F-ONE Kiteboarding Signature Series 5’10” 2015
Reviews / Surfboards
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At A Glance
2015 sees a major change for the F-One surfboard range, the company that pioneered bamboo construction all those years ago has now dispensed with it… In its place is a new technique that the team are calling HD Foam Flex Composite. The HD stands for high density, the aim was to build a stronger lighter board with the kind of flex you find in a typical PVC constructed board. The Camel Deck remains, this emulates the shape of the foot so you have more control as more of your foot is in contact with the board. The quad set up on the rear also makes a return to the signature series but a new rounded pintail has been added to replace the squash tail of last year.
On The Water
There are just two board in the line up this year, a 6’0” and this 5’10” as a rough guide we would suggest anyone over 80kg and 6ft should look to the larger of the two boards for all round riding. However the 5’10” is great for anyone when the wind is really howling and the conditions are stormy. The new construction seems to be very durable, we’ve been taking this board back and forth to the beach a fair bit and it is still looking tidy. We’ve also ridden it in a variety of waves, from well over head high Porthleven to onshore knee high slappers. It is definitely suited to bigger conditions and likes to be ridden powered up unless you are sub 80kg.
It’s a sublime board to carve on big waves though; the rounded rails and slightly wider front section make it very forgiving. The quad fin set up offers plenty of grip and confidence at high speed too. Everytime you engage the rail there is grip and power there for you, no nasty surprises or rail trips, just smooth arcing turns.
When it is windy and choppy the thinner profile of this board makes it great for carving through the chop too and it offers a very comfortable ride. Our one point to note would be to go for the much wider 6’0” if you have big feet! The 5’10” is just 46cm wide and tucks in quite a bit towards the pintail. With my big feet I found it difficult to get over the fins without dragging my toes!
This is Raphael Salles’ board essentially, so when you think about how he rides and his body size and shape you get a good idea at where it is headed. Smaller riders will love this board, larger riders should definitely look towards the 6’0”. It is well suited to high wind, storm conditions and bigger waves, it will hold plenty of speed and still be comfortable enabling you to ride strapless where you may have previously gone for some foot straps. The improved flex making the ride much smoother and more comfortable, you get a lot less bouncing down the face of the wave.
Overall
We love the new construction, where the bamboo is lacking the finish is sublime and the flex makes such a difference to the way the board rides and the comfort it offers. Confidence inspiring grip and a smooth ride in rough conditions make this the perfect big wave slayer for smaller riders or the go to storm weapon for larger riders.
This review was in Issue 48 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit F-ONE KiteboardingRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
