North Nugget for bigger waves

[heinzbush]

Hi Guys,

looking for advice:

I sold my "real wave board" (Wainman Magnum) since I moved away from Cape Town, but now I am going back for a 3 week vacation.

I currently own a North Nugget as my light wind board and playing in ocean swell, but now I wonder whether I can use it in Cape Town as well in bigger and cleaner waves.

I am far away from being a pro or a wave expert, so I am not looking to get the last 10% out of the wave / feeling... just wondering if it "will work" sufficiently fine.. After all, I will be mostly overpowered in Cape Town's strong winds with that much volume (32l in the Nugget 5.5).

Will I run the risk of nose diving due to the lack of rocker and the straight outline in the board?

If the Nugget won't work, I might have to buy a new toy for the vacation

Thanks for any comments...

[Starsky]

You can get away with a bigger board like that with a really little kite to a point. Eventually there is just too much width and volume to have any fun controlling at speed.

I'd try to pick up a used shortboard when you get down there. See if you can get the shop to agree to buy it back at the end of your trip provided its in the same condition.

[Peter_Frank]

I dont think it will work.

The waves are really fast and steep in CT, and you most often use 5 and 6m2, occasionally 7m2 on light wind days, in the summer (jan-feb) at least.
But you know that when you live there.

So eventhough you could always pick one size smaller kite, the wind speed itself and wave size/steepness will make you bounce as you will go fast when you bottom turn downwind

I predict....

The Magnum is (was) perfect for these conditions, with its fast and gunnier tail and excellent "bite" at high speeds and chop.

Would also, like Starsky said, look for something else.
You can rent a board so you dont even have to travel with one, even rent it on daily basis if there are no wind days.

PF

[NorCalNomad]

Anything past shoulder height I wouldn't ride a nugget.

[SupaEZ]

I have done head high waves with my Nugget 5'0"...but it was not windy

Nugget was a must to go back upwind in the lineup due to current going same direction as wind

Wind NNE..side-side-on @10kn...a passing tropical storm far offshore sending long period swell

Board worked great because water was pretty smooth and my speed on waves was controllable

Liking to ride in front of my street i would ride waves for about 3 streets down then sail back up

This fun in big waves was possible with my session saver blimp XR3 19 + Nug combo

So yes possible on special occasions

[Billy B.]

I have ridden the Nugget 5'0 and the new shape 5'2 in over head waves, on 10m wind days, totally doable, but I would have preferred to be on a different board, both days I had no choice and made due just fine, One of the waves I rode on 5'0 nugget was a monster, and the nugget made it extra rewarding since it felt super challenging!

good luck!