Kiteboard for choppy water?

[ORSales]

Sorry John I don't share your views and agree with Dimitri on pop.

Suppose it's all about how you define "pop". If you mean a traditional load the tail (flex the board) and release to ollie the board up, then you're absolutely right - the Mako is way too stiff for that.

However, if you mean, ability to load the kite up, tension the lines and use the kite to rip you off the water, the Mako is incredible. Dig in your heels, carve against the kite, tension the lines, send the kite and off you go... different type of Pop but massive results.

I do agree though, can't be all things to all people and the Mako certainly is not a traditional TT board...

[plummet]

I also agree with west and dimitri
. Rounded shapes don't give the same load and pop as rectangular shapes.
They don't have the same rail penitration to load up the same.

That said you can go super big on these boards. Usually you can hold a lot more power on a rounded board size for size. If you have a ramp then it's on like donkey Kong! ...

[dejavu]

I specifically bought a cabrinha chopstix for choppy water a year ago and it is brilliant.

[skullcandy]

Sorry John I don't share your views and agree with Dimitri on pop.

Suppose it's all about how you define "pop". If you mean a traditional load the tail (flex the board) and release to ollie the board up, then you're absolutely right - the Mako is way too stiff for that.

However, if you mean, ability to load the kite up, tension the lines and use the kite to rip you off the water, the Mako is incredible. Dig in your heels, carve against the kite, tension the lines, send the kite and off you go... different type of Pop but massive results.

I do agree though, can't be all things to all people and the Mako certainly is not a traditional TT board...

Im a mako homer (I ride the 150). Its not made for freestyle, but its not like you cant do ANY freestyle tricks. Like plum said - just find a chop / wave lip and huck off the thing! Its targeted to a specific style of riding. It jumps just fine for my desires/style. And - for those saying it doesn't go upwind well, that IMO is a you/technique problem. I rocket upwind like no other on this board so long wind speeds are in the right range. I will say that on low end, it def struggles to move upwind - but in my relatively limited experience compared to most others here, isn't that the case with any non LW specific board with rocker? On the top end, yes it does take a little more technique and concentration to use the edge to control depower, but I find if that you sit back as far as you can (ass almost scrapping the water) dig heels in, and apply more front foot pressure, it works just fine. Also much easier to ride this board toe side in chop upwind than my chop friendly smaller TTs. Im fine with this extra little effort of positioning, edging, etc as these minor negatives (IMO) are far less than all the positives I get in chop, sloppy wave riding, etc.

But having used traditional TT in and the Mako I can see where some will hate it or love it. My first time I used it compared to TT I was in love. Yes the jumping and upwind riding, edging to depower took about a session to adapt but I think any new board you ride for the first time after using a different board extensively is going to feel very different.

[Porthos]

I was riding the Naish Sol and found with having to really drive my back foot down all the time my legs got tired on choppy water . I bought the North X-Ride and the difference was huge. It was like butter in comparison on the same chop and it's a great upwind board.

[NEkitesurfing]

After testing so many boards from different brands it proofed that Shinn has always boards that are really good in choppy water. That is no surprise because all those boards are developed in Tenerife where normally the worst chop can be found.
The new PINBOT is really good too. If you want to feel that you are really fast and want to have better pop go with the Monk Lover. The Ultrasonic offers still more pop but is feeling slightly harder compared to the Monk or PINBOT but handles the chop as well excellent.

[blu]

Nobile NHP super smooth in chop and great pop

[Laughingman]

Sorry John I don't share your views and agree with Dimitri on pop.

Suppose it's all about how you define "pop". If you mean a traditional load the tail (flex the board) and release to ollie the board up, then you're absolutely right - the Mako is way too stiff for that.

However, if you mean, ability to load the kite up, tension the lines and use the kite to rip you off the water, the Mako is incredible. Dig in your heels, carve against the kite, tension the lines, send the kite and off you go... different type of Pop but massive results.

I do agree though, can't be all things to all people and the Mako certainly is not a traditional TT board...

"pop" does not include the kite ripping you off the water because you sent it to 2 o'clock. I'm not sure what you would call that... but pop it is not.

Pop - Extra jump gained through strategic use of just the kiteboard and line tension, pop is a essential building block for later tricks. Sometimes referred to as soda in the south.

So by definition, if the Mako is too stiff to pop well, and frankly the tips are also too curved and having only one fin is also anti pop, it is lacking the essential characteristics for performing tricks.
I love my Mako but I have another board for when I want pop which is pretty much anytime I am not in waves or disorganized chop.

[Windrider]

Sorry John I don't share your views and agree with Dimitri on pop.

Suppose it's all about how you define "pop". If you mean a traditional load the tail (flex the board) and release to ollie the board up, then you're absolutely right - the Mako is way too stiff for that.

However, if you mean, ability to load the kite up, tension the lines and use the kite to rip you off the water, the Mako is incredible. Dig in your heels, carve against the kite, tension the lines, send the kite and off you go... different type of Pop but massive results.

I do agree though, can't be all things to all people and the Mako certainly is not a traditional TT board...

"pop" does not include the kite ripping you off the water because you sent it to 2 o'clock. I'm not sure what you would call that... but pop it is not.

Pop - Extra jump gained through strategic use of just the kiteboard and line tension, pop is a essential building block for later tricks. Sometimes referred to as soda in the south.

So by definition, if the Mako is too stiff to pop well, and frankly the tips are also too curved and having only one fin is also anti pop, it is lacking the essential characteristics for performing tricks.
I love my Mako but I have another board for when I want pop which is pretty much anytime I am not in waves or disorganized chop.

Sounds right to me Laughingman. Good summary.

It's a good board. It just doesn't pop well.

[dracop]

"pop" does not include the kite ripping you off the water because you sent it to 2 o'clock. I'm not sure what you would call that... but pop it is not.

boosting from the surface.

Mind you, boosting works MUCH better if you do a pop or hit a wave kicker first, then boost once off the water. But you can easily just do a boost while on the surface and that is exactly what occurs - it rips you from the water and send you skywards. Easiest of the three approaches to jumping (defined as going up into the air) to learn imo, it took me less than a day to be able to consistently boost. Popping and timing a jump by using speed to ride up a wave face - both took me alot more time.

Odds are, you are too advanced to recall learning to boost separately from popping, eg, you prob automatically pop before you boost as that does drill into muscle memory fairly well. Its a beginner technique to boost from the surface.