Early planing boards

rtz · Joined: 31 Oct 2010 Posts: 296 Location: Oklahoma City

What are the traits to look for when searching for a board that planes early? Does that also mean it planes easily?

In the kite world; a big board planes easier/better in light conditions compared to a smaller board. Real easy.

Now I'm riding a titanic sized board and I think it's got too much hull displacement going on. I thought it would plane more easily then it does.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Depends on your skill level.
Beginner shortboarder's need lots of volume, like 160 for a 160 lbs'er with a 7 meter sail.
Advanced 160'sers can plane up earlier with a 110 liter hard railed slalom board and a 7 meter sail.

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

early planing is dependent on width - more than on liters
in very light winds people use narrow boards like Serenity or longboards
these glide and slice through the water.
formula boards are still considered earliest planers, but require pumping, huge sails and huge fins at the lower wind levels - now 100 cm wide
wide boards will schlogg and push water when wind is too light
instead of going formula, people seem to be going for wide freerides
like SB UltraSonic, JP SLW, Falcon 152, Tabou Speedster 89, RRD X-Fire or Excocet RS - all about 90 cm wide
the lighter you are, the less width you require ... and less sail too
someone suggested 9 cm width per 10 kilos of weight
here's a video planing in light wind on a formula
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CbJS_ZHs6g
but so far, nothing beats this video for going in light winds
https://vimeo.com/16015030
and as you may know, foiling is the lastest for early "planing" and light winds

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

Joe is right - width is more important than volume when it comes to planing, and pumping is a must. PWA slalom has a wind minimum of 7 knots, although they probably actually need about 10 knots for the races to go through. But then you have big guys, many 200 lb+, planing on 85-90 cm wide boards and sails smaller than 10 m. That's a lot of pumping skills!
I think it's easier to learn pumping with smaller sails, and you're better off working on your technique first, before going to huge sails. But then, my biggest sail is 8.5, and I rather switch to long boarding or light wind freestyle when that does not get me going on a 71 cm slalom board (~13 knots).

PeconicPuffin · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 1830

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

gregnw44 · Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 783 Location: Seattle, Wa

Yes, I basically agree with most all the above... however I'll throw a slightly different spin on it, LOL

I'd say that early planing has to do with surface area and board weight.
A mostly flat bottom FW that is about 8' x 3' has a 24' surface area.
a mostly flat bottom raceboard is about 12' x 2' has 24' surface area.
In my experience with good recreational sailors, same weight, same fitness and skill... and same sails... both these boards will plane at about the same wind speed. Actually, I think that more than half the time the FW will plane in just slightly less wind than the raceboard... and I think this is cause it's lighter.
Anyway, this is what I've observed with lots of side by side testing... they plane in about the same wind. (Pros testing side by side, year round... with careful control of all variables... may get slightly different results. But that is not, most of us.)
Greg -

gvogelsang · Joined: 09 Nov 1988 Posts: 435

I have one of the original Formula boards by Starboard. It measures 270 x 84. It planes up pretty early with an old Neil Pryde V8 8.5 - maybe in 12 - 13, or at least it did when I weighed less than 200. Because of the length, it is super easy to tack as well.

You may be able to find one cheap, and it can be a nice marginal wind board.

cgoudie1 · Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:49 pm Post subject:

+2 for Saint Greg,

-Craig

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

One day we had pretty strong winds and I was giving a lesson.
The wind was only reaching the shore by spurts.
I was demonstrating tacks with a 3.0 (learning triangular sail not a true wave sail) on a big I don't know how many liters board with dagger board and all (Fanatic Viper or Mistral N-Trance). 200, 220,... 240L?

Well I was shocked that at the slightest gust I was planing instantly! Of course it felt completely uncontrollable, the board chose its wind angle and speed and off it went and I followed more or less hanging on for dear life with the 3.0! Haha... it was something.

I believe there was a thread about what makes a board plane early. I am not a board shaping expert but I'd say it has to do with how much flat area the board offers to the water. Now some boards can plane earlier on a wave (because the shape matches the wave curve), some others better in chop etc.

For light winds I used a Formula board because I kinda ran into it but if I had the choice I would have used a 80-85cm board instead with 8.0. Today I would just use a freestyle board with 5.9 something like that. Plane in 14-15 knots and voilà.