After some board on board testing with the two 8'10" 's from Fanatic recently, I have decided that my quiver will consist of both! I have ridden both boards in a variety of conditions and they most definitely cover all bases.

2012 Fanatic AllWave 8'10"
I am 85 kgs on a good day. This board is so stable, when paddling it you start to think that there is no way this thing will shred on a wave cause it feels like your on 9'6"+ board. How surprised I was. Such a sweet rock, the board responds instantly to your foot positioning, and is amazing off the tail. At the last SPSC even some of the crew mentioned that I was surfing better on the AllWave than the ProWave, and it was definitely easier! In the conditions that finished the event this was definitely the case. Windy, choppy, hard to catch waves, the AllWave comes right out of it's shell. I've ridden up to about head high on this board and it has never felt a handful, I am interested to see it does as it is 31 wide. It is super loose and easy to get up into the lip. Carving is a dream, and it makes fun out of absolute mush. I could quite easily have this board as an only board, and it is most definitely suitable for the intermediate rider. Stepping forward a bit, you engage the mid rocker, allowing the board to be turned and steered, but also using that width for stability and lift to get you through those fat sections. Loose, responsive, fast, easy.

ProWave 8'10"
If your looking for the next level, this is it. I was lucky enough to have this board with me in Hawaii this year, and scored some awesome waves on the south shore. And this board amazed me, when juiced up she responds like she's glued to your feet. You can really smack the lip in ridiculous sections, and Fast doesn't begin to explain the board speed available on the wave. A really tight pulled in tail gives total control and awesome bottom turns at full speed. In conparison to the 2010 ProWave, this board is looser, faster, more controllable, lighter and way more smackable. The key thing with this board for me is getting that power behind you, I guess at my weight I am pushing water a little bit until shoulder height, but once you get that wave under you, OMG!! This board really is a Pro board.

All up, I am stoked to be lucky enough to have both boards in my quiver, but I do think I'll be riding the AllWave majority of the time unless we have an absolute cracker of a summer. I strongly suggest getting a demo organized at your local dealer because the bar has been lifted again this year.

JB