Board Mag Tests ???

[Phill104]

In defense of mag tests, they already have a very packed schedule and I know they woork their butts off trying to test a large number of boards in a limited time. If each boards needed to be tested with different fins there would be no time to give each one a fair time on the water.

If the manufacturers are asked to provide a board for a particular location the they should provide it with a suitable stock fin for the test. If the manufacturer get it wrong then tough. They need to go back to the drawing board and get it right next time round.

[Ola_H]

I agree Geo, but I like Phill just think its a to time consuming task. Some "cross comparison" is reasonable though.

Many mags today try to provide some kind of idea of _why_ the board in question work like it does. In this "analysis" I think discussions about the provided fin should have a more prominent role.

In a category like FSW/crossover it is remarkable that the VERY different fin choices does not get more attention in the tests write ups.

[Floyd]

See your point Ola but that means a person buying a particular board might well choose it simply because of the fin choice and not because its been well designed or suits their purpose paricularly well.
Are testers testing boards or fins ?
The article claims boards.

http://www.boards.co.uk/forum/default.asp

above link to the boards mag forum.

why dont you post the query there and ask them for their opinion?

they will normally respond with the whys and wherefores.

[Jean-Marc]

Originally Posted by Floyd

Are testers testing boards or fins ?
The article claims boards.

Floyd,

It's always been the board + stock fin combo. Reality is too complex for magazine's test crew to fizzle with different fins in all the boards to be tested. In an ideal world, one should have only 1 variable at play, ideally the board, anything else being equal (fin, sail, trim, rider's weight & skill, wind & chop/waves). In the real world, you know it's nearly impossible to achieve that. Some mags have test crew with lots of rider's weight range (60-100 kg) but similar skills, other have ± same weight range but dissimilar skills, etc...Some try to compare 2 boards (each with its own stock fin) with same sail by match racing for race/slalom/freeride use but this is useles for freestyle or wave boards for obvious reasons.

The best board for rider A is not necessarily the best for rider B or C...depending on a vast number of variable as the location/weather conditions/skills/preferences/sails & fins quiver of each rider. Diversity is what makes this sport so interesting but such a daunting task as well when it comes to choose the perfect dream board that suits your needs. The best testing laboratory is actually made by racers. Just look at the board/sail/fin/mast/boom quiver choice of some wave, Formula or slalom racers : the combination has almost no limit, but at the end of the day, some win and some don't.

Cheers !

JM