Another board in its second year of production, and one which we tested and liked very much last year (2007) and are glad to have back again.

On the water:

Very good all-round freemove performance. Early planing and speed are middle of the pack but its strengths are its comfort and agility. Although relatively flat rockered it feels about the waviest of the boards with a very nippy and direct feel, responding quickly and precisely to rider input. It’s one of the widest on test yet it feels small and manoeuvrable. It carves beautifully and can be cranked hard in the gybe. It jumps well and was one of the more popular freemoves for freestyle and it offers good control in stronger winds and chop.

Fittings:

Light hull weight.The pads and straps are very comfortable over a gently domed deck shape that gives a very nice riding position. The G10 fin gives good performance and its size matches the board well. Sail sizes Will take up to 7.0m with relative ease but is best suited to 5.3-6.5m Popularity Its high popularity was reflected in the fact that it collected the highest number of decent photographs as it seemed to get used the most often for freestyle and jumps.

Overall:

Although quite reasonable with bigger sails in moderate winds the FreeWave is, as the name suggests, a board that appreciates slightly more adventurous use. It’s great fun to blast and gybe and feels exciting but controlled. It is very at home in coastal conditions and handles a blow well. We could recommend it to all levels of sailor, particularly advanced sailors looking for a bigger board that feels small and exciting and is fully wave and freestyle capable, or as a small board for intermediates looking for ease, comfort and control.