Anyone got the new 14 falcon yet or paddled it in down wind conditions?
I'm interested to know what people think of it compared to say the previous models if you had one of them.. Being tiny bit narrower is it just as stable or even more stable as the older models due to the new shape?
By looking at it On design shape I reckon it's got to be their best falcon yet for down winding. And easier to handle in head wind side wind with the massively reduced volume nose.
I had the 24.75 out yesterday in a 20knt southerly. I had only paddled this board twice before, once in the flat and once chasing boat wakes.
So it was a little wobbly to start off with but after a couple of kms didnt feel shaky at all, i guess just a matter of finding the sweet spot which i still have some experimenting to find. Even given being wobbly a bit I still managed to step off dry after 11km.
Compared to previous Falcons this is a board you can really get back and surf whereas I have found previous boards more of a hop back and forth to pull the nose up or get back on a flat plane.
The new nose works wonders! Doesn't slow at all when it goes under it just keeps searching side to side for where to pop up. I found it a lot easier to power over and into runners than the Ace which I have ridden for the last couple of years. The nose also slides along into runs side to side really nicely.
One of the other crew (who has just purchased a 17'4) said afterwards he will be looking at the 26.75 after seeing a couple of us fly along and pull away on the 24 versions. I think the 26 will be a very competitive board for crew in the 80kg+ range.
Wow red thumbs on my post haha. Hope u don't think I'm fishing for the brand. I ride a 3 year old coast runner as my one and only board that I love and down wind weekly but think I'll have to upgrade eventually.
That is the perfect review thanks buddy basically explained exactly how I thought the new falcon would work and respond.
One further question.. The fin box placement, it seems very far forward in my opinion. What do you think compared to other boards.
I had a quick paddle in the flat .I found the nose shape looked good but has lost stability by a fair margin - a lot less rail around the front. Im used to 24 inch boards and well turning it around in the choppy broadwater was a decidedly hard task-hard then their fw race board
I cant imagine too many be comfortable on the 24.75. The 26.75 being the pick i would think. The local shops are getting in the 26.75 mostly as I understand
the elite will manage as they do
Most who have tried them have concurred they are 'edgy'.
Ive noticed on fb a few of the team crew have copped a few digs by other paddlers over the new boards.
They were tested locally. Makes me think the testers were to shy to speak up
.
Ps. In the right conditions a 17.4 bullet will blow away any other board. Key is the right conditions
Pps. I also owned a 8.2 kg proto type 12.6 to these 2016 boards
range
Good info Lacey cheers. I reckon the wider one would be the pick.
17"4 on the market... Interesting
I don't think a simple enqiry deserves red thumbs Andy.
Most people are interested in new boards and the associated feedback.
Good on you for asking about 2016 designs, from where I sit that is not a crime! 
Select to expand quotelaceys lane said...
I had a quick paddle in the flat .I found the nose shape looked good but has lost stability by a fair margin - a lot less rail around the front. Im used to 24 inch boards and well turning it around in the choppy broadwater was a decidedly hard task-hard then their fw race board
I cant imagine too many be comfortable on the 24.75. The 26.75 being the pick i would think. The local shops are getting in the 26.75 mostly as I understand
the elite will manage as they do
Most who have tried them have concurred they are 'edgy'.
Ive noticed on fb a few of the team crew have copped a few digs by other paddlers over the new boards.
They were tested locally. Makes me think the testers were to shy to speak up.
Ps. In the right conditions a 17.4 bullet will blow away any other board. Key is the right
No,not to shy to speak up. Most of the guys that did the testing aren't particularly active on Sea Breeze, if at all. I only look at it every couple of weeks at the moment so that's your answer for us all being quiet. Yes the boys on FB have had a little fun but many of those digs are coming from other brand team riders trying to give the old guy a hard time. I've got 25 years on Mr Casey.
As you know I am bias toward this board having been involved in the testing but I've used my new boards all a fair bit now so have got a little more time on the water. The new 24.75 is a little twitchier than the previous model but this has seen some downwind benefits, to the extent that a couple of better paddlers have bought this board to race on this year. The difference is that it changes direction a little easier and roles into the next swell when going downwind. This feels different at first but once you've found the sweet spot it gets easier. It certainly is not a stable board, but fast race boards generally aren't.
Having said that, I agree with you that the new 26.75 will be the board of choice for most with the 2016 Falcon. Last year's mid width board 27.25 was great downwind but a little sluggish on the flat. This year the brief was to keep the downwind advantages of last year's board but make the board faster into the wind and on the flat. First the nose rocker was lowered slightly and then the nose was thinned out and the apex of the rail brought higher up the rail to the mid point. This has essentially removed any flat spots where water bounced off the rail. Now the board glides through the chop much better. Everyone who paddles the board comments on its upwind improvement. This design change brought the nose shape more in line with a clubbie paddle board which has the performance characteristics the guys were looking for.
