TABOU DA CURVE QUADSTER 91L 2014 TEST REVIEW
TABOU DA CURVE QUADSTER 91L 2014 TEST REVIEW
BEST FOR
Experienced riders and/or lightweights pretty much exclusively sailing quality, or larger waves all the time.
RECOMMENDATION
Try the thruster setup for earlier planing lift or enhanced pointing, especially in onshore wind. Hard-core heavyweights may prefer to stay in quad mode or sail it well powered-up.
BRAND CLAIM
“The best early planning (sic) and accelerating Da Curve Quadster range ever. More speed, easy planning (sic) and better drive in the turn make the all-new 2014 Da Curve Quadster range our greatest yet. A perfect balance of speed and turning keep you in the right place of the wave. New out – and rocker lines with enhanced rail sections look to make this range a must have for the wave chaser!”
(*Note – the 91 is unchanged from 2013 so the changes in rocker line mentioned above only apply to the 75, 80 and 86-litre models.)
OVERVIEW
Outline: ‘Shouldery’ wide point forward (rear of track) outline. Shallow swallowtail.
Deck: Domed front and at rear of stance area.
Rail Profile: Soft tuck in nose, blending into a sharper tuck at tail.
Bottom Shape: Flat under nose into shallow single concave, deepening to shoulders, pretty deep around mast track/wide point (8 mm) converting into inverted double concave, blending into even double concave at front straps before a positive vee double concave all the way to tail.
Rocker Line: Quite a bit of nose and tail kick. Flat section between front straps and track on centreline and concaves
Fin Configuration: 5-box. 5 supplied. All SlotBox. Two G10 T-Lab 16 cm rears, two front 11 cm sidebites and one 18 cm centre fin.
Pads: Juicy front and back heel bumper. Tail kick on rear.
Straps: Double back screws. Tabou standard fabric top. Straps noticeably angled inboard.
PERFORMANCE
As you ease into the comfy straps and pads on the Da Curve you instantly feel the wide, surfy stance – something that the taller testers really appreciated.
This 91 has the feel of a smaller board, but was stable and pointed very well upwind in float-and-ride mode, making ground well despite loading the sail a little, with the radical rocker and quad fins understandably adding some drag.
Switching to thruster mode does help give some welcome lift – especially for lighter riders – and enhanced pointing ability on the plane, but the medium and heavy weights still preferred the extra drive on the face that the quads delivered.
In terms of the conditions we encountered, it’s true to say the Da Curve was, ironically, a ‘fish out of water’, only really coming alive in larger, faster moving surf where the curve of the rocker line could really be put to full use tighter in-the-pocket.
That doesn’t mean it’s not a board suitable for onshore wind angle use, far from it, but if you sail in smaller, weaker slop more often than thumping, critical waves, you’ll probably prefer their Pocket Wave model.
THE VERDICT
Experienced riders and/or lightweights pretty much exclusively sailing quality, or larger waves all the time.
NOW READ THE OTHER REPORTS:
FANATIC TRIWAVE 95
GOYA CUSTOM QUAD 94
JP SINGLE THRUSTER 92
QUATRO CUBE PREMIUM 98
STARBOARD KODE WAVE 92
WITCHCRAFT CHAKRA 95