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Piros said..

foilstate said..
What are the tradeoffs around super narrow prone boards? Anyone tried and compared a 17" with 19" for example?

The down side to making the boards narrow and still keeping the volume is thickness and chunky rails. That's the complete reverse to JS boards with thinner boards and much more surf defined rails. My DC's are along the JS concept , the board shape is playing a much more engaged role now with more aggressive foiling engaging the board and rails on the wave in turns. Amundsen must have addressed this in their rail profile but I have never ridden one so can't comment on how well it works. Alot of riders don't like their boards any thicker than 2-1/2" so 17" wide is out of the question. Super narrow is NOT the only answer to paddle speed , hull shape and smart foam placement can also achieve this and still keep the litres low to sub 30's even for guys my size at 88 kg.

Agree that increasing thickness to chase narrowness might not necessarily result in higher paddle speed and a better board. But I've also not seen these new Amundson's in the flesh so would be curious to see how thick they really are and where the foam placement is.

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JonnieTyler said..

foilstate said..
What are the tradeoffs around super narrow prone boards? Anyone tried and compared a 17" with 19" for example?

According to Amundson, super narrow for paddling speed. James Casey is also going narrower on his SUP foilboards to make getting up on foil a lot easier.

My current favorite is a KT Drifter F 4'4" x 19 1/2" 34L. I just ordered the Amundson Super Model 4'4" x 17" 31L. Hopefully the new board arrives before the weekend so I can test it out.

Let us know how she goes! Would love to see some pics too.

I've been here for a while but I have a small question for everyone. How do you bring your own board?

Hi! I am playing with boardcad these days and i am designing a prone board inspired by the Amos raptor. 4'6 x 19 x 2.5 for 30 litres 1 cm concave deck, beveled rail top and bottom and double concave in the nose. My design has no tail rocker (except the traditionnal tail bevel) and 3 inches of nose rocker. This looks good on the computer but i am wondering about this nose rocker... Is it too flat? Does somebody know the standard number for pr?ne foil board? Like the 3.5 n 1.5 t for a fish surfboard? Thanks for your help!

I ordered the Amundson Super Model 4'4"x17"x31L on a Friday, they shipped on the following Monday and I received it on Wednesday. Those guys are fast!

I'm comparing all these boards while using the Lift 120HA. I'm 57 y/o and weigh 140 lb (63.5KG).

Compared to my KT 4'4"x19.5"x 3 11/16" x 31L, Ono Dish 4'4" x 36L and JS 4'8" x 19.75"x2.5"x 31L, the Amundson paddles faster and makes it easier to catch waves. The narrow profile and simple bottom contours is a winner for improving paddling speed!

I attached a photo to compare the bottoms of the Amundson and the KT.

It did take a couple of sessions to get used to popping up on the narrower Amundson. At first, the board felt very twitchy on takeoff and I blew several takeoffs that I would normally make. Once I made a takeoff, it felt solid.

My pumping also improved. Previously, my longest pump out the back was 120y. On my second session with the Amundson, my longest pump out the back increased to 130y. I'm assuming this is due to the Amundson being the lightest foilboard in my quiver. When I've touchdown while pumping, I was able to recover about as easily as when I used the KT or the ONO. If I touched down with the JS on the pump out, it was usually game over.

I don't know how the thick beveled rails on the Amundson will handle touchdowns during hard carves since my cutbacks aren't that good yet.

After 6 sessions (waves from KH to HH), the only negative I've experienced is taking off on weak white water. With the KT, with a little bit of white water push, I could get up on foil and get going. With the Amundson, on weak white water, I was more likely to pearl the nose. I think with more sessions, I should be able to compensate and not put as much weight on my hands in weak white water.

An unexpected positive with the narrow profile, is that the front deck pad stretches all the way to the rails. I'm also forced to keep my hands closer to my chest on takeoffs. The end result is my hands don't accidentally slip off the rails!

The Amundson would not have been a good choice as my first board. With the narrow profile and narrow nose, there is less room for error on takeoffs and taking off on a foil was hard enough as a beginner.

The Amundson is definitely my new favorite. I'll have to figure out which board I'll keep as a backup and sell the others.

