Caution surfboard durability

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drroc
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Re: Caution surfboard durability

Post by drroc » Wed Jun 26, 2013 1:09 pm

zgur wrote:Agree with all the observations above, especially the exposed reef/rocks @ waddell....

I would get my board professionally repaired...in my opinion, these guys do the best work in town http://www.besanding.com/

All boards get dinged over time....your skill level, size of surf and the bottom of where you ride all impact the damage to your board.

Fix it, ride the shit out of it....break it, repeat.

This is why I believe you MUST have 2-boards, so that when you primary breaks, you have a way to kite.

Get sum, Z
Actually it is with Bryan (besanding) already. I do have a backup board that became a lot more fun after I changed the fins on it. It is not as agile as the caution, but it has the durability of a tank.

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Re: Caution surfboard durability

Post by joemount2004 » Thu Jun 27, 2013 11:00 am

Just curious, what fin setup did you switch to?

drroc
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Re: Caution surfboard durability

Post by drroc » Thu Jun 27, 2013 11:37 am

joemount2004 wrote:Just curious, what fin setup did you switch to?
My backup board is the Litewave quad. Late last year I smashed up my large fins on a rock in Alameda when coming to shore. The front fins are like 11 cm and the back ones are 9cm I believe. I called litewave to see if I can get a replacement front fins. Dave said that these fins are not made anymore, but I could get a set of carbon fins that would fit. The new carbon fins were shorter (10cm) and didn't have such a pronounced tail as the original ones. I then noticed that going up wind when I had the straps was a total pain in the ass.

Since the caution was being repaired, I smoothed out the gash in the original fiberglass fins with a file and put the large fins on the front. I then put the carbon fins in the back, so that I basically gained 1 cm on every fin corner. I also took off the straps as I was having difficulty finding that sweet spot with my foot. After that, the board had a much more improved upwind performance, yet it still could slide quite a bit. I am now thinking of a firewire board with a quad setup down the road, when the caution bites the dust.

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Re: Caution surfboard durability

Post by Aloha » Thu Jun 27, 2013 12:00 pm

PU boards can be pretty high maintenance for kiting - good luck!

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Re: Caution surfboard durability

Post by zgur » Thu Jun 27, 2013 12:07 pm

Firewire make a super good turning board, but they are not known for durability. I have had one for 2-years now - my back up board - and have been amazed at how fragile they are....my nose cracked when my son barely put the seat back in my SUV and it just nudged the board....I saw it happen and could not believe it.

In my never to be humble opinion, if you want a durable board with insane performance, get an Amundson Custom.

http://www.amundsoncustoms.com/

John is a long time board builder and has experimented with a lot of materials. The shapes of his boards, the durability and most important - performance - make his boards the best around. The feel of an Amundson is like no other board.

I had one of his boards last me 5-years....and let me tell you, as you don't know me, I'm a big guy (over 200 lbs) who rides in big conditions (both wind and surf)...to have a board last me over 3-years is am anazing testament to the quality of John's work.

Get sum, Z

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