I'm in the plummet camp and ride the cardboard wave he has been talking about. I am also about to get a new mako king for light winds. I also use a shinn monk( now that board is a fucking modern miracle) for big boosting fuck off sessions which goes well for heel side carves in the surf. Now and then I take my actual SB out a Murray bourbon custom designed quad.

Have tried really hard to like surfboards, over the west coast of Australia 90 percent of crew ( and that's probably an underestimation) ride SBs now, when there are waves are generally in the metro area where it is shitty crap onshore slop.

So I have had a bundle of production SBs, ridden plenty. Just like the feel of a rail, don't like a board driven by fins. But if do enjoy hitting the surf strapless when it is on, which is a
Rare.

But the TT, mutant feel is not the same as a SB on a wave, but its a compromise I'm willing to make to have way more fun. Honestly sometimes I'm out there on a day with little waves watching SBs go back and forth and almost put them in the windsurfer camp, almost.

But when it is on, the SBs do shine, they have the speed to bottom turn and get much more vertical on the face to cut back. There are some fantastic riders that I love to watch after my session.

Horses for courses, I love to boost big chuck in a rotation, loop board off or two ( old school shit), then ride back in on a wave. More than that I like the feel of padding underneath me feet and a more centred stance and feel of a tight rail biting in against the kite.

I know mark shinn is working on a small high performance SB that is more rail driven, I'm looking out for that one.

Be nice though to have one board, strapless that you surf on as well. Nice and simple.

Modern mutants can be a shit load of fun, some of you should, try them again, they have come a long way!

Mark Shinn was experimenting with a board and it hasn't gone into production, but I think a few custom versions have been bought from the shaper.
It is almost entirely a directional but with a slight nod toward a mutant.
He may well be developing something else to fit in the range for the space between twintip skim and surf boards.

The Piglet is at 2.45 in this
http://vimeo.com/34406671

Curious - what can you do with a TT in waves, playing, you can not do with a waveboard ?

PF[/quo

It's not what I can do but more about which is more fun. Sure I can jump and do rolls on a directional but for ME they are more fun on a twin tip. I also prefer the flex and feel of a poly board over the sandwich construction of today's production boards so I ride a custom from a local shaper which does not hold up well to jumping. When I ride my directional it's all about surfing, the kite is just a tool to get me into the wave face. I look at the waves in an entirely different way when I'm on my twin tip. Those sessions are about free riding and I use the waves as ramps to link various jumps and rolls trying to keep them all on the same wave face.

More FUN is this..on a strapped surfboard....
....on a TT...the fun factor is not even close

Going heelside...trow a forward 540 with downloop transition landing toeside..with no twist in lines

Going toeside...trow a forward 540 with downloop transition landing heelside..with no twist in lines

Do this as bottom turn...or as a move to land on the wave face itself...instead of carving in the water

................................ ..............Peter Frank "knows" the feeling is grandiose !!

This is what I ride when I'm not on a standard strapless surfboard.

Carves a turn much better than a TT and jumps almost as well. Doesn't work well landing backwards... Only thing I miss about my TT.

http://www.stretchboards.com/boards/kit ... tional.php

Back in the day I rode Naish Mutants and the Airush Fusion for years. Had a ton of fun on them. Now I ride an Airush Sector V2 52, A Cab Skillit 5'6 strapless and a Shinn Dundee TT. IMO a mutant is like an off road/on road style motorcycle. It works on both but its a compromise. Its not as good as a Road bike or a total off road dirt bike. The mutant directional based,but also can be ridden TT style. It will do neither as well as a dedicated directional or TT. That said, if your aim is to have a one board quiver then they are a solid choice. The Shinn Piglet looks like it will do the job. I think a Sector V3 54 would be the match for any mutant style board in light to med winds.

Fun is subjective. so you can not state to someone else that what they are doing is less fun....

Again mutants have come a long way, back in the day are irrelevant comments now. Try a cardboard wave. I to rode mutants back in the day and would agree with what you have said. I would go further and say they were too much of a compromise and bordered on shit.

Agreed I like the flex factor to of a TT, mutant. I personally find SB not much fun, except when the conditions are good. Even then I tend to reach for the TT or mutant. Each to their own. Yeh the piglet does look promising for sure.

I don't understand what you're saying. Please explain.

Are you saying the strapped surfboard is more fun? or the TT is more fun? I would have said equal but different.

I am currently enjoying my strapped kite surfboard (F-One Fish, not a normal surfboard at all) and my Sector 60 V3. The TT's don't even make it out of the garage rack. They're still fun but I am currently enjoying more the things I can do with the directionals.

The things I enjoy with the directionals is:
- the speed over chop
- staying dry
- the "dance" of swapping feet, particularly on a wave
- the feel of landing air gybes to toe side
- the greater wind range of a single board
- the nimbleness of the board out of the straps
- the aesthetics of the directional board and fins

From the TT I miss, being able to boost on both tacks, ride in super shallow water, and f.ck off humunguous, overpowered boosts.

I agree fully with you OzBungy !

Except - I dont understand what you mean "being able to boost on both tacks" ?

That is the very same on a directional as on a TT as I see it / do it

Or are you talking about toeside takeoffs when boosting, which can be harder on a directional for many, yes ?

PF