Last weekend I had the chance to demo the 2014 Exocet Cross "Carbon Pro" 84, and thought I would share some comments on it.
Specs:
- Volume 84L
- Length 235cm
- Width 57cm
- Weight 6.1kg
- Fin 28cm Power Box
Sail used was a Mauisails Mutant 5.1 (4 batten wave). Wind conditions 20-25 knot westerly, knee high chop.
The Cross is Exocet's "Freestyle Wave" board. I normally sail slalom and formula gear on flat water/small chop, so I can't comment on the boards performance in the waves, or whether it can do freestyle. But it is definitely a lot of fun in bump and jump conditions. I weigh around 90kg, so this board at 84L is pretty small for me.
I think it's a great looking board in black, but as with most modern boards you would need to be careful not to leave it lying around in the summer sun. The carbon construction means it is really light, and feels great in the air doing chop hops.
First thing I noticed on the water was how easy it was to get going. At the beginning of the session, the wind was up around 25 kts and the board popped onto the plane quickly. Even in the lulls didn't sink on me like I expected. I think the volume distribution contributes to this with some float in the nose area.
The ride was excellent, and board seemed very comfortable cruising up and down the chop. Even with the relatively small fin it pointed upwind well. I would use the word "trustworthy" to describe the ride - never felt like it was going to lift off, spin out, or crash.
Only area where I noticed the low volume was in the gybes, where I dropped most of them. But that's probably more related to my skill level! Carving the board around was a lot of fun however.
Surprisingly my GPS gave me a 2 second peak speed of just over 30 knots, while using a 4 batten wave sail. I guess compared to a slalom board where you always feel "on the edge", this board felt really controlled, which I think probably contributed to the great speed.
Overall, I would highly recommend this board for someone looking for a fun and fast ride in bump and jump conditions. Other sizes in the range are 94L, 104L and 114L which would be better suited for lighter winds or heavier riders than the 84.
Thanks to Remi from The Windsurfing Shed for the demo. Here are a couple of other pics that Remi posted of the board a few months ago.
Cheers,
James
