North Board Robo 140

[Toby]

On the beach
Brand: North
Model: Robo
Length announced: 140 cm
Width announced: 41 cm
Volume announced: NC
Weight announced (equipped board): 2.5 kg (weight of an equipped prototype board measured on a different scale: 3.4 kg)
Technology used/Composition: Epoxy Flex Technology/Herex PVC Core/Biax Glass- fibre/Carbon Kevlar Beam.

Scoop rocker line: A plain concave along the entire length of the board.
Rails: The rails are round and thin, slightly tucked in.

Equipment: 2 grooved footpads with high heels, 2 thick multi-position footstraps, non-adjustable, but really very comfortable, leash plug on the far left hand side, 6 fins: 4 x 5,5 cm at the ends and 2 x 3,5 cm on the rail at the rear, provision for a central handle.
Design/Finish: Well finished with an attractive design. Everybody thought that the fins looked a bit cheap, even though their effectiveness is not questioned.

Specifications: A light wind board, which is easy to use with impressive upwind abilities. New trend: Short and wide. Permits navigation with kites ranging from 12 to 20.0, upwind sailing being facilitated by big kite surfaces.



On the water
Ease of use/Of getting used to: Absolutely no problem whatsoever to get used to it!! No one had a problem navigating with this board right from the word go! The Robo poses no problem from the outset. Its buoyancy, good directional properties and edging capacities will be appreciated in light to medium wind conditions. One needs to get used to this width when first changing direction: keep the board flatter than a narrower board and it works perfectly!

Launch/Early planing: A good take off to planing for the Robo in either light or sustained wind conditions.

Planing: It planes well depending on the water surface conditions, if too choppy for example, it can give the impression of pulling water a bit, or sticking slightly when preparing for jumps. Don’t forget that this board is made for light wind, hence its width, which can explain this impression on choppy water.

Carving/Grip: The Robo amazes with its good upwind abilities in light or even strong wind. It carves well even in gusty conditions, which is surprising considering its width. In light wind conditions, it steers flat and maintains direction, in sustained wind, it steers more on the rails and carves! In stronger wind the Robo is a bit technical to control for the lightweights. It is also more technical for riding fakie in medium to strong wind.

Manoeuvrability: The Robo is short and light, easy to handle and truly agreeable in light wind. It calls for level positioning and pressure on the back to pivot. The little backside surfs are subsequently very easy and gentle. Applying too much pressure may cause the Robo to tilt and may result in spinouts. Moderate handling is required for a board designed for moderate conditions!



Summary
General impressions…
A surprising and convincing concept! A short, wide board for moderate conditions is the current trend, a tendency also followed by many professional riders. This TT is uncomplicated and agreeable; while easy to use it is a super performance board. This board takes a different approach to the typical board size for moderate conditions; it makes navigating much more fun and improves performance.

The good points: Direction, user-friendliness, performance.
Flysurf.com’s advice: Tested and approved!!!

Who should use it? We’re inclined to say: â€

[Guest]

I have a North Robo. It´s a nice lightwind board but the construction is very poor. The fins are not good and the paint have some problems.