myiW Current Conditions and Forecasts Community Forums Buy and Sell Services
 
Hi guest · myAccount · Log in
 SearchSearch   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   RegisterRegister 
Starboard SUPer 12'6 vs. Exocet Kona One
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    iWindsurf Community Forum Index -> Windsurfing Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
rbriskin



Joined: 23 May 2001
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:00 pm    Post subject: Starboard SUPer 12'6 vs. Exocet Kona One Reply with quote

I have a Kona One that I enjoy sailing in light winds and for SUP. Its a better sailer than paddler. I've been paddling a lot and am wondering if the Starboard Super 12'6 is a better alternative. I want to know others' experiences who may have paddled both or sailed both. Is the Starboard as capable a sailer as the Kona? EG could I get around a friendly course race on the Starboard due to its length and daggerboard? Is the Starboard a significantly better paddler than the Kona One? Thanks for your comments.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

once you've experienced the sailing power of the kona one, you may wish to find a better paddler and sailor in the windSUP 11'8 from exocet. those that i have seen own a supper have not been pleased with its sailing by compare. i've seen people SUP the windSUP, both in flat water and waves. they think the board SUP's fine in the flats, but needs a technical pilot for paddling in waves. meanwhile, it sails so well, that i don't bother with paddling. 5-10 mph side shore winds, i'm surf sailing mine.
_________________
www.aerotechsails.com
www.exocet-original.com
www.iwindsurf.com
http://www.epicgearusa.com/
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DanWeiss



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Posts: 2296
Location: Connecticut, USA

PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another really cool thing about the windSUP is its available rig. The battens are oriented parallel with the mast and the boom fully articulates. The de-rigging process is that which attracted to many of us old farts to the sport in the first place. Release the OH and fold the boom to the mast. Roll the sail from the clew to the mast and secure with the OH. Done. The sail bag is pretty trick in that it unfolds to accommodate the rolled sail. Zip up and the only thing not inside the bag is the boom.

This rig may not be for everyone who expects to use a high tension sail in the waves, but the sail works very well in very light wind and in the waves since it goes totally neutral at your command.

_________________
Support Your Sport. Join US Windsurfing!
www.USWindsurfing.org
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like most surf-oriented SUP boards, the Starboard 12'6" is not designed to plane. (It can plane, but only with extreme amounts of wind power.) The 12'6" might glide smoother than the Kona in some conditions but I wouldn't expect it to be a better racer. If you just want it for SUP, then yeah, it will be more stable, but for general windsurfing I reckon the Kona is superior.

The WindSUP, on the other hand, might be more of the upgrade you're looking for. I had the Kona ONE a few years ago, and I just got the WindSUP 11'8" this week.

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2012/10/got-new-board-exocet-windsup-118.html

I can't comment on its planing performance or its wave-riding performance since I've only had it out in typical Gulf of Mexico conditions (flat water and 5-8 mph). I can comment on some other stuff though:

Looks: It looks sexy in purple, and it should keep its looks longer than the Kona ONE because it's not all covered in Nerf.

Weight: About what you'd expect for a wave-sturdy 360 x 80 cm board with a daggerboard and 220 liters volume- heavy.

Stability: Extremely stable- much more so than the Kona ONE, which I found had plenty of stability for most windsurfers but was a bit tippy for SUP or beginner windsurfers.

Glide: I think it glides better than the Kona ONE, maybe because the step-tail is less abrupt and more tapered. I don't notice "burbles" behind the tail.

Daggerboard performance: The daggerboard is much easier to operate than the one on the Kona ONE because the lips are loose, but I expect that might annoy me when I'm trying to go fast and water is shooting up through the board. (If anyone knows about an upgrade for the Allgaier daggerboard gasket, I'd be interested.) The daggerboard blade is narrower and thinner than the one on the Kona ONE, so it's less powerful. I.e. you can't grind upwind as hard so you might not do as well in a race.

