Surfboard suggestions?

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

How many peeps out there riding surfboards? straps or strapless? What size for me? I am 5'10", 170lbs.

I'd like to find a good one that will hold up to some abuse. Would love to use it on lit Gorge days in the swell as well as the OC of course.

Suggestions?

tacksharp · Since 06 Dec 2005 91 Posts The Hood Photographer

Hey Phillip..My buddy Joe had a custom one shaped at Cascade, and he loves the ride. I can forward you his email. I wrote that article about him a few issues ago. I can give you the issue number and you can check it out. He knows his shizzle on boards..coolness..there was also a shot of him in the photo contest..

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

colby · Since 23 Apr 2005 613 Posts Celebrity Photographer

phillip...the new owner of Second Wind in HR said he was going to allow demo s on the new Slingshot SRT kite boards...would love to get your feedback if you give one a spin.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

unless you can get a board for really cheap, i would make sure you get a well made epoxy. i have an older polyester board from hein which is wickedly light. i was worred about breaking it, but he said all the damage would come off the water, not from the water. he was right. but, if it bangs into rocks, or you scrape it on the ground, it can get dinged badly--but easy to fix. the main problem i have had is on the coast if you fall off the board, it will wash all the way in to shore immediately and then be bashed by the shore break on the beach and get stressed and dinged pretty badly. the epoxy ones i have seen from naish, north, ss, and hein,feel like a windsurf board--they seem like they would be indestructible.

if you want to use the board for the coast, i would get inserts for straps, because strapless can be pretty hard here with the chaotic waves, and getting out.

most of the major companies have surboards out now. i've heard (and believe) good things about the underground boards, but they are $825. all of them just seem to expensive to me. one of the HR shops has the naish board for about $680 i think. i have been tracking all this because i have been expecting the demise of my board for a while, but it is still holding out.

you also have the north pacific guys, who are in HR. http://www.hoodriveroutfitters.com/surfb_kite.shtml i have heard different prices quote for those, so maybe they give deals. one of them seemed kind of heavy to me. i don't know if it's really epoxy or just heavy fiberglass. they do customs. it's worth learning more about them.

Hein will also make you an epoxy board, which i think would be good, and you would get it totally custom. hein seems willing to experiment away from classic surf shapes, where most manufacturers are just cranking out established designs which seem like a safe and easy way out. but surfing and kite surfing are a lot different. i have tried one of the major company's boards and i found it very slow and draggy. maybe great on a big wave, but what % of the time kiting is that? i like hein's design better as an all around free ride board.

http://www.dcboardz.com/surf.html this guy also looks like he makes good stuff, and has reasonable prices. he seems to have come to many of the same design conclusions as hein, and has really thought about this. he also does all custom stuff.

as a prospective customer, i am most interested in the boards from hein, dc, and north pacific, instead of the major companies. but if i could get a close out epoxy for $500 i would probably do it.

my board is a 5'5", but i am lighter. that, or a 5'8' could be good. the sizes that the kite companies make are a good sign. UG makes 5'4" and 5'8." in such a windy spot, i don't think you need a big board, unless you just want to do perfect surfing in lightish winds. a smaller board will give more options in the gorge and coast.

a slow board will be easier on big waves and steep swell, a fast board will be more fun riding around and way better in light wind.

Mocean · Since 21 Sep 2005 343 Posts Newport Obsessed

I rode my 5-11" SRT today at the South Jetty (Newport) and was just thinking how much I'm starting to like that board. I tried the 5-5" but it just felt too small for me, as I'm about 210 pounds dry. I tried the 5-11" without straps but like it with straps better. Makes getting out through lines of whitewater much more comfortable. The benefit today was that the conditions looked more like 17 wind but the 13 Fuel was perfect. Easy to jibe and it rides toeside pretty good as well. Just need some really good waves to ride now. Good luck choosing - I don't think you can go wrong with this board though.

