Jimmy Lewis Sidewinder - will it, won't it DW

[Eagle]

Look at all the confusion you created UKRS.  Bad UKRS.   

But I thought you were trippin' too.   

[mrbig]

 They are not alone! Starboard, Fanatic, JP, Naish seem to make radical changes in bottom contours, rails, bow, tail. Methinks it might be marketing driven.

A new common theme seems to be a prone paddle board type nose. If these geniuses really were designing and testing in real world conditions why,did it take forever to figure that out?

[Eagle]

Yeah - it seems brands change up their boards a lot.  Just like cars.  Gotta tweak here - and gotta tweak there - to entice you to buy the latest and greatest.  Spin it good.  And buy this new board.  Because it really is the lastest and greatest!

But have noticed an incremental build quality standard.  As paddlers do not want their ridiculously priced race boards to only last one year like before.

Marketers must be marketers though - as that is how they put food on their table.  We seem to be ok with changes -> since we buy low and hold.  Also we use all our boards a lot.   

[mr_proper]

What we really need is a review from a middle of the pack paddler who bought their own board, not ambassadors and dealers trotting out marketing spiel.

I bought my own Sidewinder 14x25 and I'm not a ambassador or dealer of Jimmy Lewis.
And I fully agree with the review by Area10.

I started last year with paddling on a SIC Bullet TWC on flat water, bought a used JL Stiletto (14x28, 2014) because the Bullet isn't fast on flat water.
But the Stiletto wasn't fast than assumed and I bought a used Starboard Sprint (14x23, 2015).
In fact the Sprint was slower than the Stiletto, because I did not have the balance skills for this narrow board (yes on flat water it was very fast, but with some very little waves or in races, it meant a lot of swimming for me.
After a race I could test a Sidewinder 14x25 and it was great. Within 10 minutes, I decided to buy this board.
Meanwhile, I did two races with the Sidewinder. 19 km (lost mills) and 10km (Alps Trophy) without swimming
Ok, I'm not a fast paddler, because I have no technic and endurance. Drafting is a lucky game and I became slowly if the water isn't flat, buoy turns are a desaster or very slowly. So I was very happy with my average speed of 8.2 km/h and 8.4 km/h. This means there is potential to become faster ;-)
With the Sidewinder I have really fun and no stress and it is faster than the Stiletto. So a perfect choice for me.
I'm 51, 202 lbs and 6'.3".

Today I was able to increase the average speed in a 10km flat water race at 8.6 km / h. Again, the Sidewinder was super good-natured. Therefore, no swimming again

[surfssup]

How did you manage the average speed increase Mr Proper?

[mr_proper]

Not scientifically. Simply trip distance calculated by time.
I know that conditions like wind, current and so on in the game, but the conditions were quite similar in the last three races.
But yesterday were more buoys and I can't this good, so I would have to be a bit slower. But I was not.
In the last two races I have not drafted, because I had no one found with suitable speed. Because where I tried it, I was slower than alone.
I have mounted my GPS watch on my board so I can see heart rate, distance, average speed and current speed.

@Surfsup: Now I've read the question again and you mean something else;-)
My poor english, sorry;-))
I think it is due to the increasing race experience. In addition, I have practiced in recent weeks sprint starts and generally worked at the paddling technique. And a few balancing exercises were also there.

[viatormundi]

Has more people tried the Sidewinder 14 lately? I am interested in the 25" wide version.