A Rocket! 
Who should buy this board?
- anyone who is half serious about Down Wind Fun, Down Wind Racing, Flat Water Training, Open Touring, or River Exploring.
What would I choose first, between the Naish 17, and Naish Javelin 14?
- Definitely the 17 for me. It does so much more than the Javelin 14.
How is the maneuverability of such of long board?
- excellent ! The soft rails up front and the rudder allow it to turn on a dime, yet it points very straight when you want it to go straight.
Conditions today?
- only about 10 knots on a large enclosed bay. But it was able to hold onto some really small runners, and in these conditions it appeared to easily leave the Naish 14 Glide behind.
Weight?
- roughly the same as the Naish Glide 14 AST.
Stability?
- was I standing on a Pool Table, or the HMAS Balikpapan (aircraft carrier) ?
Stability - somewhere between excellent and sublime. 
If my grandmother was alive, she wouldn't fall off!
We swapped boards on the open water, had two on the 17 for a moment, and didn't even come close to going in.
Speed?
- very fast. Responded very well when you bust your gut, and it just keeps getting faster.
(more to come)
Speed?
- very fast. Responds extremely well when you bust your guts, and it just keeps getting faster.
Down Wind Speed?
- we didn't get serious on the stop watch, but it was said we covered 6.0km in 35 minutes, and the 1st kilometer is calm, and a fair bit of chit chat goes on, whist we cruise and get aligned with the "destination", including 3 extended pauses waiting for slightly slower vessels !! 
Conditions were 25 knots !! So I completely agree that 5 minutes kilometers can easily be laid down on 17's.
Also;
We've been able to put it through some timed runs now - flat water Pylon Runs!, and it's a quantum leap forward from the Naish 14. However, the 14 does have big rocker for serious down winding, and it does "push" water a touch when touring.... However, the 14 was submitting times of 3:00 against the 17 at 2:15. Same course, comparable conditions, paddler, and paddle. 25% to 33% quicker on flat water, depending on how you like your mathematics.
(Note: quite a while back we started out with lazy arsed times around 3:40 on the 14, but that quickly went in to 3:15).
2.25 dived by 3 = .75 or 75% of the time, 25% faster.
3 divided by 2.25 = 1.33 or 33% slower....
Lets just run with 25% to 33% for arguments sake, ..... conditions, paddler engine, paddle used....
(Note: this is about 10km/hr on the 17).
Is the new 17 Down Wind Glide going to be lighter ???
- Well I don't know the answer to that, but I'm going to run with "yes", for now... The 17 "Mach 1" does have a fairly thick coat of fibreglass and resin and filler, and paint, over that layer of Carbon (but the word "kevlar" has been thrown around the table.... But I think it is carbon, as per manufacturers guide). But, I think they can go lighter without too much expense.
Improvements / suggestions ???
- i think the rudder system is a fraction too far back, and an easy fix for this would be an after market "boomerang arm", to make the arm finish 3-4 inches further up the board. I tested it at this point with my toe, and you still get good leverage.
(rudder system is adjustable, at the furtherest setting forward, it is pretty right for Down Wind, but for touring you could go 1 foot further forward, easy ! )
Next time, we'll drop some times from standing behind/at the rudder, compared to standing astride the rudder, and standing infront of the rudder.
If I had to choose 1 Naish Glide, what would it be???
- a custom 15 or 16 with a quick release rudder system, and a fin box with a blank plate option further back....
- no seriously, it would be a coin toss between the 14 & 17 (and the Javalin can go and jab itself up my bum hole !!... the 17 is roughly as quick, and a whole heap more versatile!)
Would I buy one???
- Bloody oath I would, and I did !!!
A foot note from DK: "Want race winning performance off the shelf? This is the ticket!"
-Dave Kalama
(sorry for the diatribe, when Dave summed it up in 1 sentence! )
(I'll get the rocker dimensions, so you can see the massive difference in rocker between the 14 & 17)
(more to come)
Interesting
as when I was investigating the difference DJ and Jenkz both reckoned the 14 was the better way to go for lighter conditions and the 17 was better for heavier ie big swell and wind.
Hummmm got the 14 which I find goes really well in lighter small chop. Fits in the river runners really well. but no expert
Hilly, you do raise an interesting point, which is kind of hard to answer concisely !! I'll try...
The 14 has more rocker, and harder rails, and is a very good board for serious down wind blasting. The 17 has less rocker, and yes, it does also perform in bigger swells, and in serious down wind conditions.
There is no doubt that the 17 is faster in DW & Flat than the 14 (for a strong male). In the flat, it carries a longer water line. In DW, the 17 catches runners earlier, and longer. In moderate to gentle down wind conditions, the 17 was again a mile faster than the 14 (waterline wins here I think).
So it is really a "Hands Down Misere" to the 17, in my opinion.
However, the 14 is a little lighter, a little shorter, and little easier to store, and a little bit more user friendly for starting out. The 14 can even surf along a little bit in small waves.... You'll fell like The Duke !!
But, so far when we have cranked out the stop watch, the 17 absolutely FLOGS the 14 !! Period !
DJ's old mistress is a darling, and I'm falling in love again !!
(PS - you might have noticed that I'm "not" the most concise person around!)
I've noticed DJ is using the 17 more. I'd like to hear an update from DJ on the pros and cons of each, now that he's been using them both for more than one year.
I was thinking the 17 for me and the 14 for the wife.
Just wail till you get the 17 up to full speed.. 
The 17 and 14 are very different boards and yet in some conditions it's hard to choose what board would be best.. The 14 will jump onto the plane in some conditions with just one or two paddle strokes where the 17 take a few more to get the big girl moving.. The 17 will also glide for much longer than the 14 but the 14 can be throw around on a runner better than the 17.. I think if you're on big lumpy ocean swells the 17 will leave the 14 for dead but in short steep wind swells the 14 come into its own and leaves the 17 feeling like you're trying to push a square peg into a round hole..
DJ
Remember that in racing, the 14 & 17 are usually in separate classes....
Also, the clean deck on the 14 allows you to walk everywhere, and you can surf the runners, and even modify direction in a surfing style. But on the 17, you are on the rudder quite a bit, and it is harder to turn if you do not use the rudder.
Here's a potential modification I would like. Picture of the Steering Arm, and the 2nd diagram shows a double steering arm, so you could potentially increase the standing range, whilst still being able to steer... But you don't want too much clutter on the deck either....
At Fisherman's Beach right now, just finished a 45 min paddle. Barely 5 knots, and on the runs back home the 17 was latching onto the small lumps, and with a bit of engine power assistance it was staying on the runners and gliding for maybe 30m or so...
A board built for speed!!
