What would be good characteristics for a wave oriented TT?
I am toying with making my own TT, except I reckon you would need to vacuum bag for min wt, and haven't done that before.
Mako King "knock-off" or is there a better recipe?
The Alkita type looks good? Many peoples out there shelled out for one like Cauncys'?
Read here:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/TT-with-round-rails/http://www.weatherwise.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/Mako-King-and-Mako-140-sublime/?page=1
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/2013-Ocean-Rodeo-Mako-140/
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/twin-tip-boards-for-the-surf/?page=
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Best-Twin-tip-in-the-surf-Honestly/
Search terms:
Twin tip twin-tip tt surf waves allrounder round rails mako alkita
I was tempted by the TT surf once.
Then I saw the light.
Rode a directional toeside with one front strap for a year.
Just learnt strapless in the past two weeks.
I am reborn.
Follow the light to promised land.
It's full of waves, brother.
What makes a good TT for the waves.
Rounded tips, Reasonable rockerrocker. Conmcave, tip flex and stiffer center section definitely is better.
Making it mutant optionable with more rear bias binding options and thruster set up for the surf end is very worthwhile.
Now one of the reasons surfboards can snap those super tight turns is because the rear foot close to the back and in line with the rear fins. The problem with doing this on a TT is that the more rearward you set you foot stance the worse your board rides backward. The more center set your bindings the wider your carves are.
The challenge is to find the sweet spot for both.
Finally do it man. There is something special about shredding on boards you make for yourself.
Here's my mutant.
This is a usefull forum for board building.
www.boardbuilders.co/p/forum.html
PS you can opt for a mechanical press as apposed to vac bagging if you want.
Ur a sick man plummet - too many toys !!! and you will lead ffifty5 astray !!! I wish I could get the energy to sort out the rigs you have posted photos of - sweet!! Hey Bruce - looks like we should plan a trip to Plummets place for a weekend and build a board with the masters directions!! Do you reckon we would get them back into Oz with out import duty?? LOL
Seriously - TT in the surf why ?? LOL
PS nice grass BTW plummet!! - must be a NZ thing ;-)
A quick search of Alkita boards ?? never heard of them but it looks more like art rather than performance!!!
hehe.. all the Aussies like the grass. When ever I'm in Aus I'm like "whats this offensive scorched earth I'm walking on that should be grass?"
Yes it does take a bit of enthusiasm to get going. But hey what else are you gona do in the evenings? watch TV, post random **** of forums and facebook?...
PS. I usually only get enthused every year or so to create a board. But who cares? its not a race. Just think about it. Do some more thinking. Test a few boards. Play around with ideas. Then smash one out. The thinking and the design takes way longer than the actual building.
I always like to ask the question. What would be the best board in the world for me? what would it do? what features do I want? Then go about finding out how to build that board.
Why ride a TT in waves? why not?
Sure if you want to try and be a surfer flying a kite grab a direction and shred some faces! If you want to smash some jumps slash some waves and treat the water as your own personal amusement park of ever changing lines and ramps then grab a wave based TT and roost!
Select to expand quoteLambie said..
Ur a sick man plummet - too many toys !!! and you will lead ffifty5 astray !!! I wish I could get the energy to sort out the rigs you have posted photos of - sweet!! Hey Bruce - looks like we should plan a trip to Plummets place for a weekend and build a board with the masters directions!! Do you reckon we would get them back into Oz with out import duty?? LOL
Seriously - TT in the surf why ?? LOL
PS nice grass BTW plummet!! - must be a NZ thing ;-)
A quick search of Alkita boards ?? never heard of them but it looks more like art rather than performance!!!
if you know your kiting youll know alkita is franz olry, one of the pioneers of kiting with lou wainmann and Elliot lebo, great artwork but even better performance, if your a decent board rider youll appreciate how good they are, they arnt an everyday board but when conditions are good they are something else, they need a small kite or a quick turning kite to get the best from them, they need a lot of backfoot pressure when riding, the fins are glassed in and very small but the position gives insane grip, franz would have to be the smoothest kiter around , check out a vimeo film of him riding ordinary swell in Corsica on the alkita boards, the speedball by shinn is similar but less technical to ride, heres the 2
Select to expand quoteLambie said..
Seriously - TT in the surf why ?? LOL
A quick search of Alkita boards ?? never heard of them but it looks more like art rather than performance!!!
Why? Because the small choppy mush becomes a skate park.
As for Alkita - hand shaped boards by Franz Orly. Who shaped the pop out "surfboard" in your profile pic Lambie? OH that's right, some bloke in Thailand who probably can't even swim.
