I can't wait to buy my second board, but what to get? Looking at possibly a Starboard Carve or JP Freestyle Wave or???????
Been sailing since Easter and get out usually 1 or 2 times a week on Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.
Learnt to plane, waterstart, get in straps, use harness, tack and very carefully gybe once in many attempts. Love the sport, just wish I had taken it up sooner. Currently using a JP Funride 140 litre. I weigh 66kgs. (sails 6m and 5m) I like to get on the waves whenever some bay chop is around and looking forward to the S.Westerlies.
I tried a F2 Axxis 85 litre but was just kidding myself as the nose kept wanting to turn upwind. Feel like I need to have something bigger than this as I hopefully progress.
Any suggestions? JP Freestyle Wave is my frontrunner at this stage. Size?

Hi Waggles

I'm 72kegs and ride a 105L Starboard Kombat (freestylewave)

The JP is a nice board. At my weight/skill (1.5yr) it is an all round board from next to 0kn on the river to 20kn coastal (then gets a bit big for windy ocean sailing from there).

Hope that helps. My ideal board quiver:

- ~130L Starboard Futura type ride

- ~100L FSW board

- ~80-90L FSW-Wave board

edit: thats a 89L F2 Axxis in my avatar, still yet to get the right time to use it (but I get the pointing up too, I reckon mastfoot forward, but probably more like it just needs to be powered up and plaining properly first)

the missus will love you for it

Dism that is my board quiver .. and I'm 96kg

Dism, were you happy with the 105 L when you dropped down? Did you ever wish you had gone for either more or less volume?
I already do the ironing to keep in good with the missus. Pays off

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waggles56 said...

I can't wait to buy my second board, but what to get? Looking at possibly a Starboard Carve or JP Freestyle Wave or???????

I weigh 75-80
My secondish board was a Starboard Carve 111 litre (2006).
My third was a JP FSW 98 litre (2005).

I still have both.


The two boards are quite different.

The Carve has a very crisp ridewith soft rails. It can be very rough in chop as the bottom is just flaaat, it takes a bit to carve it but it does feel pretty sweet when you get it right. I like it on flatwater, it planes early and actually has a surprisingly good top end off the wind. I mean to sell it, but just can't do it.

I found the 111 litre Carve to be perfect size for my second board, but I'm not sure if it actually is 111 litres, apparently Starboard sizes can be larger than what they say for "marketing reasons". I reckon my 111 is actually 120 litres. Can anyone confirm this???

The JP FreestyleWave works well in all conditions. First ride on it was in the surf and it just felt completely intuitive and confidence inspiring. Turns a lot easier of course with only slight rail pressure compared to the Carve. I think it may not be as tough as the Carve, ie catapults into the nose?

The JP FSW 98 is just big enough to uphaul on for my 75-80kgs. Takes a little bit of balance and the toes get wet.

I reckon the JP FreestyleWave would have been fine for me as my second board. I'd recommend you the 107 litre size. I think you'll find it much easier in the chop and easier to gybe. Personally I can't ride the Carve at Shearwater with chop, it is just uncomfortable. Just check it is suitable for your 5 and 6 metre sails.

If you were in mostly flatwater I'd lean toward the Carve, or similar, like a JP ExciteRide.

my suggestion was the JP Freestyle Wave 98 as well... they were sold in pretty big numbers so you might be able to track down a used one 1 or 2 years old for very little coin.

Try SBHQ in Melbourne... as well as Windsurf n Snow here in Sydney or Windsurfing Perth for any run out / second hand stock.

Any of those shops might even let you try the board first if it's already used. They should also have comparable boards from other manufacturers.

The Carve is not really in the same category as the Freestyle Waves. No matter what the brochures or various sponsored riders in this forum say my personal experience is that the JP Freestyle Wave sits between the Starboard Carve and Starboard Evo.

I think the Starboard Kode is probably closer to a JP Freestyle Wave. Another option is the Freewave from Fanatic but I they are more wave than freeride.

Found a JP FSW 101 litre demo board for a good price. Was thinking the 107 L but maybe the 101 L now ????
Will I or won't I??

101, twelve months down the track it will be your big board and you will want something like 80litre

Waggles, yeah happy with the 105L, plenty of float to do a very dry uphaul, easy enough to learn to waterstart, so enough volume for safety to give you better confidence to go out in increasing difficulty conditions

Waggles, I used to sail with Wormy(hey Jeff, how's Mackay goin now?), and bought the 105L off him after obliterated the nose, now prob 6months later, i'm starting to think of the ~80L boards (just need some wind)

Mark_Aus - yeah my quiver is floatier then your, but I live in NSW, not windy WA, and less skills = more volume. One day maybe i'll be on a 60 or 69L board (need wind first)!

I'd buy the 101L Wags