VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Looking at picking up some new to me sails. I would like to get either Ezzy's or Sailworks Revo's as I have heard/seen alot of good things about both. Any input about either would be appreciated.

Hey Chew-dude, not sure if you wanna add Severne's to your list but Bosun's has some great deals on used and new sails right now on their '05 discounts. They are great looking and feeling sails. I'm sure Paul would let you take one for a spin if you're considering it...??

Chewy, you're probably talking a lot of personal preference and body weight differences, I'm sold on Sailworks (Revo's & Retro for big gear) and the full Gaastra's (Poison style) because of their low end and great range however Ezzy's amaze me at times in terms of their ability to depower.
Ezzy's don't do much for me as our waves are usually small (no real need to fully depower) and I'm a heavier weight so I need more to get going and don't mind a bit of jank on the wave faces.
Knowing your weight and that you live near CB maybe Ezzy's for you would be a better choice for smaller sail sizes 5 down but for Nitinat/Nimpkish for example Sailworks or Gaastra all the way. My 2 bits

one thing for certain, if you get a revo you will have a much easier time finding post session snaps of yourself amongst all the wave SE's on the CB webcam.

Hi Chewy,

I really think you can't go wrong with either sail brand.

In my experience, I've found Ezzys to be soft, releasy, and forgiving (all good qualities in high wind). This makes them a bit less responsive or dynamic (some might even say "mushy" compared to a monofilm sail), but these qualities are nice if the conditions are heavy/nasty. It used to be that the Ezzys were gutless in the low end, but the last two incarnations have been decently punchy (though still not quite as punchy as a dedicated freestyle monofilm sail). Ezzys have always been excellent in the upper end of their ranges and remain smooth even overpowered through nasty chop. The draft stays put even when you should be on something smaller. I really like the way the Ezzys dump power quickly when landing a backloop or other maneuvers where the sail gets loaded up quickly and excess energy needs to be bled off in a hurry. This feature simply allows for more control of the sail. The visibility through the Ezzys is fantastic when going down the line. Some sails have huge cloth panels that obstruct your vision.

Sailworks have long been known well for their ranginess and tunability. They get going quickly and hang in well in the overpowered stuff. While they seem to be punchy sails, there is a certain something missing from them (in my opinion of course) that makes them less maneuverable than the Ezzy's. This could purely be subjective, but it does seem like more guys who have to pay for their sails and like to sail waves or rip swell seem to be on Ezzys. I had Sailworks Revo 8s and loved them, but having switched to Ezzys I'd have a hard time going back. Having said this, if there is a better sail for the kind of sailing I do, I want to try it! I'm not so loyal to one brand that I wouldn't be willing to try other sails. The Hotsails Superfreaks have me intrigued, though the visibility issue seems like a bit of a negative factor (though I've yet to actually try one).

I'd say try to demo some of the SWX and Ezzys as well as Severnes, as Bobson suggests. You are more than welcome to hop on my sails next time I'm at CB. These days the sail you decide on buying is more dictated by price, as all of the wave and highwind sails by the top manufacturers are so good.

Good luck!

The latest Windsurfing mag has an interesting review of the Sailworks Hucker. They are made purposefully to have very little twist, so you can sail a square metre size below what you might normally use, plus it will boost huge air with the top of the sail contributing power. But they are admittedly tricky to sail, and want a light fast board that can accelerate to absorb the energy - sounds like you are likely to have a high-speed catapault if you use them with wave boards with lots of rocker. Interesting concept, sounds like "Retro" would have been a more suitable name! I think I'll dig my 1988 Neil Pryde speed sail out to try at Nitinat next summer, should have very similar characteristics.

I think it is a feel thing. I have all Ezzys , from 4.2 SE Wave up to an 8.5 Ezzy Infinity. The 8.5 feels like a 6.5. I had Sailworks and they seemed heavy to me compared to the Ezzys. Gaastra feels light as well. As for top end....my 8.5 is probably not the fastest but neither am I. And the Ezzys look better after a couple of seasons, whereas other sails seem to be thrashed.

well, I think we can solve the one mystery....your 8.5 actually IS a 6.5

Tis a well-known fact that Ezzy sizing seemed high when compared to sails with similar sizing/power My Ezzy 5.0 was a great sail but it had the guts of a 4.2....and also felt like it nice and small, kinda like ......a 4.2 There was a time when I considered writing 4.5 on the sailbag to remind me

Chewy: I have a 4.8 Sailworks that is in good shape if you are looking to buy a good used sail $225.00. ( Revo) Has a great range with power when rigged lose and depower when rigged flat. You can take it and try it if you like. call me 250 661-1109
Dave...