So this new board really encroaches on the territory of both the Fanatic Ray and the down wind boards.
So far, I've not heard one criticism of the ocean Fanatic Falcon. Is it really entirely faultless in every way? Surely all boards have both strengths and weaknesses?
I will be demoing one soon. According to what I read here I'm expecting it to be faster than e.g. my Bark Dominator or SIC X14 in flat water, and also better at coping with rough DW conditions and crosswinds than e.g. my SIC Bullet or Coreban Dart. Is that what I will find, or is the hype just raising expectations too high?
Also, what is the construction of the 2014 boards like? The 2013 carbon boards seemed pretty fragile and the 2013 HRS ones seemed pretty heavy to me.
The fanatic just did pretty good in the doctor race with 3 in the top 6, 1st 3rd and 6th!!
and a 2nd in the girls.
Select to expand quotepaul.j said...
The fanatic just did pretty good in the doctor race with 3 in the top 6, 1st 3rd and 6th!!
and a 2nd in the girls.
Results in top races generally just reflect the local success of the brands in snagging the best - or greatest number of - athletes to sponsor. Put those same guys and girls on a competitors' board and they'd still be on the podium. Can anyone name any top athlete who has had substantial success with one brand, and then having moved to another, then immediately starts losing?
It's the oldest marketing fallacy in the book, that trades on people's vanity. You want me to believe that if I paddled the same boards as the winning athletes then I could win just like them. This is nonsense, of course. But people will still be influenced by it even if intellectually they know they the argument can't possibly hold water.
Now, I asked a question. Every design is a series of compromises. So no one board can be best at everything. All boards must have relative strengths and weaknesses. So what are the relative weaknesses of the Fanatic Falcon 2014 ocean? Thanks for any views you might have.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said..paul.j said...
The fanatic just did pretty good in the doctor race with 3 in the top 6, 1st 3rd and 6th!!
and a 2nd in the girls.
Results in top races generally just reflect the local success of the brands in snagging the best - or greatest number of - athletes to sponsor. Put those same guys and girls on a competitors' board and they'd still be on the podium. Can anyone name any top athlete who has had substantial success with one brand, and then having moved to another, then immediately starts losing?
It's the oldest marketing fallacy in the book, that trades on people's vanity. You want me to believe that if I paddled the same boards as the winning athletes then I could win just like them. This is nonsense, of course. But people will still be influenced by it even if intellectually they know they the argument can't possibly hold water.
Now, I asked a question. Every design is a series of compromises. So no one board can be best at everything. All boards must have relative strengths and weaknesses. So what are the relative weaknesses of the Fanatic Falcon 2014 ocean? Thanks for any views you might have.
Well equipment sure didn't help your cricket team 
Hey area10 after moving from Naish to fanatic about 6 months ago I've gone from winning only a few races her and there to currently unbeaten dowind over the past 6 months
Not to be a smart ass lads but what boards were ridden in 2nd,4th and 5th in the men's? Were the top boards all round nose boards?
2nd was a ace 4th was a ace and 5th was a dc nsp so yes all round nose boards. Fanatic was the only one with a nice flat deck except for karla on the naish in the girls.
Select to expand quoteJDJ said...
Hey area10 after moving from Naish to fanatic about 6 months ago I've gone from winning only a few races her and there to currently unbeaten dowind over the past 6 months
Well done. But that's not the situation I was asking about. I asked if anyone had moved to another brand and had their performances suffer. Of course there will be many occasions when an athlete's move to another brand is accompanied by an increase in performance. This is because athletes who are on the up are likely to be the ones being offered new sponsorship deals.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said...paul.j said...
The fanatic just did pretty good in the doctor race with 3 in the top 6, 1st 3rd and 6th!!
and a 2nd in the girls.
Results in top races generally just reflect the local success of the brands in snagging the best - or greatest number of - athletes to sponsor. Put those same guys and girls on a competitors' board and they'd still be on the podium. Can anyone name any top athlete who has had substantial success with one brand, and then having moved to another, then immediately starts losing?
It's the oldest marketing fallacy in the book, that trades on people's vanity. You want me to believe that if I paddled the same boards as the winning athletes then I could win just like them. This is nonsense, of course. But people will still be influenced by it even if intellectually they know they the argument can't possibly hold water.