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Clemop said..
Hi! I am playing with boardcad these days and i am designing a prone board inspired by the Amos raptor. 4'6 x 19 x 2.5 for 30 litres 1 cm concave deck, beveled rail top and bottom and double concave in the nose. My design has no tail rocker (except the traditionnal tail bevel) and 3 inches of nose rocker. This looks good on the computer but i am wondering about this nose rocker... Is it too flat? Does somebody know the standard number for pr?ne foil board? Like the 3.5 n 1.5 t for a fish surfboard? Thanks for your help!

Depends on what you want to do with the board, flatter for more paddling, more rocker for less nose divings. But 3-4 inches of nose rocker on a 4'6 is about the right balance for me between paddling and surfboard feel in the wave. Maybe there are some standard numbers out there..

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JonnieTyler said..
I ordered the Amundson Super Model 4'4"x17"x31L on a Friday, they shipped on the following Monday and I received it on Wednesday. Those guys are fast!

I'm comparing all these boards while using the Lift 120HA. I'm 57 y/o and weigh 140 lb (63.5KG).

Compared to my KT 4'4"x19.5"x 3 11/16" x 31L, Ono Dish 4'4" x 36L and JS 4'8" x 19.75"x2.5"x 31L, the Amundson paddles faster and makes it easier to catch waves. The narrow profile and simple bottom contours is a winner for improving paddling speed!

I attached a photo to compare the bottoms of the Amundson and the KT.

It did take a couple of sessions to get used to popping up on the narrower Amundson. At first, the board felt very twitchy on takeoff and I blew several takeoffs that I would normally make. Once I made a takeoff, it felt solid.

My pumping also improved. Previously, my longest pump out the back was 120y. On my second session with the Amundson, my longest pump out the back increased to 130y. I'm assuming this is due to the Amundson being the lightest foilboard in my quiver. When I've touchdown while pumping, I was able to recover about as easily as when I used the KT or the ONO. If I touched down with the JS on the pump out, it was usually game over.

I don't know how the thick beveled rails on the Amundson will handle touchdowns during hard carves since my cutbacks aren't that good yet.

After 6 sessions (waves from KH to HH), the only negative I've experienced is taking off on weak white water. With the KT, with a little bit of white water push, I could get up on foil and get going. With the Amundson, on weak white water, I was more likely to pearl the nose. I think with more sessions, I should be able to compensate and not put as much weight on my hands in weak white water.

An unexpected positive with the narrow profile, is that the front deck pad stretches all the way to the rails. I'm also forced to keep my hands closer to my chest on takeoffs. The end result is my hands don't accidentally slip off the rails!

The Amundson would not have been a good choice as my first board. With the narrow profile and narrow nose, there is less room for error on takeoffs and taking off on a foil was hard enough as a beginner.

The Amundson is definitely my new favorite. I'll have to figure out which board I'll keep as a backup and sell the others.

Awesome! I'm coming off a Nubby but thinking about the Fire Bolt V2, which is slightly wider than the super model, but still quite narrow overall.

Good to hear that in your experience the narrow shape improves paddling speed.

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foilstate said..

Clemop said..
Hi! I am playing with boardcad these days and i am designing a prone board inspired by the Amos raptor. 4'6 x 19 x 2.5 for 30 litres 1 cm concave deck, beveled rail top and bottom and double concave in the nose. My design has no tail rocker (except the traditionnal tail bevel) and 3 inches of nose rocker. This looks good on the computer but i am wondering about this nose rocker... Is it too flat? Does somebody know the standard number for pr?ne foil board? Like the 3.5 n 1.5 t for a fish surfboard? Thanks for your help!

Depends on what you want to do with the board, flatter for more paddling, more rocker for less nose divings. But 3-4 inches of nose rocker on a 4'6 is about the right balance for me between paddling and surfboard feel in the wave. Maybe there are some standard numbers out there..

thank you for your answer, i am about 3.5 now so i think it won't be wrong! but yes paddle speed for such a short length is my priority!

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greg87foil said..
Awesome! I'm coming off a Nubby but thinking about the Fire Bolt V2, which is slightly wider than the super model, but still quite narrow overall.

Good to hear that in your experience the narrow shape improves paddling speed.

