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Need help with Mako King

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dracop
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Need help with Mako King

Postby dracop » Thu Jul 17, 2014 2:21 pm

Hey guys,

So I bought a Mako King for my kitesurfing sabbatical to Cabarete. Now that I am down here loving the afternoon thermals, I am struggling to figure out how to use the King in mutant mode.

I did a large 85mm fin in the front, an 85mm in the center back, and two 55mm on the sides. I feel I may be over finned as the board sticks to a track like a train.

I also do not understand how to properly upwind like this. I keep trying to go to an edge like a twin tip. Right now I just ride it backwards out to sea then transition to the correct directional angle.

Anyone familiar with it, I would love your advice. Clearly you cannot ride it like a twin tip but Im not actually sure how you are supposed to ride it in this mode. I have long swells with short to moderate surf and lots of wind to play with. I have not tried it in TT mode yet, been alternating learning the King with having fun on my regular twin tip. Ironically, I am enjoying edging on the face of the waves just before they break so I am convinced the King should be a good fit here.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby davesails7 » Thu Jul 17, 2014 2:34 pm

Yeah I think your front fin is too big. I used the 55mm there. You want that fin out of the water when it is the front of the board.

You do have the straps in the mutant position, not the centered twinwip position right? Otherwise you wont be able to turn around those large fins in the back.

As far as how to ride a directional differently, try keeping the board flatter instead of edging so hard. Ride the fins instead of the board. Less weight on your heels and "pull" with your front foot, push across the board with your rear foot to get the board to go upwind. (Not sure if thats a good description, hard to explain)

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby rightguard » Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:48 pm

I've been riding my King strapless lately and loving it. I just use the smaller TT fins, one on each end. I really like how loose or skate like it feels. It's a great way to learn how to jibe and change stance but still feel like a TT. When you put your foot right over the fin and carve into a wave it's a great feeling.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby ciscokitesurfer » Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:26 pm

to go upwind you have to push hard and dig the edge. My Mako king has two large find at the back and one big fin at the front. It is my small surf (3 foot) mush waves board. With the large fin you can turn hard on the face of the wave. In flat water is harder to slide. The big fins are only to be use when you are riding waves. I love it. It is set up as twin tip. Also I used it strapless and is great. It doesn't behave like a twin tip board. The more you used it the better it gets. I had the same problem at the beginning. Cheers.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby davesails7 » Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:59 am

rightguard wrote:It's a great way to learn how to jibe and change stance but still feel like a TT.
The King is pretty good when you first start to ride strapless because you can ride it backwards like a strapless twintip instead of losing ground trying to jibe it.

The problem I had though was the lack of volume makes it harder to learn how to switch your feet. I did eventually learn on the King, but the Slingshot Space Pickle I have now would have been much easier. The volume helps to float you through. I like the volume for surfing waves too.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby dracop » Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:26 pm

Thanks guys.

I will try to redo my fin setup, perhaps a small fin in front and two large fins in back.

Today is a good wave day here, 2 meter waves late afternoon and Ive been studying the swells and reef breaks so I know where to go. I am only attempting to use the King for waves in mutant mode. may play around with TT mode (one small fin each side) if I cannot make the mutant mode work, but been falling back to my main twin tip quite abit as I finally figured out how to surf waves on a TT.

I will to experiment to learn to use the fins to upwind instead of the edge, simply don't know how to engage them properly.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby Rbgar » Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:28 pm

set it up as a twintip and enjoy, mutant shmutant

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby pdb1121 » Thu Jul 24, 2014 10:11 pm

Hmm? I ride exactly like you have it sometimes and have no problem going upwind. I leave the straps on and ride it like a TT for awhile to gain ground, and then slip my feet out and back and ride like a surfboard. I actually find it easier to go upwind when I'm pushing all those 3 fins in the front. Wish I could tell you why or how, but all I can offer is it can be done.

The rails are good for the upwind on Makos, so maybe I slide my feet out to really weight my heels on the edge. It's been awhile. Perhaps the Mako being such a big board, you can really get some grip, but on the other hand it takes a lot more pressure to turn and edge it. Got in a squall once w/ it and just kept loosing my edge due to not having the strength to hold it right.

Very true, it doesn't slide an inch, though.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby Westozzy » Fri Jul 25, 2014 12:38 am

Yep you only need a 55 at front. Also try using slightly more front foot pressure (kind of like a snowboard) you will find you can get a better upwind angle. Can ride this board flatter than a twin tip, so gain some speed riding it flatter then apply pressure on that rail with slightly more on the front foot and point. Remember your body and feet follow your head, not the other way round. Turn your head upwind and the rest will follow.

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Re: Need help with Mako King

Postby buzzz » Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:52 pm

Westozzy is spot on ... get rid of that big front fin for a start and replace with it with the smaller size, and then take the rest of his advice as well and enjoy the 'Cadi' ride you get from the KING !

(also maybe downsize your back centre fin as well)


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