Trying to decide on a board to learn with on a moses onda 633. I cant decide on a board with volume like slingy alien air or thin construction like a shinn jackson.
Anyone tried both types to compare ?
You don't need volume in a TT after all, and at first you'll just be getting up onto and riding the board on the surface. And you won't have the finesse to use a small kite that would leave you under powered on a TT so...
For water starts on the foil I think low-ish to medium volume is easier, specifically because a high volume board is hard to flip the board on its side and keep it there to get up and get going. But if you're learning anything where you touch the board down (gybes, tacks), you can go a bit slower without sinking with a high volume board.
For ultra light wind a high-vol board is easier to get going on, where you have to dive the kite several times to build up enough speed to get up on the foil. I've had a couple sessions where my friend (with skim-foil) couldn't get going because he'd keep sinking before he could get going fast enough, but I was doing ok with the alien air.
I learned on an alien air and like it in some scenarios but I would ideally like something with a bit less volume. Something that looks like the newer LF foil boards looks great to me.
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For water starts on the foil I think low-ish to medium volume is easier, specifically because a high volume board is hard to flip the board on its side and keep it there to get up and get going. But if you're learning anything where you touch the board down (gybes, tacks), you can go a bit slower without sinking with a high volume board.
For ultra light wind a high-vol board is easier to get going on, where you have to dive the kite several times to build up enough speed to get up on the foil. I've had a couple sessions where my friend (with skim-foil) couldn't get going because he'd keep sinking before he could get going fast enough, but I was doing ok with the alien air.
I learned on an alien air and like it in some scenarios but I would ideally like something with a bit less volume. Something that looks like the newer LF foil boards looks great to me.
Thanks this makes sense but I hear the onda floats on its side easily so would this make a larger volume board like the alien easier to use?
My experience was: smaller & lighter makes it easier to carry & maneuver the board in the water & most importantly, makes it easier to get on its side ready to water start. On the other hand, a little more flotation makes the board a bit more forgiving when you're riding it on the surface.
I would say an Alien Air is the maximum size you would want. Something a bit smaller, like the Dwarfcraft 54" is lighter & less bulky, so easier to water start, but a little less forgiving in touch-downs. Personally, I would go with the DW because it's not going to make an appreciable different from the AA in the initial learning process, but it will definitely be a more useful board to own once you've got past the first three or four sessions.
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if you were to go with the shinn jackson, I board I owned very briefly as a beginner, there will be many occasions as a beginner where you will find yourself just able to get up on your feet on the board and struggling to move forward(lack of skill lack of wind)
the jackson or other very low volume boards will sink, and that is a bugger! you will either hit the bottom and damage stuff, or struggle along up to your knees in water then splash!
shallow water will make this problem even worse, and as you are in MarMenor I would say go volume.
go volume now and then in time you will know when your ready for lower volume,
the jackson is not only very low volume it is also very heavy, and the heavily turned up edges are a tipping nightmare for some.