Unfortunately it's not possible to make one board to suit all paddlers and I think this year we've managed to get the boards closer to what we want. The 24.75 won't suit everyone. I'm using it for downwind runs with lots of chop in enclosed waters like Sydney Harbour or Port Phillip Bay, however as soon as the swell and chop gets larger I find the 26.75 is much more stable and just as fast. It will be my choice of weapon at Currumbin and for King of the Cut in WA later in the year.
The fin position is a fair way forward to aid surfing and to work in conjunction with the thin tail. When you're riding the board the fin position works well. The fin is positioned under the wider part of the tail and is essentially under where your feet are when downwinding. If the fin was placed further back the board would be difficult to foot steer when downwinding.
I've said it numerous times before but the best way to see what board works for you is to demo. Listen to team riders, listen to brand loyalists but only you can determine what suits your riding style and ability. Try as many brands as you can. Naish and Fanatic have been traveling for months doing demo days so get down to the beach and paddle everything you can.
PS......,I'm working on the 17'4" believe me.
Paddled the Falcon 14' x 24.75 in 15 with 20 knot gusts down wind that had been blowing all day with a reasonable swell hitting more
side on, so you would say testing conditions. As mentioned above I wobbled the moment I first stood up, got going then ok, then caught a
edge on my first bump & tipped off. Once I got going again I became very stable and was able to concentrate on shuffling about to find the
sweet spot for paddling into some bumps. The board doesn't seem to be overly quick or have that instant squirt you need to fly over or push
into the next but will if you put in a tradesman like effort, keeping you honest. It seemed to Surf really well and feels really sturdy once you
get back on the tail and I'd reckon the stronger the wind the better she will go. Hopefully in good wind they'll surf right past & smoke all those
canoe paddling, non foot moving cheats.....
Ride on,
PP
Select to expand quoteNNSUP said..
laceys lane said...
I had a quick paddle in the flat .I found the nose shape looked good but has lost stability by a fair margin - a lot less rail around the front. Im used to 24 inch boards and well turning it around in the choppy broadwater was a decidedly hard task-hard then their fw race board
I cant imagine too many be comfortable on the 24.75. The 26.75 being the pick i would think. The local shops are getting in the 26.75 mostly as I understand
the elite will manage as they do
Most who have tried them have concurred they are 'edgy'.
Ive noticed on fb a few of the team crew have copped a few digs by other paddlers over the new boards.
They were tested locally. Makes me think the testers were to shy to speak up .
Ps. In the right conditions a 17.4 bullet will blow away any other board. Key is the right
No,not to shy to speak up. Most of the guys that did the testing aren't particularly active on Sea Breeze, if at all. I only look at it every couple of weeks at the moment so that's your answer for us all being quiet. Yes the boys on FB have had a little fun but many of those digs are coming from other brand team riders trying to give the old guy a hard time. I've got 25 years on Mr Casey.
As you know I am bias toward this board having been involved in the testing but I've used my new boards all a fair bit now so have got a little more time on the water. The new 24.75 is a little twitchier than the previous model but this has seen some downwind benefits, to the extent that a couple of better paddlers have bought this board to race on this year. The difference is that it changes direction a little easier and roles into the next swell when going downwind. This feels different at first but once you've found the sweet spot it gets easier. It certainly is not a stable board, but fast race boards generally aren't.
Having said that, I agree with you that the new 26.75 will be the board of choice for most with the 2016 Falcon. Last year's mid width board 27.25 was great downwind but a little sluggish on the flat. This year the brief was to keep the downwind advantages of last year's board but make the board faster into the wind and on the flat. First the nose rocker was lowered slightly and then the nose was thinned out and the apex of the rail brought higher up the rail to the mid point. This has essentially removed any flat spots where water bounced off the rail. Now the board glides through the chop much better. Everyone who paddles the board comments on its upwind improvement. This design change brought the nose shape more in line with a clubbie paddle board which has the performance characteristics the guys were looking for.
Unfortunately it's not possible to make one board to suit all paddlers and I think this year we've managed to get the boards closer to what we want. The 24.75 won't suit everyone. I'm using it for downwind runs with lots of chop in enclosed waters like Sydney Harbour or Port Phillip Bay, however as soon as the swell and chop gets larger I find the 26.75 is much more stable and just as fast. It will be my choice of weapon at Currumbin and for King of the Cut in WA later in the year.
The fin position is a fair way forward to aid surfing and to work in conjunction with the thin tail. When you're riding the board the fin position works well. The fin is positioned under the wider part of the tail and is essentially under where your feet are when downwinding. If the fin was placed further back the board would be difficult to foot steer when downwinding.
I've said it numerous times before but the best way to see what board works for you is to demo. Listen to team riders, listen to brand loyalists but only you can determine what suits your riding style and ability. Try as many brands as you can. Naish and Fanatic have been traveling for months doing demo days so get down to the beach and paddle everything you can.
