DSD Stallion 5'4 - anyone rode it?

[ulx]

So, aside from strapless airs, how does the Stallion compare with a Vanguard for all-round use - lowend, chop, driving jibes, smaller waves, larger waves etc.?

Or, what I find more interesting, how does it compare to the vader.

[Flyboy]

I was assuming it is more similar to the Vanguard than the Vader .

[ulx]

I was assuming it is more similar to the Vanguard than the Vader .

I very much hope not! I am not a big fan of the vanguard but think the vader is a fantastic board. And the Stallion is attractive to me because it seems to be more robust. Well, at least that's what DSD clames. More or less.

[nicor]

As I understand the stallion is more like the Vader. Both boards have lot of rocker. I've never used a vanguard, but more than one person has told me it's bouncy in chop, so it was immediately a no go for me and my bad knee.

But I have tried a Vader 5 3, which was set up as a thruster and I was impressed with that board. What I remember was it was super fast, nible and not too bouncy. I only used it for like 30 min, 15-20 knots. It still bounced more than I would like, but probably acceptable for others. I would choose my Roberts over the Vader.

The stallion is smoother for sure and I suspect far more durable. I didn't jump my friends Vader as I did want to damage it.

Sorry not much help comparing the stallion to the Vader, but that's my 2 cents

[Flyboy]

Although the tail of the Stallion looks more like the Vader, I was thinking that the rails were more parallel & the rocker line flatter more like the Vanguard ... but I may be completely wrong about that, it's hard to judge from online pics.

[effisk]

I just read the review of the Stallion on straplesskitesurfing and it prompted me to leave a true independent review here.

I own the Vanguard 5'2, Vader 5'1, and recently acquired the Stallion 5'2. I am 6'2 and 79kg.
I am not sponsored by any of these brands (I was a Firewire ambassador for about a year 4-5 years ago before the programme was shut down in Europe).

I have used these boards in various conditions, from 10 knots cross shore wind and 2m waves to 25-30 knots and big chop. I have about 10 sessions with the Stallion, 20 sessions with the Vader, and countless sessions with the Vanguard.

The Vanguard works slightly better than the Vader and the Stallion in lighter wind. It also has a better upwind ability. Not that the other two are bad at it - they're actually far better than your average kitesurf board in that regard.
The Vanguard is faster, but it his harder to make tight turns - the board wants to go straight and you have to put all your weight on your back foot to slow down and turn in bigger surf, which isn't ideal.

The Vader and Stallion are more closely related in terms of performances. The main difference between the two is the construction: the Stallion has more flex and that makes the board much more comfortable. It is also lighter which allows the board to stick to your feet when jumping; it makes all sorts of rotations easier to achieve. It has a decent amount of nose rocker which saved me from a few nose dives in the waves.

That being said, I find the Stallion prone to pressure dings, just like a regular PU surfboard. Mine is heavily marked when the Firewire don't have a scratch. Here's a photo of the hull side:

A friend told me his board has the same dings.

I don't have photos of the deck as it is covered with wax but there are large depressions between the PVC patches.

I also found the finish of the board very average, with deformed rails, see photos below.
It's a bit hard to make out as it is shot with my mobile but you can see that both the rail and the channel are curved. The tail has a negative rocker.



In short: I really enjoy the Stallion, and it is my board of choice for most conditions, but if you're looking for a long-lasting board, or a board that will keep some resale value after a year or so, I would probably go for the Vader.

[NorCalNomad]

What fins are those? Those pressure dings are gnarly for a kite surfboard.

[Da Yoda]

What fins are those? Those pressure dings are gnarly for a kite surfboard.

Scarfini quad fins - Small

[ulx]

...
In short: I really enjoy the Stallion, and it is my board of choice for most conditions, but if you're looking for a long-lasting board, or a board that will keep some resale value after a year or so, I would probably go for the Vader.

Hey effisk, thanks a lot for your info and the pics. Good to know. I ordered one of those some weeks ago. I should be able to try it beginning of July. The only other Stallion I have seen in real life looked pretty good. But after seeing your pics I am quite curious about how my board will look after some months.

[dirtybeach]

I own a 5'5" Vader, and rode a 5'4" stallion the other day.
I found the boards are very similar in all aspects. If anything, the stallion has a little bit better low end, and the Vader pivots better off the tail.

As far as the bottom dings on the stallion, apparently the v2 addresses that.

End of the day, you can't go wrong with either board.