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Why directional

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Flight Time
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Re: Why directional

Postby Flight Time » Thu Nov 29, 2012 12:34 am

Yeah, I'll take a TT. I don't like the sound of chop on a SB, and I don't like the whole idea of planning my direction around the inevitable need to tack or otherwise change the direction of the board. I like being able to make it up as I go along. For example, if I boost off a wave and it looks like I'm going to land and get mauled by another giant wave, I just transition, and come down with speed in the other direction on an escape path away from the monster. Ride the wave and toy with it, and change directions instantly without fancy footwork needed.

Being able to get up and go on the board at lower wind might be cool for a while, but in the end, I don't think I like low wind kiting, even with dedicated kite. I like to boost, and no kite will boost in light wind the way a smaller kite can in higher wind.

It would be cool if they made some kind of mutant that was as good as a TT in the flats and jumping, and as good as a directional in waves, but I don't think such a beast is possible. What would be nice is a short TT board, with some thickness and float, that could slice through chop without the slapping noise, and play in waves like a directional. Many companies have tried, and apparently failed at this.

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Re: Why directional

Postby OzBungy » Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:03 am

My all time favourite move is the high speed, high powered, lay down, toeside carve. You can do it on a TT but it feels so much better on a directional.

My next most favourite move is the same transition but with a foot swap on the exit. It feels so good to get that perfect timing and the dynamic of it. The acceleration on the exit is amazing.

I ride strapped but if the wind is not strong then my feet are usually out of the straps.

The other thing I like about directionals the greatly reduced spray. I can ride around in winter and stay mostly dry and that's a good thing.

The other thing is, when you've been kiting for over 10 years doing jumps and tricks can get a bit dull. Ride. Boost. Twirl. Grind upwind to make up the ground you've lost. Repeat. Wear a groove in the same bit of water.

After a half hour of jumping and twiddling I get bored and head off up the coast. I get a huge amount of satisfaction carving fast upwind and playing with ramps on the way. When I turn around I have access to an exclusive playground with several kms of uncrowded coast littered with reefs and sand bars and waves. It is far easier to do that on a directional that is optimised for upwind riding.

The only thing I miss about the TT is that I cannot boost from toeside and I am less comfortable boosting the surfboard from the starboard tack. On a TT my signature move is a huge, gliding air gybe from starboard. To compensate I have developed a great toeside pop and glide, and I have worked up a pretty creditable port side directional air gybe landing to toeside.

One thing I am a little sceptical of is kite surfing. I tend to use the waves as ramps and berms for powered turns. I think I have only succeeded in truly surfing a quality wave with a kite a handful of times. It's usually too hard to slow down enough to keep on the wave.

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Brent4336
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Re: Why directional

Postby Brent4336 » Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:34 am

In flats a surfboard can get pretty boring. I use a surfboard for my light wind set up wherever I happen to be and can always groove on practicing tacks, lill strappless ollie airs, unhooking and powered carves. The light air and upwind performance kicks all over a TT but only until a decent 14 knots. Then the TT is the way to go for non wave spots. I get much more fun out of powered up boosts, flips, carves, and just general ripping around in boots on flat water than powered up surfboard riding when there is no wave. Incidentally, the super powered toe side transition generates a feeling of pure stoke when locked into boots on a nicely rockered board in butter flat water. Ranks up there for anyone who has ever done it.

In cold weather it doesn't matter where I ride, its on a surfboard. Its easier upwind, I don't mind the booties, and the potential self rescue is a whole lot faster/safer. I also tend to push the hard crash potential harder in boots, and prefer to do that when its warm.
Last edited by Brent4336 on Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Why directional

Postby SupaEZ » Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:27 am

[quote="polarstorm"]
I'm of the thinking that a surfboard on the butter flats might not be as good as a twintip, that a surfboard is for the surf.. [quote]

Great thinking actually :thumb:
A surfboard in butter flat waters on a windy day.....
...looks just as stupid as a TT in waves on a windy day

Nothing can ride like a surfboard shaped directional in ocean...no mutation even possible to match it

Do they use mutated windsurf boards or bidirectional windsurfs boards?
Is jibing too acrobatic of a move? :wink:
................................. :surf: :surf: :surf: :sun: :sun: :surf: :surf: :surf: ........................................................

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Re: Why directional

Postby plummet » Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:35 am

rightguard wrote: Plummet what kind of Mutant do you ride?

My own build!. Which is also part of the fun for me!. shredding on something i've built myself.

download/file.php?id=48935&mode=view
download/file.php?id=48936&mode=view

In my research to make a mutant the carboards wave stood out as perhaps the best mutant commercially available today.

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Re: Why directional

Postby sarc » Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:48 am

How about this
on a surfboard have you ever tried to go out with a 3m smaller kite than anyone else, being able to stay upwind and when you are on the wave face the kite pull is so puny it's like it's not even there? If not you have been missing a lot all these years - go out and buy a small kite and a biggish surfboard TODAY!!!!!

You can't even get close to that feeling on a TT

But who says you can't surf waves on a TT? If your position on wave face is good you can go down the line with no kite pull no problem. You can wiggle your butt and do snowboard-like turns on the face, it's great fun. You can bottom turn too, but you need to turn with kite power otherwise you won't be able to keep speed up to back up the face. But snowboarding on wave face is great fun, plus you can switch from front to backside on the same wave! Super fun. If you don't have a biggish kite and biggish freeride TT go out and buy them TODAY!!!!!

North Whip + 5m Rebel = Heaven
Shinn Dundee + 8m Rebel = Bliss

Truth is, you can't lose!!!

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Re: Why directional

Postby OzBungy » Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:02 am

It's worth pointing out that all surfboards are not the same. Width and rocker matter hugely. Anything narrower than 18-19" will take a fair amount of wind to get going. Add too much rocker and you will be slogging along going downwind.

My favourite board of all time is the F-One Fish 5'4". It rockets upwind and is great in light or strong winds. It is dead flat. It's not such a great surfboard but great all round and pretty good fun in the waves.

My other favourite board is the Sector 60. Great fun in flatter water and tiny waves. Hugely good fun blasting down the line in clean small surf.

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Re: Why directional

Postby rightguard » Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:13 am

Flight Time... I guess that is how I feel about TT's just cruzing around having fun on the way out jumping, and having fun transitions to a wave or from a wave. Most of the time you see people struggling to get out threw the waves on toeside waiting to turn around and have fun.

I did watch a guy the other day that was amazing at strapless SB's. He was pulling cool airs over the waves and then did the nicest toe turn off the lip of a wave. Half way threw the turn he jibed and came down the wave. I guess if your good enough SB's can have just as much freedom as TT's but I can't imagine the hours it takes to get there.


Plummet... that is a really cool board, I guess I have seen picks of it around. Have you ridden a Mako? I wonder what advantages that shape has over the Mako. I bought an old Naish mutant today off Craigslist. Should be a hoot to play around with.

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Re: Why directional

Postby BWD » Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:33 am

super powered toe side transition generates a feeling of pure stoke
on a TT
skimboard
surfboard
+/- straps or boots,
downloop hard and lean back, throw big rainbow arcs,
smile :thumb:

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Re: Why directional

Postby Brent4336 » Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:35 am

rightguard wrote:
I did watch a guy the other day that was amazing at strapless SB's. He was pulling cool airs over the waves and then did the nicest toe turn off the lip of a wave. Half way threw the turn he jibed and came down the wave. I guess if your good enough SB's can have just as much freedom as TT's but I can't imagine the hours it takes to get there.
Plenty of hours, but they are not exactly "work" !


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