IS Keenan vs Phase 5 Danielo Pro Carbon/Daimond
 

Been doin alot of research and such on these two boards,don't have a way to ride both and make choice, so lookin for input from those who have riden them and pros and cons ect...
Have spoken to wakemitch about them but hoping to get more input before I make purchase. RIders in the 125-185lbs range,experienced. Riden a few skims and love the feel (mainly a IS Black Pearl) Want one we won't "grow out of" and to progress on.

I am considerably heavier than you, but ride the P5. I don't think I can progress beyond that board. I have not been on the Keenan, so I cannot compare for you. I do know that you will learn to ride the P5 well and the board is probably capable of more than you are.

Brian, you wont grow out of either of those boards. Drew Danielo and Keenan Flegel are the top skim riders in the sport and they shred on those boards. They each have different characteristics which comes down to personal preference, but they are both capable of any maneuvers you can imagine.

Not so much worried about the growing out of them issue as much as hopin to get some feedback/opinions from soem who have rode the boards. Mitch you know I respect where your comin from man,, just looking for a little more input :) Trying to get my head around the characteristics of both to decide which is best choice for us. I will be stoked with either I'm sure,but,,, may as well get input while I can, before I order a board from ya.

wake9 in May...

Drew,, ??? Fill me in more,I must be missing something.

demo boats and boards at camp Far West in May

May 17-20th at Camp Far West will be the West Coast Wakesurf Open. Wake9 and California Marine Sports put on the event. Besides being one of the biggest pro competitions with a huge payout, it is also a demo and sale event. CMS brings all their boards for demo and sale so people can try everything back to back. Brands available are: Inland Surfer, Shred Stixx, Phase 5, Calibrated, Soulcraft, Victoria, Walker Project, Triple X, and Liquid Force. There are also pro clinics. Riders can sign up to get two 15minute sessions with one of the top pros. You get to be on the boat for 2 hours with a pro and 3 other riders (with a similar riding style and skill level) so that you can learn from each other and have a great time.

It's the only event of its kind and people travel from all over the country to go.

Tige will pull the event. The Z3 will be the contest boat this year.

all three boards
 

I have ridden all three boards and I own the P5 pro carbon size large. I am masters rider and I weigh 180-185. I have been riding my board for a little over a year now. I had one ride on the Keenan and it was ok, but I felt a bit small. Similarly, I had one ride on the diamond and felt it spun slightly more easily than the Pro Carbon. If I had to buy sight unseen right now, I would buy the Diamond. I intend to demo the diamond again and ride mine back to back for a fair comparison.

Dennis C. , We have spent most of our skim ride time on a IS Black Pearl. Can you compare your experience on these boards to that one in some fashion that I can get my mind around? The IS Black Pearl we rode alot was a 4'5" model so it was smallish for some of us. All input appreciated.

boards
 

I have never ridden the Black Pearl, so I have not idea about how it might compare. For skim style I have a Walzer and a Hyperlite Swell, neither of which compares to the three original boards.

I had the Black Pearl and now have the Carbon Pro. The Black Pearl isnt as fast down the line or as stable but it was easier to kick out and slide..it had a looser feel to it. I just cant seem to get the Drew to slide as easily but I just got it near the end of the season. I would really like to try the Keenan!

I too am trying to decide bewtween the diamond and the keenan. I"m looking fo good speed, and easy to spin.

In regards to those two qualities: they are both easy to spin, but the Diamond is faster.

Good to know! I think the Large size in the diamond is what I should go with.. I think its cheaper then the keenan aswell. bonus!

If you need a large Diamond then the Keenan is too small anyways. The Keenan only compares to the 51" (small) Pro Carbon or Diamond. Any other size and it is apples to oranges. Inland Surfer doesnt have a high end skim larger than the Keenan, which is 51".

I"m 5'11 170lbs so I Was just guessing on the large.

A 51" board would be your best fit. I wouldnt recommend a larger board unless your wave is lacking. You lose performance when you ride a board too big. It is less responsive and more to spin.

so the small then your saying?

Yeah. you will like the response. If you were over 180 I would say the 54", but even then the 51" is very doable.

so I shouldn't have any issue with the 51 then, its about the same size as the keenan. Your saying the diamond is faster board?

Yeah. The Diamond is faster than the Keenan. But they both have a different feel to them and perform a little bit different, but those are totally personal preference things that are very hard to describe. The Keenan has an amazing feel due to the composite sandwich construction (same as a flyboy) that makes it a favorite for a lot of people.
Its hard to know those subtle differences for sure without demoing, but either of those boards is a solid choice IMO

hmm... would you say the diamond is a lot faster? or just a bit? I have inland surfer squirt, and sweet spot now. The squirt is the board we use to teach on, but its decently fast, as is the sweet spot. I"ve never been on a phase 5

It's a noticeable difference in speed, but not huge