VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I'm thinking about getting a lightwind FSW to use in waves at 10-15 knots, at Pipers and on the lake 15-20 knots.
Wondering what volume I should be looking for with my 78-80 kg?
I want to be able to still uphaul when the wind really drops, on salt water at least ...
Thanks for your thoughts!

Fsw for 10-15 knots is dreaming. For 15 - 20, 100-110. But at the lake a dedicated freestyle will plane earlier, and probably want to stay around 100.

98.3L

I'm bang on 70 kg this year, 14-15kts using a 101L FSW (JP - single fin) can be planing with 5.3 - pumping - and planing with 6.0 no pumping. At 78-80 kg, maybe jump to a 110, no bigger if you want to have fun at 20 kts. Steady 18-20 I'm on the 84L FSW-single.

Largest waves - O-Coast, 12-15 kts and shoulder to head-high DTL, really fun on her in Central and North Oregon. Will probably get another JP FSW 101 - thruster config this year, as Carla is 95% on the 101 now.

I think you'd find anything over 95L starts to get verrry uphaul-able. So it just depends on how easy you want to go.

110 and you can sup it for fun on glassy mornings

I am at the 78-80 kg end of the scale. I bought Eastsides 109l Skate and it has significantly increased by water time in sub 20 knots. Also, surprisingly, I stay on it over 25 -even with the 6.0 as it sails OP pretty well. I thought I wanted a FSW 110 l board, but when the Skate came up for sale I did some research and there are a lot of good arguments for going with a freestyle board if you are sticking to B and J and small waves / swell. And no, it does not Grubby or Vulcan itself!

Thank you guys! Sounds like 110L would do the job
That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm thinking of using it for, Geoffy!

I was thinking 100-120 but I gather 120L would be too big in waves and in the 20's..

Dave I like the idea I could be using it as a SUP when things are desperate
Sounds like it could be a real 'session saver'!

Markus, How did you come to 98.3L?? (I remember you suggested 100-110 at Pipers.)

I found this nifty gear calculator online: http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.ca/2010/1 ... nline.html
It calculates that for 78 kg min. volume for uphauling is 108L

I'm pretty certain I've seen Kus uphaul on a 95L quad.

Check out the the 'Freemove' boards like the Fanatic Gecko and the RRD Firemove. There short and wide, with relatively thin rails. Makes them turn and fun, but very stable in light wind. We have an RRD Firemove 112. Great board for light wind and working out maneuvers. I can uphill it no problem, and I'm around 80Kg.

The gecko is a neat board, but it is isn't subtle. I bought Keith's 120L board, and am often at nitnat on weekends, if anyone wants to try it. AFAIK my yellow-green helmet is still pretty distinctive ... It definitely isn't new anymore, I've done a couple of repairs and busted the stock fin... have been riding it with a significantly smaller slalom fin.

Anyhow, the only point I'm trying to make is that I've got Ray's old 104L S-type and the 120L gecko, and it is hard to imagine two boards of similar volume that are much more opposite. The Gecko planes far easier but you've got to stomp on the rail to gybe it. As for the "thin rails" ... I'm no expert, but part of that simply has to be the size of the board, take that volume and spread it out over that much surface area (77cm by 239cm) and it has to be fairly thin.

-Tom

I'm thinking 104L and 120L are not really that similar in volume at all. That is like saying a 90L is similar to a 75L.

My point is 15L is a huge difference and that is probably the biggest thing you are feeling. Even riding the exact same board in 85L and 95L variations can feel like they have nothing in common.

+5 for moo, plus the gecko and shark are very different boards.

But it really comes down to what Hiho's goals and level are. I've sailed with him at least once, and he's what I'd call advanced...

Freeride / freemove = advanced beginner to intermediate, or wanting to cruise around maybe the odd chop hop, drag race a friend for fun. Stay away from if you want to work on freestyle or have fun in the waves. Good if you want some speed, and blasting around(aka mowing the lawn) but aren't comfortable on slalom or freerace gear.

Freestyle = intermediate to pro, work on freestyle, some with less volume in the tail well be slightly better in waves and bigger chop. Ie hood river. Biggest advantage in flater water they will plane earlier then wave or fsw. Biggest drawback, harder to carve(gybes and on waves), and will feel bigger in really choppy water.

FSW - intermediate to advanced, work on basic freestyle, and wave riding. Usually not as quick to plane as a dedicated freestyle, and will feel slightly smaller then a freestyle with the same volume. I find FSW are better for waves then they are at freestyle. A lot of people would compare them to a bump & jump board classification from before.

I've found FSW is best compromise as they can work exceptionally well in waves, plane nicely if your weight is used well, and are fast as heck (or at least JPs are, no experience with others.)

I can quite easily uphaul my 84L, so weight + 15L, and slog around to find wind and waves as necessary. I found the 101L was easy to pump to plane in light winds and jumped forward immediately even on small swell to hold on to a forming wave (Oregon and Sprecks - so not too hollow).

Took the 84L JP FSW (2010 model-single fin) to Tobago and used a 6.2 Revo every day in 15-22 kts and waist-logo waves and it was awesome, so careful of going too big. Used the thruster and quad config in Maui and thruster had more speed and was more like single fin so I was comfortable on that more so than quad, factor what you like into the choice.

Geoffy/Sparkley

Tom, thanks for the offer! It would be great to try your boards, just to see how the volumes relate, but I'm not sure how often I'll be going to the Lake... I like ocean sailing much better, and especially wave sailing is 'da bomb' IMO.
So yeah, sounds like a FWS 100-110 could be a good light(er) wind board to complement my 80L Evo...

I find the Evo w/ a 4.7 and smaller very comfortable. Hoping the FWS would be replacing my 2 old fiberglass brds that I sail w/ 5.3-5.8 The 'playboard' is not too bad as a wave board and okay with these sails, but not floaty enough to uphaul and slogging around looking for waves, or slogging back at Pipers at 6-0 conditions.
The larger one is more a freeride type (good for blasting the lake) - doesn't turn very easily and just too heavy. Besides I find uphauling on it very tricky as the mast track is forward of the center ...
The problem is that I don't know what volume they are, being 'custom made' in a time that length and width only mattered...

Maybe I'll have Dave install some thrusters on it to be a bit more grippy Or save up for a new 80-85 L quad...