Windsurf MagazineJP AUSTRALIA ULTIMATE WAVE 87 TEST REVIEW 2024

The Verdict

Ultimate rail-to-rail riding that’s more versatile than its outline and shape first suggest. With surprising speed and early planing ability, it’s a fun, dependable weapon to have in your quiver not just for down-the-line conditions, but also for the less-than-ideal cross-on days that we tend to encounter.

The Lowdown

In its fifth generation, the JP Ultimate Wave has remained a staple in JP’s lineup. Supplied and available only in their Pro Edition, which uses high quality S-glass instead of carbon. Looking back through the archives, at first glance, its overall outline seems to be much the same apart from the wingers in the tail being dropped, it carries quite traditional shape, featuring a very pronounced nose kick to prevent the nose from submerging, and boasting a narrow, pinned-in tail with a slight, but purposeful swallow tail.

On the underside, a mix of bottom shapes is present, starting at the nose with a vee double concave, transitioning to a double concave at the shoulders through the midpoint. At the hips, there’s a pronounced single concave, which extends all the way through and past the fins, eventually tapering to a subtle vee at the tip of the tail. The Ultimate Wave comes without fins – we had it set up as a quad with the recommended fins that are available as extras, but with five slot boxes, it offers you the opportunity to set it up as a thruster to suit your preference or the prevailing conditions. Turning the board over reveals a very domed deck, which again is very traditional in shape. There is noticeable length behind the mast track in comparison to others in the lineup, a design feature that is sure to shift the rider’s focus elsewhere during use. The whole board is smartly finished in purple, which fades into several shades before finishing in black.

Brand Claim

“Our new Ultimate Waves now have improved planing performance that puts them on par with the renowned Magic Wave. With faster carving, improved speed, and better grip and rail bite, these full-on down-the-line boards are the ultimate choice for any wave spot in any conditions.”

Performance

Upon stepping onto the board initially, it felt long and elongated, as expected for a board with such a traditional, surfy shape and outline. Surprisingly, it planed super early and smoothly, almost gliding beneath your feet. Impressively fast for its shape, with its length aiding in excellent pointing ability, taking you upwind and positioning you nicely. With excellent directional stability, it encourages riders to charge harder at ramps, while when descending down the wave face, the domed deck motivates riders to fully commit to the turn and get over the rail.

The more you engage the rail, the more feedback the board provides. Once you are used to the board’s rail-to-rail style, it becomes quite adaptable in the turns when needed, allowing you to vary its turning arc with ease and a varying degree of positive rail engagement. Our test team noted with positivity that the rig feels more forward when riding this board, which enhanced our riding experience by encouraging a more front foot riding style and urging us to engage the rails as much as we dare. Despite its very traditional outline and shape, primarily designed for down-the-line riding, we found it had plenty of speed and liveliness to perform well in other conditions. It particularly suits those with a full rail-to-rail front foot turning style.