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toppleover said..
Ok, comparing it to the Evo was a bit of a stretch.....the basic outline can look vaguely similar if you have had a few beers.

Im getting a 5'0 to fill the gap untill firewire release the kite construction Evo

You can order the kite construction Evo from FireWire now. It's been available for a couple of months. Contact FireWire Australia direct

Hi Wicksy you sure you don't have the Vader mixed up with the Evo mate?
I just contacted FireWire direct & the kite Evo won't be ready till the end of the year at the earliest.

Just had my first session on the new 2016 Nugget CSC 5'3.

10 years Experience - 85kg - 10knotts - 11m Naish Pivot - STRAPLESS

I am a team rider for Windsurf N'Snow and usually just stick to riding my Naish skater, but the wind was pretty light and my skater just wasn't going to cut it. The wind was onshore at 10 knots average and about 2ft max on the sets. Within the first 1min of riding the nugget all i could think was "What a HOOOOOT this thing is". Its fast, loose and really rockets upwind in marginal conditions. The stability and control was impressive but expected, the extra width however made changing front foot positions a must in order to get the most out of the board. To me riding with foot straps would of compromised the boards performance significantly. The Nugget is in its element in light light winds and crumbly waves. It flys upwind without much effort and will happily glide through any lulls in the wind. On fat wave faces the board surfs great but get to close to the pocket and the width becomes a bit of an issue.

For a first directional board for a not so experienced surf kiter the nugget would be a worthwhile purchase., likewise for an experienced kiter looking for a light wind board. It really is just effortless fun in less than ideal conditions.

Windsurf N'snow in Collaroy NSW has a 5'3 CSC for demo if anyone is keen.

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toppleover said..
Ok, comparing it to the Evo was a bit of a stretch.....the basic outline can look vaguely similar if you have had a few beers.

Im getting a 5'0 to fill the gap untill firewire release the kite construction Evo

not a stretch mate, try comparing the whip and the vanguard

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HighzaKite said..

toppleover said..
Ok, comparing it to the Evo was a bit of a stretch.....the basic outline can look vaguely similar if you have had a few beers.

Im getting a 5'0 to fill the gap untill firewire release the kite construction Evo

not a stretch mate, try comparing the whip and the vanguard

I bought a Vanguard after demoing the Whip........ but is'nt this this thread about the new Nugget

What is the retail price, I bet its a shocker - reflecting the AU$

I had the nugget csc out in 4 to 6 foot faces yesterday (20-25 knots) and my top speed going down the line was 43km per hour.... Quick little beasty.

Just out of interest how would the sizing of the Nuggets past and present go for a 105kgs rider, I currently have a North pro 6'2 which is amazing in high wind and decent waves but bad low end because of its rocker and gunny shape, I used to have a Wainman gambler 5'10" x20 which was a great size for me so I wonder if the current 5'3" or older 5'5" nuggets would be big enough ?

I am 100kg dry and I have the 5'5 nugget, the 5'3 csc nugget and few 6'1/6'2 boards.

It's the width and volume of the nugget and not the length that makes it work so well for us fuller figured individuals. So I will typically ride the nugget's from 10 to 25 knots and then the thinner longer boards after that.

Can anyone comment on how it compares to the 2014 or 2015 model? Low end and upwind the same, or actually better as stated by North? And how does it handle chop?

Hi Strekke,

The new 2016 CSC NUGGET is slightly different to the old 2015 NUGGET.

1st thing that is noticeably different is the shape. The 2015 uses a surfboard inspired full outline, were as the 2016 is all about compact.

2nd thing is that the lightwind ability is different. the 2015 rides very much like a fat surfboard, were as the the 2016 (for lightwind) gets up and going almost like a raceboard. It hums onto the plane and flys upwind, noticeably better.

3rd regardless of the above, the 2016 surfs really well. Its far looser then the 2015 and also fits in the pocket a little better. If you like flying down the line then the 2015 is still pretty good for this, but for a good allround, underpowered performance surf feel, then the 2016 is not bad.

Do yourself a favor and hit up your local dealer for a demo.
Its the only way to know.

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JBFletch said..
Hi Strekke,

The new 2016 CSC NUGGET is slightly different to the old 2015 NUGGET.

1st thing that is noticeably different is the shape. The 2015 uses a surfboard inspired full outline, were as the 2016 is all about compact.

2nd thing is that the lightwind ability is different. the 2015 rides very much like a fat surfboard, were as the the 2016 (for lightwind) gets up and going almost like a raceboard. It hums onto the plane and flys upwind, noticeably better.

