Joe’s Review: Naish Global Wave 78
Board Tested: 2008 Naish Global Wave 78
Sail Used: 2008 Naish All Terrain 4.0
Date: May 6, 2008
Location: Rowena, Columbia River Gorge
Conditions: 26-39 mph winds, swell riding
Rider: Joe
Gender: Male
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 185 lbs
Skill Level: Expert windsurfer
Joe tested the 2008 Naish Global Wave 78 the other day, and I was able to corner him and learn what he thought about the experience. Here’s Joe’s review!
Bottom Line: Naish hit the mark with the Global Wave, designing an incredibly versatile wave and bump-and-jump board. It is well-balanced, quick to plane, and incredibly slashy. This board will be a pleasure to ride for experienced windsurfers, and is best suited for aggressive advanced and expert riders.
If you look up “slashy” in the dictionary, don’t be surprised if the definition is a picture of this board. The Global Wave redirects so well that even the smallest bit of swell is easy to catch for a ride. When jibing, the Global Wave has excellent performance in short to medium radius turns, and it will rip through turns as hard as you want.
Joe found that the Global Wave was respectably fast, especially for a wave-oriented board, and that it planes up with minimal effort. Joe discovered a trick that works particularly well with this board, where he would give the sail one or two pumps and then move back into the footstraps earlier than usual.
The Global Wave is smooth and controllable when jumping. It feels extremely light on the feet, which makes it effortless to execute “tweaked” maneuvers. Joe tested the Global Wave on an extremely rough day, and it flowed right over the chop like a Cadillac.
The board comes with excellent straps and pads, which contribute to its plush ride, and a great fin. If you’re not an expert sailor, you might want to consider moving up a size on the fin.
Related Posts:
Read Steve’s review of the Naish Global Wave 78
Read Joe’s review of the Naish All Terrain 95 board
