Compact/Stubby Wave Boards..

sav1 · Joined: 20 Sep 2008 Posts: 50

I have to call BULLSHIT on some comments in this thread. I was the guy out at ponce inlet on the 5.2 with the stubby but was on a sail a meter and a half smaller weighing 40 pounds less and couldn't plane due to sail size. The board shape had nothing to do with it.

I sail the Fanatic Stubby 88 as well as Starboard Kodes of various sizes. The Stubby excels in side onshore conditions and has greater upwind capability than the Kode in single fin setting. One of the reasons is the parallel rail setup, the other being a trifin. I have had plenty of sessions on the W. Coast of Florida with the Stubby and it is incredibly loose. I can pinch further into the wind with the same speed as those on a single fin. The downside is that with the rear foot weight bias that you need to constantly adjust your position if underpowered. It actually continues to drive more after a bottom turn due to the wider relative tail and is more controllable in the air as the weight is closer to the center.

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

just sailed this past weekend at jupiter inlet. wind was offshore and heavenly until the wind switched and nuked. water state became choppy and the wind was 28-45. the guy with the stubby was very unhappy. it pitch poled, and hard to handle. everything you don't want in real world conditions.

what works in side off and glassy, typically doesn't in lots of real world spots.

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Exactly the point of the Boards Magazine Stubby vs Trad expose' I cite so often and still base my board picks on. Eight years later it's still relevant. Stubbies have their place, but that place isn't everywhere.

wdsurf · Joined: 22 May 1999 Posts: 335

Own Quatro103@Goya quad convert at age 61 35 years sailing.NEVER Going back short is where it at!!!FOR ME!with wind range like you described it was probably operator error not the board.probably too much volume for high wind not the compact shape?

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

i have tested short and wide in flat water, surf, and bump and jump for years. can you say the same, boardsurfr?

sorry i didn't disclose a dossier of boards i have ridden and tested over the years, maybe thousands? too many bits of gear based on research done strictly in maui are shoved down our throats has been part of windsurfing's down fall. perhaps you haven't noticed that?

sorry to have tried to warn folks. carry on with not questioning the geyser of bullshit compliments of the maui culture. i guess some folks can't appreciate primary research. again, no wonder one finds so few inputs on these forums from PWA types.

sav1 · Joined: 20 Sep 2008 Posts: 50

More BS....I was the only one pulling cheese rolls and table tops in the conditions and able to hit backsides and down the line rides while being overpowered. The 88l was at the min sail size range of 4.0 and could have used a smaller board but didn't have one.

I have to call out inaccuracies about this board from people who don't sail them.Victor Fernandez used the Stubby at La Torche and Sylt this year which are side onshore conditions. Victor obviously has no good results or acumen!

jam-1 · Joined: 23 Mar 1999 Posts: 81 Location: Redwood City

Jumping into this thread a little late...
I actually think shorter/stubby shapes work very well in onshore conditions. I like the way they can accelerate and turn on a very tight radius. The fins release super easy. My 99 Frugal increased my wave count and fun factor especially in summer slop/wind swell, lighter wind conditions. When the conditions get better, I will usually trade down to a smaller board.

Smaller stubbies are super short, with your back foot basically on the tail, they are super slidy and skate-like. They are loose and pivot effortlessly.

The compact shape is a different ride, probably not for everyone, and takes a little bit to get used to.

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

i have said all along that stubby boards have their place.

my biggest concern comes from way back and has been the same ever since.

in 1986 i worked a summer job in upstate new york. sailed a couple times at lake george. it was an awful venue. there was a guy there with maui specific crap way back then! i had the appropriate kit, made it look windier than it was, he rigged his stuff and bogged.

i just don't like to see people buying stuff that is wrong for their spots, and then not sail much.

this push for ever smaller in our sport sucks us all down. who cares how twisty your stuff is if you can't make it go to begin with?