Which is the best twin tip for waves? Either in this seasons collection or any lovelies from previous. Thanks.

Airrush hammer

TB Haura no question !!!
tbkiteboarding.com/boutique/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=130ebe99a4c067bc1810a85ea694fc77
Check it out.
I wouldn't sell mine for nothing.

The Airush Hammer is a great twin tip in the surf - I kinda wish I had held onto mine to get to know it better - I now ride a Toxic Wave and I needed to put better footstraps and bigger fins on it - but once I had that under control the board is awesome in the surf - easy to ride both waves and very smooth on the wave with great release when asked for...

Hey Lance...
What board is better overall in the surf...hammer or toxic wave??

I would have to say the Toxic wave - once its been beefed up in the fin department.

The hammer is awesome in conditions where you have ample wind and kite power but turn off the kite and you cant ride the wave like you do with a surfboard. The Toxic has this ability but it doesnt have the jumping and super high speed ability of the Hammer.

I want to ride the waves, carve turns and flowing airs and more surfing type moves - the Toxic does this really well - I am constantly amazed when I have zero kite pull once on the wave that I am still able to ride it... great fun - which is what its all about for me!

Hammer is much better out of the box but make the required modds to the toxic and its awesome fun!

thats a no brainer hammer

This is just the topic I'm breaking my head over...I need help!
I've thought about the Hammer, the Legend, the toxic wave and now this TB Haura! I'm sticking with a twin tip since we only get waves when its windy-20 knts and above. So I'll be powered and will be using the kite while in the waves; at speed and want to carve like crazy and still freestyle when I want as well.

I am 5'3" weigh 155lbs so not a heavyweight! It seems to me that all the wave specific Twin tips are 134's and bigger. Isn't that a little big for me in rough conditions?

I'm quite ready to take on the Hammer 134 but I'm concerned it would be a light wind board for me and I only get waves when its windy. I'm on a North Jaime Pro 07 128 for my all around board. Any suggestions?

i have heard from hammer riders/owners that the board usualy doesnt plane as early as same sized boards, not saying its a bad board because they rave about theirs, but perhaps thats one reason why it comes only in two sizes, see if you can demo one! , i personaly didnt like the board but each to their own.

Have a run on the fuse from slingshot, twin tip direction, set it up how you like it best. Check your local retailer for demo.

Thanks Lance
Hey P.C
i heard the fuse is hard to ride backwards...is that true...how are they in high winds???
cheers tj

I found the hammer planes in the same wind as a normal twin tip.
Added advantage is it bites when you drive it hard off a wave or bottom turn
Plus you can jump on the Hammer.
Great great board, just too exy for me.

Yeah I tried the fuse last week and thats just too big for my taste as a TT; although I had some fun on a little downwinder but its not good in chop;very bouncy. I was fully powered on a 10m rebel and the fuse didn't edge nicely in the chop. I figure if I'm going to invest in a surf oriented TT then it should be great in powered choppy conditions as well. I wonder if a smaller quad concave TT like the new Underground FLX would be a good alternative. I still hope I can find a Hammer to try out. I'll be in Cape Hatteras next week and will try out the Jimmy Lewis Rad-F 132cm x 15" format perhaps there's something there?

cardboards tempo quad concave is also supposed to be good in the surf..its definatly the right price!!!

I own a Hammer 144 and it is an excellent board to play around in the waves with (best tt that I have tried for waves), I love the way it bites in and hangs on when pushed hard in the turns. However as was mentioned in an earlier post, if you want to turn off the kite power and "surf" the wave you can't go past a proper surfboard.
The hammer was pretty much all I rode for the first year and whenever I got on any other tt I found I would slide out because I was used to the grip of the hammer. I still love my hammer especially when really powered up or really choppy, but found that it couldn't match a regular tt for normal freeriding, I now have an FLX138 that is much better for flatter water or lighter wind, planes and goes upwind better in lighter winds, better flex and pop, smoother landing from big jumps etc., and for surfing I use a Pat Rawson 6'2" surfboard.
So for an allround. playing in waves, introduction to wave riding on a tt, Hammer gets my vote but, as they say "horses for courses"

P.S. From my experience they are not as strong as you would imagine!

The Jimmy Lewis Rad-F and the TB Haura also look interesting but I haven't tried either.

Hey,

McKiteCanada, what you have described is pretty much the hammer, as everyone else has said it is not a tt, but if you enjoy useing power from the kite and chucking huge spray and makeing fast turns than its perfect. As can be seen in Corey's (coreyb) newer vids its fine with freestyle, flat 3, backroll kiteloops etc.

