How hard is riding a race board on your knees?

I've got bad knees with loose cartilage and easily dislocatable kneecaps (but no ligament damage). I'm able to kite just fine and just have to watch my landings. I have cut out a lot of TT riding and ride a surfboard most of the time now without issues as long as I'm careful. Boots are right out. The twisting torquing pressure is far too much for my knees.

I've had a few runs on different race boards from the old 2 fin '08/09 era, to custom 3 and 4 fin monsters and recently played on an Airush Sector. The Sector was by far the easiest to ride and the most like a surfboard, but I'm interested in getting something a little more race-like.

Are there styles, shapes, techniques that are easier or harder on your knees? I found the custom raceboards to wear my knees down due to the strange angles when riding at speed. Not to mention the learning curve of getting kicked over the front! Is this just the learning curve or is there always a lot of pressure on your knees?

Thanks!

I don't think you have to worry so much, just ride it at your own convenience. I mean it get tiresome if you do long stretches of fast riding, but you can just get up and ride easier a little.
Good training though.

It is worse on the ankles, but I think you can make small pads to add under your toes......

spent the weekend on a 2010 North Race LTD and a custom race board. Great fun. North board was WAY easier to ride than the custom beast and that was my first time on the North and my third on the custom. Great workout for my legs as it's all new muscles. My ankles did get a tad sore and knees felt mostly fine.

With my personal issues, I'd be nervous with a big wide board in chop since my front leg needs to be so straight. Straight is bad when you have loose kneecaps. Otherwise, racing is a sweet new challenge and I need to find the right board.

You can do a lot by just having a few different fin sets. The fins really make the boards very different.

I know North board and Amundson boards I have tried has smaller fins. It does make it easier to ride (somewhat), but you'll lose a lot of low end and upwind angle / drive.

I like the naish venturi board a lot. I think the thruster set feels a little smoother..that said, between rumors on the beach and protos laying around every now and then it seems next season will have a ton of new stuff. It is so much fun to ride around on. Especially when you have a whole bay to yourself, and everyone else is just sitting on the beach