skimboard choice

[drago]

Do you not think having the fin options is good as I will be riding in small waves lots

[Da Yoda]

Do you not think having the fin options is good as I will be riding in small waves lots

Fins can be nice depending on how locked or loose you want/like to be. That's why I like the skimboards that have a thruster set-up because it gives you so many fin variations or none at all. When it's flat water, no fins or single is perfect imo, but for small waves, going with a twin or thruster set-up can be nice for more drive and stability. That's why the skimboards that have fin options are generally marketed towards wakesurfing because of the added performance for constantly riding a generated wave. Traditional ocean skimboarders would benefit from fins too if it wasn't for the fact that they generally step onto their boards while still on the beach and then exit the waves back onto the beach.
Now there are some that ride waves on skimboards just fine without fins including monsters like this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cu0VnsWNTI

[TheJoe]

Do you not think having the fin options is good as I will be riding in small waves lots

Don't know have never used a fin on my skim. I do have the option on my Phase 5 but never have I used it. The option is nice but not needed.

[Da Yoda]

I discovered that Victoria Skimboards is now offering a line of wakeskims for 2015. The boards are their classic skim shapes/constructions and a few new shapes too. They all have a single fin option, so it makes them perfect for kiting. Take the fin off or leave it on depending on preference or conditions.
Victoria has a wood skimboard starting at $200 that's spec'ed with a single fin and grip. The size Large (52.2") is perfect for kiting!
http://victoriawake.com/
Victoria is one of the inventors of modern skimboards along with Zap.

[drago]

All the wake skims I can find in the UK seem to be the same price as the kiteskim so ended up with the crazyfly skim had my 1st ride on it yesterday some nice wind so was a nice power day in small waves
I can't believe how good fun this board is amazing how quick I was able to get up and riding after about 3 or 4 times falling off was then riding ok but still had lots of fun crashes think next time I may try it with fins it fly upwind at the moment add fins it's must go soo well up wind

[ORSales]

+1 for Beach Dog Skim. Mark and Marie sell North locally here on Vancouver Island but that's nothing to hold against them! (lol) They are 2 incredibly nice people and Mark absolutely rips on the skims he makes.

http://beachdogskim.com/

[laz]

I just got this board in the mail it looks sick! Slotstik carbon pro with only one sheet of carbon so it still has some flex. The craftmanship looks top notch.

Only thing I am a little worried it might be too small/not much differant than my old zap pro, the dimensions are 53.5x20.75 when I ordered was supposed to be 54.25 and it has 1.75 rocker when was supposed to be only 1.6 in nose rocker and also has .1 in or so more in tail than advertised too. I guess they are all hand made so a little off, kind of weird though, when I order a kiteboard it is exact to specs even handmade boards, kite surfboards, etc.

Also anyone who knows board design. This boards tail outline for last foot or so is narrower than the zap pro I have. Will this make it stabler at high speed? That is one of my main drawbacks of zap pro it felt a bit bulky so I am hoping this can handle the speed a bit better and will be higher performance than the zap pro. I don't care about super light wind that much want more high performance in light-medium winds.

I could always return this and get a custom board made more for kiting, idk? I weigh 170 what you guys think? Oh I normal skimboard too which is why I want a skimboard not a kite skimboard. I have had zap pro but these new dimensions are pretty similar, I was thinking this board would be faster with less rocker but it is not to the advertised specs and the rocker is very similar to my old zap pro. This board does look sick though!

EDIT: I think I am just going to keep it. I got it on sale for really good price and it seems actually pretty differant shape than the zap when I lay right next to each other. The tail is 5/8 rather than the zap being all 3/4 and the narrower tail outline should be a significant increase in performance. The slotstik has a much larger flat spot too when I place them side by side, should make it fast. Will post review on loosethestraps after riding it for a bit hopefully this weekend if its windy!

[Snapback]

i ride a e-glass skimboard at the moment but as i like it i want to buy a custom one. i'm not sure if i should go with a carbon one or s- or e-glass. can anyone who rides a carbon one how they behave in choppier conditions? what would you recommend?

[Matteo V]

Only thing I am a little worried it might be too small/not much differant than my old zap pro, the dimensions are 53.5x20.75 when I ordered was supposed to be 54.25 and it has 1.75 rocker when was supposed to be only 1.6 in nose rocker and also has .1 in or so more in tail than advertised too. I guess they are all hand made so a little off, kind of weird though, when I order a kiteboard it is exact to specs even handmade boards, kite surfboards, etc.

Also anyone who knows board design. This boards tail outline for last foot or so is narrower than the zap pro I have. Will this make it stabler at high speed? That is one of my main drawbacks of zap pro it felt a bit bulky so I am hoping this can handle the speed a bit better and will be higher performance than the zap pro. I don't care about super light wind that much want more high performance in light-medium winds.

I have a Slotstik "Provac s-glass" XXL. Great board and the narrower tail is great for taking it out at higher speeds in higher winds. That is why I went with Slotstik when I began to focus on kiteskimboarding. But my experience is limited to about 1 solid year on it as I do not use it for kiting anymore. It was fun though. My main hangup was the limited LW capability of skims in turbulent (inland) winds and my desire to go back to strapped surfboards over strapless.

Dealing with flat (no concave) shapes is also outside of my experience other than skims. And not many kiters actually put tons of time in on skims so the knowledge base is pretty shaky. As kiters do in many situations outside of the mainstream, you may have to answer your own questions.

[Cab Driver]

I used to have a Zap skim board but some one walked off with it one day. I now have a Phase 5 wake surfer skim. Both are the same company. Any skim will work if it is big enough. You are correct they are great for building up your balance. I personally would not buy one from a kite company as they charge too much for them. Just grab one from ebay. You can check out loosethestraps.com (not sure if that is the exact site been awhile since I was on the site). They have a section for skimboards only.

Bob from Phase 5/Zap makes a sick board. I've been using his stuff for 15 years. Personally, I stay away from carbon. Too stiff in my opinion.