Now, I asked a question. Every design is a series of compromises. So no one board can be best at everything. All boards must have relative strengths and weaknesses. So what are the relative weaknesses of the Fanatic Falcon 2014 ocean? Thanks for any views you might have.
Totally agree. That would be like me buying a Victoria's Secret bra and undies and expecting to look like Mirander Kerr in it.
Argh if only...
An elite paddler could ride an ironing board and still perform great.
Good riders wont ride **** boards and if they change company's they will never try to take a step backward, if they do change to a brand where the boards might not be as good then they usually will there to help develop a good board.
yes boards do make a difference and the doctor race is a great example of what boards are working. Main difference is some are more stable than others some are dug out.
If you want a alround board then this kind of the board is the answer.
you ask for a weak point on the fanatic well if I had to pick something then pure flat water would be it but its not like its slow and it can still hold its own but the new flatwater is faster in pure flat.
That is the beauty of being a consumer you can choose the best board that comes out that year irrespective of the manufacturer, this year the Falcon and the Ace are the top boards, get them while you can!
A lot of us seem to forget that there is no 1 board that is superior in all conditions. This is why having more than 1 board is key when it comes to racing. The 2014 ocean Falcon was designed for just that, the ocean, chop and bumps. It's really no surprise that flatwater top-end speed was compromised with this model. If you've ridden this board you'll agree it's harder to keep your top speed in glassy conditions but an absolute dream in the chop & on a downwind run.
The older Falcon with the soft cutting bow & heavy nose rocker was really a great all round board. It handled super well in chop and flatwater, downwind it was good too but a true ocean downwinder it was not. The heavier nose rocker did slow it some in the flat but throw in a little bump and wind, the 2013 Falcon reached full potential and IMHO seemed quicker than the pure flatwater boards. Good to see that the new flatwater boards have kept the soft bow cutting nose. Nothing worse than losing control and direction after a dig on a runner or even at the start of a race with all that turbulence.
Can't wait to race this board, let alone add to my inventory.
any one else wondering if this new wide tail is more stable without sacrificing performance ( as mentioned in the vid)why is the ocean 14 is a pin tail??The ocean board is were you want the stability is it not?its a bit of a contradiction to have the two extremes in the same year and back to front surly?seams like the ocean 14 is out of date all ready.
Select to expand quotecharlieuk said..
any one else wondering if this new wide tail is more stable without sacrificing performance ( as mentioned in the vid)why is the ocean 14 is a pin tail??The ocean board is were you want the stability is it not?its a bit of a contradiction to have the two extremes in the same year and back to front surly?seams like the ocean 14 is out of date all ready.
I think the difference may be something to do with surf-ability.. When downwinding you need some curve in the rails towards the rear to assist with turning.. If a DW board had too wide a tail the rails towards the rear would be too parallel making it very hard to surf a turn on a runner.. You have that curve in a wider board and you end up with a medium size square tail.. Do the same curve on a narrower board and the square tail becomes so small it's almost a pin tail.. I think that's what's happening on the narrow DW Fanatic boards.. Flat water boards don't need this because any turning is normally a sunken tail kick turn and because you are wanting the narrowest board possible for reduced drag and get max speed a big square tail is the logical choice.. IMO.
The flatwater is an evolution of the open water board so maybe the have find a more effective rocker that works still with a wider tail but if you do a downwinder and/ or catch a wave you can control the board with a smaller and thinner tail a lot better as a wide fat one.
I think its great they made again a dedicated flatwater board because imo the 2013 boards weren,t in dead flater as fast (at least not at my level) as my 2012 Flatwater 14x27,5 with the true piercing bow.
I think the "normal" 2014 Falcon 14x24,75 is a great sprinter when you lift the board further out of the water but didnt felt any noticeable faster on the long run.
IMO because when you slow down a bit to managable heartrates( for me 8.5-10km p/h depending on the day) that you can keep up for a couple of km the board sinks a bit deeper and the nose seem to start ploughing a bit more and the tail hopping up and down.
This can be a total lack of technique of my side but it doesnt look the most effective to me although at the same time that nose is excellent for drafting.
