Windsurf MagazineGOYA CUSTOM 3 PRO 86 TEST REVIEW 2023

GOYA CUSTOM 3 PRO 86 TEST REVIEW 2023

The Verdict

With insane amounts of speed, the Custom 3 Pro is sure to light up your aerial potential. As always Goya have produced an absolute gem for the waves. With the ability to mix up your riding style the board will have you set for any type of day.

: GOYA CUSTOM 3 PRO 86

The lowdown

Goya has released the Custom 3 with an electric yellow finish, giving the immediate impression that this board will light up your wave sailing. As one of Goya’s pro construction boards, the custom three is produced in high-density full double sandwich and finished in total carbon and S-glass, weighing in at 6.55 kg.

Goya state that the “Custom 3 Pro is a middle ground between the Custom 4 Pro and the One 3 Pro”, which becomes apparent as you look a little closer at the bottom shape and rails. With a full vee bottom shape and faster rocker line, the Custom 3’s low-end and speed characteristics are said to get you planing earlier and jumping higher. A more curved outline than the One 3 Pro, along with a full vee bottom, ensures this board’s design will maintain good rail-to-rail ability. It is also said to release a little earlier at the tail, making other moves more accessible in various conditions. In addition, the ability to move the fins closer together or further apart allows the rider to tune the board to best suit the conditions, whether you are looking for tighter, sharper turns or longer, more powerful carves.

The board comes in a thruster setup with 3 MFC TF RTM fins, with the central fin sliding into a US box and the side fins in the simple slot box setup, making tuning simple and easy. Provided with the latest generation MFC footstraps and Goya’s dual density cushioned deck pads and extended rear footpad, sailing both in and out, the back strap is certain to be comfortable. The board finishes with a kick pad and a swallow tail at the rear, making it indisputable that it is designed to be in the surf.

: GOYA CUSTOM 3 PRO 86

Brand Claim

“Thruster performance, exponentially enhanced. For the Custom 3 Pro we are pairing our most progressive wave shapes with a V bottom shape and a faster rocker line. Slightly less rocker, making them faster and more stable.”

Performance

First tested in some tricky conditions with gusty winds and inconsistent waves, it was clear to see where some of the strengths of the Custom 3 Pro lay. Most noticeable was the balance of the rider’s weight underfoot, feeling much more neutral between the straps. Combining this with a faster rocker line relative to the Custom 4 pro, the board produced a natural projection off the turns, allowing the rider time to position well on the wave. The Custom 3 offered two riding styles. Flow through the turns in the neutral stance in a laid-back style or drive the board onto its rail and unlock the board’s radical wave riding potential.

On the way out, the Custom Pro 3 was fast onto the plane and had immense acceleration in the gusts, allowing the rider to hunt down steep sections with precision. Once in the air, the board was steady and controllable, potentially down to the wide set footstraps, which provided the feeling of more time in the air. The extended rear foot pad, a nice touch on all of Goya’s wave boards, is a real asset when sailing the board back upwind in the line-up. It allows the rider to get the rig more upright and really assists in upwind progress.