Send Message
Weather | Buy&Sell | Forums |  |
Weather | Buy & Sell | Gallery | Forums | |
Bit of Background.
Long time surfer.
I have been Kiting since 2005.
Riding only surfboards since 2010ish when I got onto a Rebel.
Location Central Qld. So mainly wind slop.
Weight 90 Kilos.
Board Marty Littlewood Revamp.
Dims 5'11" x 18 3/4" x 21/4" Quad
Unstrapped.
Conditions 14-24knots.
Side On.
1 metre swell.
7mt Neo fully depowered. Should have been on my 6.
Beautiful thru the water.
Smoothed out the chop really nice.
Pops over whitewater smooth and easy.
1st wave impression. Fast but controlled.
Smooth back hand bottom turns.
Nice drive.
Can still bust the fins out in a cutty if you want.
Points nice and high.
Speed speed to burn.
Can be laid over in a forehand bottom turn so hard.??
When coming out of toe side turns you have sooo much speed.
Feels like no other board I have ever ridden on a kite. And I've ridden and still own a hell of a lot of boards.
I seriously cannot fault this boards performance.
The ability to point so high allows you to chase down more waves.
Marty has certainly waved the magic planer over this one.
Cheers Windindaface
Hey Windindaface,
Good review.
Here is my story about this board. DISCLOSURE: I will be selling these bords so take it for what it's worth. I strongly suggest you drop in and take one for a demo so you can make your own mind up.
The story ....
Marty asked for my feedback on his ReVamp late in the season. I was struggling to find the time to give it a run but finally got the chance to do a downwinder with a couple of guys from City Beach to Thirds at Trigg. My preference is for strapless despite Marty's recommendation to leave the straps on it. I rode it with a moderately powered 7m Core Section wave kite in about 18 knots and with the usual Perth crappy small swell.
The board is a heavier than most boards and this is by design. Marty and I both agree that super light surfboards only work well if you are doing airs, otherwise the extra weight helps the board stay firmly planted in less than perfect conditions, the Revamp is also optimized for strength. AFAIK, there hasn't been any breakages.
The boards are polyester and glass construction and all come as quads. Now I'm not much of a fan of Quads which was possibly part the reason I wasn't bustin my hump to try the board. I do like the feel of polyester but haven't found one that would take the abuse of kiting to date
I did take the straps off for the test and the first thing I noted was it's easy upwind performance as I left the beach. It felt nice and responsive and didn't have any of that super light, "pop-out" epoxy skittishness about it at all. The board really came into it's own when youcrank a hard bottom turn. It responds quickly and redirects up the face with so much speed that it kinda put me off balance for the top turn where it came out of the turn with so much speed that I fell off the back of the board. This happened a couple of times as I wasn't used to a board which exits a top turn with so much speed and energy.
The quad fin feel, just wasn't an issue, it felt amazing and with more drive than I've ever had before from any board, I reckon it'll take me more than one afternoon of riding to really get the most of it. I intend to whack the straps on it so I can learn the way the board handles and will then take them back off again.
Marty is frothing over this design .... and with good reason, it's a stellar board. Right after the test, I phoned Marty and was super keen to get them into the shop but he declined saying there wasn't enough margin in the boards to make it even remotely worth while to retail. Basically everysale I could make at RRP would lose me money. I was absolutely gutted.
A few months passed and the board was returned. Marty called me up even more excited and told me he and an old mate who runs Cobra in Thailand were going to be producing them in Cobra in a small division called the "Customs" division. This division does short runs of hand made boards. The boards would be CNC shaped, hand finished, hand glassed and with at least as good, and in Marty's thoughts, probably better finished than he could make them himself. He was very particular about what glass, what resin and core th aboards would be made from and how they would be laied up. They would be the exact same as his customs, but with enough cost saving to make the board retail possible. Now I was stoked!
There will be four sizes available all only in Poly construction and quad fin. Should have them in stock for the startr of the season. I'll have demo's in most sizes. I have a 6'1" for myself although the demo board I tried was a 5'11" same as windindaface.
Bloody great board and good to see Marty frothing again over such a nice board.
DM
Great to see you supporting a local shaper DM.
I have 2 of Marty's boards and cannot fault them they really are a pleasure to ride..............my other 3 boards are gathering dust :)
Cool board, but isnt polyester resin a bit of a backwards step? Theres a reason the space shuttle, airbus A380 and AC boats all use epoxy. I don't believe that epoxy itself results in that corky feeling, its more to do with the blank, and if you use a PU blank with epoxy you get great results.
Hi CJ2478,
Sorry, been away and Just back from Sydney and have spoken to Marty just now. We hadn't spoken for a month or two and in that time there has been a change. After speaking with Cobra who are Epoxy resin experts, Marty decided to change the resin from Poly to Epoxy, this will make the boards just a little lighter but will give better durability The Epoxy resin will give a lighter , whiter , brighter and most importantly stronger board. The cost will increase slightly but Marty feels the board will be a better product because of the change.
Cobra use some of the highest quality Epoxies in the world and are experts in it's application.
Marty is going back over to Cobra shortly to hand finish and sign each board and check on it's progress. This is his baby and he's a pedantic bugger. So now we just wait. I'm really excited and I know Marty is too.
Bring it on!
