The Ultimate Wakesurf Board Review Thread

[shawndoggy]

Hey IXFE can you pull the thruster fin and ride it as a twin? Made a huge difference in my triple x.

for sure! thruster is way to locked in feeling.

[IXFE]

Hey IXFE can you pull the thruster fin and ride it as a twin? Made a huge difference in my triple x. It was way better in every way.

for sure! thruster is way to locked in feeling.

Good tip fellas. I just went out and pulled it. Probably going to be out again tomorrow evening... I'll return and report.

[IXFE]

This is actually a good segue to my current surf board dilemma.

So I have the Parks Thruster as we've established, and it's been a really good board for us. Before last season we didn't surf much, and when we did it was on a Hyperlite Broadcast (a throw in board from our first boat purchase years ago).

We bought the Parks last season on kind of a whim. It's virtually impossible to demo a bunch of boards back to back. But I jump at any chance I get to try something different. On Friday got the try the Inland Surfer Sweet Spot Pro, and it gave me the same rush I felt last year when I went from the Broadcast to the Thruster... I like it that much!

The Sweet Spot Pro felt just as fast as the Thruster, but lighter and more maneuverable (only two fins). I think the part I liked best is how narrow the nose is. That plus a lot of rocker made it much easier to avoid pearling. When the nose did go under, it's so pointy that it was able to cut through the water and come back up w/out ruining my ride.

So that's my review. Now my question. I haven't heard much about the Sweet Spot Pro which makes me question buying one. You've all see my surf at this point. Given what you've seen and what I just described, are there other boards you'd suggest I look at (not that I'll be able to find a local demo)? Or should I just drop the $750 required to get the Sweet Spot Pro??

Thanks for your input!

[shawndoggy]

I (personally) would only spend that kind of scratch on something custom made for me, not something pressed in China (which is not a knock to the board, just a nod to its one size fits all mass produced origins).

^^^ I've never ridden a SSP, only blue lake, yellow loogie and mucus.

[IXFE]

I (personally) would only spend that kind of scratch on something custom made for me, not something pressed in China (which is not a knock to the board, just a nod to its one size fits all mass produced origins).

^^^ I've never ridden a SSP, only blue lake, yellow loogie and mucus.

I know, right? That price really gives me pause. But ordering something custom implies I know what to ask for, which I don't.

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[Lance B. Johnson]

I think you'd be surprised how much difference that fin makes!

[demo9asx]

Not sure if you pulled the trigger yet on that Sweet Spot Pro but I had that board and it was just OK. Only took me 1 ride on my buddy's soulcraft to conclude that the IS was crap (it was ok but the soulcraft is just that much better).

I ended up with a TWP Bomb Pop for this year and has been enjoying every minute of it.

[IXFE]

Not sure if you pulled the trigger yet on that Sweet Spot Pro but I had that board and it was just OK. Only took me 1 ride on my buddy's soulcraft to conclude that the IS was crap (it was ok but the soulcraft is just that much better).

I ended up with a TWP Bomb Pop for this year and has been enjoying every minute of it.

No, I haven't bought anything.

To be honest, I'm hesitant to jump on the Soulcraft bandwagon. I demo'd a Fangtail last season for about a month, and I didn't like it. Maybe I'd like it better a year later or maybe I'd like a different model.

Just sayin' it's not like I've never tried.

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[petrie141]

I'll throw a review out there:

Inland surfer Tako: great board to learn on. It's compression molded so somewhat ding-resistant and it's 5' so anyone can use it. All of the beginners on our boat have gotten up on their first day and most of them also went without the rope. It does leave much to be desired from the advanced rider however. 360s are doable but airs and shoves are difficult I believe due to its length. Overall, it's a good board to have for anyone in the boat. Can be ridden surf or skim style with 3 fin configuration options.

Shred Stixx The Ringer: this board is a twinzer with the option to have a center rear fin. It is fast down the line and easy to air on, but it's not as blazing fast as some others have suggested. You won't feel like Clark Griswold on his sled in the snow, this board is easy to control. The board shape and feel make me categorize is as an advanced board, beginners might find it a little difficult to get up on due to the large fins and natural buoyancy. Can only be ridden surf style.

[Alliecat]

Hi, I'm loving this thread. We just got our boat last year and this is our second season wakesurfing. I am 5'2" and 120lbs. The boards we have are not specifically for my weight, but I like riding them enough to want to get one my size to see what tricks I can improve on.

We have:

Liquid Force Case Sixer - which is fun, we have changed the fins a couple times. Depending on the conditions, I am able to get it to move. Durable.

Ronix Duke Longboard - bought by my husband who is over 250lbs. It can be a very fun, pretty quick ride. Definitely less responsive for me at 120lbs, but I can sit down on it, it's that stable.

