Tkb Review: DUOTONE Pace SLS Foilboard

Sizes Available: 3’11” x 18” – 17.2L, 4’2” x 18 1/2” – 20.1L, 4’6” x 18 5/16″ – 23.6L
Sizes Tested: 4’2 x 18 ½” x 2 1/8” – 20.1L

Duotone Says:

The Pace SLS comes in a completely new rigid carbon prepreg construction with a guarantee to achieve a very light, still durable board for such a dedicated carbon construction. The overall design of the board is not only shaped to be fast, but to have the most fun in all sorts of conditions and disciplines, therefore the lightweight construction is offering great feedback for speed, cruising or freestyle.

This special design offers some extra volume just in case you need it, a high nose rocker and a big surface area to make it as easy and comfortable to use as possible. These features in combination significantly increase the light wind performance and handling. Technically this board is state of the art, featuring a Track Four Way Mount, an air valve to protect the carbon construction when traveling and multiple foot strap options for your personal stance preferences.

Visit for more info: www.duotonesports.com/kiteboarding/boards/foilboards/pace-sls/

TKB Says:

With the SLS construction option finding its way into the Pace line of foilboards, you can choose from three different sizes to fit your size, conditions and confidence level. The SLS Pace delivers some solid volume and float while keeping the overall weight of the board extremely light for easy handling and nimble high performance in the air.

The Pace comes in Duotone’s prepreg carbon construction which makes the board extremely light to the touch. Carrying the Pace on the beach is noticeably easier and maneuvering through the shore break is far less hazardous when the board and the foil system are easily lifted over waves and moved without much exertion. The Pace features a fairly straightforward template with a bit of volume in the board for some added buoyancy and a fairly flat rocker in the back with some subtle rocker in the nose. The bottom shape uses a double concave with a spine in the center and the rails run have some solid thickness too them and feature the beveled angle that helps on unexpected touchdowns. The deckpad is split into two to help keep the weight down, with the back pad featuring a kick to keep your foot from sliding off. The deckpads have a fine corduroy texture that feels grippy and offers a somewhat plush feel while not interfering with the rider’s direct connection to the board. The Pace comes with strap inserts that has five front foot forward/aft options for ducked stance as well as down the middle options while your back foot strap has three options for choosing forward/aft positions.

The first thing we noticed is that the Pace SLS foilboard when paired with the Spirit SLS hydrofoil is luxuriously light and easy to maneuver in and out of the water. The board’s extra volume made waterstarts a bit easier because the board has some flotation which allows to get your feet lined up on the board before diving your kite. There’s a middle ground on board volume when it comes to waterstart position too large and it’s hard to maintain on edge, too small and it sinks and doesn’t push back against your feet. The Pace SLS offers a great blend of floatation that makes it even easier when you power up the kite and lift up onto the board.

The riding properties of the Pace SLS are great; the carbon construction gives you a solid base that offers very little flex and allows all your inputs to go straight into the hydrofoil for a direct feel. The flatter rocker section in the back allows for easier waterstarts and acceleration up to foiling speed and the scoop in the nose does a decent job of diffusing hard splashdowns. The bottom shape uses a double concave and spine down the center so the board doesn’t stick to the water and likes to release cleanly for smooth take-offs while the center spine works to break up water and soften hard slap-downs. The lower weight of the Pace accentuates the feel of flying and since we tested the middle-sized board in the line (4’2”) it felt like an excellent compromise between volume for getting started and remaining small with lower swing weight and a nimble feel.

We thoroughly tested the beveled rail on hard upwind tacks by planting the rail in the chop while riding upwind on hard edging angles. The rail was impeccably smooth and was amazingly stable without throwing us off balance. In this manner, the template was incredibly forgiving and prevented a lot of cartwheels and crashes.

The Pace SLS is one of our top foilboard choices with its moderate volume, nice light weight and user-friendly handling. With a bit of extra volume for easy waterstarts and solid stiffness that translates your foil’s forces directly to your feet, the Pace SLS is an excellent foil deck for riders of all skill levels. Whether you are going for your first rides or speeding through duck tacks, the Pace SLS offers a wide range of use and with its extra light construction you get a board with a ton of range that is still very agile and responsive.