PS......,I'm working on the 17'4" believe me.
actually wouldn't mind the 26.75 for a paddle. wouldnt mind the 24.75 for dw either. I liked the 0ld 24.75. picked up the 27,75 for really rough but kinda found it had a max speed.
probably where a 26.75 comes in.
so your suggesting buyers should really think about where they intend to paddle with this years falcon.
No not really where they will paddle Lacey, but to try both sizes to see what suits them. I think the 26.75 will be the popular size as its a great all rounder. It will come down to ability, weight etc more than where someone will paddle. That's just the way I look at it because I try and get 2 boards each year just to cover all conditions. With the big cliffs in Sydney and consequent backwash we need to consider stability a bit more than the guys in Qld for instance. I always go red because that way my wife doesn't know I'm getting new boards.
Select to expand quoteAndyR said...
Anyone got the new 14 falcon yet or paddled it in down wind conditions?
I'm interested to know what people think of it compared to say the previous models if you had one of them.. Being tiny bit narrower is it just as stable or even more stable as the older models due to the new shape?
Just a bit more feedback on the Falcon 24.75. I spent quite a few hours on it yesterday riding in different conditions. I began the day with a 5.0km time trial where surprisingly the Falcon was extremely competitive even beating a few good paddlers on a Strike and Sprint.
Later in the afternoon I did 2 downwind runs. The wind was 15-18 knots with knee high runners and lots of mixed water due to wake from boat craft. This board really does go downwind well. The new nose pops out of the water easily when buried and does not skew sideways at all. I found it reasonably stable, in fact the faster it went in the chop the more stable it seemed. I was able to Foot steer it and change direction easily to chase lumps.
I think for someone after one board this could be a great choice. Just consider weight, ability and where you want to ride it. ...... And remember to demo.
I had the 24.75 out again this afternoon chasing some boat wakes, as it was a public holiday here in WA there were PLENTY of boats around. At some points there were so many boats around it was coming at me from all angles and while the board did rock and roll it still felt pretty stable for a sub 25 board. Paddling into the wakes I found it a lot easier to do so than on the Ace as it did t have the extended side walls to catch extra water and be knocked side to side. Contrary to John and his foot steering I found this board really comfortable to surf off the tail. I did have a VMG Mako 37 in it today compared to the standard Fanatic fin when DWing it the other day.
i had to msg a customer to see if I could get him to drop it back in today as he has had it for the weekend, to which his response was "no. I'm having way too much fun."
i think the 26 will work for a lot of guys while the 24 will keep anyone honest.
My regular training partner is a real lightweight (<50kg), she was on the 24 Fanatic last year as well but seems to be a fair bit faster this year on the new one.
I will add that I talked her into using the little 74 Wiki paddle as well so that could be part of it but whatever she has definitely improved her pace this year, upwind, crosswind, downwind, whatever, despite very limited training compared to last year.
Think it's fair to say I will not be giving her anymore advise as I think it could become embarassing.
I think the new boards may be a bit more of a handful in rough downwind conditions for the heavier guys but for the lighter weight crew it looks like it is a great performer in all conditions.
Also every time I pick the thing up I am jealous of how high it is.
For me at 90kg I would definitely have to go the 26 and would love to give one a try but I have a new custom on the way so I am sure that will keep me happy.
Select to expand quotesurf4fun said..
I had the 24.75 out again this afternoon chasing some boat wakes, as it was a public holiday here in WA there were PLENTY of boats around. At some points there were so many boats around it was coming at me from all angles and while the board did rock and roll it still felt pretty stable for a sub 25 board. Paddling into the wakes I found it a lot easier to do so than on the Ace as it did t have the extended side walls to catch extra water and be knocked side to side. Contrary to John and his foot steering I found this board really comfortable to surf off the tail. I did have a VMG Mako 37 in it today compared to the standard Fanatic fin when DWing it the other day.
i had to msg a customer to see if I could get him to drop it back in today as he has had it for the weekend, to which his response was "no. I'm having way too much fun."
i think the 26 will work for a lot of guys while the 24 will keep anyone honest.
Have to agree with you Cam (Surf For Fun) , rather than "foot steering" I should have said "surf off the tail". It certainly does that. Interestingly I was using the VMG Mako 37 as well. The board is even more stable if the VMG Mako 44 is used.
Between the 2 thinner widths I think most keen paddlers will find this board suits them.
In one of your earlier comments Cam , you mentioned how this board powers through and over the bump in front. This seems to be a big improvement on the previous model. Raising the apex of the rail has made a real difference.
How have you found the board on your off shore down winders Cam?
Only had it out once for a DW John so not the full bottle on it yet, but Pete one of our customers has had it out for a few runs and can't wait for his to come in.