So here's my question, I am starting to look into a smaller board built for a lighter, shorter rider. I have looked online only at the Soulcraft Emily. Any recommendations? I'd like to be able to carve and do some skate inspired tricks.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Alliecat

[wakemitch]

Hi, I'm loving this thread. We just got our boat last year and this is our second season wakesurfing. I am 5'2" and 120lbs. The boards we have are not specifically for my weight, but I like riding them enough to want to get one my size to see what tricks I can improve on.

Any recommendations? I'd like to be able to carve and do some skate inspired tricks.

For skate inspired tricks, a skimboard will suit your needs better. And for your size you will need a board 46-48"

[tncumminsguy]

this thread needs a bump

[MaliBRO]

Just purchased a 2013 Ronix Parks Thruster Illuminati. Review to come shortly after.

[wakemitch]

I got the chance to try a bunch of boards recently so I thought I would do a little update.

LF Doum 54" - This is a skim, but it has a VERY surfy feel to it. It pivots off the tail and is very responsive edge to edge. For a compression molded board I was very surprised. I was able to get some air out of it and it spun nicely. You definitely feel the weight, but it makes the board very stable.

LF TC Custom 52" -This boards had fun feel to it. the construction makes it a very floaty skim. The channels add speed down the line, but create a suction that I think holds back some potential air.

Phase 5 Drew Pro Carbon 51" - This is one of the most stable skims I have ever ridden. It is very fast and is super responsive. You can pump and carve as hard as you want and it will do it. Very poppy board.

Triple X Comp Pro 54" - This is also a pretty stable skim. I was able to do all my tricks, but I felt like I had to try harder. Even though I rode a size larger, it felt a little sluggish.

Victoria Factor 50" - Super fast and responsive. One of the fastest boards I have ever ridden.

Victoria Factor PCX 50" - Amazing. It is the same as the factor but instead of E-Glass, it is full carbon (deck and base). most carbon boards (such as phase 5) are just carbon on the deck. the carbon makes the board super lively and snappy. It reacts and pops so well. I think its going to be my new board for the season.

Victoria Agent 48" - Even though it's tiny, this thing is FAST. I had riders as big as 180lbs+ riding this thing ropeless with ease. It is a spinning machine. It is very floaty due to its wide shape and rotates so smooth. Not as responsive edge to edge due to its wide shape, but if you want to spin, this is it.

The moment that started it all! Ive continued to try other boards and nothing has gotten me off the 50" Factor PCX. The shape has been tweaked over the years and keeps getting better, so each year I've just been getting on the newest one.

I'll come back to this thread and post about the boards I try this year like I have done in the past.

[tncumminsguy]

Just bought a Hyperlite 5'4" broadcast for a Beginner/boat board. Not many people I have gotten up and taught to ride, can ride my Triple X nitro pro. And I'm not that good either, just can go ropeless and mess around. Really like how durable this one is compared to my RONIX skim and the XXX, gonna be a good boat board.

[DocPhil]

I have a review on that Soulcraft Jetty Fang that I got for my wife. I am surprised to say this but I absolutely hated the board. I sold it on ebay after a few times out. I had a few other people ride it and they hated it too

My brigade Zulu is light years beyond the soulcraft. Speed, stability, balance, release are all vastly superior on the brigade.

I know people love this board but that is my take on it. It felt off balance, slow with slow release, tippy and not maneuverable. I am a very solid surfer and have ridden everything from a tiny skim board to a 6 ft ocean surfboard behind my boats and this was the worst ride out of all of them. Makes me wonder if soulcraft boards are more hype that anything. I would like to try another one before I make that claim....

[surfdude]

I also have tried the soul craft jetty regular tail and did not like it. Seemed to loose an edge at odd times . Have had 6 or 7 different boards over the years, mostly inlandsurfer and shred stix. My favorite is the inland flyboy. Super quick, and durable. I recently bought a new one, and was disappointed , because when I got it home it weighed a full pound more than the one I bought 3 years ago! Looks the same, but rides a little stiffer. I would like to try some other brands, but it's hard to demo in montana.

[Afun]

I also have tried the soul craft jetty regular tail and did not like it. Seemed to loose an edge at odd times . Have had 6 or 7 different boards over the years, mostly inlandsurfer and shred stix. My favorite is the inland flyboy. Super quick, and durable. I recently bought a new one, and was disappointed , because when I got it home it weighed a full pound more than the one I bought 3 years ago! Looks the same, but rides a little stiffer. I would like to try some other brands, but it's hard to demo in montana.

Soulcraft lose an edge??? What? That is the all time easiest board to stay on the wake with....how does your wave look?

[Afun]

I have a review on that Soulcraft Jetty Fang that I got for my wife. I am surprised to say this but I absolutely hated the board. I sold it on ebay after a few times out. I had a few other people ride it and they hated it too

My brigade Zulu is light years beyond the soulcraft. Speed, stability, balance, release are all vastly superior on the brigade.

