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Best ~110L freeride board for wind range and heavy chop (?)
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screamer_bg



Joined: 27 Apr 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Grayson
You've already made the choice but since I'm also in the process of deciding what ~110l board to choose, here are my thoughts:
I almost always sail in severe chop. Contrary to Pirireis above I've found wide slaloms such as Mantas or Isonics not really to my liking in these conditions (extreme outboards straps and too fast in general).
I've tested several boards recently: Tabou Rocket 115, Carve 111, F2 Stoke 105 and Fanatic Hawk 108 (2008 model). None of them I would describe as bad, but I liked Hawk the best by far. It is a bit narrower for its volume than newer boards, not the earliest planer, but exciting/lively ride through chop. Excellent comfortable deck shape. Absolutely screaming gybes if you get it right but not very forgiving (stops carving) if you're clumsy. A Tabou is very fast and concave bottom is comfortable in chop, it is wide and stable and directional slalom-like ride (compared to hawk).
In my case this board will be used with 6.0-7.5 sails, powered, not marginal (I'm 85kg). I think in overpowered 5.2 conditions, your 85l is a much better choice anyway, unless the wind is extremely holey.
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Four remarkably unremarkable boards in the last test for me were the Exocet Cross III 114, JP Ride 106, RRD Fire Move 110 and the Star-Board Carve 111. They had subtle rides that only became noticeably great when you could just stay lit up and comfortable as the wind came up. They were great with lotsa wind without the expense of early planing bottom configurations that sap pumping to plane. Also, the RRD FM 110 was 75 cm wide! So much for the "wide can be rough and hard to handle in chop" dogma I've heard people say over the years. Add this board to a long list over the years that defies that mantra.

I've been sailing the Cross 114, 69 cm wide, these past couple of dayz in some seriously lit up conditions for either a 6.8, yesterday, or the 5.8, today at Kelly Park where Calema has their shop. "Smooth as budda," is how one guy who demo'ed it said today. I just carved thru any choppy section I wanted with no reservations, jibing at will anywhere and everywhere.
http://www.iwindsurf.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=250&siteID=289&Isection=Last+7+Days

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yvanboniec



Joined: 08 Mar 2012
Posts: 100

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:11 am    Post subject: Waterstart model or not ? Reply with quote

Hi !

I was wondering if any of the model you listed in your first post do require waterstarting skills?

My weight is 85 kg, so based on what I have read (minimum board volume in liters = your weight + 25; in my case 111 liters), it should be possible to use these boards without knowing how to waterstart, especially if the conditions are good (for instance, artificial lagoon with flat water).

So does anyone with a weight of 86 kg is able to sail on these boards without waterstarting?

Thanks
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@ 86 kg, I could uphaul 110 liters, but I wouldn't want to. One can learn to waterstart in a few hours with a lesson or a video, so I wouldn't buy a board based on just that. OTOH, on really flat water, there's no need for a board that small; may as well go for 125 or 140 for more versatility. The advantages of smaller or narrower boards -- primarily maneuverability and ride comfort -- are minimal to none on flat water.

Mike \m/


Last edited by isobars on Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
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wynsurfer



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 940

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I weigh 68 kilos and can uphaul on an 85 litre wave board, plenty of flotation for me, but it is not easy. Learning to waterstart is realy not that hard, and once you get it down makes life so much easier. I agree with isobars on using a bigger board if youy are sailing in flat water, and gusty winds. The extra volume and width of a bigger board mainly works against you in very rough, choppy conditions. I think isobars meant uphaul on a 110L board. I would much rather waterstart than uphaul. Check out the videos at the top of the page, I bet you can find one on waterstarting.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

slinky wrote:
I think isobars meant uphaul on a 110L board ....

Oops ... yes. Fixed. Thanks.
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Flotation and ability to uphaul is important for even the advanced sailors at times. While water starting is easy once learned, it's impossible in no wind.

Puffy conditions, dying winds and wind shadows generally require a board that can be uphauled even though the wind may be gusting over 20 knots.

I have an 80 liter sinker, but I only use it when conditions won't quit on me or there is NO wind shadow.

Most of the time, even in 5.0 and 4.5 conditions, I have a 105 liter board that is easy to uphaul and does pretty well even in 25+ knots. I weight 77 kg.

