New board for my Big buddy

[Delta99]

Your friend could also look out for a used door/LW TT. In my area a lot of the LW TT-owners have switched to foiling and sold their large TT.

[grtlakes]

I’m mainly foiling these days however, I love my OR mako king. Great board all conditions. I’m 220#.

[dracop]

I weigh around 217 atm.

Of the three, the Spectrum will do the best for your friend. Its gonna be a it soft for him but it will work.

Avoid the Naish Motion, it had a fair amount of rocker that makes it ride smaller than its size. He will struggle to go upwind on that board.

The Shinn is on the small size unless he is in 30mph+ winds.

A Naish Hero 145 before they switched materials in 2019 would have been great for him. The newer ones are too soft and flexy for heavyweight riders.

A Duotone Jaime or Select would be great for him in 142.

As far as Door sized boards, depends on the winds riding in. The Litewave Wing is awesome in lighter winds but not what he will want in moderate or strong winds.

Size wise he needs at least a 142 with a more squared profile and flatter rocker to provide upwind drive, 144-145 would be the sweet spot.

[McLovin]

I'm not going to say that someone shouldn't get a door sized board, but if you need something like that to go upwind being reasonable powered then in my opinion you are just trying to cover over some serious technical issues in your riding.

+1 with Havre

I am 275lbs and seem to go upwind better than most, maybe it's the 20 years experience windsurfing and pointing upwind?

For boards I use a Crazy Fly 140x42 for most and for the lightest winds a 151 Carve Imperator both boards carve it up nicely... typically getting upwind is about angles of attack

Mc

[Matteo V]

I'm not going to say that someone shouldn't get a door sized board, but if you need something like that to go upwind being reasonable powered then in my opinion you are just trying to cover over some serious technical issues in your riding.

+1 with Havre

I am 275lbs and seem to go upwind better than most, maybe it's the 20 years experience windsurfing and pointing upwind?

For boards I use a Crazy Fly 140x42 for most and for the lightest winds a 151 Carve Imperator both boards carve it up nicely... typically getting upwind is about angles of attack

Mc

All has to do with whether or not you have ridden a Lightwave. I'm still trying to find someone who has used one but doesn't like it.

Most of us that have been kiting for at least 10 years, had at least 1 or 2 doors and weren't really impressed with them. Sure, they got you upwind in marginal conditions, but they were just not that much fun. And it wasn't for manufacturers lack of trying. From super narrow boards like the Slingshot "Glide (later versions), to oddballs like the OR "Mako King", to relatively lively boards like the Crazyfly's, to run of the mill doors like the Cabrinha "Plasma" and older Slingshot "Glides" - they all kind of worked and had their niche.

But the Lightwave is way past any of those boards. Sure it looks like a low performance crazy concave snowboard sidecut mow the lawn'er. But that's not how it rides. It took me one serious convincing to get on one, but once I gave in........ yep, don't judge a book by its cover!

Around here, it's either POS super cheap used door, or just pay upfront for the only lightwind board you will ever actually like - the Lightwave.

[Megaloopsky]

For me there is only one big board that's also fun. It's a Saul Custom model "light wind". I'm 185cm 70kg and a 148cm board we have in the school still feels playfull, effortless and allows big jumps. (I personally use 135cm for context) Of course it can be made in any size you want and with custom graphics. We have a school logo on it witch is pretty much unloosable