100 SPOTLIGHT
GET some!
Patrik qt-wave 103 GET 2019 wave board
Info: http://patrik-windsurf.com/qt-wave/ Price: £1,689
WORDS: WINDSURFING UK PICS: JAMES JAGGER
WAVE BOARDS THESE DAYS DON'T HAVE TO BE SMALL SUB-100L
STICKS. AS WINDSURFING HAS EVOLVED BRANDS HAVE MADE A
CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO CATER FOR A WIDER RANGE OF
CONDITIONS – I.E LIGHTER WINDS – AND/OR BIGGER BONED
RIDERS. SAILORS ARE NOW WELL CATERED FOR WITH APPLICABLE
TOOLS SUCH AS THE PATRIK QT-WAVE 103.
For this test it’s Patrik’s GET
construction under the spotlight, which
gives a slightly softer more forgiving
ride due to the board flexing a tad
more. For anyone with a surfing
background board flex will be familiar.
Allowing the shape to mould to a
wave's shape, as well as giving a more
absorbed ride, it’s a lay up that should
benefit real world windsurfers who
tackle a varied range of scenarios.
From the off there’s no lacking in early
planing performance. Patrik shapes
tend to be a tad longer thereby offering
increased glide. This can increase early
planing potential.
The qt-wave has five fin boxes allowing
sailors to tune accordingly. For our
money it’s thruster mode that works
best, holding grip during powered up
runs and allowing windsurfers to push
uk
WIND
SURFING
upwind. Engaging the windward rail
also helps drag the board into breeze
and get into position for swell take offs.
Once at the ‘bus stop’ there's enough
float for hanging around waiting for your
set or simply power into the first critical
drop you can find. Smoothly
accelerating down the wave face the qt-
wave cuts deep as it rounds off the
bottom. Ironing out any wave face chop
it's a fast climb to the lip. Once there we
were blown away by the board’s ability
to hold through each turn and deliver
riders to clean landings. Whether it be
gouging off the tops or late smacks
there's plenty of performance to cover
many different styles of riding or
approaches to the wave in question. It’s
also sweet for aerials.
For move orientated riders up and overs
are efficient with the 103 offering enough
pop to sling yourself over the handlebars.
It’s actually rewarding for jumping moves
even when underpowered and on bigger
sails, such as a 5.7m.
Conclusion
Patrik’s qt-wave 103 has a plethora
of tuning options, via fins and foot
strap position, that sailors would be
worth investigating. We preferred a
tri-fin set up that handles powered
up windsurfing yet gives a degree of
versatility across different wind
strengths. For a bigger wave sled it
rides sweetly and smoothly with
that GET construction helping iron
out the bumps. It’s also fun to wang
down a few jumping moves, even if
a little underpowered. As such the
102 suits real world windsurfing and
riders wanting to maximise their
time on water.