Naish Odyssey DW

Our focus throughout the development of the Odyssey, our downwind board, was to design a versatile board that is quick to paddle up and nimble on foil in both short-period and long-period swell.

The main challenge was creating a bottom shape that is easy to rock and pump onto foil, while maintaining a low planing speed. We achieved this with two main design features, the Tri Plane Bottom and the Hybrid Rocker Line.

The Hybrid Rocker features a steeper entry rocker to fit into short, stacked bumps. Under the front foot through the back of the tracks, the rocker is flatter to keep the board accelerating. A slight tail lift behind the boxes adds clearance and helps the board accelerate when dropping into swell.

The Tri Plane Bottom uses three planes running from nose to tail. In the front third of the board, the two side planes feature concave that runs into a hard lower rail, while the center has a slight convex hull. This improves maneuverability while paddling and helps water separate when bouncing the board onto foil. In the middle section, the side planes transition from concave to straight chamfers and the center plane flattens, which helps the board keep accelerating until the foil engages. In the back third, the lower rail lifts, the center plane gets smaller, and the side planes pull the tail into a V. This supports smooth pumping and helps prevent unwanted tail engagement when the foil starts to fly.

These features, combined with a narrow outline and even volume distribution, create a stable board that accelerates quickly and makes progression easier. Development was finalized with Andrew Gibbons to ensure the Odyssey is ready for a wide range of conditions, from a weekend cruise to top-level racing like the M20 World Championship.