VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Hi,

I have a dilemma that I need some help with….say you won a $2,500 teaching award and the after-tax amount is approx. $2,000. Say your wife doesn’t care what you do with it….actually let’s say you haven’t really told her.

I was thinking of buying a new light wind board for Harrison Lake…ie a 2011 Fanatic Ray 130L to replace my 2005 JP FreeRace 142L. The cost of the new Fanatic is approx. $2,000. There is really nothing wrong with the JP FreeRace….it still rips in flat water with my 7.5M.

But some things have now got me thinking that maybe I need (want) a wave board instead?

I am taking lots of time off from teaching this coming spring/summer and hoping to sail more places than just Nitinat and Harrison (I typically sail 10 -15 Harrison days on 6.5M/7.5M and 10 Nitinat days on 4.5M – 6.5M and a few days at Hornby Island on 4.5?).

I may get brave and venture down to Oregon the last 2 weeks of June…..as Kus, Nanmoo and many others have said it is doable. I have my doubts but am sure the experience would be fun and would improve my sailing.

I also spend some days each year sailing onshore waves in 4.2 – 5.0 conditions at Tribune Bay where my parents live…..and it is really hard to get out (upwind) through the foam and whitewater…..quad?

I have a 1 year teaching sabbatical coming in 2013…..gotta learn wavesailing by then?

My thinking is that I am looking for something to handle more wind in wavier conditions….but will also still be fun for an intermediate sailor.

Key attributes should be:
- Good for learning wave-sailing by an idiot
- Forgiving
- Reasonable speed in a straight line
- Lots of control
- Ability to go upwind when a bit underpowered or getting out through whitewater.

I just read the “Quad Fin Review - Quatro 95L Starboard 92L” and the “2011 Quatro Quad” posts here on BWD. Very informative. Then I start thinking that this wave board could maybe even be a twin or a quad?

Remember….when providing your response to these questions please assume that I have NO respect for this money…..cause if I don’t spend it on gear then it will just end up in curtains in our house!!

My questions:

1. What exact board am I looking for and why? (I was thinking around a 75L wave board for use with 4.0 – 5.0 )?

2. Do I buy a newer twin or quad 2010 or 2011 ($1,500 - $2,000) or buy a 4 – 5 year old Starboard Evo (say $400) or some kind of 1-2 year old Twin or waveboard? Excess cash might be spent on a really wide surf SUP ie Whopper to teach the family windsurfing.

Note: I kind of like keeping things in the same family…..I have a Starboard SUP and Fanatic boards? I also have a big JP board. Here is the result of some recent internet research -- possible shortlist of 75L wave board options with estimated prices:

80L 2005 Starboard Evo single fin, used (234cm x 58cm) $450 – Kus’s board!

74L 2010 RRD Wave Twin, new (233cm x 55cm) $1799 - Windance

76L 2010 Starboard Quad Wood, new (228cm x 58cm) $1,300 - Big Winds

77L 2011 Starboard Quad Wood, new (228cm x 57.5cm) $2,000 - Big Winds

79L 2011 Fanatic NewWave Twin, new (232cm x 55.5cm) $2,000 - Gorge Surf Shop

The 2010 Starboard Quad is interesting looks like it can be adjusted to a single fin? And the 2011 Starboard Quad looks like it can be adjusted for either Twin or Quad sailing?

Any comments or recommendations appreciated.

PS – I weigh 175 lbs with winter ski fat (but am likely 5 lbs lighter in summer….so 170 lb intermediate flat water sailor with a 4.0M, 4.5M, 5.0M, 5.8M Gaastra Poison wavesails…)

Thanks in advance! Keith

Wwwwwell. 3 things:

-your sailing style doesn't probably match anyone else's so what someone else prefers doesn't necessarily translate which makes this mega choices post kinda sketchy.
-you tend to trash your gear when entering into a new area of sailing, esp in wave sailing, mostly sails/masts tho I guess
-quads offer maneuverability....tho perhaps not directed at beginner wave sailors...sailing a larger volume board and having it feel like a much smaller board, volume offers more stability and quickness off the start....something you will learn to appreciate when bobbing between 8'+ wave sets coming at you

ok: 4 things: IMHO the best waves are in 15-25kn winds!! Your main wave board should love a 4.7-5.3, around JR a 5.5-5.8

