STARBOARD PADDLE BOARD REVIEW | HYPER FOIL 7’2 BLUE CARBON
STARBOARD PADDLE
BOARD REVIEW
| HYPER FOIL 7’2
BLUE CARBON REVIEW.
STARBOARD PADDLE BOARD REVIEW | HYPER FOIL 7’2 BLUE CARBON
VERDICT
This board is brisling with features through out. It was easy into the wave and surprisingly stable for its size and offered a chunky feel and could well be the first foiling board you buy. The blue carbon construction shaved off weight but also felt very tough and solid underfoot. This floaty, easy to use board from Starboard has no sharp edges and flies comfortably at speed; it’s a leap forward into the world of future of foiling shapes.
OVERVIEW
On top the Hyper Foil has a slightly recessed deck with a raised centre arch. The parallel soft rails are well-rockered and the board has a wide nose and tail. The recycled deckpad has a large kick pad and smooth deep ledge handle. Underneath you have two deep channels running through most of the board, a bevelled rail and both a deep tuttle box as well as the now standard double US box to house your foil. You’ll find in depth construction details on the Starboard website.
BRAND CLAIM
A SUP dedicated to foil. The combination of a short compact outline, distinct channel bottom and thick profile makes it a platform for entry-level learning to foil up to the world’s most progressive riders. Numerous test trips to Bali, Phuket, and continued testing in Hawaii have formed a range that excels in all types of conditions including flatwater pump foiling, wave riding and downwind foiling.
PERFORMANCE
Starboard’s new Hyper Foil board was solid underfoot and slid in to waves easily. The soft, rounded feel of the board with its sunken deck gave you the secure feeling that you were in the board rather than perched on it. The centre line arch is a must for any newbie foiler but we quite like the secure feel of straps so it was a shame there was no option for these. The deckpad was grippy and moving on the board once up on the foil was easier than on some boards (with their domed decks) as you had a real feeling of where the centreline and edges of the board were. When pumping the Starboard combo we found the foil worked better with a long slow pump to keep speed up rather than a snappy pump. The foil the board was supplied with, the Starboard Wave DT with 1700 front wing, is a solid feeling product comprising carbon front and tail wings, alu fuselage and mast with a deep tuttle head. This was all secured with stainless torq bolts. The rear wing was tuneable front and back to alter the lift angle too. The front wing is wide and fairly flat and super smooth at speed giving a very stable flight across it wide flat wing. We did feel the foil was a little sticky to get up on compared to other foils but was more solid at speed than others. The board and foil combo is top money (but can be bought in the Starlite cheaper construction) and the finish and feel of the board is fantastic although a touch heavy. As far as a top quality foiling package goes the Starboard has great features and will take you to foil-flying with relative ease.