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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:15 am
by Vin Stefanelli
so uh,... is there a Lib Tech twin tip?

that would probably sell,...

i like my TT lib tech snowboards

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:50 pm
by pjhardie
Hey guys - have been testing these boards like crazy and did a full riding review. These boards are awesome for kiteboarding because they are SO light! I bashed the rails of the board pretty hard against my spreader bar in the video review and it didn't seem to matter!
http://www.realwatersports.com/news/lib ... tesurfing/

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:47 pm
by DirkGently
They're not heavy.... The start of that interview where Mike Olson talks about making wakeboards makes me feel light-headed.

I have figured out what sort of materials they are using, and the amount of investment involved in building just the blanks is impressive.

Props to Mike Olson for keeping it clean and keeping it local. Hire your friends to do a clean job, that guy is my hero.

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:53 pm
by tautologies
nice job on the review :-) :thumb:
I hope they will come out with more shapes. The new naish skaters also have a flat / concave deck..was a little weird first time I stepped on it, but I am thinking that the lib techs are going to be similar in that once you ride it for 5 mins, the deck will be better than the standard domes...

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 1:49 am
by DirkGently
shut the f*** up about niash

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:01 am
by Ecoastprock
Image

I was lucky enough to score one of these boards off a friend of mine in CR. At first glance they look pretty awesome. The honeycomb tech and silver, shiny carbon fiber rails and concave deck are all good ideas. This board is basically indestructable, however, the glassing can be penetrated. The great thing about their honeycomb basalt tech is that it is not foam and will not suck up water when the glass is compromised.

I surfed the board a handful of times and personally i felt it to be way to heavy and not enough concave thru the center of the board. This was the VERT 5'8" model. I have since used the board for strapless kitesurfing and love it.

The concave deck, divit rails and durability are all great for kiting and because im not paddling or relying on the board for power the extra weight doesnt bother me. The only problem ive found other than the weight issue is the fin boxes.

Libtech went with some new fin system that imo sucks. Ive busted both fin boxes out and while the board doesnt suck up water it still exposes a huge hole on the bottom of the board. They can be fixed with regular epoxy resin so not a huge deal.

Overall I compare them to Coil Industries boards but slightly heavier, more durability but less surf performance and ****ty fin boxes.

I would prefer a Coil over a Libtech if you are focusing on just the surf performance.

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:53 am
by tautologies
I thought the fin boxes looked like a great idea. Being able to move fin is pretty cool. Did you hit something?

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:44 pm
by Ecoastprock
No I didn hit anything, the boxes may seem like a good idea but in reality it's just a just a hassle. They say they work with FCS fins but because of the extra space allowed to alter the fin placement, the FCS fins will slide out of position and sometimes come completely out of the box.

I have had to repair and fix both of the side fin boxes more than once after kiting. I like the boards but they need another year or 3 of testing to be functional.

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 9:52 pm
by tautologies
Ecoastprock wrote:No I didn hit anything, the boxes may seem like a good idea but in reality it's just a just a hassle. They say they work with FCS fins but because of the extra space allowed to alter the fin placement, the FCS fins will slide out of position and sometimes come completely out of the box.

I have had to repair and fix both of the side fin boxes more than once after kiting. I like the boards but they need another year or 3 of testing to be functional.
Well there most certainly is more pressure on the fins in kiting than most surfers can accumulate, but it is a pity if it does not work since being able to move fins around really can change the board performance and increase its usable range and type of style. :-)

Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 5:58 am
by toyletbowl
I scored (begged, pleaded, etc to get one for kitesurfing) a 6'0" Bowl at last fall's Surf Expo and had a fair amount of time to ride this board. If I knew what I know now, I would have gone with a little narrower and a little smaller board overall. I'm 6'2" and about 205 lbs, so I'm not a small guy at all, but the tail on the board is really powerful and rails harder to burry. I usually ride in stronger winds though so it was for a 6m - 10m mostly. The power causes me to ride a little slower than I like to keep it from getting bouncy.

What I liked. Love the deck and feel. Light weight, flex and really strong board for dings, etc. Well made. Fun ride when it's in the right winds. Goes upwind well.

What I didn't like. Came with plastic fins. No no in my book for any board. NO PLASTIC PLEASE for fins. I bought some nice replacement fins and it made a big difference on the ride. I could see a lot more turbulence from the plastic fins. Other than the fins and it being really powerful tail, it's a sweet board.

I hope this helps,

Bob
www.kiteridersllc.com