In my opinion even when u are a fair bit lighter than me, I would not start with a 70's L brand new board. On the other hand if you want to spend the money, $1690US sparkly 85L Quatro Quad sounds pretty ideal to me. and it ain't even on your list

Hi Keith;
Few things - for your weight, experience, sail range, and locations, a 75L board seems too small, it will limit your planing ability. Mid-80L boards are just as loose and the reports on new quads certainly allow for an 85-90 L with no loss of freedom (assume you checked out Jeff Bennett's quad review/links on mauiwindsurfing.net??) At 150 lbs I use my 84L JP FSW from 4.0-6.0 and my step down is to a 68L pure wave board.

I have never tried a quad so no direct input there, but I certainly hear the bigger guys here voicing/cursing some complaints getting planing on them and the twins when I am having no problems with the single fin and smaller sail, so that would suggest multifins need one size up in volume even with a sail size adjusted for weight.

Maybe I'll get to try a $1690US sparkly 85L Quatro Quad tomorrow at Columbia???

Forget another big board. Welcome to wave sailing. You will be hooked in no time. You get your Mid Island Mutt decoder ring the first time we see you at CB. Which should be a couple of times before you go to the Oregon coast! As a mature, recently addicted, over geared, (same weight) wave sailor I am uniquely qualified to answer your question.

1. Depressingly this involves no new gear. Bury the cash in your back yard til you get better. I have an 86 litre freewave. That board is great to learn on. Lots of float. To learn you want at least 5-10 more litres (probably 10) than you might think. Goes up wind well. Handles high wind (get smaller and bigger wave fins). Dave S.(same weight) used his in Pistol River last year, mostly on 4.2-4.7. Extra float will save your ass lots when learning. Most places where we sail have less wind at the beach or are gusty (Long Beach) so the extra float makes it easier to get back out, easier to stay on the wave face and stay up wind. If I go somewhere and am wondering what it is actually doing on the water I will pull this board out first every time.

2 Buy 80 litre Evo. Then you can at least say you have a wave board. Use it on the windier days and when you get better. Get Kus to give you a couple of extra fins! Bury extra money to buy new board til next year, once you have more experience. ( I just saw the reviews of the Evo in the buy/sell section. Good comments by Windoc on staying upwind with small board and fin.)

3. Buy 80-85 litre quad to go with freewave or replace it. Keep Kus really happy! Get some smaller fins for really high wind. You know you want it! I haven't tried a quad, although I must now admit I scored BW Dave's carbon 71 litre. Thought his would be too small but Windoc and him said they could plane it in 18 knots (so I figure 22 knots for me) so I went for it. I can give you a report once I try it. I do have the Evil Twin 80. Super loose on a wave and in swell but hard work to keep up wind especially if wind is not steady. If you pressure the fins too much they slide out. This has forced me to work on my upwind technique. Bigger fins helped in lighter wind. Good thing about Evil Twin is that it handles high wind no problem and has lots of floatation. All reports are that quads rip up wind and are great for intermediates. Good reports on 2010 Starboard quads for intermediates. 2011 have new fin system which is not compatible with 2010 boards. I wouldn't bother with any quad/single combo. I think too much extra weight in the rear with the extra A box and you have a single fin anyway.

4. Buy Peter Hart and Jem Hall learn to wave sail DVDs.

See you at CB soon.......summer is coming

just sail the freewave and keep the 2k handy for trashed rigs! plus those poor kids will need an ongoing gear fund.

I also agree with those that say use the 86L FreeWave for now. I think it would be fine on the coast/CB and once you figure out what type of style you have and advance a bit more, then get something in the 80L range. I doubt it would hold you back at first. But that 80L Evo is a good price, and as Winddoc says, as long as you don't over fin it or try to sail with a heavy back foot, then it will work well for you. It's a wide board so it should be great in med winds too. I've had a few 70L evos and I loved them.

