After breaking multiple surfboards and now a board specifically designed for kitesurfing. Im in need of a new board for strapless riding. If anyone can recommend/make a board that wont heel ding after a couple of months and then break it would be greatly appreciated!!!!

My Celeritas is great but still broken it 3 times. I just glue it back together with carbon unis. Forget about this flex crap - just make us a board that doesn't break.

Epoxy would be a good start. Heel dents are always gonna happen and I actually have them shaped in now. The strongest board I own, but not over keen on to ride, is the Taj, Felix Firewire....What do you weigh?

Think this one is almost bombproof. Quite responsive in the pocket too.

For top coin these days - I'd expect one like this...

hey,
having ridden your old black cat, I have an idea on what you like in boards. That said I replaced my last surfboard for a xenon vidra. Had it about 5 months now and have punished it plenty and is still looking purty.
However, I have just test ridden the Prisma which is the quad, and it is very very sweet. Looks just as solid. Will be sweet in the smaller and mushier stuff, which is more common than the good stuff.

I have had a bit of experience in this area + value for $

At the low initial investment level there r many suitably shaped second hand surfboards available - just be prepared to fix your self as professional repairs will make these a poor investment.

Next Production boards with some track record on performance. My first favorite board that helped me progress was a Slingshot Verv but sadly even at this premium priced board construction was below standard as many of us suffered and lost a lot of $

I have since had a Cabrinah 5' 6" Skillet which is an excellent board in both construction and performance for its given design, now I have Jimmy Lewis Chamber boards which are designed directly from JL surfboards - these work very well for me.

Also I am well aware of custom carbon surfboards from Griffin Kites that get a tough workout with no structural issues and provide excellent surf performance.

My recommendations for tough high performance surfboards check out Jimmy Lewis, Griffin and Cabrinha.

Drop in and see Sam Egan at Islington. I was looking at some blanks that he's making for a couple of Newy guys. Dam things have a 3/4" stringer in them and he's talking around the $700.00 mark for a custom board.
I'm very new to the kitesurfing world, but have been surfing short boards for over 30 years. These things look bullet proof to me.

This might end your search
These look great and will easily meet your main prerequisite "unbreakable"

Hollowed timber laminate with a glass layer
Although most are built for strapped riders I am sure they would be fine for strapless wave riding.
No the lightest board so probly not for you if you want to get lots of strapless air, but you will be able to leave this in your will to your grand kids

If you want his number to give him a call let me know

Pete calls them "Squiz Stix"

Select to expand quote

wdric said...

This might end your search
These look great and will easily meet your main prerequisite "unbreakable"

Hollowed timber laminate with a glass layer
Although most are built for strapped riders I am sure they would be fine for strapless wave riding.
No the lightest board...

Picked one of these up before and Wow. I thought those yellow Slingshot boards were heavy, these things are combustible bricks. Never ridden one though, so don't know how they surf, oh they do look pretty trick though!

Select to expand quote

surfingboye said...

Picked one of these up before and Wow. I thought those yellow Slingshot boards were heavy, these things are combustible bricks. Never ridden one though, so don't know how they surf, oh they do look pretty trick though!

Yah pete spends the summers testing his boards down your way

I've made hollow boards but left the timber solid under the heels , onlyproblem is you need good cushioning deck pads or you will break your legs if you land hard

I weigh 90kgs and the biggest problem is heel delamination to the point where the board implodes.

I picked up one of the Squiz boards the other day, and they were HEAVY. Good looking boards, but too heavy for me at this stage. I think he could refine those a bit, saying that though they sure are lovely works of art and look like they work just fine for the right rider/board combo.

lightest and tuffest board around 1.9kg without fins and straps
check out smook
james has been flogging his for 6 months and it still looks like new.
Plus they can do a full colour graphic with bamboo and carbon fiber deck.
No more hee


l dings

more smook
contact jeff


0414642933

www.siroccosurf.co.nz/custom-boards/kiteboards-2/surfers-wave-boards/

End of Subject. I have one myself. foot areas are shaped into the blank then glassed and filled with shaped foam pads. Deck grip on top. Indestructible and still reasonably light because of vacuum bagging technique requires minimal resin.

Select to expand quote

Paul1 said...

Epoxy would be a good start. Heel dents are always gonna happen and I actually have them shaped in now. The strongest board I own, but not over keen on to ride, is the Taj, Felix Firewire....What do you weigh?

Same here - been through heaps of boards but the Taj is still alive. And i do like riding mine, except when the wind is gutless!

Yes i also have been using 5' (1.7kg board) Smook board for the last 6 months and have been giving it heeps with some bad landings from big jumps and double backward loops .It is not showing any signs of creasing but starting to show
small foot denting mainly back foot The 2012/13 model will have also 6mm Divinycell under bamboo deck which should help with foot denting and also 10 mm traction pads
I will soon have 6' x 18"wide board (2KG) Which i be able to surf and kitesurf with strap or strapless The problem with kite surfing you need a board which is light with flex and strong and not weighing like concrete I think this board ticks most of the boxes Its not bullet proof but i love the performance

Email address smookboards@bigpond.com

Nice little quiver! Look like fun boards for sure!

