Surfboard recommendations (Surfingwithkites)??????

[Neptune]

Anyone used the Liquid Force Pat Rawson boards? How durable are they? I hopefully will be demoing some at the weekend.

Is the Lightwave a molded board? It looks like it might be quite tough.

I got the LF quad 5'10 and it looks tough. Nice board for sure, very fast. Very easy to jibe, it is like on a track with constant speed so it is easy switching feet, really, easier then with my old Naish Fish 5'5'' which was 20" wide...

Thanks Frankieboy - so no dings or dents yet then?? How many hours/sessions to date?

[Frankieboy]

maybe 5 or 6 sessions on it. No jumps and I am very carefull with this baby. I don't have a boardbag though...
It looks strong to me and has a "custom board" look and feel.
I can't compare to anything else but the Naish Fish...

Frank

[STORMBIRD]

Just get a used beater 6'2" or 6'4" or whatever size you want thruster surfboard on craigslist for under $100, wax it and ride it...when it finally buckles(they last much longer than you think), just throw it in the gutter and get yourself another.....or just ride your regular surfboard with a smaller kite. I paid $30 for my "kite surfboard" and it rides great!

[Neptune]

Been there, done that, now looking for a kite specific board to use with and without footstraps.

(Ridden lots, even up to a 9'2" longboard!! My best was a 5'10" 4fin channeled surfboard, was a sweet ride for a while!!)

Come on all you guys out there using these boards - more reports please!!

[Neptune]

Just thought I could add my personal views as an independent tester....

Independent kitesurf board review:

Board tested:
Liquid Force Rawson Quad 5’10” - http://www.liquidforcekites.com/surfboards_quad510.htm

Test rider details:
Weight: 70kg
Experience: 23yrs surfing / 20yrs kiting / 7yrs kitesurfing
Own Boards: 120x40/136x41 twintips
Skimboard
Strapless normal surfboards
Skill Level: I like all forms of kitesurfing as you can see from my choice of boards.
I am no Aaron Hadlow but I am an IKO Instructor

Test conditions:
Location:Asilyah, Oman
Wind: 25-30kts
Waves:from 2-4ft

Short review:

Surf dedicated kitesurf board. Can be used as a light wind board. Can be ridden strapped or strapless and even paddle surfed. Re-enforced epoxy board with quad fins. Quality shaped and re-enforced for kiting in waves. Very easy board to ride. Big enough to surf the waves without kite power then easy enough to hold down lots of kite power to connect with another wave or wave section. Rides toeside easily and tracks way upwind. Perfect for the waves in Asilyah!

Long review:

This is for all of those who are interested in the new trend of going back to our roots and surfing waves with a kite. You can do this especially in Oman (Asilyah) or on the occasional day here in the UAE. This started in Maui some time ago and has taken two distinct routes up until now. The wave powered and the kite powered wave riders. The wave powered are the people who like to surf the waves using only the kite to pull them into the wave or wave section, then using the board to really surf the wave. The second are people who like to ride powered up, using the kite to keep the board moving at all times, usually riding a smaller board. This board is aimed at the wave powered riders.

Well let’s start with what is this board – it is a kite specific surfboard shaped by a well respected shaper in Hawaii – Pat Rawson (http://www.patrawsonsurfboards.com) It is a quad fin and comes in two sizes – either 5’10” or 6’2” – you can also get the board with a 3 fin setup in 5’11” or 6’1” - I will explain the reasons for the different fin setups later.

So what is a kite specific surfboard? Well it means that the outline and rocker are shaped slightly differently for our sport compared to a normal surfboard and extra re-enforcements are added to take the extra forces involved in kiting. There is also the possibility of using footstraps or riding strapless.

So how does it ride? Well I do have experience of riding surfboards with waves and also with kites but this was my first chance to ride a kite specific surfboard with footstraps, but I found it incredibly easy. This board is not like the old directionals of yesteryear. This is a well balanced, fast turning, upwind blasting, wave riding machine. Well balanced means that the board sits easily beneath your feet. If you want to slow down then apply pressure to the back foot and the board stalls, if you want to speed up then apply pressure to the front foot. Fast turning means that as soon as you either carve the board or push the board around with your back foot, round it goes. Upwind blasting means that with a large surface area and 4 fins you can point the board more upwind than a twintip and ride back towards the wave section you just rode out of, in one tack! Wave riding machine means that this board just loves the waves. As soon as you are in the wave, you can feel it collect the board and start pushing you along. Off the lip, bottom turns, cutbacks and tail-slides (all surfing terms) all become readily available.

