Slingshot Flying Fish V2

Slingshot is leaning into the one board quiver with the re-vamped Flying Fish V2. Sporting a wider outline with a little added volume, combined with a flatter rocker, the Flying Fish V2 is designed to be a prone paddling wave catching machine with versatility for wing foiling.

Slingshot has done a great job with their shipping and packaging with the Flying Fish V2 arriving in a plastic-free shipping box that was well padded and thoughtfully packed. Initially the versatility of the design is apparent in the foot strap insert configuration which allows for up to three footstraps (two Y in the front and one in the back) as well as a variety of spacing and offsets. There are only three holes for each insert in the front, and four in the rear – stance adjustability is slightly limited for riders with extremely wide, or narrow stances. Footstraps are not provided with the Flying Fish V2 but the insert appears to be the standard footstrap insert that is widely used across the water sports industry.

The Flying Fish V2 has a very wide outline for the relative length and holds this width from the shoulders of the board all the way down through the hip and into the tail. With a very subtle bottom chine, this will provide excellent stability and added volume to facilitate the “take off” phase of both prone paddling, and wingfoiling.

Constructed with an EPS core and carbon reinforcements, the Flying Fish V2 feels very solid, but it is no feather weight with the 4’6 test model weighing in at 9.2lb. While most of this weight is balanced towards the tail/foil box section of the board, there is still some noticeable weight with this construction. An EVA corduroy deck pad covers almost the whole deck which is grippy but not too thick and feels nice under the feet.

The Flying Fish V2 was tested both prone and wing foiling. Wave conditions ranged from one to four feet. Rider is 6’4 170lb, prone foiled with 1300 surf foil, wing foiled with 900 surf foils.

Slingshot is targeting multiple discipline riders that want to simplify their quiver and have one board to do it all. The Flying Fish V2 covers all grounds, and is easy to ride prone foiling, wing foiling, or behind the boat/ski. The wide outline and higher volume make paddling into waves so easy, and the flatter rocker means the board will catch waves much earlier allowing riders to get up on foil quicker to enjoy longer rides. This wider outline and overall weight does come at a slight cost to the high end performance, reducing how aggressive the rider can be through the turns and requiring a bit more input to pull the nose around, but the chined rails bounce great if you push the board a bit too far.

Wing and tow foilers will appreciate the stability when sinking the board. The increased surface area means deep water starts require less wind and power as the board wants to float up. Riders on the edge between sizes may prefer to opt for the smaller choice as there is sufficient surface area to make up for a reduction in volume. Similar to the feeling when prone foiling, the added width does take some adjustment and reduces how aggressive riders can be in their rail-to-rail surfing, but the forgiveness of the chined rails gives confidence when pushing the board hard.

The track and footstrap position felt pretty good, being a tall rider with a relatively wide stance, a small increase in adjustability would be nice when strapped riding foils on the small or large size range, but for most average height/stance riders with foils in the middle size range there is adequate spacing and adjustability to tune everything in perfectly.

Overall, the Flying Fish V2 is an excellent board for riders looking for a one-board quiver, prone foilers that want to catch waves early and easily, or wingfoilers looking for a sinker board that will facilitate the deep-water start. Advanced riders may prefer to exchange the ease of riding for something a bit narrower, but there is a whole lot to like with the ease of use and versatility of the Flying Fish V2.