Many of us find that the extra floatation makes life much more pleasant at times.
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U2U2U2



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

antonius wrote:
The RRD FireMoves were designed to do well in chop so I wouldn't be concerned about that. RRD makes some of smoothest riding boards in pretty much every board category. To quote Boardseeker: "that smooth, soft and almost ‘luxurious’ feel that’s becoming a trademark of RRD boards".
If you're looking for even more top end than the FireMove then consider the new FireStorm 111. I debated sending that one to the test but ended up going with the FireStorm instead. From the feedback I've gotten it seems to have been a good call. The FireStorm has the rocker of the X-Fire but is designed to be more relaxing the ride and easier to control.

The FireStorm was just added to the RRD website:
http://www.robertoriccidesigns.com/equipment/index.php/windsurfing/firestorm.html
The FireMove is so new that it's not on the website yet so if you're looking for more info on these boards, check out this pdf:
http://www.a-o-sports.com/Windsurfing/pdfs/WOL-FireMove.pdf
Or have a look at this video of Roberto talking about the board: http://vimeo.com/22384201

For ultimate versatility you still can't beat the Freestyle Wave 111 though. Fun freeride board, over-szied freestyle board or light wind wave board all in one. If you get in to waves at all, consider this one.
http://www.robertoriccidesigns.com/equipment/index.php/windsurfing/freestyle-wave.html

Lots of good boards to consider but give these 3 a look.

Tony


your avatar is interesting

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grayson



Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 92
Location: Burlington, VT

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 12:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just came here to lurk, but noticed this old post of mine back up on page one, and realized I never posted follow-up, so here goes....

The Tabou Rocket 115 has been treating me great! More precisely, for my specific needs, it's been a fantastic fit.

THE CONS FIRST: It does, as jingebritsen and others warned, not pump to plane well. It's an interesting sensation when it's just on the edge of being powered, and it's occasionally a little frustrating when there's just enough wind to plane, but not enough wind to GET planing. The board definitely gets planing when it's ready, and no amount of pumping or coaxing seems to change that. BUT, the wind where I sail is so inconsistent anyway that I tend to rig for the lulls, and its usually not long before a gust comes around. And "not pumping to plane well" shouldn't be confused with not planing up early. Compared to my similarly sized buds on similar sized gear, I tend to be planing a bit more than they in marginal conditions. Part of that is ability to coat through holes (which I think the Rocket does quite well), but part is I think that the board actually does plane up fairly early, but does so only on its own terms, and doesn't respond at all well to pumping. That's my sense. YMMV.

THE PROS(E):
In every respect other than not pumping to plane well, this board has been fantastic. The biggest thing for me is its range. It's a great fit with my 7.0 with the stock 38cm fin, right through (surprisingly) to my 4.5 with a 28cm fin! I expected it to be good with 7.0, 6.0, maybe 5.2, but was blown away by how good it felt with the 4.5 fully cranked. For me this is crucial because where I sail most I need a board with enough float to get me through quite a large wind shadow and out to decent breeze; I simply can't get out there and back on a sinker, no matter how screamin' the wind is once I hit that line. So something this floaty, that still handles powered-up 4.5 conditions in heavy chop well, that's an amazing board for me! It's incredibly comfortable and user-friendly across a very broad range of conditions. I'm a big fan. Smile Oh, and did I mention? It's fast! I tend not to lose drag races with my buds, and that's both in fully lit-up conditions and when we're all just barely planing, and everything inbetween. Not that any of us is any pro-level sailor, but we're pretty comparably skilled, and I think a big feature of the Rocket is that it brings accessible performance to those of us with less than rockstar skills. I feel like a better sailor on it than maybe I actually am. And that's OK in my book. Cool
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

grayson wrote:
it's occasionally a little frustrating when there's just enough wind to plane, but not enough wind to GET planing. The board definitely gets planing when it's ready, and no amount of pumping or coaxing seems to change that.

Have you ever tried just knee-jerking the entire hull clear of the water to break the surface tension, then setting it back down planing? It's quicker than pumping, and quite effective when alllllmost planing. You just use the slightest little bump on the water or jam the aft end down to lift the nose ever so slightly, and knee-jerk your strapped-in feet up to lift the aft 2/3 of the board clear by just inches, then set the board down flat, with forward gusto, and you're planing. It works with anything from sinkers to longboards. Don't overthink it, just do it on autopilot. No guarantees, but it quite often gets you planing if you were close.
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