Here you can exchange your experience and datas about your home build boards
-
jt737
- Rare Poster
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:50 pm
- Local Beach: Bulcock Beach
Maroocydore
- Gear: RPM
- Brand Affiliation: None
- Location: Sunshine Coast Australia
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
0
Postby jt737 » Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:25 am
Very few race boards here in Australia to even look at, let alone buy without ordering in. So was wondering about converting an early epoxy windsurfer into a kite race board? It would require cutting, filling in and perhaps flattening the underside.
Would this be a complete waste of time or better off starting with a large surfboard foam blank and chopping it down.
Any ideas please?
-
zfennell
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 975
- Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2002 1:00 am
- Brand Affiliation: None
- Location: rhode island
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
0
Postby zfennell » Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:18 pm
I think the short answer is no.
Now that folks have taken to racing with very specific objectives (go fast) its interesting to see many design features found in windsurfers (and boats and planes and cars) applied to kites.
yet, i'm at a loss to think of a single windsurfer component or dimension that is not significantly different when used for kiting.
i.e. length, width, volume, thickness, fin size, fin placement .
maybe the rocker and footstraps ?
i think as a first go, you would make more progress converting a sheet of plywood into a race board. but thats just me.
in the end, i bet you could make anything work.
good, fast, cheap...pick any two.
regards,
-bill
-
gbleck
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:39 am
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
0
Postby gbleck » Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:27 am
Foot straps and I think that OR uses a full tuttle box for fins.
-
BWD
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 3848
- Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 3:37 am
-
Has thanked:
2 times
-
Been thanked:
81 times
Postby BWD » Thu Aug 06, 2009 5:02 am
It would not be worth the effort, probably.
It would be unlikely to get a result that was efficient and comparable to a "real" one.
Basically you would be getting a blank with the deck and part of the bottom already laminated, everything else would need changes/reshaping/repair, all of which would add weight.
It would be much easier to start form scratch with a good blank.
A kite race board has more in common with a surfboard than with a windsurfer.
-
CosmoDog
- Frequent Poster
- Posts: 215
- Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2002 1:00 am
- Brand Affiliation: None
- Location: Cali
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
0
-
Contact:
Postby CosmoDog » Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:32 am
Yep, a friend did it and placed middle of the pack in the Cabrinha Race Series in SF.
He cut down an old JP board to about 6' (that should take out the nasty tail rocker).
-
FabsPH
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 693
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:57 pm
- Local Beach: Oahu, S shore
- Favorite Beaches: Oahu S shore, Mokuleia,
- Style: Free style wave
- Gear: Eclipse, Underground
- Brand Affiliation: Eclipse, Underground
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
0
-
Contact:
Postby FabsPH » Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:40 am
probably easier to convert a door (actual house door) then a windsurfer
-
zob
- Frequent Poster
- Posts: 476
- Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:43 pm
- Local Beach: Grado Pineta (IT), Fossalon (IT)
- Style: Freeride, strapless hooked-in
- Gear: FS S3 19m2 DLX, S3 CE 12m2 DLX & S4 8m2 DLX
Homemade Surf & Snow Boards
MBS Pro90
- Location: Iv.G.-Slovenia
-
Has thanked:
21 times
-
Been thanked:
3 times
-
Contact:
Postby zob » Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:55 am
probably easier to convert a door (actual house door) then a windsurfer
I can't understand anyone who tries to convert one board to another. You invest money, work and in the end you stil end up with only one board.
One thing is keeping the concept and doing some changes, the other is converting it to a totaly diferent board.
You will get better results and with much less effort building it from scratch!
-
james
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 701
- Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 2:18 pm
- Gear: My own
- Brand Affiliation: My own
-
Has thanked:
32 times
-
Been thanked:
43 times
Postby james » Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:49 pm
you guys have no imagination.
just finished my race board, had an old slalom board checked the rocker of my old kite race board referenced where that sat on the w/s board and cut appropriately. so that i had more rocker flat than the smaller board
i wanted far more thickness and volume so kept the thickness the same as when it was a w/s board, four new fin boxes, new strap inserts, re shape the rails at the front for what i wanted to try out, seal teh front and back and hey presto., about 180 long 50 wide with a tail of 48, goes in f*** all wind and can be ridden flat rather than on the rail, less drag and points very high , yep it was a bit of work but far more satisfying than just buying one, you learn a shit load while you are doing it, pics will be along later if an when i ever get round to painting it as currently it is the most ghetto nasty looking board ever, but it is mine and i love it!
-
frankm1960
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 1229
- Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:48 pm
- Local Beach: -Bayshore, at the end sea st. on saint John's west side, bay of fundy.
-Saints rest beach, at the end of sandy point road, irving nature park, saint john, west side.
- Gear: Kites: 12m LF Mig, 9m LF Mig, 5m SS Fuel
Boards: LF proof 151cm, Real Wind 144cm, home made light wind board 160 x 50
- Brand Affiliation: None
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
0
Postby frankm1960 » Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:46 am
Why not try the windsurfer as is before hacking it to bits?
Use a small kite maybe.
-
ptraykovski
- Very Frequent Poster
- Posts: 523
- Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2001 1:00 am
-
Has thanked:
0
-
Been thanked:
6 times
Postby ptraykovski » Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:30 am
not true!..if you cut the windsurfer in half, which is kinda of what kite race board look like you end up with two kite race boards! one with a flat entry for smooth conditions, and the other with a more lifted nose for chop. both will have nice flat tail rockers
Return to “Gear Builders”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 118 guests