Test Review - 13/07/2018

Fanatic Grip 82lt 2018









Jeff Cox is a local to Shoreham and is a very competent sailor in all conditions.
Many thanks for a very comprehensive review Jeff!

Hi Danny, a quick review and first impressions of the Fanatic Grip 82l. 

 
With the current crop of boards priced upto and beyond the £2,000 mark,  they have to be pretty special.  There is such a huge choice of fundamentals, especially length and fin set-up.  With the main length options now more settled into stubby, compact or standard; at 224/58cm the Grip is nicely in the compact bracket.  Very easy to sail from the first run with no dipping the nose, or having to adjust stance as seems to happen with a more stubby format.
 
5 Fin boxes for slotbox fins have any multifin set-up covered with quad or thruster the main options.  I have only tried the quad so far, but it is so quick and drag free as well as very manoeuvrable, that it will be interesting to see what a three fin set-up can offer.   Windsurf mag’s test of the board suggested that thruster was the way to go for South Coast conditions.
 
I was looking for a high-wind wave board for 4-4.5m range that would still be really comfortable with a 3.7. On the Fanatic Q&A forum sections, even a 3.4 should be fine with a quad set-up- so the 89l could be a larger alternative to still give a pretty versatile range as a one board/high wind quiver.  Although range with bigger sails was not a priority for me, the 82 is very happy with a 5 and 5.3 should be ok, 5.7 at a pinch, it is the kind of board you want to change down to as early as possible.  Even at my 83kg it seemed fine in lulls and waterstarts very easily, with an amazingly well balanced rockerline and volume distribution that behaves even when underwater or underpowered and out of straps.
 
Early planing, great turning and as you’d expect good grip.  Lots of good tuning tips and videos online including direct from the Fanatic team of Fernandez/Lewis. 
 
 Jeff
 

Reviewed by Jeff Cox

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