heinzbush wrote:I dont fully get why people ride the Shinn Boards so small... I understand its not about length, but about the surface area for which the width is more important...
efficiency and surface area for sure..
heinzbush wrote:As an example - I ride my 165*44 Mako King well overpowered without any issues - I chose the King for its feel and how it behaves in the waves... Following the "logic" of Shinn riders, I should weigh 200kg to ride this board....
But even my girlfriend with her 68kg loves the King!!
It's a completely different technology of board though - Mako is more like a surfboard.. It has a lot more drag and it's easy to stop the size from overpowering you. If it were more efficient this size would get out of control very quickly.
heinzbush wrote:I also want to order a Monk Forever and I weigh 95kg - I would have chosen the 136*44 without hesitation,
That is the right size for you... except for exceptional circumstances.
heinzbush wrote:but now I got all "confused" by the size/weight I read on the web...
So going "smaller" would mean to take the 134*42... but the Monk should replace my Best Armada which is 138*42... why would I go smaller? If I would have asked for the proper size on the Armada, there would have been no doubt its the 138*42...
It can be argued that the 134x42
could work for you but at 95kg you'd have to be a very slippery rider - make no mistakes, be light on your feet and have impeccable power delivery, keeping the kite singing and keeping your board speed up. I'd still say that 136x44 is right for 90kg+. Not sure on the Armada, it may well be stiff, flat and wide in the tips allowing you to ride such a small size. The monk has a medium rocker but quite narrow, small tips, so as shinn boards go, it's one of the smallest in feel for it's width/length.
heinzbush wrote:Here is a theory - it might be cool to have a smaller board since it looks more like a pro... maybe even take the handle off to save weight...
Nope - weight is largely irrelevant. The difference in board size is down to feel, practicality and how you ride. Smaller boards feel livelier and have more control at speed, but in extreme cases lack pop, upwind ability and if your speed drops so will the ability to get going again - they don't pick up and go anywhere near as easily. They also have smaller sweet spots (less range). What you gain in the smaller board is a much more nervous and lively feel, and top end control, but it's at a cost.
Too big a board will be fine until you get really powered, then you ankles/shins will get tired trying keep the rail sunk into the water to maintain full bite - and usually you'll loose this battle long before the board loses control, but for your weight they would have to make a 140x48 Monk for you to claim that the board could potentially be too big for you.
In my mind you want the biggest board you can get away with that does not in any conditions ever tired your shins ankles in trying to keep the rail buried.
The other thing I would say about boards vs sizes in general is that efficiency plays a big role. Shinn boards are naturally very efficient, and they build speed and apparent wind easily. Compared to some boards (mako included) they have a high cruising speed, so you can get away with a smallish board.
In the Shinn range the Monk is the king of absorbing power, it'll just soak it up, raising speed without losing control... One of the reasons why is so much fun to ride powered, it's just goads you into pushing your luck a little bit further..
Lastly - at 95kg you'll find that the more recent 'forever' versions will be the ones to go for. The 42 and 44 wide Monks had the biggest upgrades when the forever was introduced. By comparison they have a lot more drive, and are FAR superior in sweet spot and range for 85kg + in the new version.
hope that helps..