I've rigged up a self lube and cleaning system for the bearings the biggest problem is sand in the lycra outfit doesn't feel to flash on the balls haha 
Most of you sound like coming from surfing.
Have you thought about the same issue from the point of view of someone never surfed, started on twinnies, and later moved to wave riding?
The most important reason I stopped riding the spleene and got a small surfboard was the difficulty of jybing at shore breaks without the volume. Most surfers I see on my local never switch. Yes, they look quite awkward twisted bowel.
Apart from the stuffed up jybes I had great sessions on the Spleene, especially on reef breaks. Spleene does not bounce around on every little chop, and obviously jumps easier and more natural. I think it still can be a choice for powered wave riding for someone who doesn't switch stance.... I may dust it and take it out next time...
Select to expand quoteSugarQube said...
Best thing about the snowboard construction wave boards like the Spleen, is that they are very tough, as there is no foam core you will never have the same problems as with regular construction, be it PU or polystyrene, just get used to having very fine rails and no volume
Oh wow, by low volume I didn't realise we were talking 'snowboard' construction!
I still haven't got my head around the current craze of 'vanguards'.
This might take me longer.
I know at least one of the major brands has all their pros riding PUs. The marketing line was, "easier and cheaper to make prototypes that way"
So in other words their pros potentially never ride the reinforced one they end up selling..
Select to expand quotejeff2 said..
Even a PU custom surfboard can be built to not ding.
I have proof of this , my Stone 5'1" kite board was built here in Geraldton in 2007.
Just recently I strapped it to my Best Ts10mtr kite bag and with the fins removed, I put it on a Jetstar flight to Adelaide without even a board bag.
It arrived in Adelaide with me in the oversize pickup area with only a black scuff mark on the bottom.
All good and ready to go. After a week in Adelaide we returned to Geraldton same way and still no damage.
Thanks to Mark at StoneSurf this board has been made almost bulletproof.
+1 for Mark's boards
Have one he made for me last year and it's been put through the mill. Couple of small dents from bar end hits and nose damage from being too close to dry reef But otherwise bulletproof. Great shape too
in the last few seasons I've destroyed PU and epoxy boards due to heel dents leading to cracks and in 2 cases complete snaps in half. Ride strapless so the heel dents aren't from boosting. Normally expect to get 1 season only out of a board but the Stone is now well into its second.
Hope I haven't jinxed it now
I have two nice heal dents on my last year's Sugarcube. They are like old friends. I like epoxy boards and have no issues as long as they flex, but this poly board has held up really well. The deck was never compromised due to the heal dents.
I still find it hard to believe that some ride surfboards and never switch. It is so easy and much better on the body when doing the march up wind. Now down winders are another matter, but I would still switch if I ended up on a good bank I wanted to exploit for a while. The real trick to mastering riding switch is when you are nearly out and a set comes through and at the last second you have to turn and run away. To be able to do that toeside comfortably is what will save your rear from getting mowed down.
Select to expand quotedafish said..
I still find it hard to believe that some ride surfboards and never switch.
Me too. Someone tell BWS to learn switch.
Also some people don't use Dynabars... wtf.
Select to expand quoteAndrash said..
......... I think it still can be a choice for powered wave riding ..
as long as you can keep the speed up and power on they'll be fine, but the volume gives a bit of forgiveness in the turns and helps at normal surfing speeds
Select to expand quoteActionSportsWA said..
Hi Guys,
What is it with people talking about volume in kitesurf boards? Volume makes absolutely NO difference in a kite surfboard. On a normal paddle surfboard, volume is quite critical as it floats you and determined how far out of the water you sit when paddling for a wave. If you sit higher in the water you paddle faster because less of you is under water, the wave needs less energy to get you onto the plane on take-off.
On a kite surfboard, where you are always planing, the volume is irellevent as the volume is all above the planing surface (bottom) of the board. If anything, excessive volume only makes water starting more difficult as you can't sink the rail to get the board on edge if you use foot straps.
