Freeride board for beginners?

[pawcio]

I'm putting together my first kitesurfing set. I already have the kites (North Neo 2015) and now I need to pick a board. I've learned kitesurfing last year in Rhodes and have the IKO3 thing. I can go left and right, head up, make smooth turns half the time and did some mini jumps. I'm looking for a board that will be good for my first proper season. It should be a freeride board that will also be fine for some first jumps, nothing crazy. Ideally I'd prefer to buy a used one or a new one from a couple of seasons ago (250-300 EUR). My weight is 73kg. So far I've considered the following ones:

- Clash 2.0 / 2.1
- Armada 2015
- North X Ride / Select
- Nobile NBL / 555
- Cabrinha Spectrum
- Su2 Proseries / Prorider
- Shinn Turbo / Gintronic

1. Which of these would you recommend for my needs? Is there anything better that's not on the list?
2. What board size (length/width) would be optimal for my weight and experience?
3. What other characteristics of the board should I watch out for?

[Jake-Skymonster]

Get a Shinn Monk - a super rider friendly board, easy to start cruising on, jumps superb, easily navigates through chop and goes upwind by itself... and quite possibly you won't outgrow it unless you'll go into freestyle where Ultrasonic comes into play. A 131x40 would work for you best at 73kg.

The Cabrinha Spectrum would also be a good option.

[dylan*]

Any of those should be fine, board won't make a big difference in your riding until you are much better and can decide what features you like.

Board size I would go something like 134, bigger or smaller depending on your average wind strength at your spot. If you consistently have a lot of wind you can go a bit smaller, but 131 like recommended above is going to be pretty tiny for your weight if you have "normal" wind conditions. Something between 132-136 would be ideal depending on the particular board and your conditions.

The main characteristic you want to watch out for is rocker (how curved the board is from tip to tip). The more banana-shaped it gets, the slower it is in the water and you need more kite power to ride it. Some rocker is good but too much sucks unless you have bad knees or are riding a bigger board with boots. Most boards labelled "freeride" will have a pretty standard rocker line so you don't need to worry too much about it. Flex/width/tip shape is all personal preference which is also based on your conditions, you'll have to figure out what works for you. Again, most freeride boards should be fine for any spot and once you've ridden a while you can decide if you want more flex or more pulled in tips to help with spray, or whatever.

[nothing2seehere]

Whilst the Monk is a more fun board than the gintronic, I'd say you'd be happier with the gintronic. The older monks were more power hungry than the new ones. I'm a couple of kg heavier (76) than you and I get going on the low end a lot easier on my 134x41 gintronic than my mates 134x42 Monk forever. You still get the good ride in chop, it jumps pretty well and goes upwind at least as well (I'd say better but in my comparisons it might just be the rider) as the monk. The monk feels like it jumps higher and the landings are softer but I'd have thought you'd be better with the 2015 on model that has better low end pick up and you might not find one in your budget. If your price point stretches then also look at the shinn RED. Early shinn sneakers (bindings) are, um, well, adequate. The new ones are much nicer.

Only other board on your list I have spent proper time on is the Nobile 555. Its a nice board again but I didn't want to swap my gintronic. Felt a bit flatter in the rocker, jumped well but I didn't feel it was quite as composed in the chop. My mate who has one is a big lad though so its not a size for size comparison and some of the little niggles might be down to that.

[LmpPst]

Has anyone ridden the Shinn Pinbot?

It looks like it is the successor of the Red. Which what I gathered on several websites is their entry level board. I am curious because I see the Monk is mentioned a lot for beginners and all around good board but don't hear much about the other Shinn boards.

[andy00]

I tested a friends 'Red' a few times, it has a soft flex so it's nice and forgiving. If you are already riding upwind, doing transitions and some small jumps then just go straight to the monk. If you are just freeriding it will be perfect as you improve and progress.

[h11t0n]

1. Which of these would you recommend for my needs? Is there anything better that's not on the list?
I love the Shinn boards. I've used a few brands and I don't think I will ever switch. The package of comfort, build quality and performance does it for me across the range. If you want an 'allrounder' board that will deal with anything get the Monk (or its carbon sibling the Bronq). Choppy conditions and small surf are no issue with the Monk. Also, its fast, really freaking fast and a cadillac in terms of ride comfort.

2. What board size (length/width) would be optimal for my weight and experience?
Again depends on the board. Rocker, how straight the rail is, flex, channeling, concave, fin size, whether you want to use boots, how many stickers you have on it....all play a role. If you want to get a Monk 131 x 40. Sounds small right? I am 88kgs and ride a 135 x 42 and have no issues with my board unless it gets down below 13 knots. Go to the Shinn website or email Shinn directly for guidance.

3. What other characteristics of the board should I watch out for?
Its like any other tool. Depends on what you want it for. For an allrounder:
- Comfort and ability to handle chop. This is king for me. Some iron hard plank which makes your teeth rattle in chop or beats the crap out of your knees is an absolute no go.
- Upwind ability. Something which goes upwind easily makes life much less stressful and your progression faster.
- Build quality. There are a lot of crappy overpriced boards out there which start to delaminate after a few sessions, the inserts rip out or they crack after a few jumps. Do some googling before you buy and if you are 50/50 make sure the firm has a good warranty policy. Some don't.
- Wind range. Does it become uncontrollable when the wind picks up or bogs down when the wind drops off.
- Aesthetics? Whether or not the colour compliments the pink summer dress you are wearing........

Good luck with your search sir.

[mede]

I would second the view to get a Shinn Monk straight away. It's super easy to ride, and until you do unhooked new school moves, you won't need to look any further

[Slappysan]

If you can get your hands on a Gintronic go for it, I love mine. I've tried to upgrade from it a couple times and keep coming back to it.