New board for my Big buddy

[Ulrik]

I am trying to find a new TT for my buddy. He is a heavy guy 100 kg / 220 lbs.
He has been kiting for a few years,but not many sessions per year. He is doing small jumps, gyping etc. but going upwind, (especially in onshore conditions) is sometimes a struggle for him.
He is currently riding a very old Gaastra board 143/43 cm (forgot which model).

I found good deals on 3 boards:

Naish Motion 2020 142/42
Cabrinha Spectrum 2020 144/43
Shinn Monk Mental 2019 137/44

Any input on the 3 boards would be great ( Upwind ability, how easy they are in chop, ease of use, low wind performance ...)
(I used to ride a Monk, and am currently riding the Bronq CRB 4,so I know how great the Shinn boards work for me, but I am only 75 kg, and have been riding for 22 years, so I am not sure how that would translate to a heavy guy with less skills and experience)

[Matteo V]

He is doing small jumps, gyping etc. but going upwind, (especially in onshore conditions) is sometimes a struggle for him.

If your conditions ever are below 20knots, it's best to have a dedicated light wind board at his stage and weight. Doors or a Lightwave are the way to go.

The Cabrinha spectrum is still on the small size. But give that board to a lightweight rider, and it is a light wind board for them. Heavier riders need more.

[Havre]

I'm 100kg+- myself. I have ridden the Naish Hero I believe in 142x42 (not entirely sure which size, but something close to that at least - it is some years ago so not the current model). That is probably the "best" board I have ever tried for going upwind. I guess Motion isn't targeting beginners in the same way. If that means it will be more difficult to ride upwind I don´t know, but could be.

Got a Shinn board now myself, but I have no idea how that matches up with the Monk. Ronson Player is very good going upwind I would argue, but I wouldn't recommend getting that as I believe I got the biggest size which is 140x43 and I think someone struggling to go upwind will still struggle with that board.

Never tried the Spectrum, but sounds like the best choice to me. Obviously my opinion there isn't worth much for that specific board as I have never tried it myself and as far as I know no-one I know has one of those.

I'm all for big boards and I typically argue for beginners to get bigger boards (more and more people seem to be coming around to that). Not sure if I agree with Matteo V on the Spectrum being small. If I had a friend at around 100kg starting out now somewhere around that size would be exactly what I would recommend.

For me that would depend on how good the deal is, how easy it would be to sell locally if it doesn't work for him and/or how much money he has got to spend on equipment that might not work for him (how big of a hit he can afford to take).

[SENDIT!]

I am a big guy like your friend (225 pies) and I can tell you, unequivocally, that the best big board out there is the Litewave Wing. At his weight, I’d recommend the 165. I have one and I ride it ALL the time. Unlike most big boards for light wind, this one isn’t a flat plank that sucks to ride in anything other than flat water. The Wing has a smidge of rocker, a nice concave in the bottom, and flared “dogbone” tips. This helps to create a larger surface area where you need it (back foot) and makes any splashes from the nose go well clear of your face. The parabolic side cut keeps it narrower through the middle, making it easier to edge when getting powered up, as well as crank upwind. The stiffener section through the middle of the board, but not to the end, enable it to be SUPER easy for jumping. I tell people all the time that “this is a lightwind board that doesn’t know it!”

I have sold a ton of these boards over the years b/c they work. He can keep the old board that he has for when he has plenty of power to ride it, but get this new one for when he can’t. It will be like he magically got better at kiteboarding overnight. Hope this helps!

SENDIT!

[Herman]

I have a couple of old boards that do the job, that you outlined, for me if I don’t want to take more power. They are a Nobile XL 143x48 and a Shinn KingG 150x50. Both handle like big TTs, easy to slide to toeside and ok for small jumps, unsurprisingly I prefer the shorter board if I want to jump.

[Tony in FL]

+1 for Litewave WIng. I have the 165 Carbon Wing and it is amazing.

[Havre]

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.

[knyfe]

There is no TT going better upwind than a Door type board. But this typically also means that he is underpowered for his size - which is a standard if you only do limited amount of sessions. He can’t go wrong with a door and will use it more often than he thinks.

[iriejohn]

Not all big boards are Doors and handle like trucks.

I have an Ozone Infinity V2 144x47 which works really well in light winds but still feels and manoeuvres the same way as a smaller twintip, and goes upwind really well. I'm 80kg and use it in light winds in shallow water, and it should pair nicely with my Ozone Alpha V2 14m due to arrive at the end August/beginning of September.

There's also a 148x48.

https://ozonekites.com/products/kiteboards/infinity-v2/

[appelton]

Get the Flysurfer Flydoor 6. They are really hard to get in the US but you can easily get them from Kitemana. Best doors ever. Period.