Do you want to rip and fly like a pro at your home spot and wherever you travel to? Well then you‘ve come to the right place, cause we design all our products to work in as many different conditions as possible.
Rather than creating special onshore, sideshore or even asymmetric boards that only work in very limited conditions/spots. Such boards might give you a slight edge in super extreme conditions, but custom boards also often turn out to be a surprise egg.
Our GRIP SLS boards are constantly evolving designs and constructions to ensure we are continuously at the forefront of development yet with over 40 years of experience. We call them World Cup Wave boards as they are engineered to satisfy the best of the best on all kind of spots around the globe, from jumping-oriented side-on conditions like Pozo to down-the-line groundswell conditions like Hookipa.
During development, the major inputs came from two-time PWA Wave World Champion Victor Fernandez and the highest-ranked future Wave Champ contender Marc Paré. These guys are not just 2 of the best wave sailors on the planet, but they both have a very contest oriented riding style. Therefore instead of demanding super specialised and extreme shapes they always aim for:
- Boards that are super balanced and easy to control in all kind of conditions without taking on a life of their own, to score maximum turns and jumps
- Boards that are super versatile to sail and allow front- and back foot riding to get the most out of each wave even when the conditions are changing
- Boards offering a maximum wind range to avoid being forced to switch boards during the heat
Well isn’t that exactly what we all expect from our wave board? And that’s why Marc and Victor are our most important assets in the development process. In fact, all our GRIP SLS production boards are exact replicas of their best boards from the PWA tour.
Now the most important question you need to ask yourself is which fin configuration best suits your personal riding style:
- The GRIP 4 with its Quad fin configuration gives you maximum drive and grip for committed rail to rail turns, even in XXL waves
- The GRIP 3 has a slightly better acceleration due an efficient rocker with a lower-drag entry, which is especially helpful in jumping conditions. The Thruster fin configuration allows for earlier tail release for tighter/slashier turns, even in non ideal waves
At DUOTONE, the main objectives for all our products are weight saving but at no cost of durability and offering an unmatched plug & play setup. Cause these are the 2 things that help everyone, from beginner to pro level.
Here is what we did to the 20.24 GRIP SLS lineup:
- No 5 multi-setup fin-boxes: this just adds unnecessary weight and drag and is always a compromise since every fin configuration requires a different board shape (bottom and rail shape, outline, scoop-rocker line) to exploit its full potential. It also prevents the board from becoming tail-heavy/sticky. Plus finding a good working setup with 5 boxes is just the opposite of plug & play.
- The mini mast track reduces the weight in the critical nose area. It also reduces the risk to misplace your mast base while still providing just the right amount of length adjustment for all riding styles and sail sizes.
- The mini side fin boxes no longer offer any adjustment to prevent misplacing your fins. Now all adjustability for different riding styles and sail sizes is done through the center fin(s) only - simple and lightweight!
- Our exclusive layup based on over 40 years of experience got refined by DUOTONE chief board construction and QR manager Vasin Siritho.
- Even the artwork got weight optimised by minimising heavy PVC stickers.
All these efforts add up to a noticeable weight reduction of 400-500g (depending on the board size) without compromising our bombproof durability: STRONG-LIGHT-SUPERIOR!
In addition, they simply work to their best right out of the box, just plug & shred.
YOUR NEW GRIP SLS DREAM MACHINES ARE READY AND WAITING FOR YOU TO TAKE YOUR RIDING TO THE NEXT LEVEL!
Main color specs when repairing the board: Top: Pantone 112 C | Bottom: Pantone Violet C
D/LAB vs. SLS
All SLS boards are made with our PREMIUM SANDWICH TECHNOLOGY wich is our most advanced semi custom technology.
All D/LAB boards are made with our FULL CUSTOM D/LAB TECHNOLOGY which is the identical technology used on high-end custom made boards.
This leads to the following differences:
1) WEIGHT
The D/LAB boards are approx. 500g lighter than the SLS models. The major weight saving comes through the full custom technology. But it's also down to the smallest details like reduced foot strap plugs, reduced to max foot pads and super light water transfer stickers for the artwork.
