We got our hands on a new 2016 Ezzy Cheetah 6.5 the other day, and today we had a nice relatively warm northeast breeze around 18-22 MPH which made it a perfect day to give it a try.  Most of us here at Fox usually don't sail a lot of 6.5 conditions(we are wind snobs if you didn't already know) so we decided to rig a 2015 Cheetah 6.5 to swap back and forth with the 2016 to get a good feel for the differences in the two.  Right away I noticed how much lighter it felt compared to the 2015.  The 1 less batten really makes a difference in the weight of the sail which also allows for a much freer handling sail.  It had a feel closer to a tiger where as the 2015 Cheetah felt more like a camber sail very solid but heavier.  Although the lighter feel the 2016 Cheeath had great low end power and popped up on a plane just as quick as the 2015.  I'm still trying to figure out how they flattened the profile in the upper portion of the sail and still maintained the great low end power that the Cheetah has always been known for.  It felt like the 2016 has a better top end speed than the 2015 as well.  The flatter profile is more efficient thus faster top end.   I was slightly underpowered as I'm 225 riding a 115L Kinetic Gladiator but the 2016 instantly transfered the gusts into power and popped up on a plane almost effortlessly.  Donny Bowers and Billy D took it out for a few runs as well and said the same thing that it was "extremely easy to sail and powered up effortlessly".  Usually in flat water The 3 of us sail full on race sails with 5+ cams so the handling and light weight was definitely going to stand out for us but the top end speed and early planning was a surprise for a no cam sail.  I have a feeling this is going to be a must have sail in 2016.  If you have an older cheetah I suggest not trying one because you WILL be upgrading immediately.  I usually am pretty leary of manufacturers "marketing" claims about new products but after sailing the 2016 Ezzy Cheetah today I can honestly say Ezzy nailed this one.  Lighter livelier and faster is pretty huge claim for a new sail but I believe the sails lives up to it.  We have few instock and we can ship for free anywhere in the continental USA so if you are thinking about a new no cam freeride sail the 2016 Ezzy Cheetah is a must.

I spent the last week in Southern California mainly just trying to avoid the freezing cold here, but I was able to go spend some time at ...Lost Surfboards seeing the latest and greatest surfboard models for 2015 and beyond.  There are some really cool boards and technologies coming down the pipe that probably won't be available to the general public until 2016.  Enough about that let's talk about what is available now for 2015.  The three new models that stood at to me the most were the Puddle Jumper, the Short Round, and the V2 Grinder.  

Puddle Jumper

...Lost Surfboards has been the leading the way with small to average wave designs for the "domesticated" or average surfer for the last couple of years and Puddle Jumper takes that development to another level.  While most of the Bottom Feeder, Planks or RV designs offer great drive and speed they sometimes lack the ability to surf top to bottom in small waves.  Their vee bottoms make them easy to get rail to rail but they stick to the water and don't like to release in top turns.  The Puddle Jumper has a concave bottom that keeps the board on top of the water and allows for more raill rocker to still give you that easy rail to rail feel while not being stuck to the water.  This in turns allows you to snap your turns and fit in the pocket of small waves better.  For me this is going to be THE go to board for summer here on the east coast where the waves are small and short.  The RV's Planks and Bottom Feeders work great in small California(ie upper trestles where Matt surfs and built these designs for) surf but for most East Coast conditions the Puddle Jumper will be a better fit.  East Coast swells are short period and closer together also we dont have the points to groom the swells.  Most everything over here are beach breaks that are short and fast.  You don't have the time to draw out turns and project past sections.   It is more like one or two quick pumps and then one turn in the closeout section or where the wave shoulders out to nothing.  The Puddle Jumper has a wide outline to get you into the wave, its concave bottom creates the lift to get you up to speed quickly and the more foiled out thinner rails along with the added rail rocker give you the ability to use that speed to do tight radius turns in those closeout or shoulder sections.  This will be my go to summertime board probably for anything stomach high and under.  

Short Round

The Short Round from ...Lost Surfboards provides a versatile board that can be ridden in just about any conditions.  With a deep single concave under your front foot along with a pretty low entry rocker the Short Round has instant speed and drive.  A more tradition outline in the tail that pulls in the tail more giving it less volume so you are able to sink the tail and create more hold than that of a rocket or other small wave designs.  I always hate it when I'm riding a fish in small waves and that freak set of the day comes in and you can't turn your board like you want cause either you have too much speed that you cant wipe off or your tail lacks that hold if you really push on it.  I feel like I'm wasting a good wave because you just cant do what you want because your board limits your surfing.  With the Short Round you won't ever face this problem as it works just as good on those freak sets as it does in the 2' slop.  To me the Short Round is a more perfomance version of a Rocket.  I think this will probably be ...Lost's best selling model for 2015.  The early feed back from their team riders as well as the average surfer all say it's a great board.  The only other boards to get the same type of feed back from all levels of surfers were the Round Nose Fish and the Rocket and we all know how well those boards work.

