VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Hi Guys.
Im new to the sport. have 12 hours of instruction, at the board start stage.
done a few starts, lots of face plants

Any way what should a new rider be concerned with in a board that i can progress with?

I weigh in at 170 ..5'11.

i rode a spleen door during lessons seemed to me to be cumbersome.I think it was like a 160 something version.

so is length an issue,
Rocker,
concave,

I am considering building my own, damn expensive buying this gear ..and im cheap

I am a boat-builder by trade with a strong talent in composite structure so that's not the issue.

I have read so many forums on building the darn things and varibles involved so i thought i would ask the local riders as to what good for this area and nitnat.

Thanks for reading ..

135 is good:)

Pretty general question. Maybe a little background on what type/style of riding you hope to do would help, Also regarding building your own board, I too have thought this and built things for myself many times. The truth is you will not save any money. Add up the cost of materials, then purchase pads, straps and fins ($200 plus for the lot) then factor in your time and a good used board is a better deal and properly engineered too. Now if you want do do it for personal satisfaction that is another story. Best of luck.


Reuben

Thanks for the reply's,

As for type/style right now it would be nice to consistently get up and ride.

I am older so the process of getting to doing tricks grabbing air will be a process.
I am looking to basically cruise minor jumps etc nothing fancy.

As for building, Like i said i am a boat-builder materials i have in abundance.
Time have tons.
And i think it will be satisfying to build and design my own.

Built the rocker table and have 2 rough blanks time invested 4 hours maybe cash invested 0.

As for buying used, the question still arises style and type of board.
To be honest 80% of the boards i see generally look the same. With slight differences.
During lessons instructor explained kites bars etc but really never went thru boards that much.
And to be honest i was to stoked at the time to really pay attention to what he was handing me.

Thanks again for the input.

Mike

Thanks for the link.
nice boards that he builds.
Last place i would of looked for a building link .

And to think I was going to buy a Mako! I've just been inspired. Nice link JL.

Wavebreaker - 57palm is right - it's like asking what kind of vehicle should I buy ?

But to answer your question, I'm 175 lbs, cruising, easy jump riding style ( translate = too old & unfit for new-school tricks ). Often I'm riding a 137 cm x 39 cm twin, progressive rocker, flat laterally ( no concave ). When the wind's light, I'll ride a 6' x 19" surfboard if there's waves, a flat door ( like the board from your lesson ) if no waves. If my arthritic knees are burning, I'll ride an OR Mako.

Most start out with a longer & wider twin, because the abundant planing area keeps you planing as you learn to generate steady power with the kite, and transitions ( turning around ) are easiest on a twin.

With kite control dialed, you can get by with a smaller ( shorter & narrower ) twin, which most do, as a good smaller board is typically more manoeuvrable and fun to ride and jump, provided your kite's delivering the power to keep it planing.

Some riders get by with a single board, usually averaged-sized, while others will have a big and a small board ( and fewer kites ), as it's a lot quicker to switch boards than kites when the wind changes significantly.

Could go on at length about board styles ( surfboards, skimboards, race boards, straps or strapless ) and board design features ( rocker, concaves, outline, ... ) but you've already read about it on the 'net.

Good luck with it.

One last comment, I've been kiting nine years, had nine kiteboards of different types, some great boards, and some not so good. My all-time favourite is a custom a friend and I built about 5 years ago : divinicell core, cherry wood veneer on top, white formica hull, ABS strips around the rails, rides great, light, strong - when you build a board and it works, it's pretty close to raising a child ....

KayakDoc has produced a composite directional that is a thing of beauty ... I am not sure where the pics of it are ?

Wavebreaker wrote:As for type/style right now it would be nice to consistently get up and ride.

...snip...

Mike

Hi Mike,

I just learned to KB this year. I started with a board that was too small and it took me a lot of time to get up and riding confidently. I ended up buying a much bigger board.....went from 130 to 148cm and life was so much easier! This board isn't a dog either for cruising around and small jumps...[I'm not really doing any intentional tricks at this point... ]

I ended up also getting a OR Mako 140 which is now the board I ride the most with the 148 for light wind days. The 130cm is my GFs board now.

It's worth getting/building a light wind board you like because as a newer rider it will be easier to get up and stay up. When your skills have developed you'll still enjoy it on light days even if you ride a smaller board most of the time. I find I prefer a larger board and smaller kite than the other way around so my first move is to grab the big board when it gets light rather than rigging a bigger kite.

You mentioned the really big board you rode wasn't much fun because it was so huge. Figure out what size board other guys your size/weight are riding...say a 135 and size up by 10cm and a bit in width for your lighter wind board. That will keep it fun, but the extra surface area will really make a difference on your water starts.

Keep in mind I'm new as well..[120hrs over 40 days or so]...so take my comments with a grain of salt compared to the experts.

safe riding,

Vik
www.thelazyrando.com

Hi Wave Braker, I just saw your post. The Door from Spleene might have been cumbersome, but as the slowest learner worldwide (for kiteboarding) I can assure you that you would have done a lot more face plant with other boards in general. And it would have taken you a lot more time to ride or to go upwind.

But you are right, I would not recommend the Door to progress; once you can ride and go upwind it will actually slow you down your progression for turning, toeside, going downwind, etc...

If you can build a twin tip 135-142 x 35-42, concave either like the Mako or like the Zen. And later down the road you can easily borrow a board for 20-30 minutes from almost anyone locally (once you know them). Try them out and decide if you want to build/buy another board.

For your first board I would definitively suggest something bigger rather than smaller. And Mako concave if you can. (I wish I had a Mako!!!).

Hiya TeaBag

Yea i have built a 1 board now its sitting waiting for use.
Also have a Mako 150 built just needs glassing.
got a little behind on my board building it spring and my Motorcycle needs putting back together .

Thanks for the input.