If smaller is better why do I have so much fun on a WindSUP?

[NOVAAN]

You really should try to demo the Tabou 3s 116 of something like it before spending a lot of cash on a big wide board. Easier said than done these days. That 160 board is almost 90cm wide. It will plow and push water in lite winds and be uncontrollable when the wind picks. I'm a fan of the wider freeride boards. But not that wide, I now sail a JP magic ride 104/68cm. Its my lite wind board and get it going with a 6.5 in 15 mph winds. Some of the "guys" had the RRD fire move 120/80cm.. Everyone sold them. Pretty much a barge with a small wind range. This is at a small local lake with very flat water. The Atom IQ 110/74cm that I had would plow a bit but once up to speed would ride the fin and free up. The wide RRD's just wouldn't do that. Going to almost 90cm wide would limit a board even more. Just my opinion....

[brynkaufman2]

Novaan, I agree if I could try any board I would. However, in my area there is no way to try before you buy. I even called some local shops to see what they had. I can try the JP Funster with dagger board or the Naish Kailua. As those are not boards that interest me, there is no point.

Starboard says this board has the largest wind range out of all their boards. They say the GO is the most popular board ever. I assume the GO had a large wind range because it is so popular. If Starboard is correct and this board has even a larger wind range, I don't see how I would be plowing water unless I am in a wind that no board will plane in.

Now that is some what marketing hype too, but every review I read on the Atom was positive, although it was a smaller version of the board.

This was from a 2015 magazine test, and it sounds good to me, although they are testing the 110l.

" It gets planing pretty early, with less lateral give than its competitors. Once it's up and going, it planes quite flat on the water, with the downwind rail nicely settling itself, which minimizes the chance of committing mistakes and reassures the rider. Those who are just discovering planing in the footstraps will appreciate this ultra-stability in the straight line as it's effortless and reassuring to go fast, in all footstraps positions. Even in strong winds, you can keep your foot on the pedal, the Atom IQ 110 won't rear up."

If the 110l is easy to plane the 160l should be easy too, although not as lively nor as fast top speed, and I am OK with that. I will take the ease of getting on a plane and catching swells over the top speed or control in very windy conditions.

[rangerider]

Yes. The 160L will plane "easily" with a big sail. You will not want to go below a 7.5M sail, that is from Starboard and mirrors what many of us know from light wind or formula boards which are similar in dimensions to an Atom 160L. Are you planning to use an 8.5/9.0 M sail with it to get good performance out of it in light winds?

[brynkaufman2]

rangerider, thank you, thank you! You just saved me the cost of the board plus around $200 to $400 in shipping charges.

I missed that with the Atom IQ, but now I see the recommend sail size. I want to use a 6.5 sail and my largest sail which I prefer not to use is a 7.5 sail, so this board is not the right board for me.

I also love using a WindSUP sail on light wind days, and I learned that you have to use a WindSUP sail with a WindSUP board, as other boards are not stable enough.

A small board won't work for me as I explained previously, so now it seems like it is back to the Kona One or the Exocet 10' with a taped dagger board.

It seems the consensus is the Kona One is slower to plane than the Exocet, so I might have to just deal with the dagger board issue.

Thanks again, I was going to buy the wrong board. I kind of feel like I already did that by purchasing the BIC and not the Exocet to begin with. I just did not realize I would want a WindSUP with foot straps.

[brynkaufman2]

OK, so now I am going to buy the Exocet WindSUP 10' and here is why.

I spoke to Steve at Aerotech Sails and he informed me that if I leave the dagger board in I won't get much water coming through. Also, he said it only happens when I plane, so it does not change my ability to get on a plane. Once on a plane as long as I stay on a plane I am happy. If I am 1mph slower that is OK, I am still happy being on a plane. Finally, if it does become a problem, I have some ideas from this forum on how to fix it, thanks!

I am going with the 10' vs. the 11'8" because I am only 155lbs and the 10' is similar in dimensions to my BIC, and I have never felt I could not catch a swell or a wave on my BIC, so I don't see the need to go larger.

I also realized I like to use a WindSUP sail when it is light wind. It has been blowing so much around here I forgot, but today is light and it reminded me my favorite light wind sail is the Aerotech WindSUP 5.8 and that sail only works with a WindSUP, as it has to be an extremely stable board to work well.

I would like to see others build a high performance WindSUP with foot straps, but right now it seems like Exocet is the only option for this size board.

I am looking forward to blasting across the bay locked into the foot straps and then catching waves easily too in the same session!

[outhaul]

If you like your Bic, you'll love the Exocet Windsup.
While not as ding resistant as the Bic, the Exo is better in every way.

[outhaul]

bryn, have you seen this?
https://reefwarriors.wordpress.com/gear-reviews/
I believe he has since switched to the 10' model.
At your weight I'd go 10' too.

[beaglebuddy]

If you don't remove the daggerboard you will smash your foot on it, a lot. Just remove it like everyone else does, it's heavy and when removed the slot is a good place to grab the board when transporting.
I think you need a better understanding of short/wide vs long/narrow.
Short wide gets you planing early but if not planing it will not glide and instead pushes water with it's wide nose, big sail and big fin needed to get planing, not for surfing at all. Water needs to be flat, unmanageable in chop.
Long/narrow will fast glide when not planing and the transition between glide and plane is long and sometimes hard to tell the difference between a fast glide and slow plane, nearly the same thing. Long/narrow will catch the smallest swell and waves. Narrow better in chop. Stronger wind, narrower board.
Comparing the Kona to the 11'8", the Kona glides better and handles higher winds because it's narrower, the 11'8" planes earlier and probably surfs about equally but it has a center rear footstrap position while the Kona only has outboard rear straps.
The 10' Exocet is heading towards shortboard direction a bit as it's wider than the 11'8"

[brynkaufman2]

outhaul, thanks, yes, I did read that and I see he said his favorite is now the 10'.

I believe the 10' will work best at my weight too!

I probably should have ordered this board from the start.

beaglebuddy, I am going to give the dagger board a try. There are times I would like to sail more upwind, so it might come in handy. A lot of the reviews on these boards mention they use the dagger board to go upwind faster / easier to get to their favorite wave spot and I think that makes sense. I can always remove it if it starts to get in my way.

Thanks for the description of short and wide boards. I was really getting the wrong board. I love the long narrow board the way they glide and the subtle transition between gliding, fast gliding, and planing.

The Exocet is 305cm long and 81.2cm wide, my BIC is 320cm long and 80cm wide, so very close. Assuming it has the same feel as my BIC, but a little easier to plane and turn because of the step tail, and a little easier to stay on the plane because I will be in the foot straps, and easier to go up wind because of the dagger board, I will be very satisfied.

[isobars]

I'm SO glad no one informed me I couldn't use ordinary wave/B&J/Gorge sails, the same sails I use with my 65 liter wave boards, including my 3.2, in winds averaging mid to upper 30s, on my strapless windSUP. I'd have missed out on a whole Gorge season, learned a LOT less, and had to rehab my knee in a hot gym rather than on the water with my friends.

Don't swallow everything you read about a board's sail sizes.