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.«