There is no other board which will help you to experience the gliding/planing sensation in such a short time than the EAGLE.
EAGLE or BLAST - which one is the right freeride board for you?
Where you come from >< Where it will take you
1) EAGLE: IT’S ALL ABOUT PLANING
- Where you come from: you had your first Windsurfing experience and are capable of staying upwind. There is no other board which will help you to experience the gliding/planing sensation in such a short time than the EAGLE.
- Where it will take you: besides getting planing, jibing is the second strength of the EAGLE. But it’s not just made for learning to (power)jibe but will even accompany you up to freerace blasting and laydown jibing
2) BLAST: MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE WITH MINIMUM EFFORT
- Where you come from: you are comfortable of sailing in the foot straps then the BLAST is your performance machine.
- Where it will take you: the BLAST will instantly make you a faster sailor. Since it’s also very easy to jibe it will be your partner from your first power jibes up to pro level laydown race jibes. Partnered with a high performance fin and a freerace sail you might even become the fastest guy at your spot with the BLAST, whilst still maintaining the comfort of a freeride board.
The EAGLE was designed with the following objectives:
> Super early (passive) planing
> Automatic/instinctive jibing
> Maximum wind range and control even in choppy conditions
This makes the EAGLE the perfect intermediate to advanced board which will accompany you from your first planing attempts all the way through to blasting and laydown jibing.
To achieve these characteristics the team around Dani Aeberli (Product Manager Boards) have developed the VOLUME YET CONTROL CONCEPT:
- The slightly longer and therefore less curved outline allows us to increase the volume by up to 30 litres compared to short-curved boards (e.g. Fanatic Gecko or Tabou Rocket) without any loss of control.
- The extra volume though results in a much more confident, predictable and relaxed riding position especially in underpowered or sub-planing conditions.
>> This leads to an unbeatable, broad range of use.
The slightly longer and therefore less curved outline also offers 2 additional important advantages:
1) It prevents the board from turning unnecessarily into the wind which lets the Eagle get onto a plane almost automatically
2) It prevents the board from bouncing around even in rough chop which becomes an issue with wide-curved boards
The manoeuvre-oriented rail shape allows for an effortlessness and predictable jibing behaviour as the thin rails require less pressure to initiate the turn. This is ideal for jibing novices or to increase your lay-down jibing success rate.
Yet even for an advanced sailor the EAGLE is anything but a boring board to sail. It almost feels like a longer version of the BLAST since it shares a very similar scoop-rocker line.
Available in PREMIUM SLS - or EPOXY SANDWICH TECHNOLOGY
Main color specs when repairing the board
Eagle SLS: Top: Pantone 3155 C | Bottom: Violet C
Eagle: Top: Pantone 3125 C
3D View
YOUR PERFECT SAIL MATCH
»TO BE HONEST, I WASN'T PARTICULARLY MOTIVATED THE FIRST TIME I TESTED THE EAGLE, AS I USUALLY SAIL ON THE JAG OR FALCON_FIN. BUT THE MORE I WAS BLOWN AWAY: THE EAGLE CUTS THROUGH EVEN THE MOST BRUTAL CHOP LIKE A HOT KNIFE. THIS EXTRA CONTROL HELPS EVERYONE, FROM PLANING BEGINNER TO ADVANCED FREERIDERS, TO LEARN OR SIMPLY BE FASTER. AND WHEN I PUSHED THE EAGLE INTO THE FIRST POWER JIBE, IT FELT LIKE A JIBING AUTOPILOT - JUST PUSH AND THE EAGLE DOES THE REST.«
Reviews
Any comments or questions? Here you’ll find first hand R&D / rider Information.
The more info you provide, the more specific the advice/help will be. Please let us know:
Your skill level
Your body weight and size
Mast(s) you plan on using with the sail
Board(s) you are using
Conditions/spots you are sailing at
Please note: To help as many people as possible follow the thread, the forum language is English only.
8 comment(s)
Looking to buy 148 Eagle bur can’t decide on regular or sls. My two questions are: 1. How much does the 1.8kg affect performance? More specifically how early it will plane 2. I intend to now only have one board, and at the summer house I usually let some friend try windsurf. My question the , how sensitive is the sls vs regular? I always ride with surfbent protection Thanks!
