I really like the idea of Mutants. I know it's a personal thing but I really like the way Twin tips can take advantage of many different styles of riding but still lack wave performance.

I keep looking at the Firewire Vanguard and wonder how that design could really help a Mutant style kiteboard. http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/surfb ... d=vanguard

Seems like the way the nose is shaped... which they claim to benefit in riding backwards and peariling, would be great on both ends of a mutant. Maybe add a little fin to the edges.

So not much to say about it, just wondering if anyone else is on the same train? How do you go about designing a new board without spending tons of money?

Yeah. It looks good!

I'm currently thinking up my 2nd mutant design as we speak.

How do you design without spending heaps of money?
research, research, research,
look at the current designs that work well. take ideas from each design and incorporate them into your design.

I took inspiration from a decay cutlass, cardboards wave, bro kite concave and incoporated them into my design. I then tweaked dimensions etc to my particular desire and the next thing to do is make it and see.

My first board was brilliant. it worked alot better than i anticipated. but I made it a little heavy. and too flexi in the center section. So i need to lighten the design stiffen the center and make the tips more flexi. plus i'm getting more vertical on the wave face now and can nose dive if i don't look out. So i'll be building a micro surf tip at the front to reduce nosediving on steep walls.

Plummet I'm very interested in seeing your next board. The more boards I ride the more I like my Mako. I still think there is room for improvement at the wave riding part. I like the micro surf tip idea... Still wonder if it could be like the FireWire and just be hydronamic, or however you would say that. Would also like to see if more volume and surf rails could help that type of design.

Do you have any real ideas for the micro surf tip? How do you have an upward tip for the front but still have water contact when it's the back?

Not sure how to say what I mean hope you understand.

I'll keep the board the same dimensions as it is now and then take the micro tip up another 8cm from there. My theory goes that it shouldn't be any worse than the current design right now.

Have you seen these boards? http://www.alkita.fr/?page_id=250

That little step behind the fins seems kind of like what your thinking of.

I'd like to try one of those...

Its usually called a flip tip and the sharp edge is called a release edge. Usually it is built into the shape as one mould or shape, but RRD bolted a flip tip onto each end of the Venom using the fin mounting holes.

I wonder how necessary the release edge is ?

http://www.dcboardz.com/kite.html
Scroll down to "flip tips & steps".

Lots of other board design info in there too.

So the release edge shortens the back of the board, sort of like getting rid of the flip tip when it's at the back. Not necessary for normal twin tip riding but still maybe useable for wave riding.

I wonder if you could get rid of the step in just the center, so the step would only be next to the fin? Maybe point the flip tip some more.

What kind of foam do you use to shape a board like this?

It does make the board feel like it is only the length to the release edge when its at the back of the board, so there is less rear foot pressure than the overall length of the board would suggest. The Airush Hammer 144 by 42 for instance has 139cm between the release edges and the very curved rails mean that the board feels more like a 139 by 40 twintip.

The release edge's big advantage is that it glides much more cleanly over the water so there is less drag and the board planes earlier and goes faster. The sharp release edge seperates the water from the board much better, hence the greater efficiency.