Airush Sector V3 - Size 60 versus 66 ?

[Dr_Rosen]

What would you choose and why for 83 kg rider for light wind freeride/freerace.
Light winds = from 10/11 knots - 16/17 knots

[droffats]

Bit of a tough call. I've ridden both. I love the top deck shaping on both -- little curvature for back foot, grippy texture where there isn't pads etc.

I haven't tried the 60 with three fins or the 66 with four fins. Regardless, here is what I think.
The 66 seems under-finned to me -- it could actually use bigger fins for riding in higher wind and better upwind angle. The 66 doesn't seem to have too much more low end. . It's more like it just has more buoyancy. At some point though, more surface area causing drag will negate the extra buoyancy.

- Droffats

www.adventurekiteboarding.com

[Dr_Rosen]

So you prefer the V60 I assume
Does the V66 get much less lively/more race board like or is the feeling the same?
I guess I mean: is the fun factor the same or is it more on rails etc??

[droffats]

I thought they felt very similar, if not the same.

- Droffats

www.adventurekiteboarding.com

[Westozzy]

Surely your kite size and selection should be given. But for 83kg , your wind needs are not in the real low low end, starting at 10-11, surely the 60 would be plenty enough and have more maneuverability especially if you also have the three fin option as an extra on those 15 plus days.

[MikeBirt]

The 66 seems under-finned to me -- it could actually use bigger fins for riding in higher wind and better upwind angle. The 66 doesn't seem to have too much more low end. . It's more like it just has more buoyancy.

I'd agree,
The 66 rides flatter, much more like a raceboard, and the fins do feel a tad on the small side to do the board's size justice. That said, is still a very easy freeride board for it's size, and the tuttle boxes are there to whack in some serious fins if you are wanting to really point. That said racing is very different to fun sailing..

We had a big session last week with a number of riders all playing on the 54, 60 and 66. For the first time we put the centre fin of the 66 in the back of the 60 to make it tri, and the decision was pretty unanimous - 3 fins was faster, more planted, more lively and once a bit of power applied points just as high with more boardspeed. It's possible that 4 fins made it plane slightly earlier, and held more absolute power when you railed it over in big gusts... But when the centre fins come available my advice would be - get one!

Depending on the temp of where you ride I would think your wind ranges given will be full power on a sector - you could get going a LOT earlier, I can get a 60 going in 6-8 knts with a good 10m in 15 degrees.

The V3 is a beautiful board.. we have sold out in the UK until end aug, and secretly I'm glad I don't have to hand mine out for demos. I'm enjoying the lighter wind stuff a lot. The novelty of hacking at full power in 10-15kts is not wearing off...

[Westozzy]

The V3 54 is one of those boards that just gets you excited. I never get over the top about gear I've had but when I unpacked this thing I actually got excited like a little kid for the first time in a long time. Too a few sessions but thus thing is surprisingly good in the surf. Once you leant to adjust the bigger fine age and slow things down just a touch to allow you to break the fins on a bottom turn well it isn't far off for the average surf kiter. I said it this way cause I can kite well, but I'm an average dude in the waves.

So put the 54 in ya mix as well. Or the 60 with the center fin tri fin sit up as mike just said. Honestly you can't go wrong.

Ps been boosting and doing all my normal TT stuff on this thing. amazing freeride for a board that planes so early.

[Dr_Rosen]

Hmm riding at 8 knots would be nice as well !
I have a pretty powerful 14m rrd addiction race kite. We ride in 10-20 degree celcius winds.

I have tried the rrd K-Free 60 which is similar to sector 60 I guess. Liked it a lot but almost to easy to ride
Tried raceboard rrd K65 a couple of times. Actually line the challenge of a raceboard but it is not so versatile

[droffats]

Video of the 54 V3 in waves. The first 20 seconds is on a TT, but then the Sector 54 comes in. I suck in waves and there was no wind near the shore where the waves were breaking, but I still had a pretty good time. Plus, I was using the new GoPro WiFi Remote which saved huge amounts of time editing video.



Thanks,
Droffats

www.adventurekiteboarding.com

[Westozzy]

Thanks for the vid, the go pro worked well. Ummm yeh you do suck in the waves.