Looking into purchasing either a JP super sport 136 or JP slalom 135 for light wind 13mph. Any opinions on which would get planning first in the low end with and 8.5 Maui Sails Titan? Or would they be about the same.
Thanks
Its about your weight & width of the boards in 11knots.
Id be looking for a bit wider for the 11knt days or my RB.
Bit more info on you or give them a test/demo if you can
Active sailor, the pure slalom.
Passive pumper, or no pumping at all, SS.
Also, once planing, the SS is easier to jibe and handle in a wider wind range, while the slalom is more pinpoint sharp and requires more rider input.
Most rider's can agree a SS has a longer flatter rocker than a pure slalom, so it's easier to get onto a plane. The slalom board is designed to be sailed very powered, at the point of overpowered, so doesn't sail quite as fast when comfortably powered up.
The Slalom is 84 cm wide and the Super Sport is is 80cms. I weigh 90kg's and would only sail this board in light wind since I already have a 124 super sport.
Increased length can sometimes offset being narrower.
Weight is super important if you're an active sailor.
Since most slalom boards NEED bigger race/slalom sails, the rig can weigh more for slalom boards than freerace sails.
I have the Supersport 136 and I love it. I'm 100kg and would sail it from 14 knots upwards, mostly with either 8.5 or 7.5 2-cam sails. I swapped with a mate of mine's Fanatic Shark 136 (or 5?) with the same rig on both boards and found the Shark to be more difficult to plane. The Supersport is fast too, very light and super easy to ride, I have the footstraps in the outboard position, pushing a lot sideways on the fin, which is a 40cm slalom fin. Even when it gets higher wind, the board still maintains it's ease of use, but in some length of chop, it can feel like it is pounding a bit because of the width. It is rare though, usually skim over the top of the chop. And on flat water, you can push really hard in stronger winds without feeling like you are sailing on the edge.
Select to expand quoteKymbo1 said...
Just purchased a 136SS....will let ya know how it goes 
Which year?
All the SS's from '12 were basically the same shape. Parallel outline, WP forward, wide tail.
The new shape came in '17, following the slalom board design of widepoint back, to a sharply decreasing width tail, something Starboard started back in '08.
I have had many JP slaloms, two SS and 2 SLW over the last 10 years. At your weight with an 8.5 you might be better to consider a SLW. It will plane much earlier than your alternatives. The slalom 84 is much stickier than the SS and has to be pumped vigorously off the breeze to release because it has a shorter flat and more surface area. The SS is a better passive planer because it has a longer flat and deeper concaves forward. It is also a softer ride in chop because it has deeper concaves up front, more vee in back. Another alternative is the 80 wide slalom, which is a better board than the 84 for your weight but once again it requires a more active sailing style than a 136 SS. For your weight with an 8.5 on flat water the 80 slalom would be the fastest, the SLW the slowest, but much more fun in 13 knots because you would be planing all the time.
