David’s Review: Mistral’s Stand Up Paddleboard
David is our in-house expert on stand up paddling, and the other day he took a ride on the Pacifico, Mistral’s crossover stand up paddleboard and windsurf board. Here are his thoughts on the board:
Board Tested: 2007 Mistral Pacifico
Date: May 7, 2007
Location: The Event Site – Hood River, Oregon
Conditions: Light wind with chop, 10-15 mph
Sail Size: Stand up surfing and 4.7 windsurfing
Stand Up Paddling
The Mistral Pacifico is an amazingly maneuverable stand-up board. When you step on the tail it turns on a dime, even to the point of having a “skatey” feel. It catches waves great and feels very efficient. It does not feel particularly “tracky”, but is very forgiving when stepping and jumping around the deck.
The board is light for its size (28 pounds) and glides though flat water with ease. The Pacifico would be an awesome choice for the whole family to learn to stand-up surf… it won’t hold anyone back, as the shape works great for all levels of stand-up padding including race, freestyle, wave, and distance riding.
The soft deck is cushy on the feet and encourages the rider to try different positions on the board, such as nose riding or rail riding. This is the board to learn to do headstands on the wave because once it gets gliding, the momentum and stability creates a huge stable platform that is perfect for trying just about anything.
Windsurfing
Planing: The conditions were sub-planing winds, but this board is more about a smooth glide than actual planing. It did get planing on the face of the wind-waves at the Event Site. The wind was too light for most recreational sailors and kiters, but I was out having a blast on a 4.7, and even had an audience!
Comfort: Very smooth through the chop. The Pacifico really glides through some pretty large chop. I was surprised how comfortable it was riding in rough conditions, and the soft deck feels nice on the feet.
Speed: Impressive apparent speed.
Transitions: This board is very maneuverable. Pivot jibes are quite easy, as are tacks. The conditions were not appropriate for attempting a planing carving jibe, although I am sure that would be doable as well.
Wave/Swell Riding: Again, the board is super maneuverable, and catches waves very easily with its exaggerated planing surface.
Components: I sailed the Pacifico strapless. The straps that come with the board are standard. The fin worked great and is appropriate for shallow water use, as well as for wave riding and freestyle.
Overall Impression: The Pacifico is a super fun board for sailing. I would be surprised if this doesn’t generate a new interest in freestyle longboard sailing. It was very fun in the wind-waves at the Event Site and although I was not planing, the glide achieved through the board’s drawn-out rails and large planing surface is very impressive.
Most Suitable For: I would teach someone to windsurf with this board, yet it is great fun for intermediate to advanced light-wind sailing and wave sailing! Overally, the best part about the Pacifico is its unlimited potential for stand-up surfing.