ReplyHi Tobias, Welcome to the thread and sorry for the delayed reply but we had some technical issues with our discuss threads. Following to your questions: 1. Weight difference SLS vs. Originals version Out of our experience already starting with a 500g weight difference even intermediate sailors can instantly feel a performance difference (mainly planing) - not to mention the "comfort" during transportation :-) So you can imagine 1.8kg is like day and night... 2. Strength difference SLS vs. Originals version Here you need to differentiate between breakage, dent and ding resistance. - Breakage difference the SLS version is stronger - Ding resistance both version are pretty similar - Dent resistance (mainly caused by the mast hitting the nose are of the board during a catapult) the Originals version is a bit stronger. This should be solved through the surfbent though. Please let me know in case you require any further assistance.
ReplyThank you! Follow up question on the surfbent. Used it without problem on a heavier/stronger board without problem, but have read that it can destroy the mast track because of it acting as a "lever" during catapults. Is the SLS sensitive for this, or does this cover the "breakage" part that the SLS is better at?
ReplyHi Tobias, Well actually that's exactly the reason why we are no "big fans" of the surfbent. I recon it'll have the same stress on both versions.
ReplyThank you! I will go ahead and buy the Eagle SLS 148 (I'm 83 KG and sail 6-8,2 usually). But final question regarding protector. Do you recommend me to not use the surfbent on Eagle SLS, and in that case what is the best protector? saw that you have an EVA and composite protector (quite expensive though) Thanks!
ReplyHi Tobias, Thanks for bringing up this topic even though it’s a tricky one. - The surfbent put a lot of stress onto the mast track and worst case could even rip it out - The best protection against catapults (worst case ending in breaking the nose) is a composite noseshield - that’s why all surf centers use it. Two problems here: 1. It not just increases the weight but more so at the worst place which is the nose. Cause the lighter the nose weight the earlier you get planing. 2. Looks very very ugly and is extremely difficult to get off (for a possible second hand sale) - The EVA protector is much lighter and sleek looking. But unfortunately it offers only 50% of the protection level of the composite version So as a conclusion I would say try to avoid catapults and if you have one try to “accelerate” it by hanging on to your rig and NEVER let go of your boom. This way in 99% of the cases you will land outside the board.
ReplyThanks for some great thoughts! Was hard for me to avoid catapults learning foiling (i.e. surfbent useful) but with this fin board maybe it won't be an issue in the same way
ReplyHello Duotone-Team It's cool that I can ask my question directly here. I'm 44 years old, getting back into surfing (intermediate) and would like to spend more time on the lake in the future (mostly low wind) to start practising fast tacks, power jibes and water starts with larger sails. I am 2 metres tall and weigh 113 kg. My question is whether the Eagle 168 DB or 188 DB is the better board for me in the long run. Maybe a Eagle One 188 would be an option too. BR Martin
ReplyHi Martin, Welcome to the thread and sorry for the delayed reply but we had some technical issues with our discuss threads. As you might ave read "in-between the lines" I'm a big big fan of volume. Cause apart from risking a reduced control (in high wind conditions) volume has only advantages. And with modern shapes you can still achieve great control even with very big boards. At least that's one of the key demands when we develop our boards. To get you a better idea with my body weight (92kg) I can still sail the 188 even with a 6.6 in fully powered conditions. So I would definitely recon going for the 188. Also I would recon to go for the center fin version (= Eagle One). Cause the DB (daggerboard) version is purely made for surf centers where they need to be able to retract the "drift stopper" as fast as possible. Please let me know in case you require any further assistance.
ReplyHi Raoul, thanks for the helpful reply. I get your point and will go with Eagle One 188.
ReplyHello. I have a quick question about Eagle. Is the board foil ready? I'm looking for a board similar to Blast, but closer to Gecko. The foil option is important for me. One board for all options :)Thank you!
ReplyHi Adam,Thanks für double-checking. Only when it says „Foil Approved“ in the specs the board has a foil ready box. Unfortunately that’s not the case with the Eagle.
