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capetonian
Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 1196 Location: Florida
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loopless
Joined: 30 Jun 1997 Posts: 426
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:32 am Post subject: |
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FSW boards have to meet two conflicting design requirements. Good wave-riding and fast planing.
Even within a brand like RRD they can change the emphasis from year to year. I love RRD boards , but one year ( 2009?, I forget) their FSW were very flat with a big fat tail and they did not do bottom-turns - I sent the board back after one session. I gather they went more wavey again, but it depends on how important that is to you. Now RRD have the excellent freemove range they probably have design room to make the FSW more wave-oriented, but thats a guess.
My question is do you really need that volume? |
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laci
Joined: 22 May 1996 Posts: 180 Location: SoCal&the Gorge
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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Good question. For sailing in SoCal, where I sail in the winter and spring, my most used gear is a 99l board, with a 6.3 wave sail. I have smaller stuff for stronger days, but many days require bigger gear. Now that SUP is available I usually sail my SUP if there are waves and light wind. But there are days with no waves and light wind where a SUP won't work, or be much fun. I don't kite, so on those days I used to rig an 8.0 and ride a larger freeride type board, which I could still catch a wave on if one came along. Not shred mind you, but still have fun. My last such board was a Hifly 135 twin fin, which I wish I had kept. So now I still have a new Superfreak Ultralight 8.0 that I would like to use, and I want a board that would work from 8.0 down to 5.8 in the waves or just cruising. I would then not need the 99l board, just the 116l and the 90l. |
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mark
Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 181
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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Laci,
If you are looking for a large RRD FSW board Delta Windsurf has a brand new 120 on sale which is either a 2010 or 2011 model. The board was the same for both years. |
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laci
Joined: 22 May 1996 Posts: 180 Location: SoCal&the Gorge
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:15 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Mark,
That one isn't that great a deal, I think. Windance had a 2011 120l on their website for less money, but it was gone by the time my Minitanker sold. That's when I looked at the 2012's, and they claim to have changed them significantly, made them more surf oriented, shorter, wider. And the new 116 will handle my 8.0 Superfreak. Also, I have credit with them which I can apply to a new board. |
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mark
Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 181
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Laci,
Not to hijack this thread but I am curious how you like the Superfreak 8.0. I sail in the SF Bay area and mainly use sails smaller than 6.0 and sub 100 liter boards. Over the winter I bought a used Kona one and I also have a 140 liter Starboard Go which one of my daughters mainly sails. I am looking for one large sail to use in 12 to 18 knot winds on two above boards. Is the sail relatively stable when the wind reaches 16 to 18? Not looking for upwind performance but mainly back and forth reaching on the lighter days. I like the idea of the dacron for rigging up on the sandy beaches. I do own a small superfreak 3.2 which I bought for the kids and am very impressed with the workmanship and overall weight. The partial length battens lets the sail luff and it seems to work well for the kids.
Also are you using the Superfreak on a Hot RDM mast? I have several Fiberspar SDM masts that are long enough and wondered if you have used the sail on anything other than a Hot mast.
Thank you for your input. |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5328 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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Seems to me, if you're gonna procure a board for a SPECIFIC purpose, you'd take the time and effort to LOOK at the tail rocker by sighting down from tail to nose. Much better than depending on hearsay and spec, which never tells you the actual rocker and rail shape, outline and thickness flow, fin box placement and strap locations. |
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laci
Joined: 22 May 1996 Posts: 180 Location: SoCal&the Gorge
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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Mark,
I didn't get a lot of time on the 8.0 Superfreak before I stopped using the Minitanker, which was the only board I owned at the time that could accomodate it. I did notice that after jibing it didn't snap around the mast like most other sails, I had to almost push it to get it over. Since the Minitanker has it's own jibing peculiarities I was never sure how much was the sail or the board. The sail is amazingly light for it's size. I only rigged it on a standard 490 mast; I only use it infrequently and didn't want to invest in a high carbon RDM. Come to think of it, I don't think they even make 490 RDM's.
I don't have experience with smaller Superfreaks, but I used to own Hot Sails Gridlock wave sails, with the partial battens. I loved those. |
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laci
Joined: 22 May 1996 Posts: 180 Location: SoCal&the Gorge
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:13 am Post subject: |
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Well I pulled the trigger on the RRD 116 FrestyleWave today. Supposedly they wont get any more this year, this was the only 116, I wanted to use my store credit, whatever, I decided not to wait till fall which is when I will need it to go back to LA.
Of course I want to try it right away, but this is a 116l board and I'm in the Gorge! I figured I would wait till a light day and try it with a 6.3, which is the largest sail I have here, and rarely use. Except that as I leave Windance everyone is talking about how the wind is starting to pick up, on a day when there was not much forecast. So instead of going home I decided to go to the Hatchery. The only board with me was the new RRD.
The wind was 12-30, averaging 22. People my size were mostly on 4.7ish. Not really the conditions I bought the board for, but I figured what the hell.
I rigged a 5.2 pretty flat and tried it out.
I have to say my first impressions were positive. I still don't know how it works in light air with a big sail, but I can say that in way overpowered choppy Gorge conditions I was able to stay in control. I was even able to do some turns on swell. The board felt very lively, but stable. I was mostly sheeted out in the gusts but I didn't feel the lulls at all. So far so good. |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5328 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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I guess it was too much to ask for an EventSite 7-15 mph morning to test out the new board. |
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