Hi just weighing up positions of the launch pads on my shinnster,
Any views on how or how you think they should be
I was thinking of placing a tail pad for my back foot and front foot to get better purchase
Cheers for any input

I reckon a board of this design would benefit a heap with some extra grip (lumps).
I'm really starting to enjoy my Shinnster, awesome fun, but I went for the very
basic diamond grip with basic style kickpad. Does the job fine, but due to this board being what I would call
"all terrain", I ride it in ugly messy chop, and with zero bouyancy, and ultra basic outline, has a very minimalist feel to me.
Quite often I'll accidentally bury this board down to my knees in lulls, or crap conditions.
Messing around with frontside and toesides, it constantly breaks out and tests my recovery skills, whilst I giggle at myself.
"Better Purchase" would definately help me push the board a bit harder...because I cant see myself selling it any time soon.

Why don't you get this pad wmfg.co/products/wmfg-traction-the-onesie and you can forget about exact placement, it will also give you more freedom on where to place your feet

I tried the pad on a Firewire Vader and loved it !

im using a skateboard as my way of thinking and the old shinn waterbird which have a tail pad for both front and rear feet, surely allows you to be more agressive, stars rarely align here for true surf conditions, generally shore wind driven slop, cheers so far

dudes on sb's round here to the backwards tail pad thing for there strapless sb's. They ride some silly lumpy assed conditions with that set up.

www.siroccosurf.co.nz/action-gallery/#

The Shinnster has so much range as to where your feet can go that a ramp that's right for one thing is gonna then be in the way for other conditions, tricks, angles etc.

I bought a sheet of diamond-pattern stuff from ebay ($75 and enough for 3 or 4 boards) and have just put it on over a large area with the grip pattern facing back for the front 2/3 and facing forward for the rear 1/3. I can push as hard as I want through turns etc.

If you're want more control through chop and turns just bend your legs more, get used to moving your feet to best positions for each bit of riding (it's a big board - you gotta move around to get the most out of it), and to ride at speed heading out, get used to backing off on edging as you go over chop and waves so that the board will come up with your feet, and then re-engage the edge as your weight comes back on the board (like any strapless board). My 2c.

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djdojo said...
The Shinnster has so much range as to where your feet can go that a ramp that's right for one thing is gonna then be in the way for other conditions, tricks, angles etc.

I bought a sheet of diamond-pattern stuff from ebay ($75 and enough for 3 or 4 boards) and have just put it on over a large area with the grip pattern facing back for the front 2/3 and facing forward for the rear 1/3. I can push as hard as I want through turns etc.

If you're want more control through chop and turns just bend your legs more, get used to moving your feet to best positions for each bit of riding (it's a big board - you gotta move around to get the most out of it), and to ride at speed heading out, get used to backing off on edging as you go over chop and waves so that the board will come up with your feet, and then re-engage the edge as your weight comes back on the board (like any strapless board). My 2c.

Our conditions would be to head out toe side then crack the tops off the slop, I thought I'd benefit from having a pad on my front foot to stop my front foot from losing purchase

First thing, the Launch Pad should be called the Shinn Pad. Second thing, it's pricey. Third thing, it's worth the money!

I've matched the locations from this video and it works well.

I think the important question to ask is "what exactly is Mark riding?". It's not a Shinnster.... Almost looks like it has volume plus a big arse fin.

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bigtone667 said..
I think the important question to ask is "what exactly is Mark riding?". It's not a Shinnster.... Almost looks like it has volume plus a big arse fin.

You're right, not a Shinnster. I think it was identified in another thread. I'll have a look.

There you go. It's a Vanguard.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Traction-pad-for-my-Shinnster/?SearchTerms=Shinnster

From Bletti "The vanguard in the launchpad video is a custom made one Mark Shinn got done by a board builder he knows so it won't be a shinn model. He was asked about it on a kiteforum post."

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KIT33R said..
There you go. It's a Vanguard.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Traction-pad-for-my-Shinnster/?SearchTerms=Shinnster

From Bletti "The vanguard in the launchpad video is a custom made one Mark Shinn got done by a board builder he knows so it won't be a shinn model. He was asked about it on a kiteforum post."

Interesting that it had the "Shinnster" logo on the bottom of it. Hope he produces them for public consumption.

Yep, bigtone. I've not ridden a Vanguard but those that have speak highly of them.

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cauncy said..

djdojo said...
The Shinnster has so much range as to where your feet can go that a ramp that's right for one thing is gonna then be in the way for other conditions, tricks, angles etc.

I bought a sheet of diamond-pattern stuff from ebay ($75 and enough for 3 or 4 boards) and have just put it on over a large area with the grip pattern facing back for the front 2/3 and facing forward for the rear 1/3. I can push as hard as I want through turns etc.

If you're want more control through chop and turns just bend your legs more, get used to moving your feet to best positions for each bit of riding (it's a big board - you gotta move around to get the most out of it), and to ride at speed heading out, get used to backing off on edging as you go over chop and waves so that the board will come up with your feet, and then re-engage the edge as your weight comes back on the board (like any strapless board). My 2c.

Our conditions would be to head out toe side then crack the tops off the slop, I thought I'd benefit from having a pad on my front foot to stop my front foot from losing purchase

You may want a narrower surfboard with more fin and outline curve for that kind of stuff. Slingshot screamer or naish skater type thing. The Shinnster is awesome fun, but it can't do everything.

Shinnster carves great if you have room to set up a clean line and commit, but it's not proportioned for ripping the tops off little waves anything like a twinnie or smaller surfboard.

Also, the Shinnster is so slippery across the water (such little drag due to small fins, flat rocker, wide outline) that it can be trickier for switching feet than regular surfboards, but the more you practise, the easier and quicker it becomes to switch feet even for small distances (as you're heading out in lumpy stuff).

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djdojo said..

cauncy said..

djdojo said...
The Shinnster has so much range as to where your feet can go that a ramp that's right for one thing is gonna then be in the way for other conditions, tricks, angles etc.

I bought a sheet of diamond-pattern stuff from ebay ($75 and enough for 3 or 4 boards) and have just put it on over a large area with the grip pattern facing back for the front 2/3 and facing forward for the rear 1/3. I can push as hard as I want through turns etc.

If you're want more control through chop and turns just bend your legs more, get used to moving your feet to best positions for each bit of riding (it's a big board - you gotta move around to get the most out of it), and to ride at speed heading out, get used to backing off on edging as you go over chop and waves so that the board will come up with your feet, and then re-engage the edge as your weight comes back on the board (like any strapless board). My 2c.

Our conditions would be to head out toe side then crack the tops off the slop, I thought I'd benefit from having a pad on my front foot to stop my front foot from losing purchase

You may want a narrower surfboard with more fin and outline curve for that kind of stuff. Slingshot screamer or naish skater type thing. The Shinnster is awesome fun, but it can't do everything.

Shinnster carves great if you have room to set up a clean line and commit, but it's not proportioned for ripping the tops off little waves anything like a twinnie or smaller surfboard.

Also, the Shinnster is so slippery across the water (such little drag due to small fins, flat rocker, wide outline) that it can be trickier for switching feet than regular surfboards, but the more you practise, the easier and quicker it becomes to switch feet even for small distances (as you're heading out in lumpy stuff).

I just added a bigger set of fins (The ones from the Liquid Force Fish Foil).... made a huge difference.

You've got me thinking now. Might put some bigger fins on the Shinnster. How has this changed performance?

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KIT33R said...
You've got me thinking now. Might put some bigger fins on the Shinnster. How has this changed performance?

I stopped sliding out on the bottom turns on a wave.