I was seriously thinking about ordering a custom 4'4" Firebolt around 34L because I thought the production Firebolt at 4'2" 32L might be too much effort to paddle and the 4'6" at 35L was a hair longer than what I wanted. When I saw the Super Model at the length I wanted, it was an easy decision.

So everyone seems to go for prone 30-35L. What size are your shortboards in L(real surfboards)?

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NordRoi said..
So everyone seems to go for prone 30-35L. What size are your shortboards in L(real surfboards)?

28-30ish, so +5/+7 for prone board for me, although I could prob go smaller. I'm 78kg

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shaka808 said..

foilstate said..
shaka808 thanks for your input! Spending that time in the water, then you probably have a good sense of what works. What board and foil do you usually ride?

I have a couple boards from Amundson currently, and really am hesitant to try anything else. I broke 3 custom boards from 2 different SoCal board builders last year in the course of like 4 months which was a rather expensive experience. I have had 4 boards from amundson and never had an issue with breakage, so I'm keeping with what works for me! Everyday driver is 4'6 x 17". Good balance of being able to paddle long distances and catch waves, but still pumps really well. I have a 4'3 x 18.5 I ride on small days, which feels amazing for pumping but it doesn't paddle nearly as well and harder to get into overhead waves early enough.
Foils, I've tried a few different manufacturers (Lift, Armstrong, Takuma, Cloud) but have been set on Axis for 1.5 years. I like the response of the aluminum mast, and it's definitely more efficient for pumping. I can feel the carbon masts flex laterally when pumping, feels like a wet noodle in comparison to the aluminum. Front wing I'm on the 810 prolly 70% of the time. I ride the 700 when it's well overhead, and the 999 when it's knee high or less. Had a few different red series wings as well, but sold em all when the black series came out.

Hi Shaka

off topic I know.

I have the BSC810 but have trouble linking the third wave.
can you tell me if the art999 is easier to pump?

and also, if you have tried the 899, is that easier to pump than the 810?

many thanks

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Yuppy said..

shaka808 said..

foilstate said..
shaka808 thanks for your input! Spending that time in the water, then you probably have a good sense of what works. What board and foil do you usually ride?

I have a couple boards from Amundson currently, and really am hesitant to try anything else. I broke 3 custom boards from 2 different SoCal board builders last year in the course of like 4 months which was a rather expensive experience. I have had 4 boards from amundson and never had an issue with breakage, so I'm keeping with what works for me! Everyday driver is 4'6 x 17". Good balance of being able to paddle long distances and catch waves, but still pumps really well. I have a 4'3 x 18.5 I ride on small days, which feels amazing for pumping but it doesn't paddle nearly as well and harder to get into overhead waves early enough.
Foils, I've tried a few different manufacturers (Lift, Armstrong, Takuma, Cloud) but have been set on Axis for 1.5 years. I like the response of the aluminum mast, and it's definitely more efficient for pumping. I can feel the carbon masts flex laterally when pumping, feels like a wet noodle in comparison to the aluminum. Front wing I'm on the 810 prolly 70% of the time. I ride the 700 when it's well overhead, and the 999 when it's knee high or less. Had a few different red series wings as well, but sold em all when the black series came out.

Hi Shaka

off topic I know.

I have the BSC810 but have trouble linking the third wave.
can you tell me if the art999 is easier to pump?

and also, if you have tried the 899, is that easier to pump than the 810?

many thanks

Try the 880 HPS you'll love it

I've ridden a number of boards now. Now have the north swell - had all the shape characterstics I liked from riding lots of boards all in one. Volume in the right places, mainly up front. Tucked in tail but not stupidly like some I rode (makes them super squirrelly in white water and releases to early for my liking). Saved me a custom job that's for sure. 4'4 and 38 litres although I recon given it's nose rocker it paddles more like a 36 litre ish board really. Nice board by north.

Might have tweaked a few other things (like less aggressive rocker) but hey can't have it all.
also paddling speed and still short enough to pump with minimal swing nose weight and length I think as someone said above the 4'6 length is probably close to bang on the optimal size. So this shape in a 4'6 with slightly less rocker would be ideal.

