S2AS - News

Friday, 2 November 2012

Flexifoil Hadlow Kitesurf Board 2013 Review

2013 Flexifoil Hadlow Board Review (138x40)


Three Word Summary
All-round Performance Freestyle

First Impressions

The Hadlow board is now back in its second incarnation, with a glossy topsheet, new graphics and Hadlow branded straps and pads.
Flexifoil have also added a 134 version, which will be great news for all the smaller riders out there.
The shape of the board is very similar to its predecessor - 138 long by 40 wide, with flexible tips, wide stance, significant rocker and a central single concave.
The whole package is very lightweight, perhaps even lighter than the original, and still comes with the original low-profile fins for great tracking and easy direction switching.

On the water
The Hadlow freestyle maintains a similar feel to its predecessor - light, nimble and lively, cutting effortlessly through the water and over the rough stuff with ease. Despite the significant rocker it doesn't feel at all slow off the mark, and is soon flying along at speed with great stability.
The new straps and pads are comfortable and look great with the board, but takes some tweaking to get a solid connection.
The low profile fins give great straight line stability and allow the board to be slid around effortlessly when flattened, but can be a little loose for some when pushed hard. Flexi will optionally supply larger fins as required, if you prefer a much more locked in feel.
For freestyle the Hadlow remains top of the game, benefiting from a stiffer central flex, but retains the flex tips for forgiving cushioned landings and extreme pop off the flat or flying up off kickers.

Summary
The Hadlow remains a great all round board with plenty of performance to push hard into some freestyle moves. Its a board which anyone could get on with, especially with the introduction of the 134 this year.

For more info, check it out on Flexifoil's Site or browse on S2AS

Dimensions
Weight
Rocker
Centre Width
Tip Width
Rail Depth (centre)
Rail Depth (tips)
Concave Depth
Tip Flex
Overall Flex
Fin Size
Stance

Upwind
Pop
Bottom End
Manoeuvrability
Landings
Directionality
138x40cm
Very Light
Medium-High (45mm)
40cm
30cm
4mm
4mm
5mm
Medium
Stiff
35mm
62 and 65 cm (approx)

Very Good when powered
Excellent yet technical
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
Skatey yet stable in a straight line
For more information on the Flexifoil Hadlow 2013 Board or to purchase: 
Call: 01202 738 448 
Or visit the shop in Poole: 
Surface2Air Sports Poole, 
14-16 Station Road, 
 Ashley cross, 
Lower Parkstone, 
Poole, Dorset, BH14 8UB