The critical thing on a kite surfboard is planing area, rail shape and rocker. Width in the tail gives early or low speed planing, so makes for holding more speed and not sinking the tail in mushy waves. This will translate to easier linking of turns. Wider boards are better for Perth conditions. Narrow tails only work well when you are more powered up or have big enough waves to use the wave and not rely solely on the wave shape.
A perfect example is the Spleene surfboards that have virtually NO volume due to their snowboard style construction, and they surf brilliantly.
Surfboards made of Polyester resin will develop heel dents, these are not good to have, they are a sign of the core being crushed which weakens the board. There is no doubt that a poly board feels and surfs a tad better than an epoxy board due to the flex, but they are not going to last if you ride hard. An good epoxy board is tough, especially the new North boards as they use cork under foot so the deck can depress and spring back into original shape, this maintains the structural integrity of the core which is the foundation of the strength of the board.
Rant over!
Flame Away!
DM
What a Crock of sh**. It might not matter on gutless Perth shore breaks but it matters when you kite waves over waist high.
Do you park your kite or do you swing it like a maniac when your on a wave?
Are f whats that he is standing on? No volume snowboard construction? And the wave, s, is it bigger than waist or not?
Yes they make a paddle version that even works in small surf
Don't even know how I found this one but it certainly helps make the point.
Once you have enough power to plane, volume is not so important. But if you have gusty conditions, or you want to drift the kite whilst on the wave or wind is just light, volume makes it much easier/possible IMHO.
I pick a TT/board based on the conditions. The lighter the wind, the more volume and width I use.
all wrong you can catch a wave with no volume, you can drift a kite with no volume.
In this one Kelly throws in a hint at 24secs, and not once does he mention VOLUME lol. but hey wtf does he know about surfing.
Now I originally read this here www.swaylocks.com/forums/berts-take-surface-area-vs-volume but I will repost it because it's just so valuable and that link was a repost from facefk. If you don't know who Bert Berger is well he is the inventor of firewire board tech and a shaping legend that heralds from Mandurah WA.
Here it is
An interesting read and I'd tend to agree with him based on my own past experiences: www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=706597229393232&id=150...
Hi Dean
Sorry to say , its all about surface area …
These new designs have major surface area..
You only need adequate float ..
More float than you need doesn’t equate to better wave catching .. only equates to worse performance , and as counter intuitive as it sounds , worse wave catching ..
Im taking 4 new boards to Sri Lanka , all potatoish designs …
My normal literage on a short board is 36 liters ..
Formula is 1 liter for every 3 kg of body weight …
But that is only true if I have the correct surface area ..
So I usually run between 2 ¼ and 2 ½ to get float right , consider my weight , 108 kg/240lb ..
I could run 3 ½ thick in something with way less area , and never in a million years could I catch waves , because of the reduced surface area , even tho float would be the same …
I am running extra volume in the test boards for Sri Lanka .. around 39 liters , just 10% more , plus slightly more surface area than my regular shortboard …
Why more surface area ???
Simple law of physics ..
The more area , the less speed needed to plane ..
The less area , the more speed needed to plane ..
A surfboard only functions when it is on the plane on the surface of the water..
You can plane on your bare feet if you are going fast enough ..
Look at tow in boards ? how much area do they have ??
Water skis??
Kite and wake boards ??
The surface area is relavent to the operating speed ..
Low speed small waves , and you need more area ..
But consider where the area is ..
When you make a board shorter and wider ,you place the area in a more concentrated location under you center of gravity ..
So I could have a 10’ x 12” board ..
Or a 5’ x 24” board , both having similar area , of coarse the short one will plane better because the surface area is directly underneath you , so its more effective ..
All these new super chunky boat designs are a total ****ing myth ..
I validated this one 15 years ago , with 2 identical outlines , both being the same length and width ..