3rd regardless of the above, the 2016 surfs really well. Its far looser then the 2015 and also fits in the pocket a little better. If you like flying down the line then the 2015 is still pretty good for this, but for a good allround, underpowered performance surf feel, then the 2016 is not bad.

Do yourself a favor and hit up your local dealer for a demo.
Its the only way to know.

Thanks for the info! Can you elaborate on 2? I ride my SB flat and work the fins when I'm underpowered, but haven't ridden a raceboard before, so can't really relate to what you mean by the 2016 nugget riding like a raceboard. Or do you just mean that the 2015 nugget will get you going as if riding a larger surfboard flat, while the 2016 will get you going in the same winds as if you were on a full sized raceboard? AKA, if I understand correctly: if you want to gain as much low end as possible, the 2016 is the better choice?

Also, how does it handle chop?

Was planning on testing one for sure but not sure I will be able to have the opportunity to test 2015 and 2016 back to back on a truly light wind day, so that's why I'm trying to gather some info beforehand already!

Now that a few more weeks have passed - has anyone else ridden the new CSC nugget? How does it handle chop? And how does it turn?

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airsail said..



Made a copy which goes as well if not better than the original. But I now tend to ride the BWS Drifter (another copy) in marginal conditions.

Nice work man! Not surprised it goes better, any stiff epoxy sandwich board is harsh to ride (imo).

p.s. BWS Drifter isn't a copy of North Nugget, they aren't even close. Not to mention egg boards like the Nugget have been around for many years previous, although I'm sure North will tell you they invented them in their book! .

p.p.s. Had to have a solid chuckle at people comparing a Tomo Evo to a North Nugget .

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sir ROWDY said...

airsail said..



Made a copy which goes as well if not better than the original. But I now tend to ride the BWS Drifter (another copy) in marginal conditions.

Nice work man! Not surprised it goes better, any stiff epoxy sandwich board is harsh to ride (imo).

p.s. BWS Drifter isn't a copy of North Nugget, they aren't even close. Not to mention egg boards like the Nugget have been around for many years previous, although I'm sure North will tell you they invented them in their book! .

p.p.s. Had to have a solid chuckle at people comparing a Tomo Evo to a North Nugget .

+1. Stiff is no good.
Pretty sure he means he has a copy of a Drifter but. ^^^

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surfingboye said..


+1. Stiff is no good.
Pretty sure he means he has a copy of a Drifter but. ^^^

You could be right I think, thought it seemed a bit odd, although you could take it either way from how it's worded haha. The rest of what I said remains valid.

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strekke said..
Now that a few more weeks have passed - has anyone else ridden the new CSC nugget? How does it handle chop? And how does it turn?

I was out yesterday in 3 to 4 foot waves yesterday at my local.

I think the 2014 Nugget with it's round nose handled the chop a little better when you edged hard but I think the new CSC version turns much better on the wave.
They both go upwind very very well.

I have left CSC Nugget as my strapless board and the convex deck with pads just stick to you feet in a very comfortable way. It pops over waves/whitewash really nicely.

At speed, in chop, going down the face of a wave, it does feel a little small for me (6'3") ....... but the turning is just sensational.

Does anyone have experience turning a nugget into to foil board? Seems like it's a decent base to work with if you don't mind drilling or cutting into it to install some mounting hardware for a mast.

Would you recommend the 5'3 or 5'0 CSC for a 75kg rider? I currently have the 5'2 TT and sometimes feel a little bit bigger would help in very marginal conditions.

Hey Colin,
Yes mate getting my 2015 5'5" nugget fitted with boxes now

hey leigh...does this mean you can use your nugget normally as well...without a foil? or is it just now a foil board? Excuse my ignorance.

Love my nugget which I purchased largely due to this thread. I've been out a handful of times on it and was wondering if there are any tips for going upwind. Everyone raves about it being an upwind machine but it doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm generally riding messy chop, riding strapless, doing carving turns and riding toeside rather than switching feet I seem to get plenty of speed and are edging. Maybe I'm riding overpowered due to the chop? I don't feel overpowered. When people are talking about it being an upwind machine is this in light wind when the chop is generally cleaner?

Hi Kaha, Nuggets go up wind great in light to moderate wind but can get harder to control in higher wind - whats your weight & also wind strength and size kite.

If really choppy, I usually slow down & use the fins rather than edging to get up wind (on any surfboard).

83kg - yesterday I was riding a 12m it was about 18 knots and went down to 15 knots.

