Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

[ConcreteFloater]

Okay, now for a potentially silly idea, and based on the Alaia suggestions...

What about a Shinnster?!

Looks like it could have a sense of my skating days and have a sense of 'snowboarding on powder' about it. Would that make a good LW board? Is the learning curve for a beginner a bit steep to go strapless?

The Shinnster

[ConcreteFloater]

I would take a look at the Crazyfly Slicer 154cm. I have the 160, best light wind board I have ever tried and I have tried scores of light wind boards.

Out of curiosity what specifically makes you say this? At my weight of 68kg, trying to ride with 12 and 14 metre kites in 8-12 kts of wind will it do the job? Also, with t being carbon is it very stiff or does it have reasonable flex? Also what about progressing to freestyle (or as much freestyle as you can do in 12 kts anyway). And finally how is it in chop and getting out over 0.5-1.0m waves?!

I ask because I've seen someone selling their 154x44 for about $400/£300 so at that money is seems like a fair gamble to give it a go.

[andylc]

In all honesty at your weight the need for a light wind board is minimal. I’m 66kg and with a decent 13m one strut kite I’m fine from 10 knots on my normal board. I am demoing an amazing light wind board from Nomad at the moment but since it’s only 8-10 knots where I need it, I hardly ever use it.
Sizes you are mentioning sound huge for your weight.

[matth]

Okay, now for a potentially silly idea, and based on the Alaia suggestions...

What about a Shinnster?!

Looks like it could have a sense of my skating days and have a sense of 'snowboarding on powder' about it. Would that make a good LW board? Is the learning curve for a beginner a bit steep to go strapless?

Screenshot 2021-04-14 at 16.12.08.png

The Shinnster is a great board. The low end is on par with door-style TTs but it is much more fun to ride IMO. Very easy way to learn strapless directional riding. Boards of this style of construction(no volume) are much easier to water start also.

[sflinux]

The Shinnster is a great board. The low end is on par with door-style TTs but it is much more fun to ride IMO. Very easy way to learn strapless directional riding. Boards of this style of construction(no volume) are much easier to water start also.

Agreed. Traditional surfboards can't compete when it gets choppy, thin rail boards slice through chop with ease.
My answer would vary based on the tides. High tide: hydrofoil. Low tide: The Flying Pig is hard to beat.
http://www.mit.edu/~robot/zp/zeroprestige.html

[Trent hink]

I disagree.

The technique for riding a surfboard is very different from riding a twin tip or alaia.

With a surfboard you want to keep the board flat and drive it off the fins - not the rail.

[Gestalt]

I also have been looking for the holy grail lightwind board.
Personally I gravitated to to the carbon lighter weight ones. Nomad and Spleene looking attractive...
I'm curious does anyone know know how much the Litewave Wing Carbon - 155x44 weighs?

I'm curious if people have an opinion on fins symmetric on the board, or asymmetric with all 4 being closer to the heel side edge.

I made a list of almost all boards mentioned here with links plus others, and included weight in lbs where I could find it.

Nomad LW - 150x45 - 4lbs? http://www.nomadkiteboarding.com/index- ... board.html symmetric fins
Carved Imperator 6 - 151x45 or 157x49 - weight? https://carvedcustoms.com/en/boards/imp ... #lightwind symmetric fins & asymmetric fins
Litewave Wing Carbon - 155x44 - weight? https://www.litewavedesigns.com/product ... -wind.html asymmetric fins
Crazyfly Slicer - 154x44 - 6.6lbs https://www.crazyflykites.com/boards/slicer asymmetric fins
Flysurfer Flydoor 6 - 159x45 - 8.4lbs https://flysurfer.com/project/flydoor6/ asymmetric fins
F-One big one - 160x45 - 7.7lbs https://www.f-one.world/product/big-one/ asymmetric fins
Shinn Superking - 150x50 - weight? https://kite.shinnworld.com/home/36-sup ... matic.html symmetric fins
Spleene Carbon Pro Session 54 - 154x47 - 4.97lbs https://www.spleene-kiteboarding.com/li ... on-pro-54/ symmetric fins
Glider 154x48 weight? http://www.aboards.eu/public/?Products:Boards:Glider symmetric fins
Duotone Spike SLS - 153x46.5 - 6.6lbs https://www.duotonesports.com/kiteboard ... spike-sls/ symmetric fins
Ocean Rodeo Mako 165x45 - weight? https://oceanrodeo.com/products/mako?va ... 5371260058 middle fin
Slighsot Glide v11 - 151x41 - 7.3lbs https://slingshotsports.com/collections ... 4501427400 symmetric fins

[Trent hink]

On a twin-tip the fins don't help much.

Since you drive the board off the rail, the fins mostly just add drag.

So, if you want an efficient twin-tip, it should have the smallest possible fins that still give you good control.

Don't get me wrong, the benefit of drag is you get much better control, But if you are looking for the ultimate light wind board in a twin-tip, you have to keep in mind that the fins are mostly just adding drag.

For a board designed to be driven off the edge, there are other ways to efficiently add control and lift.

For example, a uniform shallow concave can work well.

But weirdly shaped concaves or channels just add drag - these design features still have merit, but not if efficiently is your primary goal.

Dead flat is still probably the most efficient... if you can manage it.

I never cared for dead flat and finless, though I have seen skilled riders rip on it...skilled skim boarders, for example.

[Da Yoda]

I made a list of almost all boards mentioned here with links plus others, and included weight in lbs where I could find it.

Here are a few more:
Nobile Flying Carpet 160x46 @ 7.5lbs (3.4kg) fins are symmetric, but the board is asymmetric
Core Fusion LW 147x44 and 152x46
Naish Orbit 152x45 and 162x46
Cabrinha Stylus 150x45 and 160x47.5
Ozone Infinity 144x47 and 148x48
Epic Oxygen 135x47 is also marketed as a light wind board

[nixmatters]

I made a list of almost all boards mentioned here with links plus others, and included weight in lbs where I could find it.

Nice!
Do you mind adding the KG values?