DM
just to be clear, i will be shaping each board out of a standard polyurethane surfboard blank , signing it and having the epoxy laminating and finishing done by the unequalled cobra international factory in thailand. i'm getting too old to make every board these days and would rather be putting my time into R and D ..... another name for kitesurfing, playing guitar, surfing , beer drinking etc, etc ,etc
any ??'s feel free to pm me
Hi Marco,
i hope im not speaking out of turn but if my memory serves me well (and often it doesn't), 5'7", 5'9", 5'11" & 6'1".
i took the board to Mauritius for two weeks and it was completely amazing, although better unstrapped except on the biggest day with crazy chop and big massive ramps to get over.
DM
Hey guys,
After my return from Mauritius, I rang Marty to let him know the joy I had on his board in such a vast variety of waves. He was like a kid in a candy shop, He himself had just returned from a week in Thailand getting the boards shaped and teaching the shapers how the rails and tail had to be. Over three days Marty and his new helpers managed to shape all of the boards and Marty inspected and finished off the shape on every board then signed them all personally.
As I've said, Marty is fiercely proud and meticulous about his ReVamp's. Here is a couple of pics of me on my 6'1" in Mauritius Not awe inspiring waves but awe inspiring board ...
+1 for Marty's boards. I've been on a custom revamp made by Marty for a while now and I love it. Marty is a great communicator and stands by his boards. I bought my board as a high wind big swell board but turns out it excels in everything except for super light winds. No cracks or damage after months of use, getting washed up on the beach etc.
The main thing with this board is how well it will take the chop, coming down a lump face at speed you aren't thinking the board is going to spring you off, it just keeps on truckin. Great board.
Kitepower will be selling Delta designs boards on the East Coast, starting with the Revamp. We have several coming in our first shipment due in approx 4/5 weeks Rec Ret is $1250, and this is complete with quality fin set, straps, front and rear pads.
Available in these 4 sizes/volumes
5'-7" x 18-1/4" X 2-1/8" ... 23.6 LITRES under 70kg or high wind
5'-9" x 18-1/2" x 2 3/16" .....25.4 LITRES 70-80kg
5'-11" x 18-3/4" x 2 1/4" ..... 26.9 LITRES 80-90kg
6'-1" x 19" x 2- 3/8" ......... 29.5 LITRES over 90kg or light wind or big waves
We will have 5'9" for demo in Sydney and Lennox Head (5'7" in Lennox too)
Ive been riding Marty's boards for the last 9 years throughout WA , I just picked up my 3rd Re-vamp!! I haven't used the newby on the left yet, but the north season is getting dangerously close so Im sure she will be getting waxed up and put to good use in the next few weeks!! Its epic to see Marty's alway frothing out on a new design or some crazy new idea for his boards! The flutes get rid of the water FAST and give the board a real nice release and feel off the top and create plenty of drive on the bottom turn, and the V down the middle holds the board to the water and allows ya to get up on the plain early! Ive been using this model in stock dimensions with slight tweaks in the tail for 2 years now and its been my go to for all WA can throw at us from onshore beachy's to down the line!! Our boards get rack up quite a few hours on the water in the summer the things are 100% bullet proof!! Throw a re vamp in ya quiver and let your old boards gather dust!! Lets see what new Crazy idea Marty will come up with this summer hmmm....
Hi Guys,
The wait is finally over. Marty dropped the boards in to our store this morning. First look at the new boards and WOW! The dark bamboo looks amazing and the boards are lighter than the original Poly boards. They look so good. Marty is so happy with the finish and feel of the boards.
We have the 6'1", 5'11" and 5'9" in demo and have the boards in all sizes available and in stock. If you were contemplating a new surfboard this season, I can strongly recommend a demo ride before you put any money down.
So stoked to represent Delta boards here in Perth. Happy days!
Lozza, you have to do something about the inability to load a portrait picture :-( Though it doesn't change the froth!
DM
IT IS A PU BLANK....LAMINATED WITH EPOXY RESIN !!!! NO EPS, NO WAY, NOT EVER for kiteboards
I dont like EPS because it sucks water and is comparatively weak in density.
As soon as you enclose EPS you create a pressure vessel whereby inside pressure is lower than outside pressure in water, so water is sucked into the board, as its an open cell structure, it allows water to travel right through the board in time. PU is closed cell so there is only localised water intake.
Kiteboards take more of a beating than surfboards so cracks are bound to occur sooner or later ...then you have a problem because water is very hard to get back out once its been ingested.
There is one reason alone that all the big brands use EPS .....its CHEAP... (sorry about the volume bj ), like about 5 to 10% of the cost a quality PU blank.
I was offered EPS core construction at a much cheaper price, but instead decided to upgrade my own PU/polyester construction
to PU/epoxy resin as the Cobra factory specialises in this resin system and is an accredited member of the "ECOBOARD PROJECT".
I did this because it improved my boards strength, weight, looks and LONGEVITY (there i go again with the volume , cant help it, i'm a hearing challenged guitar player)
very good topic. I will have to demo the board. Anyone is VIC would be selling the board?
Kitepower is the Delta designs dealer on the East Coast, stock and demo boards will be in the shop hopefully by Wednesday, a demo board will be available in Sydney and Lennox Head.
Pics need to be taken once they arrive, then we can add them to our website. They sell for $1250 complete with front and rear pads, straps and fins.
