I have had a few sessions on this board and was hoping to get a few more in before writing something .
However I won't be seeing it for at least the next 2 weeks so I will share what I think so far .
The board is 6'2" x 19" and is about the weight of a normal fibreglass surfboard .
This board is a great lightwind cross-over board .
It has a bit of volume so is easy to paddle into a wave and surfs loose and fast .
For kiting it has the option for straps if you want . The biggest difference between this board and other production surf-kiteboards is that the strap positions are in the right place allowing for tight bottom turns and snaps off the top .
In light wind it planes early and and trucks upwind , it keeps on handling predictably and comfortably until moderately powered up .
I rode this board on fat full waves , head high waves with a bit of push and sucky shorebreak and it was all brilliant .
It is just so much fun to ride this board because the ride is sooooo predictable and comfortable .
They should have called this board the Viagra because it will boost your confidence and your abilaty to ride waves hugely .
If you want to ride fully powered up you will need to choose a smaller board with less volume (under 6'),the thing I loved about this board was the huge range it offered , leaving me as last one out kiting on one of the days .
Hey All,
I too had the opportunity to ride the new 6'2" Converse a couple of days ago in some fairly challenging conditions and thought I would air my findings. The conditions I rode in were a bit more full on than Mikes so the comparison may be of interest.
I used the 9m Reactor on 20 metre lines in winds that were between 13 and 25 knots. The wind was mainly onshore to slightly cross on and the surf was 4-6 foot beach break and quite large sea chop.
The large Converse was probably not the best choice of board for these conditions but I just had to give it a go. The first thing you notice is that it is light, about the same weight as a regular poly surfboard. I rode it with the front deck pad in place and both footstraps. The board rode predictably on take off through the smooth inside waters at low speeds and easily pointed high enough to get out through the break, easily climbing large walls of foam.
At first I had to get used to keeping a little additional weight forward to keep the nose down a bit especially at speed through the chop (out the back) as the board bounced a bit with the volume in the front(especially when ridden toeside). Once you get used to it and ride with a bit more forward foot pressure and keep the speed down a little it is very easy to handle and rides quite predictably.
The Converse really comes into it's own whe you pick up a wave and start down the face. The speed on a smoother surface of a wave face is a non issue and I found I tried to keep the speed down almost subconsciously by making serious cutbacks and face climbs.
The agility and swingweight of the board are awesome when you are snapping against the lip with huge confidence as the stability of the wide board makes it easy to get it back under you in times of pushing it a little harder than you are able.
The board surfed really well on the wave and had ample surface area to actually "surf" without using the power of the kite. I really liked it!
I don't know if I would use it in all conditions as I reckon around 23-25 knots would be all you really want to try and hold it in at which time switching to a smaller board would be more advantageous. I think the straps should probably be set forward to help with the trimming of the board in lighter winds to make it work better in the light stuff. Edging in strong winds wasn't an issue so long as you keep your speed down.
This will definately be my lighter to medium winds board for the next season, and the fact that you can just unscrew the front pad and remove the straps to make it a regular surfboard is a huge bonus, especially if you are going overseas. It's gotta be a winner on practicality alone.
Love the reviews of this board, and especially KH description "easily climbing large walls of foam."
Haven't got a clue about the surfy stuff, but feel that getting out is such a challenge.
Hey Rhys,
There hasn't been a catalogue or updated website yet for the new boards. The one we are riding is the first of the production prototypes ie, the first one out of the mould for testing purposes of ride quality, finish and strength.
I have a couple of photos but seeing as Airush haven't seen fit to publish any pics as yet, It's not really my place to do so either.
It pretty much looks like a regular 6'2" epoxy surfboard, only with straps and removeable front foot pad.
Sorry I cant do more than that.
Best winds,
Hey Big G,
You're right, the 6'2" is exactly like that, only 14 inches longer!
Good winds,
Hmmmm - these boards sound like the go.
About how much are they going to cost???
Cheers
These boards are due out in Sept , have no idea as to what they will sell for though .
The undergrounds retail for around $1350 , I think .
Price will be around $900.
The first shipment (arriving the 30th of August) is just about sold out of 6'2" and has a few 5'0" left.
Ian.
At $900 these boards are brilliant value .
A tufflight surfboard sells between $800-$900 and there are no footplugs .
Speaking from experience ,having put footplugs into a tufflight epoxy surfboard , the Converse boards are made cosiderably stronger and only weigh about 300g more .
All I want to know ,Ian ,is why I didn't get an option on one of the 6'2" before you sold them all .
When is the next shipment after that due ?
Mike,
Knowing how you have been enjoying the Converse, we put one aside for you.
After that shipment we get more every month through to January and then as required.
Ian
I have been paddle surfing the 6,2.
All i can say is that this surf board is the real deal - For an 85 kg rider i am stroking in to waves with confidence (lots of pretenders out there dont have the volume to get into the wave early - if at all)
Rode it at Dirrs , and Scarbs 2 - 4 ft beachy. This board gets better every time i surf it. It will go square off the bottom and vert.And straight back down again - while throwing sparay all over the place - really this is all you can ask of any surfboard. Nearly landed a backside three o (so close!)- but i have never been too flash at sticking these.
Got 2 really good cracks on it at Dirrs off a not too grunty right hander - so the board must have drive. Paddles in to this less than grunty wave early. Reos out of the lip without catching anything. Surfs unreal off the back hand too.
Basically its as good as any tuff lite surfboard (or at least a really good one!) you can buy off the rack for up to $950 - but it comes with straps and construction to deal with kiting.
Get your orders in fast cos i reckon these are gonna be the ticket this summer.
The Airush Converse 6'2 is in !
For those of you interested drop by and check it out. The first and second shipments are nearly sold out already so if you really want one before november you would want to get into one very quickly.
We have ONE left for sale at Airborne Kitesurfing
are there any?
