TYBAM wrote:big flat board are for fat kooks. get a biiger kite, 8-20kts is 14-16m wind , not 10m. At that weight you shouldnt need a 10m until at least 22knts. tell your friend to sell his 10m and get a bigger kite, he will have alot more fun in those winds.
comments like this really should be ignored. What mr. tybam doesn't realize is that big kites really do turn slower.
You go big kite/smaller board = high board maneuverability + less kite maneuverability
You go small kite/bigger board = less board maneuverability + high kite maneuverability
What's you flavor? Who cares. They're both awesome styles. I ride in waves 95% I prefer to keep the kite as small as I can and use the smallest board that will work on the day. (that normally means one of my 2 biggest) In flat water I can see it may be the big kite option. But in waves, it doesn't matter much. Sure it's not as awesome as my 136 custom or Sol but I'm on a whippy ass 9 or 7m & I can turn my 155 phantom on a dime, backroll, front roll, it foam grinds so much better than a small TT and goes over the "flats" so much easier. So whatever, try all styles and pick one you like.
I haven't rode the king george or the monster door. I've been on the Crazy fly LW (with reverse outline) and it sucked. Worst board ever. wouldn't turn had no flex or pop. Total dud. The Phantom is asymmetrical with a reverse outline heelside. As good as this board is, this feature is a negative IMO. A straight or normal outline would keep the fins off the sand in the shallows and out the back in chop would make it a bit nicer to ride. And it's a great board, so with this in mind I can't see how the Door would be a patch on the Spike.
Also I think most of windrider's technical information here is basically wrong, especially, -"The difference between ~44 cm wide freestyleboard and ~46 cm wide light wind board is marginal " & "Smaller board will give you faster acceleration and more speed that generates more pull from the kite and this compensates the couple cm's differense in width."
- I want what he's on - 150x44=6600 150x46=6900 157x44=6908 cm squared .
ie with 2cm width extra you've effectively increased your 44cm TT by 7cm in length by surface area and you have a smaller outline to throw around.
As for the "accelaration" comment, by decreasing your kite size, you lessen the pull and your large TT can be ridden normally as without excessive edging. But, we're talking marginal conditions here and in them, a LW TT will launch faster, go faster, in any winds with the same kite, everytime .