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About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

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junebug
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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby junebug » Mon May 20, 2019 1:54 pm

For the past few weeks, I have been using my home build, which is about 33 inches x 15.5 inches x 1 inch. I have used it flat water, small chop, and small waves.

I had never ridden strapless before, and it took a couple of sessions to get the waterstart dialed in. In chop and waves it is more of a challenge if underpowered, like I like to ride, but looping it a few times usually does the trick. It doesn’t really plane to speak of, but if I can keep pressure on the back foot, I can usually make it, even if the board is still under water after the first loop. 9kn is probably my low end on this board with my current equipment (10m LEI). I can probably get 1kn lower with my prior board (42 inch Dwarfcraft).

Once up and foiling, it is awesome. It is very light and turns very quickly. Because the board is so small, my stance has narrowed considerably from my prior board. I find this to be a huge benefit. My foot switches have gotten so much faster and more precise and my turns feel like I am carving more. That latter point is hard to explain but maybe because my stance is narrower I have to carve more by leaning than driving the board with pressure from my feet? Not really sure about the physics of it all, but the turns just feel better, even if I can’t crank it as hard as with straps.

For my style of foiling—Greg Drexler wannabe—I’m sold on smaller boards. I will only go back on super light wind days, huge chop days, or if I’m going to practice a new maneuver.
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Kamikuza
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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby Kamikuza » Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:20 pm

Digging this up cos now I'm in the decision process...

Spotted a 120 Groove Skate for sale in FB group, but it looks like it's fallen through because the courier douchebags want €500 for shipping :D

So now I'm eyeing up an Axis Free or Kink. I've got a Ride and think it's both too long and too wide. I'm worried the 105 will be too small and the 125 too close to the Ride :D have ridden the Naish 127 Hover and thought it was fine, but wasn't my wing so it was ... wrong.

Specs are:
Ride 140x48 30L
Free 125x46.5 25L
Kink 105x45 20L

Whaddy'all reckon?

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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby junebug » Thu Jun 20, 2019 1:33 pm

I don’t think 105 is too small. In fact, my biggest board (small dwarfcraft) is about that size. I use it in lighter* wind

*I don’t chase light wind, so take my comments for what they are worth. I use the dwarfcraft in 8/9kn with a 10m LEI. That’s as low as I care to go right now.

One question about the Kink — the mast inserts look too far forward, thus shifting the front straps too far forward. Seems to me a board of that size should have more of a nose? I wonder if those mast inserts might not work with high-lift wings?

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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby Peter_Frank » Thu Jun 20, 2019 2:47 pm

What rider weight(s) are we talking about?

I can not see how one can recommend any size without this knowledge :naughty:

8) PF

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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby junebug » Thu Jun 20, 2019 3:11 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Thu Jun 20, 2019 2:47 pm
What rider weight(s) are we talking about?

I can not see how one can recommend any size without this knowledge :naughty:

8) PF
Other than the extremes, I’m not sure I agree. I would definitely take the rider’s weight into account for purposes of determining kite size on any given day, but, assuming the rider isn’t so heavy that he can’t pick a kite that he can loop and get right on foil (or close to it), I don’t think weight is a significant consideration for board length, at least when we are talking about 105 vs 125.

Just for reference, I’m 6’3” 195 lbs and I ride a 33in paulownia plank. (Or, if you prefer, I’m 190cm 88 kilos and I ride an 84cm board.)

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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby grigorib » Thu Jun 20, 2019 3:44 pm

Kamikuza wrote:
Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:20 pm
Digging this up cos now I'm in the decision process...

Spotted a 120 Groove Skate for sale in FB group, but it looks like it's fallen through because the courier douchebags want €500 for shipping :D

So now I'm eyeing up an Axis Free or Kink. I've got a Ride and think it's both too long and too wide. I'm worried the 105 will be too small and the 125 too close to the Ride :D have ridden the Naish 127 Hover and thought it was fine, but wasn't my wing so it was ... wrong.

Specs are:
Ride 140x48 30L
Free 125x46.5 25L
Kink 105x45 20L

Whaddy'all reckon?
After riding 36” the 42” Micro feels huge. I weigh 200 lbs and board size for me is rather about allowing my stance to fit. It doesn’t need to ride on surface - I pop up on the wing and fly

I drew outlines and holes position of my “woody” and Tim did amazing job making the board. Maybe quote his price :)

http://www.timcgibbs.com/foil-boards.html

Or if you don’t mind paying shipping on 42” Dwarfcraft- I’d sell that. I love the kicker in the back and the Rasta colors.
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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby gmasiak » Thu Jun 20, 2019 6:23 pm

junebug wrote:
Thu Jun 20, 2019 1:33 pm
I don’t think 105 is too small. In fact, my biggest board (small dwarfcraft) is about that size. I use it in lighter* wind

*I don’t chase light wind, so take my comments for what they are worth. I use the dwarfcraft in 8/9kn with a 10m LEI. That’s as low as I care to go right now.

One question about the Kink — the mast inserts look too far forward, thus shifting the front straps too far forward. Seems to me a board of that size should have more of a nose? I wonder if those mast inserts might not work with high-lift wings?
Axis Kink 105.png
Axis Kink 105.png (212.5 KiB) Viewed 1229 times
I don't think mast connection is to far forward...look the picture.

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junebug
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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby junebug » Thu Jun 20, 2019 6:40 pm

The below is the image I’m pulling up for the 2019 Kink MV:

Image

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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby Peter_Frank » Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:29 pm

I will still say, that if you are 110 kg you will probably be higher and have a wider footstance, than if you are 55 kg.

Thus the latter would easier be able to go even smaller in board size.

So usually weight and body "size" are connected somewhat or fully :rollgrin:

:D Peter

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Re: About real small pocket boards < 1 m, benefits and limits

Postby Kamikuza » Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:18 am

junebug wrote:
Thu Jun 20, 2019 6:40 pm
The below is the image I’m pulling up for the 2019 Kink MV:

Image
MV of course means Minimum Volume, but I want a regular board because of rails (I'm a fiddler and I like my mast forward) and I don't like the footpads with the lump in the middle. Not sure if the "new" boards are on the webpage yet...

Image
Image

The "old" Ride is 145x48, this one is 140x48...unless there's a mistake in the webpage.


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