Kiteforum.com

One thing to note, from experience:

The current manufacturer raceboards are most often more like freeride raceboards (at least both of Norths till now), as they are a bit smaller, and has smaller fins standard.

So one could say "slightly detuned" for an easier ride

But I think we will see more freeride raceboards coming - so both North and others will have these in their programme very soon, and Airush is at it already


The other thing is, that when you start on a raceboard, it feels boxy and big finned at first.
Then when you get used to it, you put bigger fins on for more performance to "try" it - and it works.

You say to yourself then: I'll just put the small fins on when I want to have "fun" out there !

But this just dont happen - as you've gotten so used to the bigger fins now, that jibing and tacking and jumping and blasting along downwind is easy and fun, even with the bigger fins
A feat that would seem impossible at first "runs" if new to this

Just some thoughts and experience from a "non-racer" using raceboards

Peter

I agree with PF that free-race and full-race boards become much easier with time - initial outing is definately testing, especially going downwind.

But, (and I am an Airush pimp) particularly the Sector 52 is really easy to ride on any angle to the wind. I have ridden the Norths and as much as they are not as unforgiving as the newer raceboards, they do take some getting used to, and I would not classify them as free-ride boards.

IMO a free-ride board must be able to turn on the rail as well, ie carve. The Sector 52 does this, the Monaro v.II and Norths do not.

The Choptops carve very well, but then they lose a little in outright lightwind ability and speed compared to a Sector.

I believe other companies will be making Sector type boards, they really do fit a niche which author of original post is looking for.

Do yourselves a favour and give the Sector 52 a try - you might even want to start racing.....

One key advantage of a Door like finless board is to ride the shallows and make the most of the ground effect to keep you going in super light stuff.
It also opens a way to ride odd places with lots of weed or sandbanks, or just the water edge on the beach when it's onshore, getting the timing right with the swell surges can keep you powered nicely. Getting it wrong can be really frustrating though...which makes getting it right really rewarding, tactical, interesting, and fun...

It really depends on the spot. In some marginal conditions, that's just THE session saver.

Hi Mark.
Been stuck with heaps of low wind days since the beginning and have tried pretty much everything we can.
I am around 200 pounds. Nothing and I mean NOTHING has come close to a REAL old school fish surfboard with a very wide tail and minimal rocker. Unfortunately there are a lot of these put out without the above design elements that just do not work in light wind. Rent a Surftech tuflight Xanadu Wave rocket in a 5'10" size strapless and give it a shot. The huge keel fins boost you straight up wind and all the volume is of great benefit in the lightest of light stuff and you can actually ride waves. The boards I saw mentioned on this thread are not light wind specific boards. That said, I can ride the above fish to well into the 20s and use it as an all around paddle in surfboard and strapless and rarely straped kite board. One of my customers Klaus is in the 265 pound club and uses a 6 foot version of the above board and is flying upwind and jumping when lighter weight guys can't even come close. When you have to struggle in the light stuff a lot and don't necessarily want to use a Flysurfer monster kite, you find what will work.
JMHO

If you watch Damien Leroy on the white board and yellow kite, the one thing this illustrates is that kite race boards are fast in light wind. Wind was reportedly 7 to 11 knots.

And here is video of a fish waveboard in light wind ( and a twintip)

A local second-hand store has a few surfboards around the 6 foot mark for less than $100, sometimes less than $50 I've been tempted to grab one and see how it goes ... worth the effort of carrying it out to the car or will they be all wrong?

yeah, just buy a cheap one and see how it goes.
For sure it is fun to play with a new toy!
Also try a skimboard!

Hey Ronnie - thanks for the videos. The first one seems pretty flat water - if there were waves and chop can you negotiate the waves and carve on them or are you just going over them?

Okay, lets cut it down a bit now:

Your question "Is there a surfboard that can match a Door in lightwind?"
(And keeping in mind you are talking some chop, and not fully clean flat water)

Yes, a raceboard can, and will also outperform the Door in performance, and planing level quite equal, but a tad better on the raceboard because of apparent wind.

A big flat fish strapless surfboard can come closer than many others, but still a longshot from the Door and Raceboard in light wind.
(a strapped smaller fast waveboard in fact just as good or better, just a bit more sensitive to extreme lulls)

Skimboards can come pretty close too, but still a shot away, as they are simply "smaller" doors and unstrapped

----------------------

Okay, thats the "lightwind" planing levels.
Regarding upwind, Raceboard miles ahead, then the Door, and then the Fish and Skimboard maybe equals each other a bit further down the upwind scale.

Regarding feel and fun and options:

Door - easy for beginners. Can do some tricks and aerial jibes as a TT. Jumps well. A bit tough to ride in chop. Can be ridden quite fast (fun).


Raceboard - easy to ride, but you need to learn to jibe. Can do runs up and downwind very easy, and get "around". Excellent for jumping. Can be harder to ride if you "push it", but soft if you dont. Not good at all for waveriding and carving "soft". Not that many "TT" tricks to do at all. Kelp can be a PITA, but can be solved with other fins. Good in chop or flat water or waves. Need a bit more water than others if big fins. Can be ridden really fast (fun).


Big Fish - easy to ride if used to strapless, and jibe relatively easy to learn. Very fun for "Soul" carving and riding waves in light wind. Not good for jumping, not even doing "ollies" as this is very hard or impossible in really low wind. Tough and not suited for heavy chop, as you will (need to) go slow, thus losing both upwind and low end. But still not as hard in chop as the Door can be though...


Skim board - fun to ride, like a skateboard in some sense. Not for jumping at all, and not good in chop. But excellent for light wind "planing" and doing tricks of all kinds.
Not that good for extreme lulls, as it has the lowest volume and the least planing surface of all 4 types.
But VERY inexpensive.


Just to sum it up....
I might have forgotten something, but hope above helps.


So there is a place for all 4 types of boards as I see it, with very different characteristics

Kindly, Peter Frank