If you do want to buy something new, and hey there's nothing wrong with that, then there's lots of exciting boards coming out. I'm biased towards Starboard (they are a BWD sponsor), but the new 2011 quads look great with twin and quad fin modes. I love my 70L twin board. The 77L would be a sweet medium to high wind board and in twin fin mode would be sweet at CB and for bump and jump. Then set it for quad mode for the coast. I'm getting one in a month and you (or anyone) are welcome to try it out. The 77L is wide and will be my light wind board but for an average person it would probably be a 4.0-5.2 board. It got some great reviews:
http://www.boardseekermag.com/windsurfi ... -2011.html

There are also great quad boards out from Goya, RRD and Quatro:
http://blog.2xs.co.uk/2010/09/first-tri ... ad-75.html

I'd love to try an RRD, Goya and a Quatro. It's a great time to be a windsurfer with all the twin and quad boards coming out. Lots of choices!

For people still wondering how quads work for us average people in average conditions:
http://video.mpora.com/watch/UKqKr8WIr/

Dave

Hey guys,

Thanks for the intelligent input! All good stuff - brings me down to my sad reality!

I am now leaning to burying the cash and buying a smaller wave fin for my FreeWave 86. I love that board and likely should stick with something that I have used and am confident on, especially when trying new conditions.

Also thinking now that a 75L is too small for most of my use....ie I've only sailed a 4.0 once. I do prefer bigger boards in most conditions that I sail. So likely a mid 80'sL waveboard is what I may end up with as 4.5 - 5.5 is where most of the use will be.

bwd - that last video of the intermediates sailing the new Starboard Quad 92L in flat water was really useful for me. Makes me think that a 2011 Starboard 82L Quad could be in my near future.

Keith, you're welcome to try out my Drops Wave board, 84 L, I've sailed it from 6.0 m2 (sluggish feel) down to 3.6 m2; it handles great at the 4.2 to 5.3 m2 range. It might give you a better sense of how a wave board handles relative to your Fanatic 87 L freestylewave which is similar in volume. (I keep saying, why are we able to now ski on a single pair of sticks in everything from the glades, off piste, etc. and have fun at it all, whereas it seems we need a board specific to each beach (as your quiver certainly attests to)?)

KC7777 wrote:75L is too small for most of my use....ie I've only sailed a 4.0 once

this will change if you moved to the island or do Oregon more btw interestingly my 95 quad loved a 3.7 to 4.7, go figure. In comparison the smallest sail I was ever comfortable on with my 98OES XWave was a 4.7 and it excels at 5.3-5.7

firstonlastoff wrote:I keep saying, why are we able to now ski on a single pair of sticks in everything from the glades, off piste, etc. and have fun at it all, whereas it seems we need a board specific to each beach (as your quiver certainly attests to)?)

Hey FOLO....what are you skiing on?

I have 3 pair of skiis......down from 4 pair a year ago:
183 cm rockered powder skiis (140/123/134)
178 cm early rise tip/tail freeride skiis (130/100/122)
174 cm carving skiis (128/88/111)
Plus backcountry skiis?

Anyway....re a wave sailing....I just bought the "Pro-Secrets Real World Wave Tips" DVD from Big Winds for $10 (reg $35).

2011 Atomic COAX, 183 cm; these are my Sugar Daddy replacements, and I hadn't really thought a new pair of planks would be a significant improvement, but after only one day, my beloved Sugar Daddy's are now my rock skiis

firstonlastoff wrote:2011 Atomic COAX, 183 cm; these are my Sugar Daddy replacements, and I hadn't really thought a new pair of planks would be a significant improvement, but after only one day, my beloved Sugar Daddy's are now my rock skiis

I picked up a rocker snowboard this year, and wow - it sure is hard to believe it took so long to make boards and skis with rocker - Way better, way more fun, and way more versatile for an experienced rider (can only assume the same for skis). That said - Quads are like rocker boards, they are like easy buttons for their respective sports (in my opinion).

There is a 2009, new, 80L Starboard Evo XTV in the Blue Wood version for $999 at Big Winds.....no taxes, dollar almost at par.....kinda nice?

BTW.....bought a smaller wave fin for the FreeWave 86.

Fire off an email to Kanaha Kai as well, they had some demo starboard quads they were getting rid of for $700-900 that were mint, literally unscathed. Word has it that only the shop staff seem to ride them as your typical tourist comes from flat water sailing land and can't handle the mind blowing the quad delivers.

Hi Tony,

Funny thing.....just e-mailed Bart at Kanaha Kai this afternoon as he has a used HSM Playmate boom that I want.

PS - taking your advice and putting my longboards up for sale shortly.....

Keith