One at 3.5 “ thick the other at 1 ¾ thick …
The thinner one caught waves easier , was faster and more responsive ..
Both boards were super wide at 6-4 x 23 ..
Even tho the thin one actually had not enough volume and I sank past my chest while stationary , as soon as took a few strokes, all the surface area allowed me to be up on the plane and right back at the surface ..
Why did the thin one catch waves easier and perform better ???
3 factors …
1… A thicker board naturally comes with a thicker rail , so its harder to create a defined apex where the water releases , so as you take off the thicker one has more water wrapping the rail , slowing it down , along with more rail engaged in the face holding it back …
2.. the thick one , took way more effort to bury the rail especially on the first pump while attempting to get speed , so it was naturally slower to get going because it was less responsive…
3 … you completely **** up the flex in a thick board , the thick one relied on buoyancy off the first pump , I would have to bury the rail , then wait for it to float or cork out , as it did this I could then sink the opposite rail and start to pump ..
The thin one could bury the rail immediately , as well as flex into the turn , then spring out with projection and I was away at lightning speed ..
Just think about what that means in terms of a quick get away ,, flexing an object and springing out of a turn or sinking an object and waiting for it to float to the surface..
Yes the volume of your board is important …
But the surface area is more important …
You can have not enough volume and adequate or more surface area and the board will still function …
You have adequate or more volume and not enough surface area and the board will not function …
So whats more important ??? It comes down to education ..
Unfortunately , when most boards designers are uneducated, what do you think they will pass on to there customers ???
I struggle to comprehend why so many board designers are following this current trend ..
I can only think of 2 scenarios ..
1 they are clueless …
2 , they really do know , but just want to sell more boards to a demanding market and realize they will sell more later when crew figure it out.
Stupidity or greed , take your pick ..
The hard part for me is stating the facts , while trying not to sound condescending or like a know it all ..
As long as we clearly state the functionality of our designs and can back it up with simple laws of physics and scientific principles that you cant argue against..
Then we make our point and stick to our guns ..
**** man , if the world cant get it , does that mean I will blindly ignore the laws of the universe and follow the crowd ..
Been there many times in the past on other areas of design , only to be proven correct years later when the majority start to agree…
Lastly , why am I only putting 10% more volume in my small wave boards ,, there is a slight compromise there..
While you can go thinner if you increase surface area , its harder to convince someone if there already on the back foot and skeptical ..
So , a slight increase in volume and obviously an increase in surface area and its an easier sell ..
Plus the thickness increase is not enough to compromise the flex of the board or the ability to sink the rail … So yes , even im doing it for the sake of sales , but still staying within the realms of reality, hopefully crew wake up sooner than later and we can get back to making those magic morphing sling shots…
Regards
BERT
The day I can surf like Kelly (with or without a kite) I'll try it and get back to you ........ technically possible yes does it make it easy or fun to ride in all conditions for the average (or below) guy...... your call but for mine having the right volume (and other things) is key, it's insurance and does mean I don't have to get everything right every time.
OP's point I get in some respects, talking about volume tells you how well the thing will float (or float you) while stationary still important IMO but the rest of the story is equally important, as a measure length, width and thickness are important if you are looking over the internet or trying to sort down to what you are interested in but end of the day all that information and then how they look and feel is what decides it without riding. Seen a number of places just advertising length and volume 
sorry but that's not helpful to me but the combination of all the measures is useful in getting a feel for all the unmeasurable things (rail volume, rocker, foil etc.) also find it interesting that there is so much discussion about weight but it's never published (probably because it varies so much board to board) but again it's a story of balance, some weight is great especially when not riding a wave but too much is crap and everyone has an opinion on what "too heavy" or "too light" is.