Sound like I need to use the fins more rather than edging I guess you do this by turning the board rather than leaning on one edge.

Couple of options
you can edge - but too much ( or equal ) front foot pressure will point the board off the wind - often better in chop
slow down
Another way is to ride off the fins more - ie , flatten the board out , slightly less front foot pressure. - if it's choppy this can be a bit rougher but still works well

Here something I have being playing with in regards to a light wind surfboard. The picture is of my foil, but the tail on the old surfboard is the modification that seems to work well.

Grab any old surfboard, one with fcs plugs work well as you get a smoother rocker! I have done a board with fixed fins but the tail won't bend where the fins are. Remove the tail pad, probably the hardest bit, then cut with a grinder or wood saw through the top, down through the stringer to the bottom surface. Do this about 2 inches apart.

Tape a bit of 4x2 to the bottom so the rocker is now flat along the board, the cuts from the saw will open up, fill these with epoxy/ micro balloons.Allow epoxy to set, sand the top of the board, reglass the top in a layer of 6 oz and epoxy, refit tail pad. The rocker line won't be perfectly smooth but quite adequate for light wind performance.

Getting rid of the rocker really improves the light wind performance, the board really accelerates quickly and is great for jumps. Bit hairy when the wind gets up as with little rocker the board is bloody hard to slow down. I have been using this type of light wind board rather than an egg type board as the narrower tail has got less drag and a better top speed, they go upwind really well too. And cost, well bugger all.

Well thanks guys, reading this thread made me realise I needed a Nugget in the boot, so went and got a nice new 5'3" yesterday.
Cant wait to ride it. Looks ugly as, but super interesting.

Just have to wait for the wind to drop enough to use it!

It seems like the only reviews on the nug CSC are on this thread or in a German video (and I cannot speak German). I was only able to demo the nug TT but after reading this thread I just bought a 5' nug CSC. Can't wait till it arrives sometime this week. Hope it's as good as you all say!

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Kaha said..

Love my nugget which I purchased largely due to this thread. I've been out a handful of times on it and was wondering if there are any tips for going upwind. Everyone raves about it being an upwind machine but it doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm generally riding messy chop, riding strapless, doing carving turns and riding toeside rather than switching feet I seem to get plenty of speed and are edging. Maybe I'm riding overpowered due to the chop? I don't feel overpowered. When people are talking about it being an upwind machine is this in light wind when the chop is generally cleaner?

Hey Kaha, I've had 25+ sessions now on my Nugget CSC 5.0 and ride it mostly in light winds with chop. So far I have discovered that if you want to go upwind, this is how you can most efficiently ride the Nugget:

Lightwind, almost underpowered with big kite: get going and pick up speed, don't edge and try to go upwind immediately. The Nugget planes quickly so just let it accelerate, then twist your hips towards the direction of travel and let your front hand off the bar. Key: ride it flat on the fins when low on power! Don't lean on your heels but try to put more pressure on the front of your feet/toes. Use your back foot to twist the fins and the board in the right direction. Foot position is also important here; for me the most efficient stance is:
front foot over the front strap-inserts, toes on the strap inserts, barely showing the first drill hole. Back foot about 5cm away from the front edge of your back-deckpad. See image for details. Should it be very choppy, move both feet back just a little bit - the nose will come up, you will pick up more speed and will fly over the chop better. In the lulls ride the board even flatter to keep momentum going - you might lose your upwind angle but keeping speed until the lull is over is more important. Once the kite starts pulling again twist back upwind. To change direction in superlight winds I mostly downloop, but back foot further back, and carve to toeside and keep momentum going, then switch stance again and track back upwind.

In well powered conditions: feet position a bit more in the back, more or less where the straps would be. I still mostly ride it on the fins instead of totally edging the board - I think it is most efficient going upwind when ridden on the fins. That being said, in powered conditions, I like to take a wider stance with the back foot just touching the dark part of the back deckpad, while the heel of my front foot will be a bit closer to the edge of the board than in LW conditions.



This helps to edge the board if necessary and lock the fins when a gust hits, especially if you move your weight back a bit further. This is also the ideal position to pop the board off the water when hitting some chop - just ollie it like a skateboard, it will stick to your feet like glue and because it is so light I am starting to get some nice air (only just learning strapless air). Once on a wave or wanting to do some carving/turns, I put my back foot completely in the dark part of the back-deckpad - it will make the Nugget turn on a dime, just awesome!

