JL Stiletto 14

[dingfix]

Hi, I'm struggling to find reviews of this board, anyone ridden one?  My intended use would be fast flatwater cruising, I'm 200lbs.  Interested in its stability esp in chop.  Also, I had an old board with a similar nose, it was always getting pushed off the wind.  How does the Stiletto handle that?  Thanks.

[Muskoka SUP]

Bumpity bump bump.... Anyone?    I would like to further the inquiry to include the Stiletto 12-6... Thoughts??? Love?? hate??? Fast?  A slug?? Weak sauce?  Tough as nails... ?

Somebody throw us a bone...

[Weeble]

I have always heard that the quality was really good for the JL brand.  Down in south Florida we had a locally sponsored racer.  Back in 2012 she was on a 12.6 Slice.  She loved it and did very well on it.  Then, in 2014 they put her on a Stiletto 12.6 and she struggled.  I'm not sure if she left JL, or they dropped her or whatever, but she's now on another brand.  I'll say this, she is one of those that no matter how good or bad she races, places or not, she is always happy... smiles, laughs, and hugs for all of the competitors.  But that changed when she went onto the 2014 Stiletto.  It seemed that it really gave her trouble in the confused slop that we can get in South Florida.  She was very unhappy on that board.  I believe that they did something with the shape... maybe a slightly rounded bottom or something.  I ran into  similar issue with one of the older Fanatic Fly 14' Open Water Race boards.  In confused chop, side chop and even boat wakes on the intracoastal, that slightly rounded bottom was a real issue for me and I ended up selling it and going to a board with a flatter bottom.  Now of course, the shapes change every year, so the newer ones are probably different.  But down here, the two 12.6 boards that had the slightly rounded bottoms... the JL Stiletto and the Hovie Comet... were only kept long term by some of the more experienced/ gifted paddlers.  The rest of the folks that got them seemed to sell them fairly quick.

[Muskoka SUP]

Thanks Weeble.  Good info, as I am going to test paddle one prior to my wife trying it as a possible replacement for her tried and true (but heavy) SB Freerace.  That being said, it's the 290 (30" version) that is of interest.  She's looking for a similarly stable board, but lighter so she can easily lift it on and off her car.  I'm guessing that any hint of roundness in the bottom would negate the width contribution to stability. 

Regardless, I'll chime in here after I paddle it on the w-end. 

[robon]

Weeble,

It would be interesting to know what width Stiletto the racer was using. The Stiletto comes in three widths going from 30", 28.5" and 27.5". As far as I know, the Slice was either a 29 or 30" wide board. The marketing advertised both widths. If said racer went from a 29 or 30" wide Slice, to a 27.5" wide Stiletto, then she might have experienced a big difference in stability in all conditions.

[photofr]

I have used the Stiletto for about 7 months; the 14'x27" version.
All together, I put about 800 km on that board - and it was a lot of fun.

First and foremost: I would not at all recommend it for feather-weight riders (under 60 kg) - but otherwise, it's quite good.

PROS
It's now an older design, but it works very well. It has a sunken deck, to maximize stability. It has 2 scupper holes to drain any remaining water.

The bow is a piercing bow - always my favorite. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough weight on it to take advantage of it (both nose and tail would be out of the water when i wasn't touring).

Speaking of touring: this makes for a remarkable touring board - hands down!
It's also super easy to lock it up with its holes.

Speed-wise, it's not slow. I sold mine to a very tall and heavier fellow: he loved it and marked his fastest time on that board. Though, keep in mind, it's not really a racing board (at all).

I found it to have enough stability to use in the ocean and take photos while standing - in 15-25 km/h winds, small seas.

Regarding the chop, I felt that the JL handled the chop quite well.

The board surfs really well (and is super fun) on tiny 0.5 meter swells.

Construction was bomb-proof (sandwich / carbon). However, it was the heaviest 14' board that I have ever owned.

I am sure that this board has its place in someone's garage - and that it would make many happy paddlers. I would recommend the rider to be on the heavy side in order to make the most out of this board.

CONS
I don't like the diamond mat on the deck - but that's really a personal thing. I just find it hard as can be.

Not enough rocker on big days, but too much rocker for flat water paddling.

Hope this helps… here are couple of photos.







Look carefully at the last photo: the lack of weight on the board (with this 65 kg woman) isn't enough to keep the bow down. This board is not as efficient as it could be in flat water. I conclude that this board does better in the ocean on normal days.

[Muskoka SUP]

Paddled the 12-6 x 30 Stiletto today in some pretty messed up waves, a mix of wind blown chop and boat wake...
Yup, it rolls a little.  But the secondary stability was rock solid.  It has very soft rails tucked under, so cross chop just rolls under.  It paddles upwind very smoothly and quietly, the nose is quite refined and passes through waves without a hint of hesitation.  Your feet get wet, but the water is quickly drained through the scuppers..
Best of all is its weight... Advertised as 23 lbs +\ -  , my guess is that it isn't any more than 24 or so.  The build was stiff without a hint of flex.  The quality was impressive, but in this case you're getting what you pay for.   

[mr_proper]

Since yesterday I have a stiletto from 2014. I tested it in a lot of wind and waves and it is very stable and nonproblematic handling. The stability nearly the same as that of my Bullet.

Long distance test in flat water are still pending.

The preowner with 175lbs wasn't heavy enough to bring the complete lenght of the board into the water.
But for me with 200 lbs and 6.3ft/193cm it works perfekt.