Favorite surfboard? Best wave surfboard?

mrafalek · Post by **mrafalek** » Mon May 12, 2008 1:10 pm

Hi.
What is the general rule as far as length of the surfboards?
I would like to use it mainly riding bigger waves I know some guys use it just for a light wind days this is not my priority.
I am 5'10" and weigh about 155
Shall I buy short board closer to 4' or rather longer?
Thanks
Have a windy day.

Bulldog · Post by **Bulldog** » Mon May 12, 2008 2:04 pm

For your height and weight, a 5'5" board is probably the right size, definitely nothing smaller than 5'. The larger board gives you more float and speed on the waves; a smaller board is easier to control when going out against the waves but needs more kite power when you're on the wave.

I have no affiliation with any companies (although I'm open to the possibility

) but I ride an Amundson custom 5'5", 2006 board.

It's hard not to notice that a pretty high percentage of kiters riding waves on the south coast are riding either: 1) Amundson customs, or 2) North boards, which are shaped by John Amundson. Many of these folks are flying kites made by a local company that also makes boards...

I'm sure others on this forum have other recommendations as well.

nate · Post by **nate** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:49 pm

I've been wondering about what sort of board to get myself. I have my regular surfboard a 6'2" thruster that I've put straps on, but I'm having a hard time getting my feet in the right spots, further forward while edging upwind, and back to the tail when turning off the top, the straps don't make that easy. I wonder if I had a smaller board I might be able to kite strapped without feeling like I need to move my feet so much.

Any thoughts?

Oh yeah, and I'm thinking about a quad both for surfing and for kiting. Any fans?

Thanks for your feedback.

Sonny · Post by **Sonny** » Mon May 12, 2008 8:00 pm

remove the straps

northgrl · Post by **northgrl** » Tue May 13, 2008 7:33 am

i second Sonny.

5'6'' work for almost anyone...
if you're looking for specific boards, the f'one signature and the north fish are really nice surf boards...

adamrod · Post by **adamrod** » Tue May 13, 2008 9:03 am

I ride a 5'10"...huge waves scare me, so when it's head high or less, I find that a bigger board lets me surf without needing kite power...

oh, and a big yes on the quad. they ride faster and make going upwind easier. I gotta say though, there's a pretty big difference between normal surfboards and surfboards made for kiting. the kite specific ones are a bit more durable, and have less volume so you're not bouncing around so much on the chop.

If i were you, i'd go to the coast and borrow some folks' boards to see what you like. I ride the rawson quad, you're more than welcome to give it a try...and i'm sure a lot of other people would let you try their gear too.

zgur · Post by **zgur** » Tue May 13, 2008 9:32 am

how does the old saying goe, "opinions are like a holes, everyone has one"....here is another pt. of view...

You asked a lot of questions. Here is my take:
* Quad vs. Thruster: matter of preference. I personally LOVE how thruster feels, I think they do better on wave faces. Quads are good for small junky surf, and go upwind a bit better. I've ridden both and vote for thruster.
* Length: Don't go less then 5'5", otherwise you need too much kite power. Surfing the wave with limited kite power is bliss. I would encourage you to try the 6' boards as well.
* Straps/no straps: depends on your skills, backround and of course conditions. I have recently fallen in love with riding strappless. It feels better and more pure, and the wave hits are heaven. Getting over the white water can be challenging when the waves get bigger. Some days, you will want to be strapped in (7m and big waves for example, like yesterday ;-) so that you can get the hero wave smacks, fly through the air to the smooth water, line it up and repeat. I'm not skilled enough, yet, to do that w/out straps. A few elite athletes are......you need a lot of time on the water to get that good......the first few days of riding waves strapless prepare to do a lot of swimming (so wear more layers/gloves to stay warm)
* Brand: lot's of really good boards out there. Demo as much as you can. My favorite are Amudson shapes: I'm still to ride a board as good as the 6' pro model. Just epic. I have 2 boards: custom 6' and custom 5'9": big one w/out straps, smaller with straps. You are welcome to try them anytime. Caution makes a sweet shape as well.

Good winds + waves, Z.

nate · Post by **nate** » Fri May 16, 2008 6:31 am

Thanks for the board feedback.

I needed a new surfboard for surfing so I got a cole 6'0" quad. Rode it yesterday and was pretty fired up about it. I'll check it strapless style when the wind comes back. I may need to put straps in just because its fun to jump on the way out, and if the waves are overhead I think being strapped would be more comfortable, but I'm a little reluctant to start drilling into and glassing my new board. Any favorite d.i.y strap techniques? I've glassed in 1/4" tee nuts into my other board. I don't want to do a stick on pad, b/c I'll be using the board for paddling.

I may end up getting a kite-specific surfboard anyway, but I'll need to save a bit.

jjm · Post by **jjm** » Fri May 16, 2008 6:49 am

... edit: didn't see the comment about not wanting pads...

http://www.kitewindsurf.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=599

There are a few companies making pads with inserts.

reyrivera · Post by **reyrivera** » Fri May 16, 2008 7:41 am

So, what are the rules for riding strapless surfboards? How do you maintain pressure between your foot and the deck and not let the board slip away? I've seen L.M.G. ride his long board with a kite, and it looked really cool. I want to try that sometime this year.

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