It fits perfectly in the wake of another boards tail, so putting the same kind of nose on the flatwater with a different rocker seems clever to me. My 2012 piercing nose just burrys and can,t cope with the quicker paddleside changes and never feels as comfortable with drafting as the newer shape.
That said, I have ordered a Sprint14x26 and a Allstar12.6x26,5 that I both haven,t paddled yet so no clue if they are really better as my old board ot just different and how to compare them with the new Falcon.
@DJ, a wider tail is more stable at the buoy turns but a pintail is harder to draft behind, can be a very tactical decision as well to put such tail on it.
No brand posts about it, but I would rather race a board that is hard to sit behind as an easy peasy to follow one and doing all the work for you fellow comptitor.
if i didn't have the opportunity and local resources to design my own board, i would be owning a 2014 falcon ocean board in two seconds flat. the closest ideal dw board i've ever seen imo in what dw board should be like
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said..charlieuk said..
any one else wondering if this new wide tail is more stable without sacrificing performance ( as mentioned in the vid)why is the ocean 14 is a pin tail??The ocean board is were you want the stability is it not?its a bit of a contradiction to have the two extremes in the same year and back to front surly?seams like the ocean 14 is out of date all ready.
I think the difference may be something to do with surf-ability.. When downwinding you need some curve in the rails towards the rear to assist with turning.. If a DW board had too wide a tail the rails towards the rear would be too parallel making it very hard to surf a turn on a runner.. You have that curve in a wider board and you end up with a medium size square tail.. Do the same curve on a narrower board and the square tail becomes so small it's almost a pin tail.. I think that's what's happening on the narrow DW Fanatic boards.. Flat water boards don't need this because any turning is normally a sunken tail kick turn and because you are wanting the narrowest board possible for reduced drag and get max speed a big square tail is the logical choice.. IMO.
personally im not sure thats would really be the case after spending a lot of time surfing very parallel railed boards, there is also the fact the wider tails pick up bumps better. I have to admit i think the pin tail looks nicer but they claim the wide tail is as fast yet more stable so would be interested to see.
Select to expand quotecharlieuk said..DavidJohn said..charlieuk said..
any one else wondering if this new wide tail is more stable without sacrificing performance ( as mentioned in the vid)why is the ocean 14 is a pin tail??The ocean board is were you want the stability is it not?its a bit of a contradiction to have the two extremes in the same year and back to front surly?seams like the ocean 14 is out of date all ready.
I think the difference may be something to do with surf-ability.. When downwinding you need some curve in the rails towards the rear to assist with turning.. If a DW board had too wide a tail the rails towards the rear would be too parallel making it very hard to surf a turn on a runner.. You have that curve in a wider board and you end up with a medium size square tail.. Do the same curve on a narrower board and the square tail becomes so small it's almost a pin tail.. I think that's what's happening on the narrow DW Fanatic boards.. Flat water boards don't need this because any turning is normally a sunken tail kick turn and because you are wanting the narrowest board possible for reduced drag and get max speed a big square tail is the logical choice.. IMO.
personally im not sure thats would really be the case after spending a lot of time surfing very parallel railed boards, there is also the fact the wider tails pick up bumps better. I have to admit i think the pin tail looks nicer but they claim the wide tail is as fast yet more stable so would be interested to see.
one way to get past perceived lack of turnability is have a reasonable amount of vee in the tail which the falcon has
Jacko
Over the last several months I had spotted the new flatwater board in some photos. I knew something was up as it had the new graphics with the older cutting bow style and yet nowhere to be seen on website or in general public. I'd like to know whether you guys were able to actually race the new board or was it on the down low during testing? If so, what kind of results were achieved?
Cheers
Select to expand quoteVasbyt45 said..
Jacko
Over the last several months I had spotted the new flatwater board in some photos. I knew something was up as it had the new graphics with the older cutting bow style and yet nowhere to be seen on website or in general public. I'd like to know whether you guys were able to actually race the new board or was it on the down low during testing? If so, what kind of results were achieved?
Cheers
We have not raced this board yet as all testing for final production board were done out side of any races, so sorry no results from it yet.
Over the weekend I've had a chance to spend a bit of time on the new 2014 Falcon Flatwater 26 inch. As an average paddler of 50+, 6'1" and 84kg here are my thoughts on how the board performs. I tried the board in flatwater with a little wind chop and boat wake as well as a time trial on Narrabeen Lake.
