not quite as loose as some. It draws smooth, clean lines whether carving a wave face or a flat–water jibe, but the thing that really sets it apart is that we couldn’t find one little thing to complain about. Other great wave boards had problems with nonskid or deck pads, the 259 was nearly flawless.

Power Rating 54
Length 8’4”
Width 21.6”
Volume 84 Liters
Weight 15.4 lbs.
Planing 6.0
Reaching 7.5
Upwind 5.0
Tight turns 9.5
Wide turns 8.0
Ding rating 14
Price $1,525
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail: Wave 5.0 to 6.0

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

AHD Free Carve

An outstanding all-around convertible, the Free Carve does it all. It has the quickness to plane, the speed, the lively ride, the turning ability, dual sets of inserts for wave and flat–water sailing, excellent components and finish - in short, it has everything the advanced or expert sailor wants. We see this as the board that matches the manufacturer’s extravagant claims for its sibling, the AHD Style 267 III.

Power Rating 57
Length 8’6”
Width 21.8”
Volume 90 Liters
Weight 15.8 lbs.
Planing 7.0
Reaching 9.0
Upwind 7.5
Tight turns 8.5
Wide turns 9.5
Ding rating 14
Price $1,450
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & Freeride 5.0 to 7.5

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

AHD 267 III

The new AHD 267 is quick to plane and blazing fast. It’s a well-built board with excellent components and finish. Though it has double sets of footstrap inserts, for both slalom and wave strap positions, we don’t agree with the AHD claim that the 267 is as great for sideshore waves as it is in onshore and bump conditions. The fact is that while it’s fantastic in the latter conditions, it’s a little too stiff in the turns for hard core sideshore wave sailing. Still, advanced to expert riders who want a versatile slalom-biased convertible can’t go wrong with this one.

Power Rating 58
Length 8’8”
Width 22.2”
Volume 96 Liters
Weight 15.6 lbs.
Planing 7.5
Reaching 8.5
Upwind 7.5
Tight turns 7.0
Wide turns 9.5
Ding rating 14
Price $1,525
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & Freeride 5.0 to 7.5

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