what size fins u guys riding for the gulf chop?
 

im using 2" KF5's, and yesterday in the chop at NB my board kept sliding out from under me... i could get it under control and all, ( maybe only cause im not used to riding this kind of board ) but just wondering if anyone changes thier fins for different conditions...or has any recomendations for sizes ect...

I don't think many guys are changing out fins, Jason.
2 inches is plenty big. Getting use to the chop takes some time.
I am wondering if maybe you were applying too much back leg pressure while getting airborne and then spinning out when landing.
That's really easy to do, even on dinky jumps, when first starting. If too much back leg pressure, even a little release from the water spells S P I N O U T.
Sometimes it's best to point slightly downwind when popping up and over chop.
Whatcha' think? Were you "spinning out" come down off of chop, or just all the time?

def off of the chop...
although when i was prepared for it i was ok...
i set up for a incomming swell load the kite a little try to pop off of the water a get a few feet up and land fine... i think it was mostly when waterstarting as soon as i would get up id come off the back of a swell and the back would slide out.....prolly what u said,... too much back leg pressure....

It's hard to know. When we see it, guys can help you.
I don't think it's a fin issue though.

Edging too hard? Try standing up straight. I use 1.5's myself. Scott likes bigger fins than I do... 2"?

Hey tom..

U said 2"?...
Is that odd? They came stock w/my board.. But then again its a weird shape aswell...140x38 everyone around here seems to use really wide boards, this thing seems skinny to me. Says its good to learn to jump with but feels kinda heavy...well not really heavy but you know...
Oh well what do i know...im used to my surfboard its maybe 2Lbs.... :)

Oh yea "standing up straight"...
Holy crap nothing new for u guys but when i would ease off my edge the board would bearly skim the top of the water and it felt like i just hit the freakin turbo button...i would get goin so fast i was out of control then i would just beef it ... My wife was laughing her a$$ off...it was awesome
Just for the record i have had so much fun learning to do this $hit and want to thant ALL of U for dealing with my endless questions...!
"All kite rock and so do you guys"
Jason...

I don't like big fins, my board just has them.
I like 45 cm fins. I gave Donna the Flexi with the less aggressive fin setup :)

Ugh, 38 wide. Yikes... Jason, if you are going upwind on that, you are a master level kiter at your size, seriously.

What the heck does that mean...
Now i have more questions...
Is thet not wide enough.. to wide...? What...?

36-38cm is what we started out with in the begining, but we all learned that 39-44 was best depending on board length from 133-156. Also obviously if windy or not.

as far as fins, you only really need them for re-entry from jumping.
if you are spinning out then maybe rocker on your board is bad.
Personally , I use 1 3/4" on my twintips but anywhere from 1 1/2" to 2 1/4" fins work fine. I never change them

I messed up, Donna's fins are 45mm... yikes.


I think 38 is pretty narrow. It's almost always better to err on slightly too big a board (especially width) to start, than too narrow. Especially in FL, most guys end up getting a light wind board eventually, anyway. Like Raul says, we have grown wise to what board works for kiting and not wakeboarding.

I ride a 40 cm wide board from 15 to ??? and I weigh 160.
Most guys in the 190 or more range around here are riding 42 wide or so, even in reasonable wind. Yes, 2 cm in width makes a world of difference in planing and upwind ability, all other factors being constant. 4 cms is night and day.

If you are going upwind on your board, wait til you try a wider board, holy moley, you will go WAY upwind. I honestly can't believe you were making a 13m kite and that board work in sub 20. Nice job.

I just looked at your avatar again. Maybe you aren't very big... and your board is just REALLY small!? :)

Im not that tall 5'10 but im heavy imo 220lbs yikes...

But this is really good news, when im able to ride upwind in both directions on this board ill be all set on better suited board...just gotta find out what that might be...?

So many good options these days. Don't let yourself feel like you have to nail "the" perfect board. No such thing. There might be a best bang for buck, but no perfect board.
Thankfully, most boards are pretty good these days. I can't think of too many outright losers, if any.
I would ask a couple of the guys in your size range what they are on and take it from there.

Yeah, if you are making that thing work in 20 or less on a 13m kite, you are a fricking natural at this, trust me. It's going to make kiting ten times more enjoyable once you nail the right sized board, that's no exaggeration.
The kite is one thing, but too small a board ruins the whole gig, imo.
Especially as a new rider. You'll see. :-D

Dude, hit up Bayflite and see if he has any more Ocean Rodeo Mako 150's left in stock or on order. The board ROCKS for downwinders and was PERFECT during the test run two Sundays ago. It is a TT but has 18MM of concave and is very narrow with only 2 fins, one in the middle on each end of the board. The 150 Mako just plain kicks @$$ in waves and chop, I don't think I'll ever ride anything else when I am going for speed on a downwinder with plenty of wind. I also have the wakestyle Mako 134 but it just isn't quite as nice in the waves, is great in flat water and in chop though.

Just my opinion...