Planing performance: Give me some wind and I'll let you know! Smile

_________________
James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
jackjj



Joined: 16 Aug 2003
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have old style longboards (mistral superlight, and mistral maui) that I rig with modern sails ... the superlight actually paddles ok on flat water in SUP mode and sails great in subplaning mode ... the maui does well sailing in river chop and planes pretty good but is heavy and does not SUP well... How does the Windsup compare sailing to these old style Mistral longboards? I assume because it is much wider it will perform much better in SUP mode , but I have to admit that my primary interest in a board such as the WINDSup is one board that will do very well in sub planing mode , and power up to a plane well in flat water lakes or river ( my main conditions ) with a 7.4 sail ( my biggest sail) in 0-18mph conditions , and yet be able to SUP on the completely dead days ... Do I gain much compared to the two long boards I have ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sailboarder



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

d0uglass wrote:

Glide: I think it glides better than the Kona ONE, maybe because the step-tail is less abrupt and more tapered. I don't notice "burbles" behind the tail.


I see your point about the flow not being laminar behind the tail, but I really felt glide was primarly caused by having a board that is not too large. It would be interesting to compare the two side-by-side.

d0uglass wrote:

Daggerboard performance: The daggerboard is much easier to operate than the one on the Kona ONE because the lips are loose, but I expect that might annoy me when I'm trying to go fast and water is shooting up through the board. (If anyone knows about an upgrade for the Allgaier daggerboard gasket, I'd be interested.)


My very old Sailboard has an Allgaier daggeboard and I never had water rushing out of it. Maybe the lips were made of stiffer rubber? It still operates smoothly and much better than the Kona daggerboard. It is also still better than Starboard Clipperbox I tried last year and the daggerboard itself can be removed without messing around. If it is too smooth, you can tighten the adustment screws located on each side of the pivot point.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
purplegopher



Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 17

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:01 pm    Post subject: Love the SUPer Reply with quote

Paddles great. Sailed it with a 12.0. Nice stability.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sailboarder wrote:

My very old Sailboard has an Allgaier daggeboard and I never had water rushing out of it. Maybe the lips were made of stiffer rubber? It still operates smoothly and much better than the Kona daggerboard. It is also still better than Starboard Clipperbox I tried last year and the daggerboard itself can be removed without messing around. If it is too smooth, you can tighten the adustment screws located on each side of the pivot point.


Hmm, I saw those screws but hadn't realized what they were. Thanks!

I took the WindSUP for its first (barely) planing session yesterday, using an 8.0 sail in winds around 8 - 12 knots. There might have been a few little splashes coming through the daggerboard slot, but it wasn't bad at all. I do still worry that the gasket might be adding drag, though. The split goes all the way to the front, and the lips aren't glued down at the front, so I reckon it's flapping open. Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Smile



Daggerboard Gaskets Matter.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  60.67 KB
 Viewed:  29490 Time(s)

Daggerboard Gaskets Matter.jpg



_________________
James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Sailboarder



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess if you remove the daggerboard, you could look into the well and see how it behaves, or maybe put your Gopro to look for you...

I also think that when you are on the plane, at least the front of the slot is out of the water most of the time preventing the splitting...

My own paranoļa has more to do with the volume of water that eventually stays in the well. There must be a few liters there. I'll eventually ride without the daggerboard and stuff foam in the well to figure out if I can feel a difference. Embarassed

Sorry OP!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
rbriskin



Joined: 23 May 2001
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:49 pm    Post subject: Thanks Reply with quote

Great posts, all. Sounds like the Exocet WindSup is getting the most attention.
I've been paddling the Kona more. Forgot the fin the other day. Found that it performed well with the dagger board down with an angle of about 20 degrees between the dagger and the board bottom. Just move up on the board with feet parallel to the mast track. It was nice not to worry about the fin scraping the bottom of the lake going in and out.
So, you can tell I'm not a performance paddler and don't have easy access to waves. Maybe the Kona will stick around.
Thanks,
G
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    iWindsurf Community Forum Index -> Windsurfing Discussion All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum

myiW | Weather | Community | Membership | Support | Log in
like us on facebook
© Copyright 1999-2007 WeatherFlow, Inc Contact Us Ad Marketplace

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group