Small gorge board for woman, need suggestions

kiterperson · Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 17

I'm 125 lbs and use an Open Ocean 7ft10in glass board. I sail it with a 2.8 up to 4.2 (with bigger fin) Have been on it for 12 years and love it. It sticks to the water which is what I want for high wind and/or chop. It surfs like a machine. Open Ocean is in Lyle, and offers free demos. They usually have a few used boards for sale as well. Good luck. ( I use RRD epoxy for light wind)

mchaco1 · Joined: 08 Sep 2010 Posts: 645

noshuzbluz · Joined: 18 May 2000 Posts: 791

QUIGME · Joined: 18 Jan 2000 Posts: 3

I am a 115 lb woman and have been sailing here in the gorge for 25 yrs. I have always preferred custom boards because I have never tried a production board that felt small enough in high winds. I don't think mine are over 50L. BTW, I have a beautiful North Pacific custom board for sale. Smile

I would be happy to talk to you more, I think it depends on how much wind you will use it in, and what your skill levels are in those conditions.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Sorry to beat a old dead horse.
I think the 7'10" is 22" wide, at 84 or so liters, now that I think farther. It's been since the mid '90's that I had that board, and I know I could uphaul it.
Width is the key here.
I currently have an old RogueWave HWS, the old 8'8"er, that I cut to 7'5", and at 50 cm wide, floats me no problem in breezes of 5 mph. That would equate to around 78 liters or so. I'm 150 lbs.
Still think the Spoon is mid 80's volume.

mchaco1 · Joined: 08 Sep 2010 Posts: 645

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Amazing that with all the experienced posters on here, nobody knows what sizes the BerkyAerospoons come in.
That would be mid '90's stuff, state of the art, the same time Tem came out with the cutout tail boards, almost exactly as state of the art today on the wider boards.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Are you kidding? I don't know what sizes any boards come in except the two specific models I have owned literally dozens of.

A techie once asked me the dimensions and shape of a board I was testing. I extended my arms, hands, and/or fingers appropriately and said, "Yeah long and yeah wide, sorta oval." I wasn't even being flip; I just don't care.

BTW ... just reading the July, 1993 issue of Performance Windsurf Report's test of the World's Best High Wind Custom Short Boards. The Berky Composites 7'9" Gorge Aerospoon's specs were Length 7'9", Width 20.5", Weight 13#, Volume estimate 70L.

But who cares?

Mike \m/

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

There ya go! If you show enough bait, surely someone will bite.
70 liters float 154 lbs., meaning most 130 lbs sailors can uphaul it.
My RogueWave 8'8" cut to 230cm is slightly floatier, and I, at 150 and full wetsuit-booties, can slog at 5 mph winds no problem, no less.
OTOH, I"m 63 years old with really bad balance.

mchaco1 · Joined: 08 Sep 2010 Posts: 645

70 sounds reasonable Very Happy

..now to figure out the volume of my logosz.... Laughing

It doesnt matter in use of course, but knowing makes buying used stuff a whole lot easier. I would have guessed the logosz was 65ish by length and looks, but after getting it out on the water is clear that its closer to 80-85, at $10 it was worth the gamble, but it might be in a junk pile somewhere if it had been $25.. Also in those "just try it and see" situations I dont want to float out to the wind line with a 65L board that I thought was 80 and end up having to swim back, so im trying to work on my board volumometer