I know people love this board but that is my take on it. It felt off balance, slow with slow release, tippy and not maneuverable. I am a very solid surfer and have ridden everything from a tiny skim board to a 6 ft ocean surfboard behind my boats and this was the worst ride out of all of them. Makes me wonder if soulcraft boards are more hype that anything. I would like to try another one before I make that claim....

Oh man, another bad review on Soulcraft...Doc what happened out there...my Soulcraft lets me drop back all the way to the rear of the wave every single time without a problem. It positions me to gain speed faster than anything I have been on...

[DocPhil]

I also have tried the soul craft jetty regular tail and did not like it. Seemed to loose an edge at odd times . Have had 6 or 7 different boards over the years, mostly inlandsurfer and shred stix. My favorite is the inland flyboy. Super quick, and durable. I recently bought a new one, and was disappointed , because when I got it home it weighed a full pound more than the one I bought 3 years ago! Looks the same, but rides a little stiffer. I would like to try some other brands, but it's hard to demo in montana.

Oh man, another bad review on Soulcraft...Doc what happened out there...my Soulcraft lets me drop back all the way to the rear of the wave every single time without a problem. It positions me to gain speed faster than anything I have been on...

I completely agree with surfdude. That is exactly how it felt to me. Wobbly, lose and "odd" is a perfect way to put it. I really hated the board and I was absolutely shocked to feel that way.

Stop with your wave Afun. I first starting riding an old hyperlite on my 1998 sunsetter LX with a 250 sac in the corner. And surfdude has an LSV. I'm sure it is not the wave.

If you want to try an amazing custom board get yourself a brigade Zulu. The thing is insanely fast but still maintains balance and rideability

[Afun]

^^^^ I am sure your Zulu is awesome.....I am just shocked to hear the bad reviews on the Soulcraft

[IXFE]

I have a review on that Soulcraft Jetty Fang that I got for my wife. I am surprised to say this but I absolutely hated the board. I sold it on ebay after a few times out. I had a few other people ride it and they hated it too

My brigade Zulu is light years beyond the soulcraft. Speed, stability, balance, release are all vastly superior on the brigade.

I know people love this board but that is my take on it. It felt off balance, slow with slow release, tippy and not maneuverable. I am a very solid surfer and have ridden everything from a tiny skim board to a 6 ft ocean surfboard behind my boats and this was the worst ride out of all of them. Makes me wonder if soulcraft boards are more hype that anything. I would like to try another one before I make that claim....

Doc I had the same experience last summer when I demo'd a Soulcraft Fangtail. I had it in my boat for a month before returning it so it's not like I didn't give it a fair shake. The issue wasn't that I couldn't ride it... I could ride it all day long; I just didn't like how it felt. Your description matches my experience: "off balance, slow, tippy" are all good words to describe it. I wanted to like it after all the hype on this forum and still wonder if it's me that's the problem.

Oh well, maybe I'll get a chance to demo another one some day. Until then I'm loving the Inland Surfer Sweet Spot Pro.

[Afun]

I know Ruff has a fang tail and its very unique in which it needs to be pumped for speed. Kind of like a Shredd Stix board. My Jetty Swallow Tail allows me to pump or lay my front foot down and go. I will tell you before I got the SC, I hated pumping. The SC has opened my eyes to the concept of pumping to gain speed. Sorry you guys had a bad experience because I really hyped up my Jetty Swallow.

Soulcraft has just moved locations and are really expanding. I wonder if Jeff Whalers is doing all the shaping and glass. I have also heard recently about a bad experience during the the building process. I don't know what to say.

[DocPhil]

Doc I had the same experience last summer when I demo'd a Soulcraft Fangtail. I had it in my boat for a month before returning it so it's not like I didn't give it a fair shake. The issue wasn't that I couldn't ride it... I could ride it all day long; I just didn't like how it felt. Your description matches my experience: "off balance, slow, tippy" are all good words to describe it. I wanted to like it after all the hype on this forum and still wonder if it's me that's the problem.

Oh well, maybe I'll get a chance to demo another one some day. Until then I'm loving the Inland Surfer Sweet Spot Pro.

Well it actually reassures me to hear this from other people. I thought I was crazy with how much hype the soulcrafts have gotten

If you ever have the chance to demo a brigade Zulu, do it! The board is freaking awesome

[shawndoggy]

LOL my wife and son really don't like the SC emily that I got them. They prefer the phase 5 prop they've been riding for the past 3 seasons. Go figure. I'm pretty sure they are just crazy?

I will say that from attending the polar bear last year, there were boards that I hated that others loved, and vice versa. At the custom level, they are basically like glass slippers.

I've ridden a bunch of IS boards (though not the SSP) and I've pretty much hated them all because they feel dead.