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eppo said..
I've ridden a number of boards now. Now have the north swell - had all the shape characterstics I liked from riding lots of boards all in one. Volume in the right places, mainly up front. Tucked in tail but not stupidly like some I rode (makes them super squirrelly in white water and releases to early for my liking). Saved me a custom job that's for sure. 4'4 and 38 litres although I recon given it's nose rocker it paddles more like a 36 litre ish board really. Nice board by north.

Might have tweaked a few other things (like less aggressive rocker) but hey can't have it all.
also paddling speed and still short enough to pump with minimal swing nose weight and length I think as someone said above the 4'6 length is probably close to bang on the optimal size. So this shape in a 4'6 with slightly less rocker would be ideal.

Hi eppo

how much does your north swell 4"4' weight without straps?

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eppo said..
Maybe. I know the new armie board releases fine and bounces off the water just fine. So does the amos.

Are you on the Armstrong payroll Eppo?

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martyman said..

eppo said..
Maybe. I know the new armie board releases fine and bounces off the water just fine. So does the amos.

Are you on the Armstrong payroll Eppo?

Just expousing the qualities of my new north swell board I paid full Price for at kite addiction, so I doubt it very much.. I'm not sure armie has a new prone board nor did I make the comment above ?

Any feedback on the new JS "Mrbennitts" boards
Mainly interested in how that narrow tail feels when up on foil & what the build quality is like.

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toppleover said..
Any feedback on the new JS "Mrbennitts" boards
Mainly interested in how that narrow tail feels when up on foil & what the build quality is like.

I bought the JS Mr bennets signature 4"8'. im very impressed. The narrow tail means you just can't put your back foot in the wrong place.

I am a weak paddler and it paddles very easy I'm 74kg

light and very well made

Very good at catching clean face waves. I think the extra boyancy under the chest makes a massive difference

only downside is the small tail doesn't give as much push in a small mushy whitewater. Not a biggy because these are easy to catch anyway

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Yuppy said..

toppleover said..
Any feedback on the new JS "Mrbennitts" boards
Mainly interested in how that narrow tail feels when up on foil & what the build quality is like.

I bought the JS Mr bennets signature 4"8'. im very impressed. The narrow tail means you just can't put your back foot in the wrong place.

I am a weak paddler and it paddles very easy I'm 74kg

light and very well made

Very good at catching clean face waves. I think the extra boyancy under the chest makes a massive difference

only downside is the small tail doesn't give as much push in a small mushy whitewater. Not a biggy because these are easy to catch anyway

Yeh i had a look at one only thenother day in the flesh, intrigued by the design. Want a go on one for sure.

I bought a 4'6 (31L) a few weeks back, feel great in the water but construction is pretty light...will see how it holds up.

Yeah very impressed with my JS Mister Bennett's 4-7 x 33 litres . The wider nose gives amazing paddle speed plus gives great stability on pop ups . Super light and strong I've had some high velocity bottom strikes and stiil All good . It has heaps of float for 33 litres I could have easily gone gone the 4-6 x 31 litres for my 90 kg . These boards seem to float above their volume . They've proved very popular selling out worldwide so something must be right . Feels great in flight and pumping and the pulled in tail works a treat in tight turns keeping it out of the water and good control bouncing off the foam balls .

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Piros said..
Yeah very impressed with my JS Mister Bennett's 4-7 x 33 litres . The wider nose gives amazing paddle speed plus gives great stability on pop ups . Super light and strong I've had some high velocity bottom strikes and stiil All good . It has heaps of float for 33 litres I could have easily gone gone the 4-6 x 31 litres for my 90 kg . These boards seem to float above their volume . They've proved very popular selling out worldwide so something must be right . Feels great in flight and pumping and the pulled in tail works a treat in tight turns keeping it out of the water and good control bouncing off the foam balls .

Piros, you had the Sunova Casey 4"8 yes? Can you give some feedback on the Casey vs bennetts??? Paddle power, overall direct feel on foil. Do the Bennett have a swing weight feel with all the volume up forward?? Thanks

It's way lighter and floats better even though it's less litres. Way more paddle power/speed in fact probably the for this size and litres the best I've ever owned . My pop up ups are better due to wider nose . Pumping very similar but the Bennett's feels better under foot as it's 1kg lighter .