I ll have to try and post picture later. For some reason they don t show
Some rider’s I know say the wider boards are not the best for kiteboarding because the board tends to outrun the wind when turned downwind, and of course, the kite stalls.
Most guys around here seem to think 16.5 is just fine for slow small waves.
But if you don’t stall your kite, 18.5 gives more drive and rebound to your turns, adding a new, different dimension to wave riding with a kite. Flex boards always seem to drive farther with more speed out of hard turns, which might be a problem when riding DTL width side/offshore winds.
Some rider’s I know say the wider boards are not the best for kiteboarding because the board tends to outrun the wind when turned downwind, and of course, the kite stalls.
Most guys around here seem to think 16.5 is just fine for slow small waves.
But if you don’t stall your kite, 18.5 gives more drive and rebound to your turns, adding a new, different dimension to wave riding with a kite. Flex boards always seem to drive farther with more speed out of hard turns, which might be a problem when riding DTL width side/offshore winds.
Whoopiedoo! We’ve got vision -could’nt get them bigger
LeeD, So far the main issue is volume. This shape does not challange you to park the kite and surf. You need to maintain some lift in the kite. The flex on this thing is really good even with top and bottom bamboo. With eps this would be impossible. key factor is thickness. I’m thinking flatter, wider and shorter could help. Also as you can see on the photo the rails are quite thin and on the next one I like to carry the thickness a bit more towards the center.
Hey mook
I am in CT. I ride a 19.5, I live in blouberg build boards etc. Will pm up my number. Kamers is mi local.
Keep well
Grant
If you come from a surfing back ground I find bigger boards are prefered as the guys tend to use the wave more than the kite. (park the kite at 45 degs and surf the wave, get hold of Ben Wilson's "Unknown road"), Me, I surf as well and my kite skills are CR@PPY so I surf the wave once I'm on it. But I do tend to prefere spots where the wind is cross shore to the wave, ie Kamers and Sunset beach (CT,SA). For places where the wind is cross onshore I tend to have the problem of kite falling from the sky and I have to work the kite a lot more this adds an additional problem of too much power on a wide board which is a challenge. Straight onshore s also no problem with a bigger board. I find strap positioning also makes a big differnce mine are placed for wave riding and less cruising out back, it is a bumpy ride outback but once on the wave it's like the kite is not even there.
The genral trend for a lot of Surfer/Kiters is towards the wider board, me I ride one of my older surfboards with straps on. It is 5'10 X 19.25" X 2". My brother has a North Kontact 5'10 and is also moving towards a surfboard for his kite wave boards.
Hope this all helps