Well I've done it again, snapped another surfboard.
It has been suggested that I eat to many pies, this may be the case , but I like pies, pizza and beer, so am looking for suggestions for a tough surfboard for playing around in the metro mush.
I do still have a couple of boards, a 6'2" firewire that is great in good clean, down the line waves and a strapped Stone Surf Design board that is fairly heavy narrow and gunny that I use when it is nuking.
What I am after is something to replace the board that I snapped, something around 5'6"- 5'10" that is stronger, shorter, fatter, flatter for playing around strapless in the usual Perth metro waves, for doing a few punts and for use in light winds etc.
There is a few options, I could get a custom or a tuflite, but for strength I think the Underground Kipuna/freewave might be better option, or something like a North Whip, Cabrinha Skillet etc.
What is working for people and why?
Cabrinha skillet 5'6 is perfect for mush but also good in clean conditions...that's all keahi rides,I can't wait to try the 5'0
The skillet is a good call , fun flatish and trucks up wind , personaly i use a 5'9"JS Black box ,heeps of fun but you wont get the durability of the Skillet but on saying that Ive had mine over 6 months and it's holding up fine .
I saw this bloke in Cott yesterday with a really small fish sort of nuggett thing never seen anything like it before.
Looked home made or custom out of some sort of wood.
He was having a great time pointing high upwind smacking some lips had me wondering........
Anyway that would be my recommendation
Sorry, thats probably helpful as tits on a bull, but someone might know the guy on a black 8m Evo, with a wierd board at Cott on Sat
Well I've just come back from a little sesh in a 2 to 3 foot swell on a north nugget and had a fat time , It's really lose and absolutely trucks up wind , it brings a lot of fun to kiting in small waves.
Hi Kent
I would suggest you get a board shaped in PU exactly the size you want and then before its glassed, have a layer of diviy cell vacuum bagged to the top. I will do this again on my next boards.
The production boards are all polystyrene with diviny cell which is super light, but no give just like your last one.
Hi PR,
That weird board may well have been the new North Nugget. The new Nugget is 5' long and wide with a ronded tail and quad fins. Low rocker and big twin concave underneath.
It's for riding light winds and small to medium surf. This thing is a ripper, so much fun unstrapped and cranks upwind like a raceboard.
Back to Tightlines,
I reckon you can't go past the Nth Whip. I rode it today in big onshore craziness and it was a bit skittish but it was well outside it's design parameters. It was still fun, but control was difficult in the washing machine type conditions of Brighton in 20-35 knots of wind. I'd suggest grabbibg the demo board and taking it for a spin.
The new WAM 6' on the other hand is bloody priceless but that's for another thread
DM
what an appropriate name. It looks a little like the naish fish, but is half a foot shorter. Hey DM what are the specs for the nugget?
i think the underground would be perfect for you , trucks upwind and best ridden strapless - but if you add some straps to it , it will take a few beatings before you snap it. otherwise go on a diet ya fatty
Hey Guys,
The Nugget was one of the boards I really wanted to try at the dealer meeting as it was so left of centre. The wind was light and very onshore and for me at 90kegs, I was only just staying off the beach on the surfboards.
I grabbed the Nugget and was all of a sudden lit up, cranked it straight upwind. Strapless upwind airs, freestyle goofing off and snappy turns jibbing off chops made this board an obvious choice for light wind wave riding.
I reckon a Nugget and a 12m Reo and you would have the whole wave riding scene wired in 10-12 knots. Super fun.
We ordered a few in and have one in demo coz you have to ride it to appreciate it. Price is $999 from memory.
DM
Tighty I know you really want something short and fat but aren't people only supposed to look like their dogs?
Lots of good suggestions guys, I have seen the nugget it looks interesting and I reckon it would be a heap of fun but it's is not what I am really after.
As it turned out a mate came down from Gero to stay for a few days and bought down a couple of boards, one of which was pretty much the dimensions I was after, pretty similar to the Cabrinha Skillet but a bit wider and thinner 5'8 1/2," 19 1/4, 1 3/4. "The Radman Pro Wave"
I had a kite on it this morning and liked it so much I talked him into selling it to me for a few $ and a few coopers ales (actually when I check what is left of my bar and beer fridge I may have paid to much, no offence Benno but I'm glad your leaving tomorrow).
It is a Stone Surf Design and has 2 x 6oz all over + an extra layer on the back half of the deck.
It is pretty thin so may end up snapping like the rest of my boards but was only a third of the price of a new production board so I am willing to take a "punt".
I have nicknamed it "The Fillet".
be very suprised if it snaps stoneys glass jobs are secound to none full wrap around the rails,was only a 6/4 oz on the bottom
i think im going to miss my radman pro wave
yeah Stoney has been making windsurf boards for a long time in Gero so he knows what hes doing in regards to build strength in kiteboards
Underground Kipuna 5'8"
Unbreakable- have landed on the board over a hundred times after trying kiteloops and board is still going strong (though my heels are still bit sore from last Sunday's session). Best weapon for airs especially since it has grab handles the length of board. So much fun in the small-big surf and especially strong winds. Fabulous strapless though you can strapped it on if you prefer.
Yep Rich the Kipuna was up around the top of my list because of it's proven durability, the grab rail and the full deck grip, I have ridden one on a couple of occasions and also like the feel of the sunken deck. If my current board snaps sometime soon it may go to the top of the list next time.
The Skillet and the Whip also sound great and I think will prove stronger than than earlier boards from Cabrinha and North so I will curious to see how they go breakage wise now that more of them are starting to circulate.
I must admit I'm a bit of a fan of the traditional surfboard type design/construction/colour so the Radman Pro it is, now just bring on the wind.
Kipuna is a very fun board- had mine for a while now and love busting airs on it- it just works....bws little weapon the Josh Mulcoy model got some pretty hot reviews from the boys who tried it here in SA
freind of mine had a kipuna he creased it in two weeks may not be all what they seem, especially for for westoz conditions,at least they honourd the warranty give him a new one, best off shopin local put your money into australian products
Well the wind was very light this arvo but I thought I would give the RM Pro a go.
I knew it was light when I got there as there was no-one else out at all. Things were going ok at first, but not long after I went out the wind dropped and I came in and waited for it to pick up.
Lucky for me I got the chance to have a go on the North Nugget (cheers the Walks & AKS).
I had come in when I couldn't hold ground on the surfboard anymore but I jumped on the Nugget and not only could I hold ground but was going upwind enough to be able to play around in the waves.
Whilst this wasn't the sort of board I was after when I started this thread (and I am more than happy with the board i ended up with), I have got to say that this thing makes conditions that are unkitable on anything but a race board, Sector 60 etc really good fun.
Whilst race boards would still go upwind better, this does it really well, especially when you flatten it out and let the fins do the work.
Unlike a race board though you can throw this around and actually catch a few waves, I don't think I would like to be on it in anything serious but that's not what it's about.
It is really stable to gybe, tack etc and has enough grip in the tail to be able hang on reasonable well on a wave and through a bottom turn when you get used to the width.
I have to many other things on my wish list to go out and buy one, but if you are after something for real light wind fun I recommend you try and grab a demo.
The wind had picked up enough when I handed it back that I got a reasonable session in on my new board and it went really well but I need to fin it up a bit more, the small fins were slipping out a bit.
try dropping a smaller set of side fins preferably with inner foil ,thats my tip to make a board fast drivey and loooose.