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Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

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ConcreteFloater
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Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby ConcreteFloater » Thu Apr 08, 2021 7:46 am

Hi all,

My wife and I are beginners who are kiting in an area that gets 10-12 kts regularly but anything more only a couple of times a month, and there tends to be a bit of chop, even when the wind is less that 14kts.

I am thinking that to progress we should get out and ride as often as possible (so 12kts and less) and it seems that a dedicated light wind board (TT) will both help with the learning process and also enable us to ride when we might not otherwise be able to.

I am 68kg and my wife 60kg. At the moment we are borrowing a friend's kite, a 12m F-One Bandit, though I'm looking into a Naish Boxer 12m or 14m as a possible light wind option to pair with the big board.

I think I understand the basic pros and cons of 'door' boards - great at getting upwind in zero knots but boring and can't handle chop, etc - vs the playfulness of a shorter board. My goal is to try to find a board that we could both use, big enough to get us riding in the afternoon breeze, easy enough to ride, fun enough to begin to learn basic tricks, and basically suitable for 90% of our riding. In the end I suppose we will share a three kite, two board quiver.

So far I have 'narrowed down' our options to the following boards:

Oxygen V3 Board - 135x47
Litewave Wing - 155x44
Duotone Ultraspike SLS - 165x47.5
Flysurfer Flydoor 6 - 159x45
Spleene Carbon Pro Session 54 - 154x47
Shinn Superking Type B - 150x50

Basically the advice I'm looking for is which boards those of you who have ridden a few of these think may give us the best wind range, cope with chop, and basically stay with us as we progress and get look to have more fun out there. Basically the do-it-all board for <15kt days that will work as a 'session saver' too... if such a board exists!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

CF

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Bille
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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Bille » Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:36 pm

Welcome to KF !! :thumb:

I weigh too much ,(95Kg) to have an answer ; but there's lots
of knowledgeable people here, that can tell ya.

Got a cold beer that says , you'll be over on the hydrofoil forum
here ; inside the next year ! :D

Bille
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nixmatters
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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby nixmatters » Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:54 pm

Spleene Carbon Pro Session 54 - 154x47

I hate doors and anything longer than 150cm I've tried. But that Spleene rides through chop like it has active suspension :lol:
Weighs nothing for the size (2,3kg naked if I'm not wrong) and looks gorgeous!
The fins placement is standard (not like on doors) so you can ride toeside. Such a sweet board!
Had a Spike Textreme 153cm for a while, but didn't like it and sold it. I'm 75kg.
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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Peter_Frank » Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:54 pm

Bille wrote:
Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:36 pm
Welcome to KF !! :thumb:

I weigh too much ,(95Kg) to have an answer ; but there's lots
of knowledgeable people here, that can tell ya.

Got a cold beer that says , you'll be over on the hydrofoil forum
here ; inside the next year ! :D

Bille

True, although for learning they have to use big TT's now, so a good and relevant "first post" question.
I can not answer, as not into light wind TT's myself.

But I think you are right Bille, quite soon when they gain more experience, they will find kite hydrofoiling perfect for these conditions and wind.
They can also use as small as a 5 m2 kite in 10-12 knots on a hydrofoil being 68 and 60 kg.
And chop means nothing at all, even jumping is fun no matter if choppy, on a foil :naughty:

8) Peter

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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Kristan » Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:56 pm

You can't go wrong with a Flydoor. Mostly because they are very popular and you can find a nice second hand offer.
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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Da Yoda » Thu Apr 08, 2021 4:18 pm

I've also heard some good things about F-One's Big One 160cm, so add that to your list. F-One's board also has the "pulled in" tips like what's found on most of the boards you listed. Litewave's board handles chop really we'll (possibly the best), but the wide tip adds more swing weight and the wide tip profile tends to hang-up when jumping and spinning unlike the "pulled-in" tips.
https://www.f-one.world/product/big-one/

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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby knyfe » Thu Apr 08, 2021 4:34 pm

I own a door since - well - ever and love it. I tried a lite wave on the beach and that was great too - but different. I doubt that as a a beginner you will feel a difference at the moment anyway. For your weights you will do fine with anyone.

I still use the door when the tide is low which prohibits foiling. G

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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Carlos_C » Thu Apr 08, 2021 4:53 pm

I'm the same size as you and use a Spleene session as my lightwind twin tip - it's 141 x 43 - adds a couple of knots low end and can jump happily with it - the new ones are a little bit bigger at 145 x 46
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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Sun » Thu Apr 08, 2021 4:54 pm

I have never liked the long door boards. As expected, they do not like turning and are not playful. I found my favorite to be the Nobile XTR 143x48. I am well past beginner stage, and I still love using the Nobile on the light days. Unlike the long boards, it loves to rotate. I weight about 85-90kg, so the Oxygen looks to be a good idea to me.

That said, the long doors do tend to work better for most beginners, but I think if you might end up keeping the Oxygen longer. For what it is worth, my kiting girlfriend hated doors at the beginning but liked the Nobile, so there is that.

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Re: Help Finding the Holy Grail Light Wind Boards

Postby Dirk » Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:26 pm

I can only highly recommend the Naish Boxer as a kite for these conditions. If those are your standard conditions it will be perfect and still have enough wind range for more wind.

In 10-12 Knots I (73kg) ride the 14 meter with a 1,45 x 44 Twin Tip (Naish Hero). The 12m Boxer will be more powerful than the Bandit.

The Naish Hero needs more power than a door or the other boards you mentioned, it has quite some rocker, on the other side it rides really smoothly through chop.


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