Hi
I’m quite new in kitesurf, I have a lot of experience with dinghy sailing. I’m new to kitesurf and I want to make myself a lightwind - “race” kiteboard.
I also have a lot of experience with hands-on projects but I never shaped a board or worked with fiberglass and resin. I did some small reparations on my Laser but with gelcoat.
I want to make a board for me, that can be used for lightwind and merely flat sea, for kitesurfing (no foil).
According to my research, I imagined these characteristics : a fast and easy/stable board, for lightwind. I want it to be comfortable and provide sensations.
big wetted surface to have more buoyancy and help to plane and for waterstarts.
quite long but not too long, I thought of 160cm but I’m not sure - the goal is to have a big surface, and a long almost straight rail so it can work well on straight line and go pretty fast
wide board for providing stablity, it offers early planning
for thickness I think 3-4 cm max
medium rocker to have both stability/comfort and speed
maybe a small elliptical concave ? But is it really important ? Maybe channels under the board to help guide the water and provide additional stability and grip ?
Fins to give more grip, especially for upwind
The goal is to handshape the board in a polystyrene block and then laminate the board with 2 layers of 200g/m² fiber glass, and additionnal “patch” of same fiberglass under the two layers for feet placement, the nose, the rails, and around the fins.
I will design a basic shape on Shape3D X lite software, but I don’t really now how to have the best shape according to my need… What are you recommandations.
Be honest if you think I go in a wrong direction or if I’m making any mistakes, it would be really helpful.
hello, there are kiteboard files on shape3d wharehouse it would’t hurt to load them just to see how they are designed, maybe you can tweek some to fit your project.
IMO kiteboards are quite a bit different than surfbboards (thinner, shorter, twin tip, etc). Because the kite provides lift, buoyancy isn’t as critical. Seems like planing surface would be a prime concern.
I would be inclined to use a Lindsay Lord aspect ratio (AR 0.4).
See pages 11-17 in this book:
It might be worth looking at commercially available Kiteboard shapes/designs first. Slingshot kiteboards are a brand I have seen.
Directinal or twin type ? Strapped ? When you have your shape come back to ask fir build.
Go with a 1.5 or 2 # stringered eps core, with sandwich build at least under feet.
I thought of using thrusters fins, but I don’t know which angles for toe-in and cant, also I don’t know how to place them relative to the tail. Any tips ?
so lets think surfboards.
And the following are common settings, its not written in stone.
most common concave nowadays
Single to double concave 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch deep ( you can do it in shape3dx - add slices in the transitions of the concaves to see how it will look)
if it is a surfboard shaped kite, i think vee or single concave running from tail to mid front foot or a bit behind could work.
since you don’t need to generate speed focus on concave for turning ability.
btw flat is the fastest ( think skimboard) have you seen that guy surfing puerto escondido on a skimboard?
Cant angles between 3 deegres and 6 deegrees or even 9 deegres
more angle more loose, less angle less loose.
toe in 1/4 inches or 1/8 inches
but the ideal is if you draw an imaginary line from the fins that it gives 1 finger leeway from the stringer at the tip of the nose.
side fins rear back dot at 11 or 12 inches from tail and 1 inch or 1 1/4 inch from rail.
back fin 3 inches 3 1/2 inches from tail.
consider this measures for a 6’0" surfboard and adapt from here.
I don’t know much about kite boards, but when I lived on Maui the crew kept an oversized board in their quiver for light wind days. Sailboarders did the same. Less wind more board. Not much if any “overall” rocker in the two designs that you posted.
