pohaku said..

hilly said..
My post above was in jest. I have owned a few surf sup kalamas great boards. GoFoil, Armi, Axis, Code and AFS foils. What happened with the GoFoil V2 mast was I had to slam it back initially but the moved it forward in increments and got the balance. The GoFoil V1.5 mast is pretty good not sure why they wanted to go further backThe new Kalama DW shape looks interesting with the narrow tail should work well. Would be great if he put his mind to a parawing board about 85l.

There is one! Just didn't order any. It's 6'4 x 20.5 at 90L, I'm staying at Dave's house this July maybe could get one for you?

pohaku said..

ninjatuna said..
Please post some pics of that CP model. The 7'5" one.

Okay will do against the 7'5 VP V2 cuda. My dad uses with a foil drive so will give him the CP for a comparison.

I can see the point of the tail design. You can ride a 6' board but get the speed of an 8' board to paddle up. Are there any videos of people using prone and Sup in the waves ? Interesting to see how the tail would be on steeper drops. You could probably get enough paddle speed to get in early.

Dave sure does have some genius design ideas and dedication to R & D them. That would have taken a lot of boards shaped to develop.

A big part of having a Kalama is just the feeling it gives you ,having a board that the master waterman and master shaper put so much dedication into.

ChrisWAu said..

pohaku said..

hilly said..
My post above was in jest. I have owned a few surf sup kalamas great boards. GoFoil, Armi, Axis, Code and AFS foils. What happened with the GoFoil V2 mast was I had to slam it back initially but the moved it forward in increments and got the balance. The GoFoil V1.5 mast is pretty good not sure why they wanted to go further backThe new Kalama DW shape looks interesting with the narrow tail should work well. Would be great if he put his mind to a parawing board about 85l.

There is one! Just didn't order any. It's 6'4 x 20.5 at 90L, I'm staying at Dave's house this July maybe could get one for you?

pohaku said..

ninjatuna said..
Please post some pics of that CP model. The 7'5" one.

Okay will do against the 7'5 VP V2 cuda. My dad uses with a foil drive so will give him the CP for a comparison.

I can see the point of the tail design. You can ride a 6' board but get the speed of an 8' board to paddle up. Are there any videos of people using prone and Sup in the waves ? Interesting to see how the tail would be on steeper drops. You could probably get enough paddle speed to get in early.

Dave sure does have some genius design ideas and dedication to R & D them. That would have taken a lot of boards shaped to develop.

A big part of having a Kalama is just the feeling it gives you ,having a board that the master waterman and master shaper put so much dedication into.

I wish I filmed today in the surf. A bunch of us went out on a novelty wave that wasn't event really breaking and everyone's first go on the Gator. Had the 8'10, 8'8 and 8'6 LP out. All 5 of us on the Lift 150 HAX. The most noticeable difference is it's super quick with literally no drag. They surf a foot shorter, feel super balanced underfoot. Like no joke we were all mind blown. I can't wait to downwind this

mulletman said..

pohaku said..

Nice paddle up Dylan ,what size foil &tail were you using..?

In this vid was the 220 HAX with Florence 21 tail. Then did it on the 150 HAX for my first time trying that. I will try get more footage soon

Duggout said..
I didn't realise I needed a new downwind board until I rode the Kalama Gator. I was so impressed with the V1 Barracuda, I was not in the market for anything new.

I've ridden the Kalama E3, V1 Barracuda and now the Gator. Aesthetically the Gator is something else. Once in the water, the Kalama DNA was evident, and the improvements were obvious. Slipperier through water with the narrower outline with no loss of stability, assumingly due to the radically different bottom and tail shape.

I've dropped volume from 102 litres to 95 litres from the 7'10 V1 Barracuda to 8'6 LP Gator. You can feel the hours of design and testing improvements.

I ride Lift and soon to try Code foils and it was nice to have the foil in the middle of the boxes. The nose shape is impressive and the release from the water next level. I rely on board design and technique, due to my lack of strength, for board speed and this was immediately obvious.

The construction is first class and seems a little lighter than my V1 (I haven't weighed either).

Well done Dave Kalama and thanks for making this amazing sport accessible to anyone willing to commit.

I'm sure the shape has been tweaked but the increased length will improve boardspeed quite a bit.

seabeez said..

pohaku said..

ninjatuna said..
Please post some pics of that CP model. The 7'5" one.

CP 7'5 next to the VP V2 7'5

Looks like a very different design. Can you comment on how the cp performs vs the vp?

Personally have not done side to side comparisons my dad will next week on foil drive

Can anyone explain to me the idea behind the gator tail and overall shape? I mean it certainly looks like a natural stream lined marine animal shape. Maybe a tear drop shape which lowers drag. It's definitely different than anything else on the market currently. I look forward to hearing Daves explanation when he next does a podcast.

I can tell you what I experienced in two sessions on the 8'6" X 18 95 l. I own a 9"0" x16 V2 102 l barracuda. I borrowed the demo board for 2 days and used it in hip high face waves that didn't quite break.

Like all Kalama's it paddled very straight but because of the reduced tail i could lean back and maneuver it around the line up nicely. A lot easier than my V2

The board had great paddle speed but maybe not quite as fast as my 16 wide v2 but similar from what i can tell yet seemed just as capable to paddle up in these minimal circumstances while feeling like a much smaller board.