Now for an every day board there are plenty of options as Scott said. I ride a Skywalker 131 Dimitri Pro and a Skywalker Lightwind Dimitri Pro when in light wind. Yes, I am affiliated with Dimitri and Skywalker so take that for what it is worth but they are nice boards for the money and I don't have anything in stock so I have nothing to gain by recommending them.

You are more than welcome to demo any of my boards though before you decide what is right for you. I only posted this because I am 6'6" tall and 230-250 lbs depending on what the wind has been doing lately so I feel your pain when it comes to being a bigger guy and finding the right gear for you...but there are other big guys who like other gear, ask around and try before you buy my friend...

Sorry should have been more specific...

Riding in chop and slipping out, my guess is that you are riding a stiff board. Stiff boards are very fast in flat water and will pop for unhooked tricks like a springboard... but in the chop you can easily start "skipping" from wave tip to wave tip (like a shell skips across the surface of a lake when you throw it jut right)... this means your fins are only in the water briefly and if you are edging, you are going to slip out and fall.

I'm familiar with this because at 195lbs I ride a lot of stiff boards for that extra pop.

The only option here is SLOW DOWN. How? Dig the board hard upwind, drag your butt like a dog with a dirty rear (this one is considered poor style but we all do it when we have to), or stand up and haul straight down wind at your kite.

Btw, if you just bear off a little you will speed up, if but if you go straight at your kite you will slow down as the kite stalls.

Riding in chop takes technique no matter what board you are on but generally softer tips or a LOT of concave (maco) will help considerably but at some cost... soft tips (usually) reduce pop, and lots of concave makes it hard to release the edge and butter slide. There are of course compromises by making the board really stiff in the middle and soft at the very end of the tips for both pop and flex (the flexifoil and nobile are this sort of design... and it's a good one).

Hope this helps.

What u guys are saying makes a lot of sense.. It is kinda strange that for 2007 rrd would make a board with this shape...but one of the selling points was the "ribbed" tips for a flex transition..I copied and pasted this below..
Maybe one of u could ride it and tell me what u think..thanks guys...

"Quote"
*Fast and manouverable, any time you jump on the BS3 you feel that this has always been you board.. Easily adaptable to a great variety of use and especially designed to perform well in any type of conditions. Comfortable, it seems that with this board you ride on foam, tracking clear lines upwind.. Best board to learn how to jump and improve in safety. ...
Design features:
The new Rib tips on the deck are a special feature of the 2007 kiteboards. They create a progressive stiffer/softer transition from the middle board towards the tips and vice-versa.

This technology combined with the ABS sidewalls improves strength to side impacts.

The new dual ergo heel CARBON pre-bent pads are delivered with each board allowing a perfect match of footstrap and pad placement when changing position on the deck.


BS3 140x38


Dimensions: 140 x 38 Fin Box: Pins
Fin: 4 x KF5 Technology: PUT
http://www.hawaiianwatersports.com/i...oducts/639.gif

thats way to small of a board for your size... im 210 and i dont even use that small of a board as my high wind board.....

I wouldn't use that board under 20kts and I'm 200#'s+


my high wind board 133x39
my low wind board 132x46

obviously width and rocker and shape and stiffness has alot to do with it rather than length

All the big guys are saying the same thing.

A wider board is going to make more difference than you would believe in this scenario. That board is a great board, it's just not the right one for you and your situation.

"BS" is right. lol. At least the name is appropriate.

come on now....
dont make me feel bad... :rolleyes:
wish i would have known....gonna have to make this board work for quite some time...
thanks for your imput.... :)

if you want the most of your kite time, sell your board to a lighter guy, come up with an extra 50-100 bucks and get a wider board.... you wont regret it

even a used best float would work great, right tom... maybe the new spark or LF recoil (not sure the sizes they come in, but i was looking at them awhile ago)

Don't feel bad, be excited that your enjoyment levels will go up drastically.
The longer you put off selling that board and getting a better fit, the more you will kick yourself in the future for missing the rest of this season.

Five of us can't all be wrong :)

true..... but theres no way 5 of us could be right:confused:

R'nt we all saying the same thing?

JASON im 130 Lbs wet and i ride a 128X38 UG 06' (same as yours right?) it is my high wind board. Its got the BIG fins and still sometimes is skips out of the water when i send the kite for a jump, im not sure if its me or the board. I bought it because i saw everyone else at SW was riding UG's and now everyone has switched to Flexis/other brands. The UG is a sweet board for me on high wind days/choppy water, but the low wind days, i wish i had a wider board.

Ohhh no I was referring to the sales pitch... "increases safety", etc... pretty funny.

As for the board itself I am not saying it's bad or anything.. I haven't ridden it. I'm not even commenting on the width... not sure that is the problem either.

Three things that could possible explain the skipping out (in my experience) is the very rounded tips, no concave, and stiffness.

My old slingshot 132 slipped out like that a lot in the chop and the shape was similar (rounded tips, flat bottom, and stiff).

Try a few boards and get an idea of what you like.

Keep your speed in the chop under control and it'll help.