light wind twintip (but not doors)

[mass898]

thanks all for the suggestions. There is so many boards out there that look fun to try.

Some more information about my experience with the Epic Oxygen.

I use it as a session saver, when you go to the spot but you are not sure what wind there will be. Honestly, it saved me from frustration multiple times.

Riding with the Epic in choppy water is doable but not very fun. It is best used in flat lagoon conditions.

It is incredibly light, it goes upwind like i have never experienced before. I have even kited once and there was only a guy with a foil. People with 12 and surf boards were on the beach.

On the fun side, it feels more like an normal board even when powered. I used it in 18 knots conditions cause when the wind picked up i couldnt change back to my lieuwe board. I had a good session. The downside is edging. Edging is a bit challenging. For example when you land a jump and you want to edge immediately in an aggressive way. That's not possible.

so for 500 euro, definitely a good investment for occasional use. If your spot is light wind, then i would invest in one of those carbon boards that were suggested in the other topic like nobile superleggera. It seemed like they behave more like a normal TT but the cost is clearly not for occasional users.

[lopor]

I remember I saw a nice light wind boards comparison in one of the online kite magazines like the Kiteworldmag or The Kiteboarder where you just turn the pages like if it was a printed magazine but for God´s sake cannot find it anymore. Have you seen it? Do you have a link? I could have seen it like 2 years ago, the comparison could be about 3 years old.

Anyway when it comes to lightwind boards do you suggest to stick with "high tech" boards with shaped bottoms etc. or is it a good choice to stay with traditional simple boards?

[Xtream]

This has been an amazing light wind board, with Airush Ultra 17 its fun and gets you out when only foils can ride. 145X45 Rouge Wave Fat Bastard.

[Guttorm]

To expand the range of your board in lighter winds, or are kiting on a flat water spot, try the Revo grab handle,
https://corekites.com/us/carved/accessories/revo
I have used mine for 1/2 year, I realy like it.
it will lower your rocker line ca 1,4 cm on just a twist on the grab handle.
it will give medium to high rockered boards:
better speed
better upwind
better glide trough lulls
better jumping in light wind.
Two boards is for sure better, but for bringing only one board on the trip / to the beach, the board with the Revo is 10-20% better in light wind.

I can change the rocker while kiting.
Most of the times I start the session with low rocker to get faster upwind, when I have reached a safe jumping distance from land, and there is good wind I turn it
back to normal. Some light wind days I keep it on low rocker the hole day.
Try it

[ham-er]

To expand the range of your board in lighter winds, or are kiting on a flat water spot, try the Revo grab handle,
https://corekites.com/us/carved/accessories/revo
I have used mine for 1/2 year, I realy like it.
it will lower your rocker line ca 1,4 cm on just a twist on the grab handle.
it will give medium to high rockered boards:
better speed
better upwind
better glide trough lulls
better jumping in light wind.
Two boards is for sure better, but for bringing only one board on the trip / to the beach, the board with the Revo is 10-20% better in light wind.

I can change the rocker while kiting.
Most of the times I start the session with low rocker to get faster upwind, when I have reached a safe jumping distance from land, and there is good wind I turn it
back to normal. Some light wind days I keep it on low rocker the hole day.
Try it

Wow, interesting, never knew such thing existed.
Does it really work?
Can it be used on any other board or just core?

[Peter_Frank]

Hmmm, I am very sceptical...

Sounds too good to be true.

Also, for well balanced performance you need to add flex at the ends and not at the center.

One might be surprised, but I am sceptical as said

Peter

[POACHER]

The Revo does work well on a few types of boards. (obviously the hole pattern must be the right width foremost) I don't think it will be a cure all or turn your 133 into a 160 door, but it makes a big difference on the few boards I've tried it on. So far I've used it on a Carved Imperator 7 137, a Core Fusion 5 139, Imperator 146LW and Core 154LW.
The two BIG boards it didn't do much as those boards are already very flat. So I don't think I'd buy one for a dedicated lightwind board. However on the two smaller boards, it's a substantial difference. The Fusion 5 has quite a bit of rocker, which I really like when it's lit or really choppy. When the wind drops it's not particularly efficient - one turn of the handle and the board does become much flatter, faster and better upwind in lighter air. On the Imperator it made that already fast board into a rocket ship. (reminded me of the Axis Limited)

Yeah it's a gadget, but if you have variable wind all the time, I think it's worth the $100ish bucks.


(***Unpaid/unsponsored endorsement!***)

[lopor]

Found the magazine I mentioned in my post above, hope you find it useful https://issuu.com/thekitemag/docs/tkm_u ... ete_20/100

[Trent hink]

Hmmm, I am very sceptical...

Sounds too good to be true.

Also, for well balanced performance you need to add flex at the ends and not at the center.

One might be surprised, but I am sceptical as said

Peter

I'm not exactly skeptical, but having built more than a few boards myself; why not just get a board with a flatter rocker line?

Flattening out the rocker will improve low-end performance, assuming the bottom shape does not have too many crazy contours/channels and the rails are not too soft...

The device also only flattens the rocker in the middle portion of the board. Not ideal. All the major action happens around your back foot and the tail. Maybe version 2.0 will mount between the fin screws? - It'd be way more effective that way....

But if you really want a mind-blowing difference, don't just flatten the rocker, add a cm or two to the board width and harden up the bottom edge of the rails as well.

For sure it is possible to have a high-wind board and a light-wind board with identical legnth, width, and outline. This product hints at the possibility, but in my opinion it makes too many compromises to be worth the trouble.

I know I'm getting a bit off topic here, but if I really wanted a twintip board that was a jack-of-all-trades, and Master of none, here is how I would do it:

Build a board with a very nice low-wind rocker and soft rails.

Make some rails approximately half a centimeter wide, but hard, (or slightly different in varying ways), that just attach over the soft rails.

Add some turnbuckles with dyneema lines, that attach between the fin screws on both sides...

Now, you got way more than four boards in one... Rail adjustability, rocker adjustability (in a much more efficient manner), with infinite tuning possibilities.

You end up with a board that can do anything.

Maybe this idea is patentable, but in the end, it will never outperform any board that is designed and optimized to fit specific conditions.

[Jyoder]

I haven’t read through all 6 pages to see if this has been posted since I foil 99% of the time and only TT one or two days a year, but has anyone mentioned just adding bigger fins to the board(s) you have? I’m 75kg and I have an old 131cm Nobile TT with 55mm fins. By riding it flat and fast, I can go upwind better than I can on my friends’ 140-145 boards with small fins.