Hi All
Weigh just under 80kg's and ride an FLX 128 board. Wondering what an ideal size board would be for those light wind 11 - 13 knot, 12m days?
Cheers
hey mate the protoy exile would be perfect for those light wind days if you want to come down to pinnaroo and demo1 your more than welcome too !!!!
I know they aren't very well known 'down-under', but check OceanRodeo's(Canadian Co.) MAKO's ... just got a 150x40 (wide) and a 134x35 and they ARE amazing !!! Never seen or ridden a board with so much concave (18mm) before - but believe me, they work. I reckon it's a bit similar to when the thruster (3 fin) surfboards were introduced - pretty much a revolution.
Read all the hype on the link below. Never read a thread before with so many positive posts (14 pages) before.
http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2332906&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
I have 2 light wind boards that really work.
Underground FLX 1.52x44 has better top end, as in can handle chop to around 17/18 knots.
Nobile EXT 1.43 x48 best bottom end of any board I have used, if you can't get going on this, its time to slam your knob in a drawer ( I don't believe them, but some people say its more fun than light wind kiting).
Get something with a single concave, and some width. The Cardboards are excellent options too, I have used the 1.39 x46 really nice in chop, good top endhttp://www.kitepower.com.au/catalog/product_17232_Cardboard_Glide_cat_350.html
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
The Spleene door gets my vote if you are after a twin tip. It tracks up wind like it is on rails and is incredibly efficient.
Cheers,
Barrie
Nobile skimboard you will be the only one kiting and having fun trying all the tricks whilst everyone is still on the beach waiting for that wind to pick up
I can recommend the Spleene Door in 164. Its an awesom board with a good flex at the tips and will let you going upwind with 8 - 10 knots (depends on the kite). Because of its flex you can ride the board easily up to 20 knots. It is a nice cruiser. It does not have as much pop as a FLX 152 but in light winds you would not go for high jumps anyway. The door is a nice toy and does not feel as big as you would guess with these dimensions.
The FLX is as well a very nice board with a good pop but has less flex as the Door and is not as efficient in lightwinds as the door. The only board(s) that might get you earlier planing is a big surf board but I do not think that there is any other twintip with a better lowend.
Demo those boards to get an own opinion and decide afterwards which one might fit best to your riding style.
Cheers
Granini
if aiming for 12-13 knots with a 12m inflatable kite, I would think a strapless board would be more fun, since jumping might not be the most exciting (if even possible?) with this kite and wind strenght.
for very low wind, I love the Door 64, but as I don't own one, I have mostly been using a 6'0 fish surfboard (flat rocker and wide board) and recently gave a go to my 9'0 malibu and have to say that the low end on this is VERY low thanks to the huge volume... pretty fun but challenging to turn though! . I think the bottom end could be slightly better on the longboard than on the Door 64 due to the floatability of the board, which can deal with a few seconds of zero pull from the kite... and I find it to be a good training for improving surfing skills as well.
