Capita Mega Merc

I have talked about how good the regular Mercury is for years now, and it is still my favourite overall board. The Capita Mega Merc is an upgraded version of a board that I don’t think even needs upgrading.

The marketing is proven, you can’t underestimate how many people are going to want a board just because there is a “better” version of it. Capita have their Super or Mega versions, Jones with their Ultra, Bataleon with Plus and Salomon and Nitro with their Pro.

The Mega Merc has been out for a few seasons now, so this review has been a long time coming. I have been asked plenty of times about how the Mega Merc compared to the regular Mercury, which I have spent quite a long time riding.

How the 2024 Capita Mega Merc rides

Board size: 157cm

Boots: Vans Infuse

Bindings: Union Ultra

This review is based on me riding the 157cm 2024 model, set up with Union Ultra bindings with a fairly narrow overall stance. Although it changes all the time, I normally have angles set to around +12 and -9 or 6.

I was riding this in spring conditions, so firm and fairly icy sections in the shade in the morning, with softer slushier snow out in the sun.

Although it still has the same space theme to the graphics, the first thing that you will notice is that very obvious shaping that is shown through the topsheet of the board. You don’t see too much core shaping around too much, the other board that comes to mind first is the Capita Super DOA.

Camber Profile

This has the same profile as the regular Mercury, so it felt very familiar to me. It has a very good balance for the sort of riding that I do – enough camber to keep everything nice and stable, with just a bit of rocker to smooth turns out and stop if from feeling like a full on board, that you have to have to keep on top of to stop it catching an edge.

Flex and Pop

Capita give the Mega Merc and the regular Mercury the same flex rating, which is a 6.5/10. Just like on the regular board, I think that to me it feels a little stiffer than that, but nothing huge.

Edge Hold

With the rocker on the nose and tail, as well as a flex that isn’t overly stiff, you might think that the edge hold wouldn’t be that good. The sidecut does have the little bump in the middle between your feet (the Death Grip), but I have no idea how much it is adding to the overall feel of the board.

I didn’t have any issues riding in steep and icy frozen spring snow that was still sitting in the shade, I always felt that if I had to make a sudden stop, then I could do it pretty safely on this board.

Float

I wasn’t able to ride the Mega Merc in and proper soft or deep snow, but with the same shape and profile as my Mercury, it would be safe to say that it would still have the same decent float, for a board that almost has a twin shape.

Speed

This board is fast. On top of being a fast base material, it has a pretty serious structure, which rode great in the warm Australian conditions I was riding in. It has the same overall feeling that I got from the other higher end Capita boards I have ridden this season (Aeronaut, Mega Death, Black Snowboard of Death) – and that is that they always feel like they are wanting to accelerate. As soon as you stop making turns to slow down, it feels almost like they are pulling you down the hill.

Pros:

• Very fast
• Very light

Cons

• Expensive

Overall

Just because this is an upgrade doesn’t mean that the regular Mercury is plain – or is just a basic board. I think that most riders would be able to get everything they need out of the Mercury.

If money isn’t an issue, then there are also no downsides to getting the Mega Merc. It is noticeably lighter, and faster than the majority of boards out there.

It isn’t hard work to ride, so you don’t have to be an expert to get a lot out of the board, but even if you were riding it very aggressively, I don’t think you would find the limits of it too easily.

I would think of this one as the expensive, fast and light board that will happily ride everything well.

If someone was going to give me either the Mercury or the Mega Merc – I would choose the Mega Merc. It might be more than I need, but it is fun.

FEATURES OF THE CAPITA Mega MERc

Resort V2 Directional
There is a traditional camber section for most of the board, with reverse camber on the nose and tail. The camber section keeps it stable and poppy, and the reverse camber section helps with float in deep snow.

6.5/10 Flex
Capita give the Mercury a rating of 6.5 out of 10

New Age Progressive Sidecut with Death Grip

A progressive sidecut, that is made up of multiple radius circles, with the Death Grip bump in the middle of the sidecut.

FSC Certified 3D Polymer Starship Core

This core is made with a mix of premium poplar, with recycled PET. This level of core only shows up in the Mega Merc, Mega Death and in a slight variation in the Super DOA.

Megacarbon Array

Megadrive Base

Megalite Skin Topsheet

This topsheet is a very thin matte laminate, that is 60% lighter than regular topsheets.

Moonshop Omni-Tune

This is their name for the structure (pattern in the base) that moves water quickly from under the base. The same that race boards and skis use.

Full ABS1000 Sidewalls

CAPITA MERCURY TECHNICAL SPECS

Length	Effective Edge (mm)	Nose/Tail Length (cm)	Waist Width (mm)	Sidecut (m)	Weight Range (lbs)	Weight Range (kg)
153	1183	29.6	253	7.5 -1.5 7.5	100-160	45-72
155	1199	29.8	255	7.7 -1.5 7.7	120-180	54-81
157	1215	30.1	257	7.8 -1.5 7.8	130-190	59-86
159	1223	30.3	259	8.0 -1.5 8.0	140-200	63-90
161	1247	30.6	261	8.1 -1.5 8.1	160-220+	72-99+
156 Wide	1207	30.5	261	7.8 -1.5 7.8	120-180	54-81
158 Wide	1223	30.7	263	7.9 -1.5 7.9	130-190	59-86
160 Wide	1239	30.9	265	7.8 -1.5 8.0	140-200+	63-90+