what size fins u guys riding for the gulf chop?

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...?

[BigR]

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

[toby wilson]

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.