V2 Grinder

The V2 Grinder from Lost Surfboards is a small wave pointed nose shortboard.  Alot of surfers just cant get there head around riding a board with a fuller more rounded nose outline.  The fuller nose outline can stick in some situations and sometimes don't fit as well as more pointed nose designs.  This is where the V2 Grinder comes in.  The V2 Shortboard has been the most popular shortboard design from ...Lost Surfboards the last couple of years.  It is a great design for good waves, Lost has taken this concept and squashed it down for smaller more average surf.  Short-Wide with tons of Glide as Matt says, the V2 Grinder has a really low entry rocker to get the board moving and maintain speed.  The wide tail block keeps the board on top of the water while the added tail lift enables you to pull most of the board off the water when needed on those tight radius turns in the pocket.  This is a great alternative to riding the more rounded nose outline models and is much easier to go back to your performance shortboard.   For me after riding a Rocket for a while it can feel really weird getting back on a pointed nose short board when the surf gets good.  It takes a few waves to get the feeling back to normal.  The V2 grinder allows to have a board that works in small to medium surf without changing that feel.  This model has been a favorite of the pros for small wave contests as well.  For most East Coast conditons this will be the go to shortboard.

We will be stocking a full size run of these models as well as the other classic designs from Lost Surfboards.  If you are like me and the stock dimensions don't really work for you we can custom order one from Lost that will be exactly what you are  looking for.  If you don't know what size will work for your size, skill level, or local break give us a call or email and we can help you figure that out.  Our Volume Calculator tool can help as well.  

Now we just need the frozen tundra which the east coast has become to thaw out some so we can go ride some of these new boards without running into some icebergs or seals.

1. Always Windsurf With a Buddy - This is a good idea no matter what time of year it is, but it is a must in the extreme winter conditions most of us sail in.  Self-Rescues can be difficult in any conditions but add in temps 40 degrees or below, then they can become deadly really quick.  As you can see from the hypothermia chart below you don't have a much time to spend in cold water before you start to shut down.  Sailing with a friend can save yours or their life.  Besides it's more fun to sail with friends anyway! 
2. Rig Small and Use  A Bigger Board - By using a slightly smaller sail and bigger board you won't get fatigued as quickly and you will have the added volume of a bigger board in case something happens - the wind dies or you break something.  While you may not be as fast or be able to plane quite as early if you rigged a bigger sail, you will be able to sail longer.  The "arm pump" or forearm burn you get from sailing with gloves won't be quite as bad with a less powerful sail.  With all your rubber on you are also much heavier than you are sailing in trunks so the extra volume in a bigger board helps to offset this weight difference.  Your reaction time in cold conditions is slower and the bigger board gives you more margin for error in your maneuver.   
3. Bring A Jug Of Hot Water - If you have ever sailed in 40 degree or less conditions for more than an hour you'll know just how difficult in can be to de-rig.  The hot water will probably be just warm water by then but it is a great way to thaw your hands where you can actually move them enough to be able to break down your equipment.  It can also be used to help squeeze an extra couple runs out of a session as well.  If you hands or feet start getting cold come in a warm them back up with the hot water and go back out for a few more runs.  Once you are finished it feels great to have a "hot shower" as well.  If you want to step up your game there are gravity and even pressure portable showers that are around $99 and store about 2-3 gallons of water.
4. Layer with  Fleece Under Your Wetsuit or Drysuit - Layering is a most for winter time sessions.  It will create a bigger boundary layer between your body and the elements and allow you to sail much longer.  A good piece of polar fleece can turn a 4mm wetsuit into an 5mm and a 5mm into a 6mm.  The fleece also wicks moisture away from your skin keeping it dry which allows you to stay much warmer than if you were just wearing a suit.  The fleece makes a huge difference especially when you are on the beach in between runs.  Standing around in a wetsuit you become clammy and cold pretty fast and it really discourages you from wanting to get back out on the water.  By wicking the moisture away from your skin you don't get that clammy cold sensation and you are much more likely to be motivated to get back out there for another couple runs.  And after all isn't the whole idea to spend more time on the water?
5. Change Into Your Suit Before You Get to the Beach-  It's much warmer and easier to change in the warmth of your house rather than trying to fumble around inside your car or worse stand out in the elements wrapped only in a towel.  Rigging in your suit can be a little challenging but I've found that if you have a Jacket you can put over your suit to keep the wind off it really helps.  It's also can be a good place to store rigging tools in the pockets so you don't lose them.   Right when you are ready to downhaul you reach in your pocket and there's your tool.  There are a variety of neoprene jackets that work great and can be put on after sailing over your suit as well.  They can be a bit pricing though so I recommend just and older jacket than you don't mind getting a little wet.
6. The Best Thing to Make a Winter Session Better is Your Mind - The right mental attitude can make or break any session especially in the winter.  If you go into it thinking about how cold it is and how cold you are going to be you probably aren't going to enjoy the session.  A positive mental approach will make even the coldest days better.  Don't think about how cold it is or how you wish you could get this much wind in the summer.  Think about how good the wind is right now and how good it feels to hook in, put your feet in the straps, sheet in, and start blazing across the water.  Even a 15 -20 minute session is well worth it.  We all know there's nothing like that feeling so don't let a little cold get in the way of you and a great day of WINDSURFING!