Rec for good jumping surfboard and small conditions

[SupaEZ]

Roberto's is a 44cm wide which is 17.3" wide which doesn't seem too wide to me. Seems like you'd need a lot of power to keep that baby afloat. It's about 5'8" on the length but I'm sure as the speed increases it would rock.

Any thoughts on surfboard size?

Maybe it is not Roberto only strapped surfboard
I have a similar board like Roberto when the wind is strong for my 2011 10/8 or 2010 6 Rebel
"The Kontact 2010 is Tri-fin pintail 5'9" long and 16 3/4" wide"

I mostly ride the 2011 Whip 5'7" x 18.6 Quad with my 2011 12 Rebel or Riot XR2 LW 19 and we both weigh exact same

I also have a 3rd board twin-fin (14cm) 3 straps 2011 North Freerace 5'3" x 18.6" (real wide square tail)
That one goes upwind higher ,faster and in one knot less wind than my Whip (less drag from less fins) +very flat rocker
Real "skatey" feel to turn on a dime in smaller waves
It is 17" wide one foot off the tail and at the very back it is 13 3/4"wide

So that is what i like to use in salty density ocean water
So i think in a fresh water lake the additional buoyancy (thickness and width) may be to your advantage

on your research................... ........................................

[Peter_Frank]

This is an AWESOME shot Dimitri

Peter

[markchatwin]

Talked to a guy at 321Kiteboarding in Florida who has ridden the North Whip in all sizes from the last 2 years and he offers an interesting perspective. He's about my size and says it's simple get the larger size if the bulk of your sessions are below 20mph and get the 5'6" if your sessions are 20 mph and over.

He prefers certain aspects of the 2011 and certain aspects of the 2012's. He prefers the heavier weight of the 2011 because it offers something more substantial underfoot, a little more what he's used to. He prefers the glossy finish of the 2011 because the board can be easily cleaned and made "new" again. The matte finish on the 2012 can get smudges and "black" marks on the rails.

He likes the straps on the 2012 because apparently they are flatter under foot and the 2011's had a hump or something that was a nuisance on long sessions or downwinders. He says the 2012 does everything well overall and says it is a "do all" board for Florida conditions.

[SupaEZ]

He likes the straps on the 2012 because apparently they are flatter under foot and the 2011's had a hump or something that was a nuisance on long sessions or downwinders.

What he means to say is not about the "straps" themselves
He is referring about the "deck pad" under arch of foot when feet are in the footstraps

In 2012 the deck pads are thinner and totally flat from edge to edge
In 2011 the deck pads feels more cushioned (bit thicker)
In the centerline of pads there is a strip (slight progressive hump) 2 1/4" wide and 3/16" high
This provides arch support
I think it is really nice and has never been an issue at all for me

In 2012 the concept of "thinner pads totally flat" allows you to remove straps to as surfboard easier
Makes it more comfortable to lay on board while paddling as a surfboard

In 2011 there was also for front pad "one inch" high kicktail for the front foot
Also the back pad had a "one inch" high kicktail for the back foot

................................... ..................................................................................

[robertovillate]

I'm really wondering about the size issue on these types of boards. Roberto's is a 44cm wide which is 17.3" wide which doesn't seem too wide to me. Seems like you'd need a lot of power to keep that baby afloat. It's about 5'8" on the length but I'm sure as the speed increases it would rock. I think for heel side upwind riding (which is a large part of what I have to do on my home lake) that maybe more tail and volume is needed.

I'm 5'8" and 165 lbs... On the North Whips I talked to at least 8 different people who have ridden the 5'6" and 5'8" and half of them say 5'6" is without a doubt the size for me. The other half say for my needs the 5'8" is for me. The folks that say the 5'6" is for me think the 5'8" is totally ridiculously too big and more for a 200 pounder. The folks that pitch the 5'8" say that the 5'8" is going to allow more flotation and upwindabilty for my conditions which are not ocean surf but inland lake rollers and lots of upwind riding to get at the rollers which are farther out. They also acknowledge the sacrifice to the turns which would be quicker on the 5'6".

Another issue SupaEZ brings up is that the tail has been narrowed on the 2012's and he would go to the 5'8" from the 2011 5'7" that he is used to riding to make up for that. Specs on the 2012 are:

SIZES
5’4” x 18’ x 2”
5’6” x 18 ¼” x 2 1/8”
5’8” x 18 ¾” x 2 3/16”

Any thoughts on surfboard size?

fyi, the Zone is the ONLY board I ride strapped ALL the time (and that is the smaller Zone). I have only one other board with inserts (5/11 Firewire Taj) that I ride with straps ONLY if it is monstrously big and choppy, which turns out to be 5% of the time or less.

The small Zone will plane in light wind and at very low speed, but it is also a very good ride at mach speed. I'd say the same about the larger Zone, except it even has better low end - and could even be considered a "light wind board" so don't be fooled by size or anything else. The larger quad tracks upwind better than the tri, and it may be worth mentioneing that the fins on these boards are smaller than a typical surfboard

As for "size". Length or width does not mean everything. Volume and outline and rocker are also huge factors. e.g. My 5/11 Firewire needs more wind than my 5/3 Zone which takes less wind than my 5/11 Taj to have fun on it and get the true performance from the board. Similarly my 5/8 Lost RNF has more volume than the 5/11 Taj and also rides better in lighter winds and smaller waves. Mind you that the Zones do not have any volume per se...they are built with Spleene kiteboard construction...so saying "keep that baby afloat" is a rather nebulous issue. The operative issue is planing performance.

As for tail shape, if you want a board that is nice and whippy, super fast responsive, a rounded pin (or swallow or rounded squash) is better than a wider tail. If the board has a very straight outline that will also decrease the quick turning nature of a board. If you want a board that really planes easily and has more volume a wider outline is going to do that. But a board with more volume, especially if it's forward, will be bouncy and limiting in big waves or chop IMO. So you have to pick your poison. There is not a single board out there that will do everyting perfectly, but there are probably 3-4 basic shapes that would e a complete quiver for anyone who rides in a variety of conditions.

[bmencer]

regarding to the OP's first post would a Cabrinha Skillit work?


Bill

[derekt]

hi have you got a spleen zone ( white quad for sale ) ?