I have recently been looking at the Kona boards and considering them as a great light wind alternative. I am not interested in the SUP concept, however, on the days when the wind is blowing under the planing speed for my short boards, it looks like a great concept for a moderate sized sail to get out to the waves on and then "long-board" ride.
It beats paddling and sitting in the line-up waiting for a wave. Also those days when even a kite is only just going but the seabreeze is in and there is a wave to be ridden.
The website http://www.kona-windsurfing.com/videos.asp
shows some great footage. Worth viewing.
I would be interested to hear of anyone who has this type of board and use it for these conditions and purpose. Maybe this is the light wind alternative I have been looking for.
Non-manufacturer point of views at:http://www.lbwindsurfing.com/2008/03/30/kona-one-thoughts-and-views/
and
www.kona-windsurfing.com/forum/read.asp?ID=419
Darrell Staight is an Aussie fella in the latter posting, you may wish to contact him for further comments.
The Kona seems like a more than suitable board for your purpose you describe indeed.
Hi,
I've had a Kona for 18 months now, and it is very good for what you describe. Light wind (5-10 k) wave sailing. It can be made to top and bottom turn, but it all happens in slow motion. It is great fun in conditions that would normally be wasted.
The Kona is also fast and fun when planing - they go through chop better than most other longboards.
Their weak point is say 10-12 k when big slalom boards are planing and you are not. In these conditions I usually head up wind and cruise. In half an hour, the wind will have changed anyway.
I go straight from my Kona to a 90 L shortboard.
Don't be in too much of a hurry Mr Thouse, there's no konas for sale in the country. Went down to the shop all cashed up to buy one today. We rang around, nothing but racks and racks of shortboards. A bit like my garage. Have to check for alternatives in buy and sell.
Have a similar story to Dr Duck. Have had a Kona "one" for about 18 months as well. I use it for flat water blasting as well as having had it in the surf a few times. For surf use I put a 24cm wave fin in it and use an old 5.3 wave sail. That'll get you out the back in winds the kites can't even launch in. For me the centreboard of the "one" ads a lot of flexibility as you can use it in sketchy variable wind direction (i.e. straight onshore offshore) and for cruising. If you're strictly into the surf in sideshore conditions I am sure the 11'5 or 10'5 would be better as they have much thinner rails from what I have seen (haven't sailed them). I think there is a dealer in WA (Stuart Bell ?) so you should be able to order one.
As far as I know, besides the Kona range there is the RDD Longrider and the Tabou Windstyler. Gybe Sports appears to be in Sydney and has the Windstyler in stock according to their site:http://www.tabou-boards.net/index.php/Boards/Windsurf/Windstyler
www.gybesports.com.au/detail.htm?ProductID=010306ws00
I own a Kona One and don't know much about the Windstyler, but "Chris 249" has sailed one and had positive things to say about it. He also has sailed the Kona One.
The Windstyler was nice, but probably not as useful as a longer longboard as far as I could see. In the minimal light-wind stuff I did in the couple of hours I sailed the board, it felt a lot smaller, tippier and slower than the Kona One or a One Design. In planing conditions it handled similarly to the Kona One, I think, although it's always hard to compare two boards from memory.
So yes, it's quite a nice board in planing conditions and it was better than I thought it would be in that stuff, but I still have big doubts about how short (esp with ducktail) and wide a board can get and still have the good points of a longboard. The laws of physics mean that it's not as simple as short+wide= good and fast as some people seem to think.
Put it this way, from sailing the Tabou and Kona, I'm sure the RRD or Tabou would be unable to look at a Windsurfer One Design for speed in light winds or around a typical course; at least the Kona gets close. Whether that's a problem for the individual is a whole 'nother question.
The young fella had recommended I get a Tabou windstyler, he's sailed one quite a bit. It's the board of choice for the instructors rounding up beginners in the light morning breezes at club Vass. According the the rough formula for displacement speed, at 8% shorter than a kona it will be 4% slower in displacement mode?? But there is one available right now, got to be better than a 214 cm Hybrid 110 for cruising around Broulee Island. Once bitten. Thanks Nobody I'm checking it out.