Select to expand quotebene313 said..Lambie said..
Seriously - TT in the surf why ?? LOL
A quick search of Alkita boards ?? never heard of them but it looks more like art rather than performance!!!
Why? Because the small choppy mush becomes a skate park.
As for Alkita - hand shaped boards by Franz Orly. Who shaped the pop out "surfboard" in your profile pic Lambie? OH that's right, some bloke in Thailand who probably can't even swim.
Actually the board in Lambies profile pic was designed in NZ, the cutting file sent to China and cut by a CNC machine. Accurate and smooth???. Not sure I get the hand crafted so its better somehow theory. Using a computer to design a board is not different to using sandpaper except that a computer is a more advanced tool
Select to expand quoteAdrian Roper
Actually the board in Lambies profile pic was designed in NZ, the cutting file sent to China and cut by a CNC machine. Accurate and smooth???. Not sure I get the hand crafted so its better somehow theory. Using a computer to design a board is not different to using sandpaper except that a computer is a more advanced tool
China eh. Must be cheaper to do it there than Thailand.
That twin-surf linked by snowsurfmatt looks like it would make a great light wind cruiser, too. Would be worth having a second set of footstraps further back, just in front of the fins.
Plummet, that rocker table of yours. Are you sure the bolts can handle it? And lock nuts to boot
Carnt be too careful with modern glues.
On the thought design side of things, with increasing size of fin, do you build in extra strength or a fin box?
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
What makes a good TT for the waves.
Rounded tips, Reasonable rockerrocker. Conmcave, tip flex and stiffer center section definitely is better.
Plummet is so on the money. I got myself a Jimmy Lewis Model III very recently. 2 x sesshs in so far and I am loving it! 
Have been riding very similar boards for years - Liquid Force Drop 136/Proof 140/Proof 151 - all extensions of Jimmy Lewis' dominatrix concave with round rails, narrowing to sharp at the, slightly narrower than most, tips.
Whilst these boards are not quite as cushy as say a North x-ride/Shinn Monk etc, you just can't beat the shape for TT in the surf. Monk and X-ride are a goodies too, but still essentially square rail TTs.
If you dig surf style TT then you owe it to yourself to suspend 'old designs/construction can't be any good' mindset and try a JL or LF round rail board.
BTW - the Model III has been a step up all round over the heavier LF proof boards. So sweet. Acceleration out of heavy turns is just too much fun!
Advise you step up half a size from your normal TT as the tips are not as wide as conventional TTs. (Don't sweat a couple of cms longer, I've been riding a 151 for years and it fangs)
I'm 84kgs and the 140cm Model III goes shweet for me and bottom end is fine (but best with slightly overpowered 10m Lithium in 18-21kts).
Disclaimer:
Paid full price, no affiliation but I had some trouble getting hold of a model III in Oz until Jas and Sonya at WOK came through for me.
Select to expand quotebene313 said..Lambie said..
Seriously - TT in the surf why ?? LOL
A quick search of Alkita boards ?? never heard of them but it looks more like art rather than performance!!!
Why? Because the small choppy mush becomes a skate park.
As for Alkita - hand shaped boards by Franz Orly. Who shaped the pop out "surfboard" in your profile pic Lambie? OH that's right, some bloke in Thailand who probably can't even swim.
wake skate
Select to expand quoteffifty5 said..
Plummet, that rocker table of yours. Are you sure the bolts can handle it? And lock nuts to boot Carnt be too careful with modern glues.
On the thought design side of things, with increasing size of fin, do you build in extra strength or a fin box?
That table also presses landboards and longboard skateboards! you need some force when pressing wood core into multiple angles at the same time. but I did go overboard on the threaded rod!
Wood core board you need not worry about the extra leverage of big fins. if its foam core then yeah. consider some stiffening.
Best looking by far is Cauncy"s Alkita custom. Love the art work, compare with the plain looks of the 2 Shinns!!!
I currently have a North Xride 135X40 and am very much liking it for powered up riding. Got confronted though at Merimbula with head high green walls of water turning into a breaking wave, ........ just felt under gunned trying to get through a breaking wave on the Xride, felt way too short???
Select to expand quoteffifty5 said..
I currently have a North Xride 135X40 and am very much liking it for powered up riding. Got confronted though at Merimbula with head high green walls of water turning into a breaking wave, ........ just felt under gunned trying to get through a breaking wave on the Xride, felt way too short???