A lot more stable than my V2 as you would expect being two inches wider but i think more stable than my old 18.5 wide V1.

I like how my Barracudas paddle really straight as the bumps approaches but allow for some slight direction change as your bouncing and just about to completely leave the water. The flat bottom helps with unlocking the direction just when you need it. The Gator adds a whole new level of control at this point with the same straight paddling leading into this phase. You can control the direction and release right at that final moment to flight.

The board rocks to release a lot better than my V2 and leaves the water very nicely. Probably due to the minimal tail. Yes the end to end stability has to be less of course.

The board felt noticeably smaller on foil and very different than a barracuda. My brain was telling me i am going to catch the tail in the turn because i am feeling less board in front but it never happened. The tail seems to be tucked well away with minimal touch points and in fact it never touched during pumping or turning.

I think the design is trying to give some stability back without robbing paddle speed or the ability to paddle up with the same ease of a narrower board. Earlier release is what i felt.

I am 58 yo with all the limitations that come with it. I am a downwinder but no pro and i need all the help i can get to be on foil but once up I am away. The 16 wide v2 made getting on foil a lot easier but required serious concentration and core strength to be balanced enough to enjoy the easier paddle up or otherwise you are climbing back on from the water. I think the gator could give me back some stability but also make the paddle up a little easier and more repeatable.

I think there is a lot more going on than i could fathom from my limited time on the board. Plenty to unlock for sure.

Edit, Weighed 5.3 kg according to my digital bathroom scales.
My 2c worth.

Youngbreezy said..

pohaku said..

Does he talk about the new boards in this podcast? If so when does it start? I listened to the beginning but it doesn't seem focused on the new gear

Dave Kalama on Downwind boards: They get to the evolution of the "Kalama" style downwind board at the end of the podcast/interview. He mentions that his 8" x 21" board was a GAME CHANGER. Good for him, great for the rest of the world of downwinding. No further mention of any V1, V2 or the Gator.

Summary:
Legendary waterman Dave Kalama joins the Lenny brothers for a deep dive into his life and the evolution of water sports. Kalama discusses his early years in Southern California and Mammoth, where his passion for surfing and ski racing first took shape (6:00-7:00). He credits his time in downhill ski racing for developing the speed tolerance and adaptability that later helped him navigate massive waves like Jaws (7:13-8:00).

Kalama details his move to Maui in 1985 and how an audible inner voice on a layover convinced him he belonged there (14:40-15:20). He quickly immersed himself in windsurfing and eventually became a pioneer at Ho'okipa, progressing from spectator to innovator. He co-developed iconic maneuvers like the goiter, which was humorously named after a "Seinfeld" episode (28:04-29:04).

A pivotal part of the conversation covers Kalama's first ventures at Jaws (Peahi), when he and friends windsurfed the break before it became globally recognized. One of the most harrowing stories comes from Y2K, when Kalama nearly drowned during a tow-in wipeout-an experience that changed his philosophy on using flotation devices (46:00-54:00).

He later shifted his focus to riding the lesser-contested lefts at Jaws for solitude and freedom (58:12-59:00), and reflects on how the influx of media and athletes transformed the once-private spot into a proving ground for global big wave surfers (1:00:00-1:01:10).

The episode closes with mutual respect between Kalama and Kai Lenny, as Kalama acknowledges Lenny's evolution and the future of innovation in foiling and beyond (1:02:00-1:04:20).

8' x 20 at 105L - axis

8'4 x 21.5 - 115L - code

8'8 x 18.5 - 105L - Lift (not sure why uploaded on side)

AP range



LP range



CP, AP, LP

Has anyone who has found the V2 with tracks too far back been able to try this new Gator board and have an opinion? I know there are some here who say that the tracks have been fine but I and many others are very hesitant to buy it from our experiences with track placement.

Since this thread I actually got to try a buddy's V2 9'4 16" wide kalama. It was interesting at the start. The bumps were quite small and crossed up and I had significant trouble with the foil being too far back for me, even slammed forward. If I stood further back, I lost stability that was needed in those bumps, but if I stood further forward where I wanted to be in the board I needed a lot more speed to avoid slamming the water on the pump from being too far forward. This was on a code 860r, long fuse, 135r tail.

Once out into better bumps where I could generate more speed, it worked well. I wonder if this might be a disconnect between the Maui riders and those and other places that might not have such nice bumps.

How much do you weigh?

~77kg when trying the board. Though the owner who is 95kg also has his code setup slammed forward and wants more room. Actually decided against Gator out of worry about the tracks.

Another buddy bought the 9'x16" board at I think ~68kg and sold it due to wanting tracks further forward running Axis gear.

Can somebody confirm the construction and weight of these boards?
Are we talking about a full PVC sandwich?

pohaku said..

Pacoo said..
Can somebody confirm the construction and weight of these boards?
Are we talking about a full PVC sandwich?

Full Carbon PVC sandwich

One last question. And I'm sorry because I will be doing the purchase in Europe. Do you know the weight of the 8.10 LP ?

Stingersup said..
From the Australian rep,
8'6 - 5.3kg
8'8 - 5.6kg
8'10 - 5.9kg

Thanks