Starboard Kode 86

“Very quick to get up and going - perhaps the quickest”

“Performance seemed to change to suit the conditions. It felt totally at home in both flat water and waves”

“Ride was a bit hard in chop, especially when well powered up”“Definitely the best board on the wave”

Summary

Like every Starboard we have tested so far, its clear that a great deal of thought has gone into the detailing of the Kode - it looks a very high quality product. The recommended mast track position works a treat and was once again spot on for this board.

The Kode excelled in this test for being a complete all-rounder with group leading performance in nearly every area. On flat water, it had the speed to handle any of the competition. In bump & jump it was fast, nimble and exciting to sail and on the wave face it was our firm favourite. What more can you ask?!

If we were to pick fault at all, it would be with the ride comfort in chop and top end control. The board feels stiff and hard underfoot and at times in chop, particularly when well powered on smaller sails, we felt that a slightly softer ride wouldn't go amiss. Starboard liken this to a ‘sports car’ ride however and say that they want to give the board a ‘performance’ feel.

Overall, the Kode is a real performer and has the competition matched or beaten in nearly every area.