Hi All.
i am rebuilding my quiver and am now looking for a new board. I am lookiing for freeride/freerace board. I have a 86 starboard kode which I enjoy when the condition suit but would like something bigger for the light days to blast on flat water and when the tide rush out I need some good upwind gear to avoid long walk. I sold my 125 rocked that I loved but was just too big. (I am 65kg) I think I would like a futura or rocket wide or something similar around 100-107l. I can not be too picky as where I live in NZ there is not a lot on offer locally and I can't afford buying new. Someone has offered me a 2017 Isonic 107l at a fair price. My sails for that type board would be a HSM GPS 6m and NP V8 7.7m. I am convinced that I am not skilled enough to push the Isonic to its limit but my question is would it be enjoyable to ride it at 3/4 throttle? It look like the newer slalom board are more accessible than in the past. Would this board be considered accessible for an advanced intermediate or would it be better to wait and stick to freeride board. Lastly would a 6m 3 cam sail be suitable or does Isonic hate smaller sails? Perhaps with a smaller fin?
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Cheers

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Bennn said..
Hi All.
i am rebuilding my quiver and am now looking for a new board. I am lookiing for freeride/freerace board. I have a 86 starboard kode which I enjoy when the condition suit but would like something bigger for the light days to blast on flat water and when the tide rush out I need some good upwind gear to avoid long walk. I sold my 125 rocked that I loved but was just too big. (I am 65kg) I think I would like a futura or rocket wide or something similar around 100-107l. I can not be too picky as where I live in NZ there is not a lot on offer locally and I can't afford buying new. Someone has offered me a 2017 Isonic 107l at a fair price. My sails for that type board would be a HSM GPS 6m and NP V8 7.7m. I am convinced that I am not skilled enough to push the Isonic to its limit but my question is would it be enjoyable to ride it at 3/4 throttle? It look like the newer slalom board are more accessible than in the past. Would this board be considered accessible for an advanced intermediate or would it be better to wait and stick to freeride board. Lastly would a 6m 3 cam sail be suitable or does Isonic hate smaller sails? Perhaps with a smaller fin?
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Cheers

I'm 65kgs and use my 87ltre isonic in flatwater , small chop ( 15 - 20cm ) .
With a 6m sail I'd be on a smaller 80ltre board.
I don't like the 87ltre board in chop , too bouncy and hard work for me. It feels a bit big for me in larger chop I'd rather be on something more user friendly.

The fact that you have posted this in the GPS and speed section, suggests to me that you are interested in going fast. The 107 isonics are great fast boards and in flat water they are relatively easy to ride. That said a board of this size is probably best suited to sails of 6.6m to 7.7m. At your weight this is only going to suit for really light wind situations. In 15 kts+ and any sort of chop with only 65kg to hold it down it will be a nightmare.

Hi Bennn where in NZ will you be using it, in a harbour or estuary or out on the open water? That size isonic would be your 'big' board at 65kgs, good with the 7.7 sail but once you get comfortable on it, may find it too big with the 6m 3 cam sail but if you're using it in flatish water it will be fine, definitely rideable by an advanced intermediate sailor, just get a couple of different size fins for each sail. The 17 isonics are really nice boards, I've been using the 97l with 6.2 & 7m and 117l with 7.8m, same weight as you.

Hey Dezza what he needs is that sweet 97 litre Isonic of yours!

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Dezza said..
Hi Bennn where in NZ will you be using it, in a harbour or estuary or out on the open water? That size isonic would be your 'big' board at 65kgs, good with the 7.7 sail but once you get comfortable on it, may find it too big with the 6m 3 cam sail but if you're using it in flatish water it will be fine, definitely rideable by an advanced intermediate sailor, just get a couple of different size fins for each sail. The 17 isonics are really nice boards, I've been using the 97l with 6.2 & 7m and 117l with 7.8m, same weight as you.

Yes that would be my big/light wind board inside the Nelson Harbour. Probably 15-20 kts. If it's 20kts+ and the surface is bumpy I am happy to use my 86 kode for comfort. But when the tide rip out, the water get pretty flat so that would be my go to board if the tide is on the swing. We also have a long sand bar for speed runs and that would be my board for that spot on light wind. (15kts-20)

So it look like most are saying that the Isonic is not great in chop. Would a futura be any better?