Steve

sentone · Since 10 Feb 2006 66 Posts

been riding the 5-5 srt for about 6 months these are wave boards not sure about the tight swells of the gorge but for sure buckets will be thrown off any kind lip...i ride point reef breaks or the coast ...down the line waves on these boards will ruin you for anything else and twin tips fall into the if i have to catagoery but you will still need one for shallow days or gorge type places or lakes ect with these boards you ride smaller kites at least one kite down and even better if you ride a bow type kite as depowerd of the lips =tubes..........if you wonder about 5-5 being to small they are not waked style set up s lots of volume wide tails and thick for a kite board the 5-11 is a floater but works will in light wind waves or big people more tall than weight......... i ride waves every day so its the only board i bring any more but when i travel i bring a wake style to cuz you never know what you ll find if you want ot hit lips and bottom turn with out thinking about spin out get the 5-5 you wont be disapointed Exclamation

Mocean · Since 21 Sep 2005 343 Posts Newport Obsessed

I probably didn't give the 5-5" enough of a chance, but since I was only going to own one of the SRT's, I opted for the 5-11" - mainly for the light wind/glassy waves advantage. I'm sure the 5--5" rips good, especially for windier conditions. Wish we had some reef setups like in Spare Change around here, then we could really test them out for what they're made for!

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

Use the ModelPress Reader found here

http://www.modelpress.com/download.htm
direct link:
http://www.modelpress.com/DL-MPV.asp

to take a look at this:

http://www.impact3d.com/Hein_5-11_KiteQuad.wrl
(Coming soon)

And don't forget about the Surf-N-SKim Pad
with built in inserts so you can add straps to
a regular surfboard

-Hein

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2025 Posts Windward

we ride with some pretty hardcore surfers (Winchester crew)and most of them have kite-surfboards and so do I but we almost never use them unless it's light ,so if you want to do something new go for it, it's fun ,but gybing is still about as much fun as it was in the old days especially when it's 10 feet @ten seconds

colby · Since 23 Apr 2005 613 Posts Celebrity Photographer

thanks for the great feedback!

Ryan · Since 14 Jul 2005 536 Posts Oregon Addicted

good stuff, the kite surf is reletivly new to most of us so this is good info. i am wondering what success if any people have had using the same board for surfing and kiteing. i realize the sports are quite different and the design of the boards for surfing and kiting can be different, but if you want to 'surf' the wave when kiting rather than have the kite pull you the two sports are not so different. The SRT from SS is built to pull the straps and pads off so you can surf it. however, this is a small board and i dont think anybody is surfing this here unless the point is going off.

it seems the only other option is a custom from a local. Anythoughts experiences with this?

GB · Since 21 Jun 2006 4 Posts Kook

Hi from down under, I have both SRT's and prefer the 5'11'' most of the time unless its really nuking and the faces are chopped up. Have also used the 5'11'' alot for towins and its awesome unless its really big or choppy.
Know a couple of guys who paddle in on there 5'11''. I'm kinda over paddling.
Heres a link to some SRT towin's http://www.kiteforum.co.nz/sub_location.php?rec_id=77
hope that works. the quality's abit average
will be back in the gorge and hope to get out to the coast next month
GB

Pepi · Thu Jun 22, 06 7:30 am **Re: second wind...**

sentone · Since 10 Feb 2006 66 Posts

just in case you havent seen the ss srt in hand the photos are a little decieving the rails are black and hard to post this makes them look gunny...so make sure you have a in hand look side by side it then will be totaly obvious which ones for you........lots of my friends who believe in one kite quivers ride a 12 and the 5-11 there range is like 12 to 30+and any wave is subject to punishment, remember to surf boards are made to paddle....and sit.....and duck dive........there thick and mostly gunny when langer than 7-0 meaning straighter tails not good for kiteing unless you a speed freak........as you will notice with the 5-5 the tail has lots of curve or hip = loose not a board to set on rail and dig like a twin tip ...but better to stay flatter on the water and tuning....a surfing...my first cross over was a under the house dead 6-0 its a cheap way to see if you like this stlye take a 1/4 in router bit locate your feet set the bit about 1 1/2 plunge a slot the width of the strap a old wind surf strap worked fine and should be easy to find in the hood mash the foam over a little then fill with resin push the strap in and let it go off......no plugs no drama

...this board lasted all summer and we just left it in the bushs for all to try............if you never surfed before put the back strap even or a little forward of the rail fins hopeing the board is a thruster -3 fin- the front strap is up to your stance dont go to narrow and dont worry its all about fun Exclamation

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

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