Gybing the Zone

I've got a Spleene and a 6'3" converse, but haven’t tried one of the shorter converses. For me, the straps on the Converse are in the wrong place - too far back – so I took them off. The plaining area in the tail of the converse is about the same as my twinnie, so it goes OK if the surf is powerful or sizy, but in small surf, if I let the power out of the kite, it is too narrow to get on the plain.

I have tried gybing the Spleene a few time, but never succeeded because of it's lack of buoyancy, although I gybe my strapless surfboard without any hassles. With the lack of buoyancy, the moment you lose speed, it is under the water. The strap placing of the Spleene is designed for you to only fit on the board one way, so I usually ride the Spleene backside instead of gybing and it rides backside pretty easily. A mate had a try on my Spleene and managed to gybe it quite easily – but then the surfboard he rides is narrow and short. The rocker of the Spleene is very flat and the tail quite wide, so it gets up and planing very easily.
I have also changed the small fin at the tail with a bigger one, which holds quite well in larger surf.

If I had to guess, I reckon the short converse would gybe easier because of it’s extra volume, but if I had to choose one of the two, my preference would go the Spleene.

The Spleene is about 1 or 2 cm thick all the way through - snowboard construction. If you can keep the speed up, you should be able to crack it. I have also adjusted my footstraps so I can ride both ways, and if I need to get a long way upwind, I just get off the board to make up ground and then stay one way until I lose ground again. It is very easy to get upwind on a Spleene.

A non-surfer mate of mine bought a Spleene and reckoned it gave him a new lease of life in the surf.
There is a posting about Spleenes somewhere in the forum. Probably under gear reviews.

Jumping / Back rolls & going to windward the spleene zone is what it is great for .The board does not bog down before back rolls so that makes back rolls easy to do . Toe side riding is no bother due to the board being thin it is easy to edge the board . The other problem fellows have with a surf board is the initial take off . Because the surf board is floaty it is harder to roll it on its side / put your feet in and take off . The spleene zone is the same as a twin tip .Awsume .
Gybing I can not do at the moment but by the review I set up as " switch Foot " also in general ,the comments have been to switch under speed and with the kite above you to take body weight off your feet .

Switch foot means your back foot (I think) is now your front foot, very difficult if you have been surfing for years and can't get out the habit.

I have a mate who is learning and when on a twin tip can't go switch foot and ends up flipping around automatically to toe side unintentionally - its funny when you watch him .

Cheers

Andrash !!
/ Switch foot is when riding a directional / surf board and say you are now right foot forward - changing to left foot forward so you don't have to ride toe side .
Gybing is simply carve turning towards the kite . Tacking is turning away from the kite or to windward .

Yes to both questions " windangoesoff ". In the video if you watch closely at the end when he turns & goes toe side .Then the rider switch's feet so he is riding heel side again . Looks easy hey ! but have a go .