Compare Groove Skate and Pro?

[IWantToFly]

Does anyone have experience they can share comparing the groove skate and the pro? I am treating myself to a fancy foil board and trying to figure out if the upgrade is worth it.

I am still a beginner foiler and just starting to regularly pull off jibes. I started with straps but now ride strapless and make most of my water starts without much trouble. I am currently on a low volume board that is about 135 cm with decent rocker. I rarely touch down when I am riding well. I was thinking of just getting the groove skate, but considering that I’m not going to spend the money to ship another board to the US from Italy, I was debating whether to just jump straight for the pro. I would prefer the concave deck, better pad, and the bottom profile of the pro, but jumping to 110 cm will obviously be a big jump. I ride in big chop and swell. Eventually I would like to start jumping on the foil as I do on my twin tip.

Any thoughts appreciated!

[Floating around]

The Pro sure does look nice! Price is not so different between the 2. Go for it!

[leeuwen]

Only ridden 10 minutes on a pro (I do have a very similar board in that size range, sab T35) but I have the regular skate version in L (130cm) on which I learned.

The pro should handle the forces of jumps better then the regular version (or at least that is what they say).
For what is worth: I have jumped with the non-pro skate without any issues at 75KG.
If you are on the heavy side I would certainly consider the pro for peace of mind for jumping.

Regarding size:
Yes the 110 will take a bit of getting used to. Less swing weight will make it more nimble but that has the drawback that mistakes have bigger impact on board angles usually ending up in more crashes.
I would say it 100-110cm range is a size to get for someone who is an intermediate foiler who is ok to sacrifice some progress speed learning new things for the benefits of a small board.
It still has enough volume so the setup will sit high enough in the water, so it is easy to spot and will come nicely downwind unless having a very floaty foil (then it might stay on its side).

For me comparing L size vs Pro size:
The main reason I love my smaller board is that it is so easy to travel with: lighter and fits a lot easier in my car.
It is also great for wave riding where you want a very lively board.
For jumping I dont mind either way: less weight is nice but it isn't a huge difference, landings are slightly easier with more volume (landing without any board touchdowns are hard to pull off)
For learning new things the L is still easier because the platform is a bit more stable. Also extreme low end board start is marginally better/easier with more volume.

Since my T35 has little to no rocker but my Groove does:
I do start to see some benefits to having no rocker, it all depends a bit on the situation:
With small touchdown during riding rocker is better.
However if the board starts to properly sink I think the rocker creates a huge amount of drag and then it *seems* to be it is easier to push through the water with no rocker.

Anyway, I don't think it will be a huge skill issue if you go for the Pro.
The moment you can ride a foil without touchdowns you can pretty much ride any board if you are ok with a bit of getting used to the twitchyness.
So it is more about weighing general drawbacks vs benefits of smaller boards...

[IWantToFly]

The Pro sure does look nice! Price is not so different between the 2. Go for it!

Thanks. That’s easy advice to follow!

[geokite]

Since my T35 has little to no rocker but my Groove does:
I do start to see some benefits to having no rocker, it all depends a bit on the situation:
With small touchdown during riding rocker is better.
However if the board starts to properly sink I think the rocker creates a huge amount of drag and then it *seems* to be it is easier to push through the water with no rocker.

I recently bought the Naish Microchip board. No rocker, it is completely flat. Compared to my Kanaha board (37"), it is significantly harder to water start. I didn't think the rocker would have that much of an affect on water starts. No room for error on touchdowns, so no wave riding or even large chop. Somewhat regret getting the board, but I'll alternate it with my Kanaha.