Saul Custom boards PURE 3.0 wood review

Shape and build quality

The board displays a mix of wake- and kiteboard-inspired shapes: a subtle three-stage medium rocker with analogous outline that straightens up at the mid-section, single concave, two center and four tip channels, medium flex and pulled-up tips. Build quality is top-notch: clean finish, boot compatible inserts and a lifetime warranty that vouches for its durability. The external protection layer is among the strongest amid brands, shielding the graphic layer and keeping the colors vivid throughout the board's lifetime. Plus, you get to personalize it if you want, from the insert configuration down to the flex pattern! Simply awesome.

Custom graphics

As can be seen on the pictures, the artworks really make the custom board pop out on the beach among the bulk of generic board designs, especially in the sunshine. This result is of course due to the 100% originally designed and handpainted work, in contrast with the impersonal photoshop-processed images you'll find on any big brand's boards. Worth noting though is that, in the case of Saul's boards, contrast-rich designs offer better results as the wood can be seen through the lighter parts. Contact us to know which board manufacturers offer the best results for more nuanced prints.

First ride

When getting on the PURE 3.0 for the first time, most noticable is its user-friendliness. While stiff performance boards typically ask for more active rider input and strength, this one makes you feel comfortable right away amidst the chop. Exploring its potential, however, proved to be quite surprising...

Performance in choppy waters

The PURE could be summarized as having two personalities, each with it's own temperament. It handles chop exceptionally well. This magic thing happens where the nose always points over the chop - generating virtually no spray at all - without you having to adjust. It looks like a flying carpet that cleanly overcomes every obstacle by itself. Truly a unique and distinct riding quality. Tracking upwind effortlessly at moderate speed, it makes you enjoy the ride in a relaxed stance. Loose but not too skatey, it constantly teases you into playing around and jumping anytime. Which brings us to its ultimate quality: jumping!

Flat water and jumping

Throw the power of the kite in it, and you'll discover its wakestyle qualities and explosive response. This might well be the less water-sticky board you ever tried, jumping on a dime at any speed. Capable of instantly accelerating to top speed, in "manual clutch" fashion, the benefits of its three-stage rocker best come forward in flatter waters. It pops with amazing ease and control, while also aggressively when well powered up. Just be aware that this board was cleary designed with boots in mind and therefore go one size smaller than your usual for big air with pads, or move your pads slightly to the heelside to support the center channels. While its true potential gets unveiled in the mid-high windrange, unlike most performance boards, the user doesn't pay off comfort for performance. This is especially noticable in chop and during landings. Very remarquable is the fact that those seemingly opposite performance aspects - cosy freeride vs aggressive wakestyle/big air - could be blended into the same board with only little compromise. Ironically, it isn't a "pure" style, but is shaped with such insight that you get both the comfort or kick out of it when you want to. The unique shape and flex pattern make up for a really clever design.

So who will love it?

It's the kind of board where, once you tried it, you'll hardly ever want anything else. A playful, yet accessible ride with high-end features that will literally keep boosting you to new hights. Unless going for a more uncompromising performance shape, this one fits the bill for anyone with jumping and doing tricks on their mind. On top of that, custom handpainted graphics truly propel it to a whole new level visually!

Ian C.