Windsurf – August 2019

G U N SA I LS CRUZ'AIR 10'6"

WEB WWW.GUNSAILS.COM PRICE €929

THEY SAY

The immensely wide range of uses

makes the Cruz’Air our most versatile

stand up paddle board. The range

reaches from relaxed paddling for the

whole family over smaller tours and

riding small waves to windsurfing.

All those who don’t want to commit

themselves to a single discipline will be

perfectly positioned with our all-round

SUP board for every kind of use!

WE SAY

This is the first time we’ve had a chance to try a

board from Gunsails, their 2019 inflatable SUP

range comprising of five boards, from a wave fo-

cussed 9’10” design, right up to a race oriented

12’6”. All sport a similar graphic and colour-

way, and are produced using a pre-lamination

process, requiring less adhesive and thereby re-

ducing weight. The drop-stitch inside the board

is reinforced to mitigate any twisting or torsion

internally, before being layered twice with PVC

laminates to seal the hull and make it watertight.

A wide, red 0.9mm thick rubber rail band is then

wrapped around the entire length of the rails to

clean them up visually as well as provide extra du-

rability in the board’s most vulnerable area. All

the usual fittings are present, including a tow-

ing-eyelet under the board’s nose, a leash tether

on the tail; handles (with neoprene padding) in

the middle and tail of the deck, a cargo mesh,

and an extended diamond-grooved EVA deck pad

across much of the deck. The tail fin is a PE fin,

standard in size, but the central fin supplied is de-

scribed by Gunsails as a ‘Drag fin’ – a fin with an

enlarged chord and area to help reduce downwind

drift. Looking at the outline of the Cruz’Air, its

widest point is located forward of its mid-point,

tapering smoothly to a squared tail in the rear.

Screwing the knuckle mastfoot into the board,

there is a raised plate under the deck pad, pro-

viding reassuring reinforcement in a potentially

vulnerable area. In windsurfing mode the board is

balanced and buoyant under foot, its 6” thickness

pushing its hull onto the surface of the water. As

power is applied, the board slips easily through

the water, the two fins working well to provide

plenty of directional traction. It’s an easy board

to get on with, picking up speed well and settling

the power from the rig in the hands, whilst natu-

rally holding a course close to the wind. In transi-

tion there is plenty of volume and support in the

nose for the tack, whilst during the gybe, the deck

pad changes to linear grooves in the tail, helping

to determine how far back your stance is without

looking. The volume of the squared off tail means

the rider can step back in confidence and really

exaggerate pivotal turns such as the flare gybe,

helping the board to turn dynamically. A good

weight carrier and tutor, it remains manageable

as the wind increases, the traction from the fins

doing their part to resist the windage felt through

the hull. In stand up paddle guise, the Cruz’Air

is equally at home, the deck pad providing plen-

ty of traction under foot, whilst the ample width

around the central handle offers plenty of stabil-

ity whilst standing. When paddling in stronger

winds, we did find the width and volume in the

shoulders were buffeted by the wind, particularly

if it were cross-shore, so to

make life easier for the less

experienced rider, keep-

ing the ‘Drag fin’ in place

helped to reduce the wind’s

influence. Overall, the

Cruz’Air is a well-consid-

ered and pragmatic play-

thing, ideal for summer

fun with the family.

VITAL STATS

Volume (Quoted): 258 L.

Length: 10’6” / 320 cm

Width: 34” / 86 cm

Weight (‘Naked’,

Brand Quoted): N/A

Thickness: 6” / 15 cm

Fittings: Single fin and

‘Drag fin’/2x US Box 10”

Sizes Available: 10’6”

WINDSUP BOARD REVIEW

86 AUGUST 2019