Surf board mod question

[kaptekarev]

Instead of spending $700 on a kite surf, Iím thinking about mounting some straps on a 6' M10 I have. Has anyone done this? Iím thinking about inserting a plugs I can screw into and then glassing over the area. What material plugs should I use? Does anyone know a vendor? I'm concerned about weakening the stringer, is that an issue? Also where is a good place to get foot straps and mats?

[D]

The board won't last. Hawaii kite beaches are littered with broken surfboards. They don't even bother to mount footstraps.

[KillaHz]

You can make it work but it's not that simple. LMG might be able to chime in and let you know what he would do.

I would put plugs in to screw into but I would glass over the board down the center where your feet/plugs will be. I would go with at least 12 oz glass. then drill through it to hit the plugs. You can get pads and straps from live2kite.

Another great option and the board I'm buying for surf is from Jeff Kafka. They are reasonably priced and I dare to say some of the best wave boards available.

[Scotty]

Have you tried iKitesurf classifieds for a used one?

[kaptekarev]

I have looked for used boards on the classifieds but my problem is I can barley jibe. So I need a big board, at least a 6'. I can jibe my 7'2" surfboard, strapless, most of the time. On my 6'5" (strapless) it's about 30%, and on my 4'11" old mutant it's 0%. So I don't want to buy a 5' board I can't jibe, and I don't want to spend a bunch of money on a 6'+ that I may not want after I get the jib down. I'm more then happy to get a sued board but I don't want to spend more then $400.
I have access to a 6' epoxy M10 that i can glass heavily, I just need some tech support.
Unless I'm wrong, all the straps on Live2Kite.con look like they are single direction (foot goes in from one direction only). Does anyone have a foot strap source for directional boards.

[windhorny]

1) locate area you want straps and sand the area around it to remove everything down to glass. The core is all foam probably so you need to add some strength.

2) cut 4 2-3" round discs or square if you want. 1/2" marine grade birch is great stuff for this. Get some 1/4- 20 inserts and stick them in the wood. Then place some clear tape over the top and bottoms of the holes to prevent epoxy from running into threads.

3) trace the discs location on the top of the board.

4) route out the area to the depth of the wood plus a 1/16"

5) west systems slow epoxy or equivalent.

6) lay up at least 3 layers of glass on top of the plates maybe 6" x 6" min.

7) pop throught the cured glass with a drill bit. If you are going to hotcoat it, do that before driling obviously.

[OliverG]

You can make it work but it's not that simple. LMG might be able to chime in and let you know what he would do.

I would put plugs in to screw into but I would glass over the board down the center where your feet/plugs will be. I would go with at least 12 oz glass. then drill through it to hit the plugs. You can get pads and straps from live2kite.

Another great option and the board I'm buying for surf is from Jeff Kafka. They are reasonably priced and I dare to say some of the best wave boards available.

I haven't tried one, but Gabe might on to something. Kafka had a few of his recently completed surf style boards at Pismo and they looked very nice. Very functional, well made and had a very nice finished look to them. I have no idea what they cost, though.

[zgur]

Basically what you are saying, or what I am hearing, is that you don't know how to jibe. Doing this on a small mutant requires quite a bit of experience - you have to be quick and percise.

I ride a 5'5" directional. To learn how to jibe, I took the board out in flat water - Alameda/Berk/Delta - and worked on jibing...short tacks, no jumping, just jibing. Once you get a few basics down, it's quite easy. I still had my UG Firebird at the time, and after I learned how to jibe my Amundson board, I tried the UG. It was so thin and flat that I sank it each time. I had to change my technique to jibe with much more speed (like in windsurfing). I liked how the amundson board worked in the waves much better, and sold the firebird.

Instead of changing boards to fit your progressing skills I recommend getting a good used board in the mid 5' size, and learn how to jibe. You need to build muscle memory around how to jibe. Once you are ready, let me know, I'll share what worked for me.

Oh yes, I also have a custom 5'5" amundson board, its glass (not epoxy), pintail shape. I am not looking to sell it - it's my backup - but open to helping out. Ping me at zeevgur123@yahoo.com if you are interested.

But if you love to tinker with boards and have the time to spare, making your own is also fun and I'm sure rewarding.....

No matter which route you go, have fun.

Get some, Z.

[sflinux]

Have you tried riding your surfboard without straps? I have a 3 strap directional and rode that for years. Recently I took my 7'6" surfboard for a spin and had a blast. I was surprised at how easy it was to ride strapless. Definately give it a try before you spend a lot of time and work in putting straps on a board.
The only difference between strapped and strapless for me is jumping. You have to be more creative when trying to jump strapless. Same as trying to jump on a skimboard. When riding strapless, ride with your knees bent like shock absorbers.
good times.

[liv2kitesurf]

... Instead of changing boards to fit your progressing skills I recommend getting a good used board in the mid 5' size, and learn how to jibe. You need to build muscle memory around how to jibe. ....

I agree with Zgur' statement and had already decided to approach learning to jibe a directional in the way he recommended (since this worked so well for me in longboard surfing**). For longboard footwork (cross-stepping forward and back, spinners and noseriding), I choreographed, learned, practiced and trained my muscle memory using bus-stop benches while I waited for the bus, using the concrete 'wheel stops' in parking lots, etc etc**. I actually spent a considerable amount of time when I was not surfing visualizing, choreographing, practicing and training my muscles for surfing. I hope now (despite being >> 25y older) that I will still be able to train my muscles, this time for jibing, as successfully as back then (even if maybe not as quickly ?). You know when they say "you never forget how to ride a bike", well they are talking about muscle memory.

**In a former sporting life, I was an accomplished and decorated longboard surfer (I have been a finalist or won numerous longboard and noseriding contests) and my claim-to-fame was state-of-the-art longboard style, footwork and trim as exemplified by Joel Tudor, Wingnut, Mickey Dora, Joey Cabell etc. I started longboard surfing back in 1975 (near the peak of the 'new' shortboard revolution) in North San Diego County (a hotbed of longboard holdouts) and I learned to ride a longboard by reverence, worship, emulation, passion, dedication and hard and focussed training. **

Having said that (despite >30y surfing, living less than 2 blocks from the beach in HMB and a garage full of surfboards), I sure love kiting in the waves on my twin-tip. And, if Zgur and others are right, that kiting in the waves on a directional is 'even better', then I sure hope I can pick it up fairly quickly... and that training my muscle memory will help.