Although the changes in foot-positions might seem small, they do make a significant difference. Practice a lot and experiment with foot position and weight distribution combination (toes/heels, frontfoot/backfoot). The more I ride this board the more I get to know it and the more efficient it gets. At my current spot, when it's windy, there are 30 kites on the water. In sub 14 knots it's just 2: the foil-guy and me with my nugget. Learn to ride it correctly and you will save many, many low wind sessions. Or catch more waves. Or switch down to a smaller kite faster .

Anyways, if anyone is still in doubt: read my initial review below that I posted on the NKB website. After 10+ more sessions on it, I can only say that I love it even more - the more I get used to this board the more I am getting out of it and it just keeps impressing me each session. This board is really the best board I have ridden in terms of doing what it is designed for: low wind efficiency and strapless fun in bad conditions. Sky did an amazing job!

Original review on NKB website:

I recently moved to a location with frequent but light winds, so purchased a North Nugget CSC 5.0 to maximise my time on the water. This board is amazing in lighter winds; it gets you going when others are on the beach playing frisbee, and it just shoots upwind like no other. In the 10 sessions I have had on it now, there is no doubt; even in onshore winds where others are riding in each others way and washing up on the beach, the nugget will get you out beyond the swell in 1 tack, giving you all the space you need to cruise around and travel up and down the coastline. Also in underpowered conditions the Nugget keeps its efficiency: riding it flat on the fins with weight more forward, I shoot upwind in 12 knots @75 kgs on my 12m Dice 2015. I am sure that on a bigger LW kite or even with extensions attached you could go sub 10kts, probably even 7-8 knots. But also in powered conditions the Nugget delivers; when the wind picks up I just take a wider stance with my back foot more in the back, and ride the Nugget more on the tail/edge, making it easy to hold down. The board is light and sticks to your feet and pops off the water quite easily in chop, so I am landing my first jumps on it, It is superstable and forgiving so jibing and tacking are a piece of cake. Despite its wide dimension it still turns on a dime in the waves: as soon as you put your back foot all the way on the tail the board becomes loose and real smooth fast turns are possible, especially in comparison to other similar boards I have tried (Brunotti Brutus, SS Space Pickle both lacked this turning ability), Of course it doesnt turn as fast as my 2010 WAM, but that is to be expected, I have taken it out into small to medium waves where it excells, making it easy to catch and stay on the waves and turning on the lip etc. are nicely possible without a problem, Only remarks I have so far is the durability: the green paint sratches real easily, and the fins sing a little bit when you go fast - not a real problem but still. Overall this is a great and superfun board for people often riding in sub 18 knots and who either just want to cruise around strapless in the flats or who want to catch the most waves possible in a session - the nugget will have you back upwind for the next set in no time! - See more at: http://www.northkiteboarding.com/products/boards/surf/nugget_csc/#sthash.azZBOkh0.dpuf

Hey Colin
I was planning to do this exact thing, however wanted to be able to switch between foil and normal nugg. Ie a box with a blank when not using the foil.

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strekke said..

JBFletch said..
Hi Strekke,

The new 2016 CSC NUGGET is slightly different to the old 2015 NUGGET.

1st thing that is noticeably different is the shape. The 2015 uses a surfboard inspired full outline, were as the 2016 is all about compact.

2nd thing is that the lightwind ability is different. the 2015 rides very much like a fat surfboard, were as the the 2016 (for lightwind) gets up and going almost like a raceboard. It hums onto the plane and flys upwind, noticeably better.

3rd regardless of the above, the 2016 surfs really well. Its far looser then the 2015 and also fits in the pocket a little better. If you like flying down the line then the 2015 is still pretty good for this, but for a good allround, underpowered performance surf feel, then the 2016 is not bad.

Do yourself a favor and hit up your local dealer for a demo.
Its the only way to know.

Thanks for the info! Can you elaborate on 2? I ride my SB flat and work the fins when I'm underpowered, but haven't ridden a raceboard before, so can't really relate to what you mean by the 2016 nugget riding like a raceboard. Or do you just mean that the 2015 nugget will get you going as if riding a larger surfboard flat, while the 2016 will get you going in the same winds as if you were on a full sized raceboard? AKA, if I understand correctly: if you want to gain as much low end as possible, the 2016 is the better choice?

Also, how does it handle chop?

Was planning on testing one for sure but not sure I will be able to have the opportunity to test 2015 and 2016 back to back on a truly light wind day, so that's why I'm trying to gather some info beforehand already!

Sorry Strekke,

Time got away from me.
How is the 5"0 CSC going?