advice for 6.5 board for Coyote

watermonkey · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 108

I need a freeride-ish board for sailing a 6.5 at Coyote as my lighter wind setup. I'm an intermediate, 165lb (standard gear is a 5.5 on 95L), not jibing, preferring control in chop over outright speed. I'm never going to put anything bigger than a 6.5 on it.

beallmd · Joined: 10 May 1998 Posts: 1154

Why wouldn't your 95 work at your weight? Seems like it would be fine to me. Next bigger board is 104 or so, but why not get a smaller board for higher wind days? Say an 85L for 4.5 or smaller etc which you will use at Coyote earlier in the year? Good luck.

watermonkey · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 108

5.5 on my 95 works great, but a 6.5 is pretty much at the top end of the range for that board...doesn't work so well. I really need something in the 105-110 range for the 6.5, I think...

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3553

I'm with beallmd here on this topic. Invest in a bigger fin and that 95 liter should be fine. Much lower cost then getting one board for just one sail. Far too much overlap with the 95 liter. I think you would be much happier loading up an extra fin vs. an extra board.

For the record I weigh 170 and have a 93 liter Futura and a 2001 Mistral Flow, 96 liter version. Both work great with a 6.5 sail and larger fin. I've just been too lazy to sell the Flow. Waiting for the want adds to get cleaned up first.

Coachg

jp5 · Joined: 19 May 1998 Posts: 3394 Location: OnUr6

How about one of those Tabou 3S 107 L boards, they look pretty sweet and I think the windsurfing place at Coyote sells them so maybe you could try one out!

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1661 Location: San Francisco

What 95l board do you have? You should be able to put your 6.5 on that board. It just depends how much low end you want to get out of the board. Switching up to a wider board will help you plane up and coast through the lulls. FYI, one of my 93l boards is only 58cm wide, while my 108l is 66cm wide, and this makes a big difference in low end. It's not just about volume. Board width give you more planing power and give you more leverage over the fin, allowing you to ride with bigger, more powerful fins.

I have some 107 & 108l boards on closeout if you're interested. You can email me through my website linked below.

crashman · Joined: 15 Jul 2002 Posts: 83

From my personal experience, a bigger board might not be a bad way to go. Yep, I can run a 6.5 with a bigger fin on my 95L board, but I've found that I have more fun staying with a 5.5 and a smaller fin on my 106L, and the wind range is very similar. I think it has a lot to do with the kind of sailing you want to do. I'm not that in to lock-and-load blasting, and am getting into frestyling (if you can call it that)

BRIMAR · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 115

Hey guy's,
Let me chine in here about the needs of our fellow sailor.
"Not Jybing"
Sure most of us could take the 95 liter board and a bigger fin with the 6.5 and "Make it work". But is that really very productive for a guy learning to jybe, This late in the season? Realistically the wind on the peninsula will be steadily decreasing till mid October. Sure there will be big days but on average it's going to be 12-16knots and gusty. He needs float (to get beyond the swimming area), Speed (enough to coast through the lulls), and easy to jybe, quick to plane and great upwind! remember this is his "Big Board" my "big board" is an antique ASD Flapper with awesome planning and upwind ability for the above mentioned conditions.
Unfortunately most of the available boards in this category are in FL or So-Cal.
Good luck finding something!

And yea if your item has sold PLEASE either remove the add or list it as "SOLD" in the header

watermonkey · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 108

brimar describes exactly my sailing style and the conditions...I can make the 6.5 work but it doesn't feel ideal. I'd rather sail slightly OP further out to avoid some dragging out to the ball (or double that). BTW, I actually have decent upwind skill through a mild level of chop...though when it gets pretty bouncy, I need a little more control on a bigger board. So part of my deal here (I think) is that more width will give me the coasting and early planing, but may be less controlled. Yeah, tall order, but I figure more input is better...

As an aside, does bailing out when you get blown out of the water count as "freestyling"?

dbrock · Joined: 01 Jul 1995 Posts: 28

I sail at coyote, and the place has some personalities which may make board selection for your level something to really consider. First, on days when the swim area is filled in and it is blowing better than 20 outside, all is good and right with the world and your 95 is perfect. Unfortunately, if the inside is not filled in or if the wind begins to back off as if often does, you need something to get you through the slogging on the inside. a 95 liter board with a 6.5 sail can make this a real challenge. I bought an Exocet Speed Slider 118 a few years ago for this issue, but I just don't use it much anymore because my JP excite ride 105 gets me through the slogging and still is fun when you get to the outside and start blasting. The JP jumps up on a plane as quickly as the Excite ride, and it is a pleasure to jibe. It also handles chop well, read Coyote, and you will be able to use this board as your skills improve. I also have a 95 liter excite ride which I use when it is blowing better, but a 105 board is better suited for your level and the conditions that Coyote can throw at you.