Starting its second season in production, the Vector
is Naish’s all-terrain vehicle, designed to perform in
any role, from onshore wave riding, through bumpand-
jump sailing and into freeride. Despite being
renamed the 100, it is essentially the same as last
year’s Vector 98, with a thin squared-off tail, full rails
in the mid-section and a fair amount of volume
distributed in its rounded nose. Sharp and
aggressive in appearance, it is constructed in a new
glass/wood sandwich technology incorporating a
railband for additional durability, and comes with a
new deckpad including built-in heel bumpers.
Ride and Handling
Stable at idle, the Vector can be released onto the
plane early but requires the rider to get forward so as
to stop the tail sinking. With the footstraps in their
outboard settings, it accelerates rapidly and likes to be
loaded, the fin supplying a great deal of drive to push
against. The hull is noticeably quite stiff and rigid
underfoot, making the ride clattery and sharp. This is
where the deckpads come into play, absorbing much
of the harsh feedback and cushioning the ride over
confused sea states. On top of this, the contours in
the deckpads fit the arch of the rider’s feet superbly,
making the ride secure whilst detracting from the
influence of the hard footstraps. As such, what you are
left with is a fast, exciting and captivating ride; getting
the adrenaline flowing, it imparts the sensation that
you are constantly flying around at break-neck speed,
capable of taking anyone on in a drag race.
Experimenting with inboard straps, it does significantly
alter the character of the board, although in
overpowered conditions, we feel the board prefers
being used in a bump-and-jump role, the rider
adopting a commanding stance and continually
driving off the fin; try to sail it at half speed with an
upright posture and the tail begins to walk.
Manoeuvres
Set up with inboard straps (the back strap needs to
be offset around the powerbox insert), the Vector
feels increasingly alert and responsive to changes
in foot pressure. Reacting best to an assertive
gybing style with the rider getting well forward, it
flies out of the turn without giving the tail a chance
to stall. Used for freestyle, the 100 feels a little out
of place, popping well, but offering little room for
error, the thin tail catching if the rider’s stance isn’t
spot on. We also found the Naish straps particularly
stiff, making it hard to remain in contact with the
board in manoeuvres where forces are pulling you
in separate directions, such as flat-water loops. As
such, the Vector is essentially a fast and exciting
freeride board, with enough manoeuvre and
response to handle any coastal environment.
Verdict
The Vector 100 provides a fast and involving
ride, best suited for those with a locked in
sailing style, looking for an exciting bumpand-
jump board to blast around in a
coastal environment.
