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Building kitesurf boards - which type?

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slightlyimperfect
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Building kitesurf boards - which type?

Postby slightlyimperfect » Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:41 pm

Hey
So my winter project is going to be building 3 hollow surf boards this winter for myself and a kiting buddy. I'm thinking of building a smaller everyday kitesurf board for myself and him and then a larger low wind / almost sup style board.

All the boards will be used on a lake, never in the ocean. But it is 120km long and gets decent wind driven waves. The boards will be used predominantly for kiting but I'd like to try wakesurfing behind my boat when there is no wind as well.

Waves are never going to be bigger than 4-5 feet.
I am 6'2" and 165 pounds. I would like to build a shorter all purpose kitesurf board and a longer low wind board.
My friend is 6' and 185 pounds and will be building an all-round board for kiting.

Wind is generally 10-20 knots on average. Never really super powered up.
What style / length do you recommend?
Thanks for your input

slightlyimperfect
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Re: Building kitesurf boards - which type?

Postby slightlyimperfect » Sat Oct 30, 2010 1:02 am

Just found this book online and wanted to share it.
Super useful.

Surfboard Design and Construction

http://jfmillbiz.home.comcast.net/~jfmi ... n_1977.pdf

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foam-n-fibre
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Re: Building kitesurf boards - which type?

Postby foam-n-fibre » Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:02 pm

Interesting read - but I see that it was written in the mid 70's so some of that might have changed. How are you planning to do the hollow boards? I have not really looked into them before, but have always liked the idea, since some boards with super light cores and snadwich construction end up with delam issues - so why laminate to the core at all? Of course, even a light core does give some support that you need to account for with a hollow board.

Slave Lake eh? Season done up there now? Winter season getting going soon?

Peter

slightlyimperfect
Medium Poster
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2006 7:04 pm
Local Beach: Slave Lake
Gear: Ocean Rodeo Rise
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Location: Slave Lake, AB Canada
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Re: Building kitesurf boards - which type?

Postby slightlyimperfect » Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:26 pm

Yah, its an older book, but Im sure many of the principles are timeless like the theory on rails.

Im still doing research on the pros and cons of hollow verses a foam core. It seems to me like I could shape a hollow board exactly how I want it easier than a foam.
This could just be because I have not worked with foam before tho...

Slave Lake has been great this year for kiting. I kited into early October comfortably and there has probably been 20 ridable days this month, but its just too cold.
With a drysuit Im thinking its possible to kite all of November and maybe into December.


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