2) STIFFNESS
For the D/LAB boards we use a higher carbon content which makes for a more direct riding sensation.
3) DENT RESISTANCE
As with most wave boards on the market, we use S-glass on the PVC sandwich for the SLS boards, while the D/LAB boards are equipped with a carbon-Innegra layer on the outside. Innegra is the best composite fibre to prevent dents. Dents caused by the mast touching the board (during catapults or when getting washed) are mainly an aesthetic issue. But if you want a board that stays dent-free, you should opt for the D/LAB version.
4) PRICE
Innegra is considerably more expensive than S-glass. And apart from the higher carbon content, the FULL CUSTOM D/LAB TECHNOLOGY is much more time and labor-intensive. Therefore the SLS version is 10% cheaper than the D/LAB version.
3D View
YOUR PERFECT SAIL MATCH
»THE GRIP 4 IS A NO-COMPROMISE QUAD DESIGN WHICH LIFTS TURNING, GRIP AND CONTROL EVEN IN XXL WAVES ONTO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.«
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.
6 comment(s)
Hey Raoul!It's Mario. I remind you that I had ordered Grip 4, 76 lit & Grip 3, 85 lit, both D LAB's, since last September.I received the first one on December and Grip 3, last week.Great shapes, great performances for both. I have been using Grips since 2018, the first edition (Fanatic/Duotone much longer, since 1989) and also Mamba, and I can assure you, both boards are the next evolution level. With extra bonus, that they're unbelievably light on foot helping you to navigate them without any effort!Just a question, Raoul. I used Grip three just yesterday, putting the rear strap into the back position and "suffered" some spin outs! Do I have to move them on front or it's just me that may pushed a bit more on my back foot??Thank you,Mario
ReplyHi Marios,Thank you so much for your feedback. Especially from a longterm customer it’s great to hear that you also feel that the new D/LAB construction is really next level. As for your spinout/side-slipping issue I would suggest moving the rear strap to the front plus moving the center fin a bit back.Don’t hesitate to let me know in case that doesn’t help.
ReplyThanks Raoul!Sure, I'll let you know!
ReplyThink you mixed up. You want the narrow as truster and the wide with quad setup. Onshorde need more grip going out against the wind. Side and offshore, less grip and fever fins but more speed. I've bben on your team for 10 years now and Duotone, you NEVER listen. Why?
ReplyHi Thomas,Welcome to the thread and thanks for sharing your concerns.You are right here we believe in a different concept. We have designed the Grip 3 thruster board to work better in smaller waves which are usually slower. Therefore the Grip 3 is slightly shorter resulting in a more curved outline. This additional curve in the outline allows for tighter/slashier turns (good for smaller waves) already at lower speeds. The Grip 4 then being slightly longer has a slightly straighter outline which helps keeping control in higher waves (mast high plus). I think the misconception comes from the fact that you are looking for a board which gives you maximum "grip" going OUT against the current. Whereas we define the difference between the Grip 3 and 4 on how they feel/behave on the wave going IN.But the good thing is that in case you are looking for maximum "grip" against the current you can always go for the Grip 4. BTW since you're on our team since 10 years would you mind letting me know by which national team you are sponsored. This way I could get in contact with you in case I have not understood your point correctly. Cause honestly I can't remember you giving us any feedback before. Maybe that's also the reason why we have not listened to you before :-)
ReplyHey guys, I am a pretty average wave-sailor. Can you comment on the difference between the Grip 3 and 4 - beyond number of fins.Thanks,Pete
ReplyHi Peter,Welcome to the thread.Usually a thruster board is easier to sail since you can surf these kind of boards over the front- and back foot. A quad board on the other hand requires a much more committed wave riding style where you carve the board (mainly) over the front foot through the bottom turn. Therefore you should definitely go for the Grip 3 - like myself by the way :-) Please let me know in case you require any further assistance.
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