The good thing about PU construction is consistency, you can change the weight of the cloth used and the blank used but in general terms you are still comparing apples with apples I guess this is why the pro's go for the straight EPS/Epoxy setup similar to PU construction (all the advantages of modern systems with the familiarity of construction of older methods) the new comp construction while impressive in their strength and weight all seem to vary in "feel" which IMO is probably partly the designs but mostly differences in the construction and the way it responds to the forces it is exposed to (I'd be really interested to see a single design done in a whole bunch of different constructions, i.e. across brands so something like Tufflite, one of the firewires, PU, EPS, something like Katana does, or sunova then some of the methods used by kite companies, ride them all and see what comes out, the reason it hasn't been done should probably answer it but....). Point is there's so many variables it's all about the package not one single variable
^^ posted while typing but agree, there is some great info in that post, though he also disagrees with himself
"it's all about surface area" but then goes on to link it and volume.......
Select to expand quotePoida said..Andrash said..
......... I think it still can be a choice for powered wave riding ..
as long as you can keep the speed up and power on they'll be fine, but the volume gives a bit of forgiveness in the turns and helps at normal surfing speeds
Yes, constant speed is not quite easy to maintain (to say the least) in gusty conditions without volume. That may make a small surfboard (with proper volume) a preferable choice for powered up wave riding (IMHO). Obviously, it is not the choice for life long surfers converted to kiting. So choices will depend on style.
Hmmmm, quite the controversy! If volume plays such a big part in kiteboarding design, then please explained the success of the skim board in mushy light wind conditions.
Please carry on ....
DM (and no, I never sold Spleene boards)
Wait for waveriding or just being able to plane?
Why not just ride a twin tip in the surf?
Cheers for the info from Bert kluein, very interesting, that man has some crazy levels of knowledge derived from trial and error over the years.
Nice conversation starter DM, got me questioning my own impressions on my boards now haha 
You argument of volume is going nowhere . Your talking mushy lite wind , others are talking good waves strong wind .. Riding the waves powered up or parked kite . To many variables for one answer
Select to expand quotepuppetonastring said...
Time someone talked SHINNSTER
I have the Maui Paipo and it works brilliantly well once you are planing. But I still use a 23 inch wide, 6'3 surfboard in low wind or fickle/gusty wind conditions. The width and volume make a difference.
Select to expand quotemazdon said..
Only bit I didn't get was RT? 
... maybe means Red thumb 
Just guessing!!
PU or EPS or snowboard construction or wood .....
it's not about What you ride,
it's about How you ride it.
lol.
Select to expand quotemazdon said..
Cheers for the info from Bert kluein, very interesting, that man has some crazy levels of knowledge derived from trial and error over the years.
Nice conversation starter DM, got me questioning my own impressions on my boards now haha
Agree. This has turned into a great thread.
That info from Bert Berger via kluein is very interesting!
Hi guys,
just thinking, the average surfboard has around 25-27 litres, so will displace around 25 -27 litres of water. Each litre of water weighs in at one kilo so the board once completely submerged will support a total of around 25 kilos's of body weight, meaning you would sink the board to your waist. The relatively tiny amount of volume plays very little part in light wind kite surfing. A surfboard is a different story, but you rarely go out in sub 15 knots so should always be planing. Wave size is irrelevent so long as you are planing.
Fun Chat. Carry on ...
DM
Select to expand quoteActionSportsWA said..
Hi guys,
... will support a total of around 25 kilos's of body weight, meaning you would sink the board to your waist. ...
DM
Only if the board has no speed and only if there is no power in the kite. Your calculation of 25kg also ignores the fact that objects weigh less in sea water, and the difference is more significant for otherwise light weight objects... however, it is a bit beside the point.
The point is that that 25kg (or whatever exactly) makes a remarkable difference at jybing / switching, or any other times when the speed is very low, and due to gusts and chops you don't want to rely excessively on kite-power to get you through. I think park and ride comes under this as well...
Another point is that that 25kg is part of the reason why you can take out a size smaller kite on a surfboard.
I am not sure, DM, if you have ever ridden the spleene, or something similar.... you can borrow mine any time...