If you want to ride with power from a wave don't bother stuffing around, just get a surfboard, otherwise the hammer is fine for everything else, especially onshore slop.


Check out Corey's section at 5:20 to see what can be done on the hammer, also check his newer stuff for more freestyle orientated wave-rideing.



Thanks
Matt
PS The extra length will help you draw nicer turns, think how long a surfboard is, the extra rail helps a bit, but don't go too massive in a tt.

It's all been said - go the hammer and don't stress about it being too big. You are riding waves not holding a line overpowered on flat water.

I have a Hammer 144 and a Switch 138 and the Switch seems a much bigger board to me when riding (mind you for a flat water board the Switch can't be beat either, awesome!). I also have a Converse 6'0, which is a great board too, but totally different to a TT.

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cwamit said...

i have heard from hammer riders/owners that the board usualy doesnt plane as early as same sized boards, not saying its a bad board because they rave about theirs, but perhaps thats one reason why it comes only in two sizes, see if you can demo one! , i personaly didnt like the board but each to their own.

It is not that it doesn't plane as early, more that due to the tapered tips and rounded rails it does not behave the same in a straight line as a square board with razor rails. It is a bit soft, does not hold an upwind edge quite as well, and tends to dig in if too much back foot is applied. These aspects do however make it an excellent wave, chop and downwinder board.

It is not a good board to learn on (unless you are learning in the surf - in which case the least of your problems will be your board!). And I would not recommend it for flat water kiting unless it is your only option or you just love to do big loopy carves from rail to rail.

Thanks to all for the input and great vid Vishy puts it all into perpective and thats just what I want to do. I'll try the jimmy lewis in Hatteras and then after that I'll feel ready to order the Hammer. Can't wait to get on the ocean in Hatteras, I'm tired of hitting chunks of ice here on our lakes.

Cheers

Hey surfsky, It all depends on how you set up the board. Which fins you put where..
Is slightly harder then a normal twin tip, but you get a way better board for wave riding that you can jump without fear of breaking..

Excellent discussion folks, thanks. I am going to try the hammer. I weigh 73 kg's - should i go 138 or 144?

At 73kg the 138 is probably the best size for what you described you wanted to do, eg. rideing powered in the surf etc. If you wanted a bit more power from the wave then you could go the 144 but may find it a big when windy,

Thanks
Matt

138 would be tickity boo.

Yep 138 is the go, I have the 144 but then again I weigh over 90kgs.

Jimmy Lewis great twin tip for open ocean riding.

which one ..the rad-f or the charger. I'lm going to deno one in Cape Hatteras next week.

It's just the standered 139 I ride I weight 87kg . For a twin Tip it feels very smooth and begs to be thrown into a wave . Having a rounded rail with the releasing edge on the top side it gives a very smooth an forgiving feel.

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McKiteCanada said...

Yeah I tried the fuse last week and thats just too big for my taste as a TT; although I had some fun on a little downwinder but its not good in chop;very bouncy. I was fully powered on a 10m rebel and the fuse didn't edge nicely in the chop. I figure if I'm going to invest in a surf oriented TT then it should be great in powered choppy conditions as well. I wonder if a smaller quad concave TT like the new Underground FLX would be a good alternative. I still hope I can find a Hammer to try out. I'll be in Cape Hatteras next week and will try out the Jimmy Lewis Rad-F 132cm x 15" format perhaps there's something there?

Have not ridden the other boards mentioned but have ridden the new 08 FLX and it is much better in the surf than previous models.
Easier to turn sharper, and much easier to land any intentional or unintentional airs, and with 50mm fins its as stable as it needs to be without losing the ability to slide it when needed.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

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McKiteCanada said...

which one ..the rad-f or the charger. I'lm going to deno one in Cape Hatteras next week.

Hey Dude,
did you want to remind us again that you're going to Hatteras this week

Wish I was too !

seriously though, take the time get into riding a directional, you'll never ride a twintip in the waves again

My brother's name is Rick and he's a smart ass too! Hee!
We have no waves unless we score a wicked session on the great lakes. Waves are like dreams I don't want to be a wannabee like some of the dumbasses around here bopping up and down back and forth on their surfboards in choppy lakes all over Canada. I'll start with a wave oriented TT make a few trips and then we'll see- maybe I'll move!
but thanks, i know you're right. I'll try as many boards as I can and let you know "due to my expert wavelss experience" which I finally chose!

Cheers,

Rob

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rusty7 said...

TB Haura no question !!!
tbkiteboarding.com/boutique/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=130ebe99a4c067bc1810a85ea694fc77
Check it out.
I wouldn't sell mine for nothing.

Those boards are truley stunning to look at... nicest designs I've ever seen on any board... ever.