ReplyBag news. Ok. Thx for info. Technically, it's probably not a problem. It's more a matter of corporate policy (Boards and More).BestAdam
ReplyHi Adam,Actually there are 2 technical reasons why we didn’t add a foil force box to the Eagle:1. Unfortunately when the Windsurf foil trend started the whole Windsurf industry tried to give the impression that every fin board would be „wonderful“ for foil usage simply by putting a foil force box into every board. Matter of the fact is that most fin boards simply don’t work with a foil - at least if you don’t wanna „do the dolphin“ :-) That’s simply due to the fact that the trim (fin box vs. mast track position) are put into the best location for fin usage - which usually results in a (very) wrong trim for a foil. We have decided to put a foil force box only into fin boards which offer at least an ok trim when used with a foil. 2. Foil force boxes require additional reinforcements adding at least 200-300 grams to the board weightSo you see it’s rather a product related than a corporate related reason if we put a fin force of foil force box into a board..
ReplyReally fascinated by the Eagle. I have been using a school Gecko 148 for about a year and just starting to use a Blast 145. I am happy going upwind and in a harness, just beginning to work on using foot straps. I weight 78KG. Not yet able to perform a water start, just beach starts and uphauling. I have been recommended the Eagle instead of a Blast or a similar board from another brand. I am in my mid 50s and sail once a week wind permitting. The Eagle sounds like it could be a good board for me, but given the weight difference, would I be better with a 130 or a 148 in the standard version. Not sure I could afford stretching to the price of the SLS. Mainly sail on a freshwater lake with occasional visits to the coast. Appreciate your thoughts and guidance :-)Thank you
ReplyHi Fergal,Welcome to the thread.Hmm interesting questions you have brought up here, so let's go one by one:- I'm 90kg and for me the 148 is the perfect one for all board size. So logically you would assume the 130 should be a good match for you. But since volume is not your "enemy" on the Eagle I would say you will also be perfectly fine on the 148. In the end it really comes down to your skill level (bigger boards make learning much faster/easier especially in the beginning) and the sail sizes you wanna use the board with (if you plan using the Eagle on smaller sail sizes than 6.0 you should go for the 130)- Eagle SLS vs. Eagle Original: well in the end there are only 2 things which help everyone from beginner up to pro-level sailor: durability and weight. So without sacrificing durability lighter weight always makes a massive difference: the handling (on and off the water) improves, the planing improves, the board feels more alive/crisp (= much more existing riding sensation). In other words I definitely recon going for the SLS version. Better postpone the purchase for a couple of months and save some extra money and then go for the SLS.Please let me know in case you require any further assistance.
ReplyHi Raoul, thank you so much, this is really very helpful. The smallest sail I would be likely to use would be a 5.2 and up to about 6.5. I doubt if I would go bigger. However, normally I use a 5.8 or 6.2, so still marginal on board size I would expect. But sounds like whichever size I go for the SLS version is the best choice. :-) Maybe I need to find a school/rental centre that is using them and see which size works best.
ReplyHi Fergal,To get you an even better idea that volume is not your "enemy" on the Eagle, I was testing the Eagle One 168 and 188 in full blasting 7.3 conditions (guys your weight were on 6.0/6.2) and still had a great time on both.
ReplyThank you Raoul, I think I have found a centre that has both sizes, albeit last years Fanatic Eagle available for demo, so I will phone them tomorrow and hopefully be able to try each. But I like the idea of having a little more volume. Thanks again for all the help,Fergal
ReplyHi Fergal,Happy to help cause that's the whole purpose of these support threads.
ReplyHi Raoul, one more question, is there much difference between the 2023 Fanatic Eagle, and 2024 Eagle? I see the volume is different by 2 litres, but is the board shape different too?
ReplyHi Fergal,The 2023 Fanatic and the Duotone Eagle are identical. So if you can still find a Fanatic one and get a good deal that’s definitely a way to go.
ReplyThank you again Raoul!
ReplyHi RaoulJust as a follow up, i tested a demo Fanatic Eagle LTD, both sizes, last Saturday and had the most fun and best rise on the 150. So I dug deep into the dusty wallet and bought the demo board! It was brilliant to ride, jibe, tack, plane, everything you said. Thank you for all the advice.Fergal
ReplyHi Fergal,Thanks for the positive feedback.Great to hear that you came to same “conclusions“ like myself :-). Happy sailing on your new dream machine :-)
ReplyI’ve been sailing the Gecko 135 HRS for a couple of years after a 20 year break. Fantastic board but have sometimes regretted not going for the 148 as a returning intermediate of 90-95kg. Thinking of upgrading to this board but have a few questions:1. What would be the correct volume for someone of my weight. The description talks about +30 litres without loss of control. 168? I’m usually on a 7.3 E-Pace in 15-20 knot winds on flat’ish water.2. One reason for choosing the HRS was not to worry too much about board damage from catapulting. Will the standard Eagle be as robust as the Gecko HRS?Thank you!
