Aloha guys,

i just picked up a GoFoil set and in the market for a foil sup board..I've narrowed my choice down to two boards: the Jimmy Lewis "Flying V" (5'11 or 6'5") and the production Dave Kalama board (6'). I want to know if the Dave Kalama board (pvc construction) is worth the extra ~$300 cost over the JL model..I'm 175lbs and an experienced SUP surfer- but this would be my first foil specific board. ideally I would want something that I could progress on and not outgrow quickly. Any input would be appreciated!

Mahalo!

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mokuokeawe said..
Aloha guys,

i just picked up a GoFoil set and in the market for a foil sup board..I've narrowed my choice down to two boards: the Jimmy Lewis "Flying V" (5'11 or 6'5") and the production Dave Kalama board (6'). I want to know if the Dave Kalama board (pvc construction) is worth the extra ~$300 cost over the JL model..I'm 175lbs and an experienced SUP surfer- but this would be my first foil specific board. ideally I would want something that I could progress on and not outgrow quickly. Any input would be appreciated!

Mahalo!

Will be interested in hearing the responses you get to this as if I ever upgraded to a dedicated foil board it would likely be one of these in the exact sizes you mention. The only thing I have to add is I was told by the shop that the Flying V is 1-2lbs lighter than the equivalent Kalama and they are made in the same factory... my friend picked up a Flying V and it is beautiful though I haven't paddled it yet.

That's what I had heard too- both quality boards made in the same factory, but the JL boards being lighter (versus the DK equivalent). it could also be due to the larger amount of volume that the DK boards have compared to the JL boards

Hi mokuokeawe, both good choices but the reason for the weight difference between the 2 from the same factory is the difference in construction.... Only Jimmy's boards are made with his "Signature JL Sandwich Construction" & nothing to do with numbers.... No one else who gets boards made at Kinetic are allowed to use his construction method.... Dave Kalama's boards look great & are only just starting to come out of the Kinetic factory now as previously they were all custom boards & Dave was even good enough to ask Jimmy if he had a problem with him getting boards made there... It's a big selling point for brands to say they come from the Kinetic factory but that doesn't mean they are all made the same... Some brands on the market use the cheapest construction method that Kinetic offer but then boast they use Kinetic but I'm sure Dave's boards will be well made but just not the same as JL's.... They're so light & strong i don't even bother bringing the carbon models in to Australia...

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Jimmy Lewis Boards said..
Hi mokuokeawe, both good choices but the reason for the weight difference between the 2 from the same factory is the difference in construction.... Only Jimmy's boards are made with his "Signature JL Sandwich Construction" & nothing to do with numbers.... No one else who gets boards made at Kinetic are allowed to use his construction method.... Dave Kalama's boards look great & are only just starting to come out of the Kinetic factory now as previously they were all custom boards & Dave was even good enough to ask Jimmy if he had a problem with him getting boards made there... It's a big selling point for brands to say they come from the Kinetic factory but that doesn't mean they are all made the same... Some brands on the market use the cheapest construction method that Kinetic offer but then boast they use Kinetic but I'm sure Dave's boards will be well made but just not the same as JL's.... They're so light & strong i don't even bother bringing the carbon models in to Australia...

thanks for the clarification...is there a weight difference between the Signature sandwich construction vs carbon construction in the JL Flying V?

No next to nothing....Probably a few hundred grams.... I don't even ride the carbon models in any of my sup's or foil boards.... Jimmy only offers the carbon construction because of people's perception that "ALL" carbon boards are better than non-carbon... The only difference with his "Carbon Signature Construction" & his "JL Signature Construction" is that he replaces the wrap of fibreglass with a wrap of carbon...
We put a "Name Brand" Carbon Pro model on the scales in a shop that was 8'5 & 115L & the 8'5 JL Signature Construction at a 127L with a full deck grip & they weighed exactly the same (approx 6.5kg from memory)

awesome, thanks for the info! Looking online I see the 5'11 at 105L and the 6'5 at 107L . Being that the volumes are similar and with my weight (175lb) -would one be better suited for me, or does it come down to personal preference?

