after 5 seasons on my 2005 naish thorn 135 (the red black and white 2nd gen I think) its time to upgrade....... Ive had at least 6 kites in that time... and only briefly switched....
I tried out a new cabrinha 133 recently (not sure the model) but was amazed at how different it felt (dfferent good)... just more comfortable, popped off the water so easily... and definitely more twitchy... (I guess less stable)....
anyway... like the look of both the new 2009 naish boards...
dont know which to get... I am looking for an all terrain board but in fact most of the time I will be playing around in brighton bay chop (vic).... although when I am lucky... on holiday in perth :)
so would logic dictate to switch to the new thorn... or the more rounded look of the sol (I think the haze is the budget entry model)...
of course I will demo them but hoping for some advice
cheeeeeers
hey hawaii.
Naish have moved away from marketing the Haze as the "budget model". The three basic models in the line all have the same construction but progress in stiffness and pop through the range from Haze (relatively soft, good for cruising through chop and carving turns) through the sol(medium flex and pop) to the Thorn (stiffest but most lively pop). Then there is always the Thorn Full Carbon, both the deck and base have a full carbon layer upping both stiffness and pop again.
the only other major differences come from the outlines, the Haze basically has a rounded square outline giving a good locked in trim without too many edges to catch. by rounding off the tips of the sol they have given it what they term "infinite ride" allowing it to be ridden at any trim which makes this a very versatile board. The Thorn finally has the most aggressive outline locking it into trim and track.
as you said above its a matter of what works for you and where your at. I ride the Haze XL 135 and love its mellow flex and cruisey platform. But try a few and work out what feels best for you.
a
nobile 555 (128)-great board, geat pop, s*** footpads, and not that forgiving on hard landings!
Cab 133 - decent board, but fantastic pads and really stomps the hard landings well.
brunotti(09) model-great all round (but not cheap!)
thats my experience with the 08/09 boards mate.
hope it helps
I say go Cardboard,
Choose your style and size
Get the graphics you like
Excellent Made boards
Good price
I had a great session on the 2009 FC Thorn few days ago in flat water. The board Rocks!
So smooth and pop's very nice. Got to say it really surprised me nicely.
I had the 130cm out on my 9m rebel in 22knots plus, but water super flat.
Def worth a demo on forsure, contact your local naish shop.
XX angie
I'm a big fan of Naish boards (love the Thorn), but can't stand their pads and straps. None of the stores will sell them bare, so i'm forced to go for another brand instead.
Come on Naish... the pads & straps are the weakest link; fix it!
I am more interested in the maths of it all.... how do you get 5 seasons out of 2005 board. If it is 2010 already can someone let me know. ;)
mike
Go www.cardboarding.com
The little bit you know about the other boards you have tried, will allow you to make a big improvement to your riding if you order something custom.
Go something 135 to 140. Slightly longer works better in chop.
Dont be concerned with an addtional 10cm in length. This is still a small board compared to a sailboard.
05 gear probably came out in 04???
04 05 06 07 08 start of 5th season, only guessing.
I have an 07 139 Sol. All the Naish boards are built the same way as snowboards now - solid wood core and no foam. Makes the board pretty robust. I like it, suits my snowboarding background.
I bought a 2009 naish thorn a month or so ago, and I'm rapped with it. There is two choices with the 09 thorns and the one I got was the option with more flex. The pads are a new design, and hold my feet very well. It's quite a flat board, and drives up wind easily. Definately keep this one in your scope when looking for a new board.
Nah... doesn't count. WTF is a kitesurf season anyway. Sometimes it's warm (summer) and sometimes it's cold (winter). Kitesurf season is surely just some other marketing bullsh1t to sell more gear.
To keep it on topic. I demo'ed the cabrinha calibur a little while back and it was very nice. Still baught an underground! the UG has a better performance in the chop. Greate straps on the cab boards though and the UG could be a tad lighter.
mike
