MISTRAL TRUELY SUCKS!!!!!

mirhosseini · Joined: 18 Jul 2000 Posts: 14

If youre planning to buy
a mistral board please think again!!

Please refer to the message titled:MISTRAL IS BAD! VERY BAD!! ON
5\24\00.

I assure you, youll be happy that you have not wasted your money on a heavily advertised inferior product and even lousier Customer Service Dept!!

Mistral is BAD!! VERY BAD!!!!

berky · Joined: 31 Mar 1998 Posts: 20

I’m not sure if this is pertinent, but Mistral is merely a marketing company, not a manufacturer. They use contract manufacturers exclusively to build their product. Therefore, they don’t even own the molds the boards come out of. This is why Mistral is always a little behind in the innovation front, they are trying to get as much out of the existing molds as possible with out having to change them constantly. This also leads to the blame game, Mistral doesn’t want to warrantee a board that the manu screwed up.

Also, it’s my belief that most all production boards are inherently plagued with flaws, especially those production boards that have visible seams. This is further compounded if you are a very aggressive sailor, or like bay area sailors, always sail in relatively extreme conditions compared to the rest of the country. Like a pair of skis, which reaches its end of life around 100 rides, boards have their life span of rides also. Not that a board should break in the first month of use, like 2 warranteed AHDs I’ve been through.

If you are aggressive or jumping a lot, get a custom board made. All of this does not excuse Mistral from standing behind their brand though…

mirhosseini · Joined: 18 Jul 2000 Posts: 14

Hey Berky,

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate any info. regarding this industry.

Mir

steve · Joined: 02 Oct 1996 Posts: 1

If Mistral is truly just a marketing co. and the boards are not for sailing in extreme conditions then the shops in those locations should not recommend them to sailors who sail in those conditions. For that matter why even sell the junk, its only going to come back and bite them in the @#$ when it comes time for you and I to purchase a new board.

Unfortunately I have a 1998 268 screamer and have just found a nice crack related to jumping right below the rear footpad just above the board seam. If someone at the shop I purchased my board at filled me in on the structural deficiencies of this type of production board, I would have purchased something else that fit the conditions I sail in (Rio Vista California).

mirhosseini · Joined: 18 Jul 2000 Posts: 14

Hi Steve,

After reading Berkys response to my initial message (08\31) and reading some other windsurfers comments about Mistral boards, I think getting to be as big as Mistral is, as a company and contracting the manufaturing of its boards to outside contractors has seriously affected this companys Quality Control of its manufacturing branch. It seems like people who bought their boards in the mid 90s are somewhat happy with their boards performance and quality;however, people like me who bought late 90s models are not. Moral of the story is that when you buy Mistral, YOU REALLY DONT KNOW WHAT YOU YOURE GONNA GET!!

Good Day,

Mir

joeyyyy · Joined: 18 Jul 2000 Posts: 162

Sounds like a date with Madonna !!
hehe

mmbauman · Joined: 28 Apr 1998 Posts: 2

BEWARE!!! Thinking about Mistral think twice and then keep looking. I had a problem back in 1997 with my new Explosion and Mistral would NOT even respond to a registered letter. Thats their customer satisfaction for ya! Ill not make that mistake again. Ill buy a garage door to sail before I give them my hard earned money.