Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder Review

I had been struggling with getting the right 14ft board for a while. Most recently I had a Starboard Ace 14 x 25 and a Blue Planet Bump Racer 14x 25.5. Both unreal boards in their own right. The ace was a perfect downwind board on the Lake but a little unstable for me in the ocean. The Bump racer was unreal in all conditions when the wind was cranking but like a lot of people I was seeking a race board that had more versatility. I hadn't really planned on buying a race board as I was surfing more. I had a conversation with Rob Gittoes and had one of the new 14 x 25 Sidewinders on the water pretty quickly.

I had tried the 14 x 23 Sidewinder when it originally came out however had concerns about the black finish and the flex of the board. The current sidewinders appear to have minimal flex however once on the water the flex that is in the board works so well with assisting the board to get onto bumps.

The board is 276 Litres. I found this to be better for me than a lot of boards with lower volume. I am 85kg and this volume is perfect for me. The board slips across the top of the water in the flat. I was really surprised with how quick it was. I have used it with a VMG Mako 35 and paddled it in around 20 knots of wind to date. It is far better than any board I have paddled into and side on to the wind. The bulbous nose pierces effortlessly through any chop without compromising stability. I haven't had the opportunity to do a decent downwinder yet however going off what I have done, the sidewinder picks up bumps easily and rides the troughs really well. I'm looking forward to getting it into a decent southerly and seeing how it runs. My thoughts are that it still won't link runners as well as a dugout but it will be pretty dam close.

The finish of any of the Jimmy Lewis boards is better than anything on the market. We all know that. It is extremely light, beautifully finished and well balanced. I have had no issues with stability in the ocean which has allowed me to paddle more efficiently as I am not losing my technique. I rode some waves in our local channel at Swansea and the board performed so well. It is very user friendly.

My opinion of this board is that it is suitable for someone that wants an true all-round board without the hassle of dragging multiple boards to a race. It is light, stable and very quick. They are so eye catching and comfortable to paddle. The only downside I can see at the moment is they will be slightly behind a dugout in a downwinder. Having said that they would cream a dugout in an other conditions imo.

I'm not tied up with Jimmy Lewis but am pumped that I have had the opportunity to give this board a good go. It's better than any other all round board I have been on.

Hey MickeyB, stoked you like your new Sidewinder....
Great photos too....Very arty...