ReplyHi Kari,Welcome to the thread and back to the greatest water sport out there.Actually you speak from my soul. Cause over the years I have become a big fan of volume. Waaaaay back in the days when I started to windsurf it was a constant battle of who could ride the smallest board - the smallest ones used to be called sinkers, for a reason... But as long as you don't get issues with control there is nothing bad about having (plenty of) volume. Even wave boards nowadays sometimes have a higher volume than your body weight. This is simply due to the fact that boards nowadays have massively gained in control. I'm around 90kg myself so we are both on the heavy side of life :-) A real eye opener for me was when I sailed the Eagle One 188 for the first time being fully powered up on an E_Pace 7.3 (other guys were on 6.5 or even 6.0). Yes this is a massive board which you also feel. But even in these conditions I had zero control issues and could do full planing power jibes - admittedly with a wide radius of course. The best size of the Eagle range though is the 148 as it works from 6.0 (or maybe even smaller Freeride sails) up to 8.0 (or even bigger) sails. This board is so good that we did most of the testing of all the E_Pace sizes on this one single board.As for your second question yes the regular Eagle has the same construction than your Gecko HRS. There is just one thing to consider: the bigger the board becomes the bigger the weight difference between the SLS and the regular version becomes. On the 148 this is already 1.8kg which has a tremendous effect on the dynamics/acceleration. Our findings are that with a weight difference of 500-700g you think the board has a different shape cause it gets so much more dynamic. But you are right going over the handle bar the regular version is more durable. Tip from my side: in the (milli)second you feel you are loosing control either let go with both hands and you'll end up falling into the water towards the windward side (= safest option). Or if you can't let go just curl your upper body inwards-backwards. This way you land on the leeward side of your board in front of your rig. With both ways you avoid that the rig touches your board.Just let me know in case you require any further assistance.
ReplyAfter doing the entire last season on the Gecko 122 ltd, the shift to the Eagle 130SLS is challenging and rewarding: Narrower, longer, pretty similarly maneuverable, but way more comfortable when planing over chop. Nice work!
ReplyHi Garda surfer,Welcome to the thread.With your alias I wonder which is your home- or favourite spot :-) Actually we did most of the testing of the Eagle at Garda. Great to hear that you can confirm our findings. Yes due to the increased width the Gecko might give you a slightly more stable "platform" for uphauling. But I think that's about the only advantage. Cause once you get going you have so much more control and comfort (especially in choppy Garda conditions) which ultimately makes you faster. Under the feet of an experienced rider and paired with the right sail you can even challenge slalom sailors - which is great fun cause no-one expects that from this board :-) Plus as you've stated jibing is at least on the same level than with the Gecko.
ReplyCan you use an uphaul with the Eagle 148 if you're roughly 82 kg? Or would you go for the 168 if that is a criteria?Thanks in advance!JP
ReplyHi JP,Welcome to the thread.Actually you can uphaul nearly any board. Means world cup pros can even uphaul boards with less volume than their body weight. For a pure Windsurf beginner a rough indication is body weight + 80-100 litres. If you can go back and forth and stay upwind even without a daggerboard you can easily go +60 litres. Please don't hesitate to let me know in case you need any further assistance.
ReplyHello,I would like to know which board comes out first planing, the Eagle 148 SLS or the Blast 145 SLS? I'm looking for the board that allows me the early planing in light wind. There is a big difference?My big sail is an E-Pace 7.8 and my mast is a duotone gold.Thank you so much.
ReplyHi Carlos,Welcome to the thread.As for planing you have to differentiate between passive and active planing. Passive planing (means just waiting for the wind to accelerate you into planing mode) the Eagle is noticeably earlier to get going.Active planing you might get going equally fast on both boards. But keep in mind active pumping requires the right technique (cause there is a huge difference between just „swiveling“ with your backhand and proper pumping) and is quite physical. Please don’t hesitate in case you need any further assistance.
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