Stock in windsurfing has to be ordered at least 4 months in advance and 4-6 months ago we were "hoping but not putting our mortgages on the line" on a resurgence in long boards and taking a shot by ordering some boards in. I am pretty sure you will see lots more long boards on the market next season.
Thanks Ian K for your interest I am sure you will love the board. I am looking forward to seeing what the manufacturers bring out next season as it has now taken two season to get the message out there and all manufacturers are seeing the positive comentary from both flat water and wave users of long boards.
I am going to get my old man to dig out his D2 from under the house and try it next. That should be an eye opener!!
I have sent an email through to Stuart Bell Sails to see what the ordering and stock situation is with Kona boards. Will let all know of the result when it comes through.
The feedback that I got from John Trevenan at Stuart Bell Sails was...
We are out of stock at present of the Kona 10.5 and 11.5
The retail price of the 11.5 is $2281` and the 10.5 is $2186
Kona one is $1789
I will contact Exocet tonight to determine what stock is available
and production times if the boards are not available at this time
I will email you as soon as I hear something
John Trevenen
Stuart Bell Sails
45 Carrington st
Nedlands WA 6009
Ph (08) 9386 1975
Fax (08) 9386 2004
http://www.ozwindsurf.com.au/view_article.php?article=who_needs_wind&issue=5&title=Who+needs+Wind...%0D%0A
i've had the opportunity to sail the Kona (only on choppy/bay swells),
they are loads of fun and carve exceptionally well. 
but i reckon in the surf (guessing) that they may be a little too big to really throw around.
the 10'5" looks very interesting also.
As Gestalt says, if you get the board leaning and the ducktail engages they gybe amazingly well for heavy boards. If you hold them a bit flatter so the duck tail doesn't engage they do nice wide radius gybes ( I've been on Tabou's version, but a similar design) . I won't be surprised if duck tails turn up on smaller waveboards, can't imagine what freestylers might make of them.
my new toy is exactly that, not quite complete.
hey if any of you guys are thinking of getting a long board for surf use, keep in mind the SUP boards that have mast tracks or inserts for sails, there are heaps out now, Starboard has a big range now, right down to 9'8, there is Naish, Mistral and soon to come, one from Quatro. I've been sailing the Starboard 12'6 in the surf over this summer, it works great. as a fella before said, i got out there i conditions you usually would not even consider going out in, full carving bottom and top turns, not as agressive as a proper waveboard, but still heaps of fun, they even sail upwind o.k with out a centreboard, with the right technique. Also they come with a paddle so you can go for a paddle board when there is no wind at all.
Also check out the Bic Jungle - SUP, light wind WS waveboard and WS longboard. Has a centre drop daggerboard like a dinghy or the old Wallys (not swinging centreboard) - the daggerboard is fully removable (just pulls straight out) and doesn't get in the way when SUPing, wave riding etc. Has footstrap inserts etc. Graphics are Crap (well it is a Bic), but otherwise seems pretty good.
Hi S.H.
Konas should be in late August....
As numbers will be restricted, it would be advisable to pre-order if you want one. You may even get a pre-order bonus
As said, the some SUP's, such as Star, Bic, Mistral, Naish, make genuine alternatives.
Come in & demo them.
Jez www.2ndwind.com.au
I've got the Kona 10'5" it's about 145 litres volume and is amazing in light wind in waves, bottom turns, top turns all a little slower than a regular wave board but heaps of fun. The mini tanker is also supposed to be great. The other option I considered is the Starboard 9'8" SUP, you can fit footstraps - check out this site http://surfingsports.com/blog.asp heaps of info and pictures on both the Kona and Starboards being sailed in waves in light wind. The 10'5" has changed my outlook on wavesailing, I actually prefer it to being fully powered on small boards (but maybe I'm getting old!)