I rode the board with very loose footstraps which although felt strange at first, became very natural as it meant I could move my feet around slightly depending on if I was riding toeside or heelside - I actually think this is a very good idea for wave riding – the footstraps can be made tight however if you want it that way. It is possible to set up the straps offset to your most natural stance, but I rode it set up straight, again not a problem with the loose straps. I didn’t attempt to jibe the board as I only had limited time with it, the water was choppy and the waves were too good, but I am sure it will be relatively easy for those of us that have mastered the skill. It only took me a matter of seconds, however, to stop, turn the board around and ride away. I did also ride the board a lot toeside, this was very easy and felt very comfortable.

So what is it like when you put all of these things together? You get a board which if you find you have too much kite power then just dig in the tail of the board and start stalling it back into the wave. If you need to move from one section of wave to another then just apply a bit of front foot pressure, use the kite and power over to the next section. Turns can be snap fast or powered carves, whichever the wave dictates and you want. This board allows the rider to pick their wave, ride into exactly the section you want, ride that part with board or kite and if that section closes out, ride around the white water and into the next section. This board could also be your light wind weapon with all that extra surface area. Unfortunately I couldn’t test that as I had strong wind the whole test.

Riding waves using the board is advisable with a kite that almost completely de-powers. That way the kite just sits there whilst you ride the wave waiting for you to use it if extra power is required. I was using 9m and 7m kites as the wind was +25kts.

Back to the different boards and fin setups. This board uses a quad fin setup which seems to be the best for kiting as it engages two of the four fins whilst edging and still allows the board to be snappy on the turns. The three fin setup is used more commonly in surfing for drive whilst on the wave. The reason the Liquid Force/ Rawson lineup gives both is of you want one board for both paddle surfing and kitesurfing then take the tri-fin, if it is mostly for kiting and the occasional surf then take the quad. Just a side note – for those that are seriously interested in board and fin design then listen to the following podcast with the shaper himself, which does state that some surfers are now switching to quad fin designs for paddle surfing: http://www.asnews.net/?p=209

The only thing to note is that although the board is strengthened for kitesurfing it is not an indestructible twintip kiteboard, it is still made of reinforced epoxy, which means that handle with care as dings are still possible. It does look and feel much stronger than a paddle surfboard so should handle the rigors of surf kiting, just don’t try landing too many kiteloops!!

Conclusion:
This board allowed me to pull off moves that put a BIG smile on my face, toeside up the face, then off the lip and straight into the wave, incredible hard turns off the wave with my body almost touching the water. Hops over the waves were also fine as I was riding with straps. All in all, a joy to ride waves with a kite and with a board that was made for that purpose – perfect for Oman trips – go find that surfer inside you!!

Happy riding to all….

[Rbgar]

just get a used badboy that fits you and bingo a cheap setup, i got $275 into this dude, if and when it snaps just go out and get another

[hinun]

really great post, ive been studying it for days, big ups.

i'm building my first kite surf board and i was hoping for some advise for fin placement? i can see this topic is where the pros are, so im hoping to get some help. the angle of cant and other terms regarding the fins is very confusing for me. math has always been my biggest downfall. but im a very expieranced craftsman and have worked with fiberglass on many random projects and board repairs, just never the entire board.
i respect very much the scientific engineer approach and enjoy reading about it.
i just know absolutely nothing about it.

i have plenty of kevlar #281 which i baught to make this board. i have a P.U. blank and future fin boxes with a set of FUTURE JC-1 thruster fins. i will be using west system epoxy.
does this sound like these can be workable parts to become an ok frankinstien of a board?

i was planning on two layers of kevlar on the bottom and three on top? i was also thinking of inlaying 1/8" or 1/4" vaneer or plywood in the deck of the foam under the kevlar and resin.

after reading through this topic i've decided i'm going to use the measurements el nino has for his quad. with a slightly more rounded nose and thruster setup.

can anyone give me the measurments for fin placement.
what is the measurement from point A to point B inner to inner.
and the measurement from point C to point D inner to inner.
and lastly the measurement from point E to point F which is the edge of the tail.

i would greatly appreciate any and all help i can get.
hinun

[Alan]

i was planning on two layers of kevlar on the bottom and three on top? i was also thinking of inlaying 1/8" or 1/4" vaneer or plywood in the deck of the foam under the kevlar and resin.

hinun

Kevlar has great tinsel strength but very poor compression strength, so your board will fail very quickly.

Sorry I don't know the best board building site to recommend, but there is lots of info out there about building your own surfboard if you search. I doubt you will find much tech here.

[hinun]

thanks. ill be using fiber glass then by fail you you mean crack in half?
i understand.

i was planning on two layers of kevlar on the bottom and three on top? i was also thinking of inlaying 1/8" or 1/4" vaneer or plywood in the deck of the foam under the kevlar and resin.

hinun

Kevlar has great tinsel strength but very poor compression strength, so your board will fail very quickly.

Sorry I don't know the best board building site to recommend, but there is lots of info out there about building your own surfboard if you search. I doubt you will find much tech here.