As I normally ride Fanatics my comments compare this board primarily to the other 2013 and 2014 Falcons.
The first thing you notice with this board is the incredible stability. In fact it is that stable I have opted for the thinner 24 inch when they arrive. The board is very stable and is not affected by large boat wake or side chop. It is very easy to move around this board and the wide tail makes it extremely stable to kick turn.
The new nose and flatter bottom is where this board really differentiates from the 2013 flatwater model and the 2014 ocean Falcon. Where the 2013 flatwater model tended to track when drafting or riding boat wake the new flatwater model no longer tracks. The flatter entry at the nose means there is no rolling of the nose and control is much better. I haven't ridden the board in small bumps yet ,however, I did notice that the 2014 flat water board maybe does not pick up little bumps or tail wake as easily as the ocean board. This is to be expected.
The new piercing nose cuts through the water beautifully with very little drag. Paddling upwind is very easy as the nose cuts cleanly through the chop without any resistance. With the lower nose profile as seen in the pictures the board paddles easily in crosswinds.
The board is fast and glides beautifully as you would expect. I haven't been training much but my time at the JPP time trial saw me keep up with the crew I am normally paddling with when training hard. In a race situation the new nose means that you no longer have the tracking problem at starts or when drafting.
Based on my experiences over the weekend , the new 2014 Flatwater Falcon is going to be another winner. ? For my weight and experience I think the thinner model is going to be my choice. ? The 26 inch is going to be perfect and very competitive for the heavier paddler.
Select to expand quoteNNSUP said...
Over the weekend I've had a chance to spend a bit of time on the new 2014 Falcon Flatwater 26 inch. As an average paddler of 50+, 6'1" and 84kg here are my thoughts on how the board performs. I tried the board in flatwater with a little wind chop and boat wake as well as a time trial on Narrabeen Lake.
As I normally ride Fanatics my comments compare this board primarily to the other 2013 and 2014 Falcons.
The first thing you notice with this board is the incredible stability. In fact it is that stable I have opted for the thinner 24 inch when they arrive. The board is very stable and is not affected by large boat wake or side chop. It is very easy to move around this board and the wide tail makes it extremely stable to kick turn.
The new nose and flatter bottom is where this board really differentiates from the 2013 flatwater model and the 2014 ocean Falcon. Where the 2013 flatwater model tended to track when drafting or riding boat wake the new flatwater model no longer tracks. The flatter entry at the nose means there is no rolling of the nose and control is much better. I haven't ridden the board in small bumps yet ,however, I did notice that the 2014 flat water board maybe does not pick up little bumps or tail wake as easily as the ocean board. This is to be expected.
The new piercing nose cuts through the water beautifully with very little drag. Paddling upwind is very easy as the nose cuts cleanly through the chop without any resistance. With the lower nose profile as seen in the pictures the board paddles easily in crosswinds.
The board is fast and glides beautifully as you would expect. I haven't been training much but my time at the JPP time trial saw me keep up with the crew I am normally paddling with when training hard. In a race situation the new nose means that you no longer have the tracking problem at starts or when drafting.
Based on my experiences over the weekend , the new 2014 Flatwater Falcon is going to be another winner. ? For my weight and experience I think the thinner model is going to be my choice. ? The 26 inch is going to be perfect and very competitive for the heavier paddler.
At 6'1 & 180 lbs it's good to know stability is sound & you'd opt for the 24 wide. The rocker up front looks fit for some chop and bump. What about the tail rocker? Any drag or was it out of the water with your body weight? Cheers
Nice report NNSUP, thank you. I hope you are correct in assuming that the 24" will exhibit good stability as well. I've only tried the open water 24.75" and the found the stability to be just ok. If the 24" is as stable or more stable then the 24.75", I will be ordering one up.
I ordered one in 26.5" wide, I started SUP 4 months ago. I hope I make a safe choice, at 85 Kg and 6" tall, what do you think NSSUP? thx
Select to expand quoteTama87 said..
I ordered one in 26.5" wide, I started SUP 4 months ago. I hope I make a safe choice, at 85 Kg and 6" tall, what do you think NSSUP? thx
You'd have no trouble on the 26.5. You're weight and size is similar to me. It is very stable.
