new semi-DIY board

Wallrat · Posted: Sep 08, 2005 12:43 pm Post subject: new semi-DIY board

I was checking out the surf specific kiteboards that are out now (Jimmy Lewis, Misfish, etc) and just can't bring myself to drop $700+ on what is basically nothing more than an overbuilt surfboard. So I got this puppy off ebay yesterday for $100, spent about $5 on t-nuts and went to town with all the other stuff that I had sitting in my garage. Should be fun till I snap it, then I'm gonna re-glass it with some carbon fiber. She's 5'2", should be a nice little wave/light wind board. Hopefully we get enough of a breeze today that I can fire up my 20 and take her out for a test drive:

jason_ssr · Posted: Sep 09, 2005 4:28 am Post subject:

that is sweet! Let me know how it rides. Do you plan on gybing it? Im curious how difficult it will be with asymetrical pads. or you could just toeside it since it has a deep fin.

Wallrat · Posted: Sep 09, 2005 6:19 am Post subject:

Ah man yesterday the wind came up and was cranking so I wanted to ride my normal board and my 16. I brought the new board along for when it started to drop off a bit. So I rode a couple hours and then it started to lighten up so I headed in. Nobody on the beach so I dropped the kite using the safety, ran to the truck, switched boards, and ran back out to the beach. Go to launch my kite and my lines are fouled. Spent 5 min getting em right again. During that time, every kiter but 2 had made it back to the beach. I tried to run up the beach so I could just do a downwinder but the wind had dropped so much, so fast that I only made it about 30 yards.

At this point I'm planning on just riding it toeside on the way out. We start off on a starboard tack at my beach so I'll shove my feet in the straps backwards just so I can get away from the beach quickly and not be in the way. Once I'm clear I'll stop and switch feet. Another thing I'm considering is just hacking a few inches off the nose and dropping a couple small fins up there. Dunno yet, gotta see how it rides. My toeside riding just flat out blows so hopefully this setup forces me to get better at it.

jason_ssr · Posted: Sep 09, 2005 7:15 am Post subject:

I know how you feel with the toe side. I can do it fine unhooked, but hooked in the kite pulls your hip out of edgin position to easy. I saw Andy H riding TS, and he keeps his harness so loose that it actually spins on his waist and the hook rests on his hip when riding TS.