Tkb Review: 2022 NAISH Drive

Sizes Available: 134×41, 138×41.5, 142x42cm
Sizes Tested: 134x41cm

Naish Says:

The Drive takes the Motion’s proven shape and outfits it with a super high-performance construction. A full 3K lightweight carbon layup gives the board incomparable reflex characteristics which puts you completely in control of your board, no matter what you throw at it. These attributes are making the drive an increasingly popular option for our team in the big air discipline.

If big air isn’t your thing don’t worry, the Drive is also the perfect ride to cruise around on, with a comfortable medium rocker, gradually tapered rails for excellent grip, and a light, responsive feel underfoot. If you want to be the owner to one of the lightest boards on the beach, while having instant access to high-performance freeriding, get on the Drive and feel the difference.

Visit for more info: www.naishkites.com/product/drive/

TKB Says:

With plenty of grip in the tail and a high-end construction that peels off the extra weight, Naish’s Drive was a tester favorite. Light and responsive with a stronger flex pattern, the Drive will help you push you to your freeride limits.

The Drive is designed with the same bottom shape as the Motion. It has a triple concave bottom with a short bevel/channel along the rail and comes with 5cm Naish fins and three inserts for adjusting stance width that are centerline mounted. Its slick carbon construction makes it an incredibly lightweight board that’s apparent from the moment you pick it up off the beach. The Drive feels really fast through the water with a solid locked-in feel that gives you a lots of grip from the bottom channeling combined with the medium-sized fins. Designed with careful attention to its lower weight, the Drive feels active and responsive to all your inputs.

Everything from upwind riding to load and pop feels precise and easy to initiate, although the stiffer flex pattern really delivers when you load more energy into jumps. With just the right amount of rocker, the Drive blazes upwind fast with good chop handling but really scores points on its load and pop with good edge control through the release. The board’s lighter deck really become apparent when you launch into the air. Its lower swing weight makes it easier to pull off every freestyle move from board-offs, grabs and extra rotations. The Drive doesn’t weigh on your feet and makes the entire big air experience much more comfortable.

Whether you are a casual freerider who wants a light board with good grip and control that is fun to carve, or a megaloop fiend who needs a board that can handle power and big launches while feeling light on the feet, the Drive is one of our favorite boards that will allow you to explore your limits while remaining comfortable and easy to handle.

Pads and Straps
The Drive came with Naish’s acclaimed Apex pad and strap system. Universally loved by our test team, the Apex bindings are rounded and comfy with a plush rubbery feel that give you lots of grip and cupping in the footbed while keeping your foot firmly in place during the most critical maneuvers. The Apex uses various foam inserts that allow you to dial in the level of density in the footpad when you set up your board. Naish offers two pad sizes to choose from (shoe sizes 5-12 and 9-15) and there’s a subtle toe bump to keep your toes locked in place. The straps feature quad adjustment that allow you to dial in the shape and tension over your foot and the mounts can move forward and back in the frame to get the straps perfectly situated over your foot. The Apex is one of the top pad/strap options on the market and has consistently earned high marks with our test team for their comfort and control that gives you a supremely solid connection to your board.

Visit for more info: https://www.naishkites.com/product/apex/