With a range of 5 wave boards people in the UK can find it hard to decide which would be best for them so here is my take on what board does what best.
Wave 5.0 – A refined wave board for powerful waves. This is the board for when most of your power and speed are coming from the wave rather than your sail. As an indication of what these boards are best at you just need to look at where they are developed. In the winter in Fuerteventura you can often have 15 to 20 kts of wind and mast high waves. These are the boards for places where you can choose cross shore conditions “big smooth race track faces”
Recommended for Cornwall, Tiree and the West coast of Ireland.
Haka – Again a full on wave board but this is for when both the waves and wind are “big”. The Haka is for when you have chop on the wave face, maybe overpowered out the back. It is the logo high and 30 kts cross shore board.
Recommended for Cornwall, Tiree and the West coast of Ireland and those occasional South coast epic days.
Shaman – Again let’s look at the spots where it was designed for – places like Pozo and El Medano. In other words sunny versions of England’s south coast. Not quite as tight turning as the above boards but a bit quicker to help you clear the inside mush and the Shaman will carry speed when riding frontside in cross on conditions ie when you aren’t getting much help from your sail.
Recommended for South coast, and most of the UK shoreline.
Reaper – The “new kid on the block”, so what’s it for? Whereas the above boards work best being driven with front foot pressure, with the shorter reaper you can sail it like that or use your back foot more, it allows a more aggressive riding style. With the footstraps slightly further back than on the other boards there are a lot of tuning possibilities allowing you to set the board up suitable as a fast wave board ideal as your largest board but also as an aggressive high wind board for tearing around the break. The harder you push the board the more you will get out of it.
Recommended for all coastal conditions.
Chakra – While the Chakra gets the Freewave tag in the Witchcraft line up, don’t think it is not capable in sizeable waves. It is quick and easy to sail, ideal for gusty conditions as the board keeps going through the lulls very well. The flatter the water the bigger the center fin you want to maximise drive and speed in bump and jump conditions.
Recommended for all coastal conditions plus flatter water. A good board if your local spot is flat but you like to have a few days away to some wave beaches.
With five ranges there is obviously a large overlap in what the boards can do and using the above guidance you won’t go far wrong. Unlike many other brands Witchcraft offer the boards in more sizes which helps you choose the right size. If you find yourself unsure between two sizes always choose the larger one.