Just blast at those waves mate and boost over them or boost off them or turn and ride them. Head high slabs are heaps of fun! you can also slow down and shoulder barg the pitching face if your not going to make it over.
Been riding my Shinn Wave for 4 years and know where it can be improved but found it hard to find a replacement.
Along came the Axis Twin Wave, new this year - 148 x 43. I haven't had it in the surf yet but I'll post a full review when I do.
On flat water it rides equally well both ways even with the straps set as far back as allowable towards the 3 rear fins. Toeside carves are better than the Shinn since it has surfboard style tucked rails midway. It has a full length double concave which I think makes it eat up the chop and motor up wind. I've put surfboard pads under soft surf straps. I didn't like the pads and straps it came with when I tried the demo board. I have smaller fins up front to make switch to toeside easier. All up a good board for flat water carving turns and I'm hoping for fun in the surf. I've always had a problem with the rail digging in on the Shinn coming off the top of a wave on my backhand. The soft rails on the Axis should solve this.
Don't say I should get a surfboard, it's not my style. I like to use the breaking zone like a skate park and ride powered up. The mutants allow this type of riding.
cool heaps of different shapes and designs, the alkita has minute fins compared to the others on offer, but grips like nothing else, not sure how your switching goes on the big fins but the alkita is automatic, the axis board looks sweet but in our chop those pads would = pain up here, ill post a few contour pics for those that's interested
Select to expand quotecauncy said..
cool heaps of different shapes and designs, the alkita has minute fins compared to the others on offer, but grips like nothing else, not sure how your switching goes on the big fins but the alkita is automatic, the axis board looks sweet but in our chop those pads would = pain up here, ill post a few contour pics for those that's interested
Yes please
..... Being a bit opportunistic here, but anyone wanna buy my as new Airush Hammer 144?? Going cheap!!!
The best twintip in the waves is the one that boosts the crunkest airs off the waves on the way out. 132cm stiff boards without too much rocker. Something that can hold an edge against a ridonculous amount of pure and glorious boosting power.
Those Alkitas are funky looking beasts!
So much weirdness goin on it could just be the bomb.
Like the look of the Axis too, but I'd defo ride is with 2 x 50mm fins each end, as I also like to break out (when I want to) on turns and change it up across the wave face.
Each to there's and good to read fellow nutters Er.. TT surf enthusiasts.
Select to expand quotegetfunky said..
Those Alkitas are funky looking beasts!
So much weirdness goin on it could just be the bomb.
Like the look of the Axis too, but I'd defo ride is with 2 x 50mm fins each end, as I also like to break out (when I want to) on turns and change it up across the wave face.
Each to there's and good to read fellow nutters Er.. TT surf enthusiasts.
Still experimenting with the fins on the Axis. I don't like 'em too big up front. I chose the thin foot pads to get feel back in the board. I ride in booties due to foot surgery a while back and found the thick pads didn't suit me. There is a fair bit of tip flex and it cuts through chop nicely.
Select to expand quotemarno said..
..... Being a bit opportunistic here, but anyone wanna buy my as new Airush Hammer 144?? Going cheap!!!
Should sell - still a small band of dedicated fans of the Hammer.
But as we are being opportunistic here Id like to comment on the Shinn.
Feedback to Mark in 2010 was that the Luigi (mid range Xride) was the best wave rider in the Shinn range.
So he developed the Luigi build structure into a shape more adapted for waves - the DUNDEE was born.
Its quite different to most TT's which are rated for waves by the builder. Most think of wave TT as stiff - like freestyle but without the rocker.
The DUNDEE has more flex (smoother ride through the chop) than what may be considered a standard "wave board".
But the essential requirement of never skipping out is absolutely solid.
This is one of the most common comments on the whole Shinn range - they just wont break an edge.
If you would like a softer ride in the surf with 'surf specific' shaping then try the DUNDEE.
If you really like a stiffer deck on the wave face then the flagship MONK is rated by many as an awesome wave board (just ask Cauncy 
).
I have and do have my best fun in surf on my old wipika 2005 TT. 125x39cm
I believe you make your own fun in the surf. If you are worried about the equipment then you are being distracted from having fun.
We also wakeboard behind the boat with kiteboards, the're slippery skatey and everything a wakeboard should not be but I bet we have the biggest smiles and most face planting laughs.
Select to expand quotemarno said..
..... Being a bit opportunistic here, but anyone wanna buy my as new Airush Hammer 144?? Going cheap!!!
Still haven't seen a better twintip (not mutant) in waves video.
