Windsurfing Equipment Tests - American Windsurfer

Boards: F2 @ Maui

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Wave 251

Light- to medium-weight testers sailing in plenty of wind enjoyed the Wave 251 and commented that it was fast and controllable in chop, loose and lively in the turns. Heavier testers and those who didn’t get out in quite enough wind found this board to be a little slow to plane off, even after allowing for its small size. Everyone noted that the nonskid had been worn smooth, but other components, particularly footstraps earned wide praise. The 251 is the only small wave board with a thermoformed skin, which means it’s a little better at handling abuse than just about any other wave board. This makes it particularly good for high-wind bump sailors, wave intermediates and riders who have to deal with rocky launch sites.

Power Rating 47
Length 8’1”
Width 20.4”
Volume 71 Liters
Weight 14.0 lbs.
Planing 3.0
Reaching 9.0
Upwind 4.0
Tight turns 9.5
Wide turns 7.0
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail: Wave 3.5 to 5.0

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Wave 264

The Wave 264 is a versatile board that works well in side-shore waves, but feels even more at home in typical bump and onshore wave conditions. It trims out flat and fast like its siblings in the Axxis line, but cuts a tighter turn. East coast rider, Al Chinappi, spoke for a number of other testers when he said, “I really like this board for light-wind wave or bump & jump conditions.” Last year the 264 was vulnerable to denting under the footstraps and buckling on the bottom from hard landings. This latest version with the sandwich construction showed no signs of such weakness. The fin on our test board spun out a bit, but other components were good to excellent.

Power Rating 54
Length 8’7”
Width 22.2”
Volume 93 Liters
Weight 16.8 lbs.
Planing 6.0
Reaching 7.5
Upwind 5.0
Tight turns 9.0
Wide turns 8.0
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail: Wave 5.0 to 6.5

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Axxis 261

The Axxis 261 is, like the Axxis 267, a slalom-biased convertible with good speed, excellent controllability, and moderately loose turning ability. Compared with its most serious competition, the Mistral Flow 260, the Axxis 261 is slightly wider and more rockered, but feels stiffer in the turns, and offers a tamer, less demanding ride. Excellent construction and components make the 261 a good option for intermediate to advanced riders.

Power Rating 55
Length 8’5”
Width 21.8”
Volume 85 Liters
Weight 16.3 lbs.
Planing 6.5
Reaching 9.5
Upwind 6.5
Tight turns 8.0
Wide turns 9.5
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & freeride 4.0 to 6.0

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Air

“Excellent! The best new shape for 1999”, is the way tester Steve Hutchinson put it. According to John Stella, the Air “seems to turn the water into a magic carpet ride -very smooth.” How can such expert sailors be so stoked about a board that’s not super fast and not small? Simple, the Air jumps like a scalded cat and turns like a scared rabbit. That’s why it’s so fun, but it’s a sensible board too. It has width, so it’s more comfortable sailing in the holes and quicker to plane off than narrow boards. It also has good components, and its sandwich-thermoformed construction makes it both strong and ding resistant. We won’t say the Air is the quickest board in marginal conditions, but it’s a lot of fun in 12– to 20-mph wind.

Power Rating 62
Length 8’5”
Width 23.8”
Volume 93 Liters
Weight 16.6 lbs.
Planing 7.0
Reaching 8.0
Upwind 7.5
Tight turns 8.5
Wide turns 8.5
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & Freeride 5.0 to 6.5

Note: one of the few not pictured

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Axxis 273

We didn’t get this board in time to test it on Maui, and when we took it to Aruba most testers found it wasn’t really in its element in the flat water off Fisherman’s Huts. However, just three miles to the north, in the swells and sideshore surf off West Point, the Axxis 273 proved itself a great rough-water board. It’s very fast and free of the water, never sticking in the chop, and its wide tail lofts it high over chop and swell of almost any size. Medium-weight sailors will like this board as a smaller alternative to the Ride 277 - possessing fully all the 277’s speed and turning ability - while heavyweights will love its ability to serve as a big wave board.

Power Rating 58
Length 8’10”
Width 22.0”
Volume 98 Liters
Weight 14.8 lbs.
Planing 7.0
Reaching 9.0
Upwind 7.5
Tight turns 8.5
Wide turns 9.5
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & Freeride 5.5 to 7.0

Note: one of the few not pictured

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Axxis 267

The Axxis 267 has nearly as much volume as the Ride 277 - just 3 liters less —but it’s narrower and less powerful. This combined with the fact that it’s slightly stiffer in the turns makes it a little more biased toward slalom sailing than the 277 and a little more controllable in rough water and powered conditions. Most testers judged it fast and easy to turn, while the most expert thought it too tame. We reckon good performance, excellent ding resistance and good components make the Axxis 267 a strong choice for intermediate to advanced riders.

Power Rating 57
Length 8’7”
Width 21.7”
Volume 95 Liters
Weight 17.3 lbs.
Planing 7.0
Reaching 9.0
Upwind 7.0
Tight turns 7.0
Wide turns 9.5
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & freeride 4.5 to 7.0

Control Bump Speed Style King Surf

F2 Ride 277

The Ride 277 was last year’s definitive big convertible. It has such a great combination of quickness, speed and maneuverability that it’s as much at home in flat water slalom conditions as it is in side-shore waves. How to improve on that potent combination? This year F2 has beefed up the 277 with sandwich construction under its thermoformed skin. Now it’s not only tough against dings but also more resistant to damage from hard landings. Non-skid is good when new and lasts well when sailed with bare feet. Components are excellent, though the fin is more flat-water-oriented than some riders might like.

Power Rating 59
Length 9’0”
Width 22.6”
Volume 98 Liters
Weight 16.8 lbs.
Planing 7.0
Reaching 9.0
Upwind 7.5
Tight turns 8.0
Wide turns 10.0
Ding rating 48+
Price $1,399
Includes: Straps, Pads, Fin

Recommended sail:
Wave & Freeride 5.5 to 7.0

American Windsurfer Magazine
http://www.americanwindsurfer.com/

Editorial: (603) 293-2721 Subscriptions: (800) 292-2772
FAX: (603) 293-2723 E-mail: info@americanwindsurfer.com
Web Site comments: web@americanwindsurfer.com