Because you have the foil for stability it really just comes down to personal preference & what you are comfortable with... Just remember there's a lot of paddling back out... I've been foiling for nearly 2 years & only now going down to the 6'5 Flying V...

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Jimmy Lewis Boards said..
Just remember there's a lot of paddling back out...

+1 This is very important, getting back half a mile gets old fast if you must paddle a sea anchor, especially in foiling conditions (chop).

The young top athletes get away with very small boards because they just take off close to the beach then pump their way back up to the lineup, and they need the smallest possible board for an efficient pumping. But this is not an option for normal people.

that's very true, the majority of foiling spots are a lot further from shore and do require more paddling..I would hate to struggle just to get back to the peak, especially when I'm trying to gain wave experience on the foil

I'd been thinking about getting one of those short foil sup boards but, now that I can ride a fair way on the foil, I don't think I'd be enthused paddling back out all that way all the time on a short unit. The home wave is already about 1km out to sea sometimes so, after all that, I'm staying with the 7"6 hypernut. Serves my purpose but everyone has their priorities....ie performance vs practicality

I've noticed no difference with paddling back out between my original 7'3 JL Hover Craft (which I've had to get back on to since I sold my 6'11 Flying V to a customer in Merimbula) & my 6'11.... The biggest difference is the pumping back out on the shorter board....I'm going down to the 6'5" when the next shipment arrives next week... The new Flying V is thicker & narrower so paddling, turning & flying time are all better but the 7'3 Hover Board would be better suited to someone getting into foiling because it's slightly wider & easier in some ways..

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Jimmy Lewis Boards said..
I've noticed no difference with paddling back out between my original 7'3 JL Hover Craft (which I've had to get back on to since I sold my 6'11 Flying V to a customer in Merimbula) & my 6'11.... The biggest difference is the pumping back out on the shorter board....I'm going down to the 6'5" when the next shipment arrives next week... The new Flying V is thicker & narrower so paddling, turning & flying time are all better but the 7'3 Hover Board would be better suited to someone getting into foiling because it's slightly wider & easier in some ways..

I did consider the 7'3 hovercraft as well, but for the prices that people at selling them in my area (used) I can pay a little more and get a brand new Flying V...I find the track mounts on the Flying V also allow more fine tuning in the future with a plate mount..
do you find the board gets up on foil easier with the step tail in the Flying V?

Yes the step-tail in the Flying V certainly helps with the pop up on both waves & downwinding...

Knowing what you know now, if you could have done it again, would you have gone straight from the 7'3 then to the 6'5 board(skipping the 6'11 in between)?

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Jimmy Lewis Boards said..
I've noticed no difference with paddling back out between my original 7'3 JL Hover Craft (which I've had to get back on to since I sold my 6'11 Flying V to a customer in Merimbula) & my 6'11.... The biggest difference is the pumping back out on the shorter board....I'm going down to the 6'5" when the next shipment arrives next week... The new Flying V is thicker & narrower so paddling, turning & flying time are all better but the 7'3 Hover Board would be better suited to someone getting into foiling because it's slightly wider & easier in some ways..

You have very good natural skills, excellent fitness and lots of time on the water.
As such your reviews are excellent value as to what can be achieved.

Mmmm not sure.... there's always a trade off somewhere & thanks Warwickl but it's just time on the water....

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Jimmy Lewis Boards said..
Mmmm not sure.... there's always a trade off somewhere & thanks Warwickl but it's just time on the water....

Thanks for answering all my questions! As you can tell I'm trying to get the most info I can before making the decision

You're about the same weight as me so it depends on your foiling experience.... you can't go wrong with either the 6'5 or 6'11 it just depends on you I guess... good luck :)