I have been looking at FireWire for a while now, be interested in hearing how the Taj goes. My Wam has lasted 2 seasons now & has been a great board but I think it's days are numbered.
Pricing for the Smook?

Get the Firewire kite board. Google it... Looks pretty cool, but can't beat real foam IMHO.

ive had two epoxys now after i thought they were the solution.
the first one snapped and the second one i put a hole through with my heel after landing too heavily.
i now search the surf shops and dont spend over 250 on a board

I have been riding my Firewire Hellfire consistently for the last 8 months and it is still in excellent condition.

The build is really solid and there are no indentations on the deck whatsoever. All I have is a few hairline cracks where I have knocked my rail against my spreader bar.


With a volume of 24.5 litres it likes to be ridden powered. We have had some awesome 20 - 25 knot winds on the SUnny Coast lately and it is soo much fun.

The Taj has a lot more rocker and the same volume, so my quess is that it will need lots of wind.

Hey ok,
Here is a blatant self pimp. But it seems in regard to your thread, this is ok-ay? Let me know if I'm over chalk line here.
I'd like the chance to make you that board.
I've been catering to a few of the local surf board snappers up Brunswick heads way using the latest resin and foams with Bi-axial cloth, stringers and carbon tape rails and stomp pad stiffeners. So far their problems have gone away. The boards are coming out 2 - 2.5 kgs without fins. (that's with a 6 x 4 x 4 on the deck)
With the extra laminations top and bottom that I imagine appropriate for the life of a kite board, that would bring the weights for a 5' 6" x 17 1/2 x 2 closer to 2.5 kg(no fins/traction pad) and 3kg for the 6' x 18 1/2 x 2 3/8" varieties. One variable will be that my foam supplier can only supply me the 'next lightest' weight of foam to what I have been buying as they are changing their business structure around and won't be running the super lights for quite a few months. I have one of the 'next lightest' ones in a heat box at the moment to dehydrate it a bit (they are formed with steam) but we'll see how it goes.
A couple of the kiters down this way I spoke to seem to think that the boards snap "from the bottom" , so they glass the bottom as heavy as the deck. I'm not sold on this line but if you have more info on it I'd love to hear it.
It's also worth noting that a lot of converted surf boards deteriorate at the join immediately between the strap plugs and the glass. This stands to reason that putting them in under the deck lams/veneers would eliminate at least one weak point and give the purpose built kite boards another advantage.
I agree with AUS126 that rock solid is the way to go for surf boards. Flex is totally overrated for your average surfer IMHO. It seems great for ramps and freestyle in TTs but for surfing - never did it for me, and toying with it is playing around at the edge of the realm of snappability. If you can afford the amount of boards Taj can, go for it.

Of the big brands the NORTH Wham is definitely way lighter than the Naish and Cabrinha equivelants by about 2 kgs. I wonder if it is as durable?

Cheers
-Johnny

Thanks Johny, I have creased my board (not fully snapped) across the top which suggests board fails in compression 'from the top'.

Another vote for Jimmy Lewis, nothing is indestructible. But this gives confidence:

I don't think that flex is over rated at all. Maybe for those who have kited first, then ventured into wave riding. I come from the surfing first background and flex is VERY important. I rode North wham and though it worked pretty good and is well built, the board was way too stiff. Hard carving and snaps felt like riding a piece of wood. If you never knew the difference before coming from a wave riding background, then how would you know? Maybe its just me personally that likes smooth flex in my boards, don't know...seems that other surfers I kite with feel the same way.
Not to say that the boards you make wouldn't be great, but I strongly disagree about the importance of good smooth flex in the way a board turns and responds.
my 2 pesos worth

Select to expand quote

warwickl said...

I have had a bit of experience in this area + value for $

Hey Warwick, thanks for your help getting my kite out of the tree the other day, much appreciated.

Select to expand quote

dafish said...

I don't think that flex is over rated at all. Maybe for those who have kited first, then ventured into wave riding. I come from the surfing first background and flex is VERY important. I rode North wham and though it worked pretty good and is well built, the board was way too stiff. Hard carving and snaps felt like riding a piece of wood. If you never knew the difference before coming from a wave riding background, then how would you know? Maybe its just me personally that likes smooth flex in my boards, don't know...seems that other surfers I kite with feel the same way.
Not to say that the boards you make wouldn't be great, but I strongly disagree about the importance of good smooth flex in the way a board turns and responds.
my 2 pesos worth

Agree, everyone of those Tufflite (style?) boards that I have ridden always feel too stiff and corky.

I believe:
If you want a performance board get something that is light, otherwise if your looking for longevity and durability get something that is heavy. Strength is always a sacrifice to performance, and I would rather ride a board that makes me ride better, than something that will remain with a flat deck.



Thoughts on strength v performance?

Fair enough comments. My take is for budget kiting you could get the same feeling of a larger flexible paddle surf board from a SMALLER well designed kite board?