which strapless surfboard?

[clint2070]

All right straight up ready to give a review of The Duke. Had it out now for the second session and I have to say that all the hype about it is deserved. Here's a few things; Board construction is bomber, its light, tight and ascetically pleasing, the board absolutely eats the chop( we deal with lots of currents here and it is a factor), It rips upwind, better than my WHAM 5'10 quad, in fact i think the combination of the concave and fins allows it to act like a quad+ finned board but with the ability to step back on the board and release the rails which is pretty cool. The deck padding is a dream really, and with it being fun board(y) shaped you can moved around on the board wherever you want to be, which will open up a whole bunch of new possibilities I'm sure.
On the tack out and just mowing, it acted like an aquatic skateboard and i was easily popping ollies and airs(not my strength) all over. Locking into a wave and shooting the point it handled the speed and tracked well while bottom and top turns were great once i figured out how to move around a bit and release the rails to get on the fins. While in bigger surf I'm pretty sure i'll be pulling out my Cabrina Trigger or firewire, i am interested to see what it can do.
Right on brother ! I had the mako King before I went strapless and loved it. The duke looks like it but with needed volume.
I don't work for OR, i just use whatever gear i find works for me. This board works for me and I am one happy Camper, Bravo Ocean Rodeo.

[scottnorby]

Starsky.....I have been away a while and didn't see your questions.
I had a chance to take the board out two more times and I am really stoked.
I appreciate the feedback too.
I am helping Tom with prototyping this whippy little silent surfboard.
I still cannot believe how well it glides, and it's buoyancy, for only being 5 foot long.

Answers below:

Give us some more detail on the board. Looks like a smart small wave/slop shape. Twin is smart for that design.
Twin does seem to work perfectly yes.....and it is only 5 feet long. It performs amazing in small chop. I was hoping for a board that could effectively ride wind chop (short interval) being that I come from riding waves in the ocean --- I moved to a new location where wind chop is the dominant source of 'waves'. I am eager to try it in 'ocean waves' but I would prefer it to be shoulder high or below as the board is very fast.

Is it simply the one material with a finish or is it glassed or covered with some other form of plastic. How are the fins attached, is there a stringer?
This is a loaded question and I can't reveal all the specs because it is a prototype. But the core is softer foam that resists taking in water. It does have a very strong and elaborate stringer. It does flex but only as much as I would want it to. There is a skin on the outside of the board that is a smooth, shiny, plastic material that is much like a glass surfboard. But if you hit the surface with a hammer and make a dent, the dent comes out in a few minutes with no harm.
Pressure dents will never happen on this board. It's like trying to put a pressure dent in a cushion.....dents just disappear in this foam. Which means it's cushy on your joints too.
Fins are futures fin boxes on this board. But I am thinking they should use FCS on the next prototype.

I can only imagine it is quite flexy?? Touted as silent.... what does that mean? Is it so soft as to dampen everything? what about performance? It certainly goes well enough and I love the search for alternative materials.
I have two other boards made of this material. One is a 9 foot longboard which I have been riding hard for 6 years. It has flown out of my truck. It has rolled up on the rocks many times when I rode it leasless. I have ridden heavy waves that are well over head....a couple that were double overhead. I have taken extremely late drops and landed on the longboard dead center from a 5 or 6 foot drop off a lip. The construction is impressive. No sign of ever buckling or snapping. I have seen the longboard flex at the bottom of a big drop in to bottom turn. The flex is amazing when it comes OUT of the flex because it projects the longboard down the line after the turn.
The video says the board is silent because there is no chatter, or slapping on the board. An Epoxy board emits more chatter than you realize. A wood or fiberglass board also emits chatter you don't realize. The fact that I don't feel or hear the chatter means that my knees and hips are thankful for the board. It feels like floating or gliding---- more than 'cutting' or 'chopping' through the water.


Do you think this is something that will hold up to larger conditions or more suited to that shape?
This build could be shaped to many sizes and designs. It's the construction method that is most interesting to me. I have ridden since 1999 and surfed for 30 years. I am really enjoying this board for many reasons. Every time I go out I find another reason to enjoy it.

How about big airs? any buckling?
Took the board out yesterday and finally landed some legit 3 to 5 foot strapless airs.
1. The board is so light that it stays glued to my feet more than heavier boards.
2. The bottom of the board is flat in the tail which allows you to push your back foot into the wind and hold the board where you want it. Essentially 'steering' the board in the air.
3. The flat portion of the board also allows for a really solid platform when you land. I was surprised at some of the landings I made and thought I would not.
4. Until recently I have not landed any large strapless airs over 3 feet off the water. This go out I landed the biggest strapless airs Ive ever landed. I give the board the credit for allowing me to pop the tail and get twice as high off the water as my other glass boards.

My gopro wasn't working yesterday but I will put together a new video soon.
I will be sure to push the board into the air more.

Here is the old video again in case someone has no idea what we are talking about.
And we would like to get some prototypes out to other riders to test for us.
If you are interested--- pm me--- and tell me about your experience and where you ride. If you have a gopro it would help even more so that we can analyze your riding experience.

https://vimeo.com/124101757

[SupaEZ]

Now be careful with dropping some of your letters....you could end up with SpaZ.

Perhaps that's how bunny gets all her energy when posting

[scottnorby]

The boards width is 20.5 and it's length is 60 inches.
Aspect ratio (width divided by length) is .34
Makes for good punts.
And it weighs in at only 5 pounds with wax and two Futures fins on it.

[Peter_Frank]

What is happening to these threads ?

I have started to read a couple of interesting threads, but they suddenly ended up in pages and pages of "bla bla blaaa" without any connection to the topic ???

Maybe just me, but life is too short to read these - so maybe I've lost something important in these threads, but I doubt it

PF

[L0KI]

Maybe you should go clean your garage.

[SupaEZ]

Good one ....yep... we probably should stay on topic and post pictures with surfboards
PF could have a sale

[cleepa]

I have almost decided to get an f one mitu 5'6". But the airush cypher has caught my eye as well. I would be interested to hear any rider reviews of either board. Have i missed any other gems.
it will be used for mostly choppy water with a few wind blown waves and occasional proper waves use. Cheers in advance.

I tried out 5 surfboards this weekend. I tried a 5'8 Mitu. Wow, what an awesome board! Gives you confidence to drop into anything - the board just handles it. I ended up ordering a new board... but not the Mitu! I tried 3 Loyd surfboards. Ended up ordering a Flying Pig. Another awesome board - love the feel of PU!

[madworld]

Discussion brought back from the dead,

Any comments on the Naish strapless wonder GS?

Also Core ripper 4

or order a custom Loyd flying pig version 2.

[Da Yoda]

Discussion brought back from the dead,

Any comments on the Naish strapless wonder GS?

Also Core ripper 4

or order a custom Loyd flying pig version 2.

I'm a big fan of Loyd (I have the Kite Rocket). The Ripper has the same PU construction, but it also has inserts for straps, so it won't have the same sweet flex and is a bit heavier than a dedicated strapless board. I've ridden the Ripper3 and really liked it, but it didn't compare to my Loyd. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of Core's choice to use FCS fin boxes.

If you like PU construction, you might want to take a look at Eleveight's Curl Pro. It's actually handmade in Portugal, so it's close to a custom made like Loyd. It also has what I prefer - Futures fin boxes. I've had some time on their Escape Pro and really like it.

Naish's new Strapless Wonder looks pretty nice. Why the GS version? The non GS looks plenty durable and will likely have a better flex profile (nicer for chop). It looks like Naish uses the FCS Fusion fin boxes, so keep that in mind if you have a box preference.