Bennn, you've got a range of conditions to kit up for there, for the speed runs in that harbour when flat you really want a smaller board than a 107l, but as you say when it picks up you can pull out the kode, great in chop, great high wind board (sboardcrazy really should've got one of those) and in the lighter winds then a board like that 107 isonic would get you out. When it's 107/7.7 winds, the chop is not really a problem. When it's 6m winds some don't like the isonics and other slalom boards in choppy water, it's personal preference, I love my small isonics in strong wind but they can get a bit hard to manage until you find the right fin.

The 107 isonic for the 7,7 days and the 86 kode you already have, is a good 2 board quiver. From what you've said I'd be buying the 107, and then I'd look for a 90l isonic later on

The 2017 isonics are pretty good in the chop as far as slalom boards go.

If you can track one down ideal size would be a 2017 isonic 97 which was 105L x 67w & rides very similar to the 107.

Don't like carbon art?

A slalom board is a slalom board, if you've not ridden one then its going to take a bit of time perhaps to get the set up right and get used to a loaded back foot.
but the newer generation isonics (including the 2017) are much more chop friendly than previous generations. I weigh a couple of kg more than you and use my 107 in mostly choppy conditions in 15 to 20knots, sometimes a little more with a 7.8 or 7m.

Ideally you'd be better off on a free ride/race if youre not racing as they're a bit more user friendly. But if youre advanced intermediate and you've got limited availability, i'd jump on that 107 before it gets sold elsewhere. (I've got to say my 107 is my favourite board.)

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mkseven said..
The 2017 isonics are pretty good in the chop as far as slalom boards go.

If you can track one down ideal size would be a 2017 isonic 97 which was 105L x 67w & rides very similar to the 107.

Don't like carbon art?

Can't say I don't like carbon art. I never tried one. It's not a popular brand with the local crew so I don't know what they are like. Would you say that they are good?

CA's seemto be stiffer than Cobra boards, possibly transmitting more energy for go fast if skills are there.
My Isonic seems as friendly as my Futura, but close to 3lbs. different in weight makes sense
alive.
Much wider tail and outset straps.

I find the 87litre isonic good in flatter water with in 12 -18kts and a 7m.
I've only ever sailed it with a delta style fin in flatter water . I haven't tried a normal fin in bigger chop as I swap to a softer riding ,more chop friendly board.

The futuras are more chop friendly, but I traded mine for an isonic of the same size because I found the sharp rails made it easier to gybe

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Windxtasy said..
The futuras are more chop friendly, but I traded mine for an isonic of the same size because I found the sharp rails made it easier to gybe

That is very interesting. Thanks for the info!!

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sboardcrazy said..
I find the 87litre isonic good in flatter water with in 12 -18kts and a 7m.
I've only ever sailed it with a delta style fin in flatter water . I haven't tried a normal fin in bigger chop as I swap to a softer riding ,more chop friendly board.

That is impressive 7m and 87l board in 12kts. Sound like the Isonic has great light wind capability. Cheers for the input!

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Bennn said..

sboardcrazy said..
I find the 87litre isonic good in flatter water with in 12 -18kts and a 7m.
I've only ever sailed it with a delta style fin in flatter water . I haven't tried a normal fin in bigger chop as I swap to a softer riding ,more chop friendly board.

That is impressive 7m and 87l board in 12kts. Sound like the Isonic has great light wind capability. Cheers for the input!

I didn't say I planed in 12kts..
I suppose in dead flatwater I'd get planing in a consistent 13/14kts? Where I sail it's shallow so if I'm off the plane it's not that big a deal. I can stop and rest.
I can get going in 10-12kts but that's on a 111ltre board with a 7.5m sail..

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sboardcrazy said..

Bennn said..

sboardcrazy said..
I find the 87litre isonic good in flatter water with in 12 -18kts and a 7m.
I've only ever sailed it with a delta style fin in flatter water . I haven't tried a normal fin in bigger chop as I swap to a softer riding ,more chop friendly board.

That is impressive 7m and 87l board in 12kts. Sound like the Isonic has great light wind capability. Cheers for the input!

I didn't say I planed in 12kts..
I suppose in dead flatwater I'd get planing in a consistent 13/14kts? Where I sail it's shallow so if I'm off the plane it's not that big a deal. I can stop and rest.
I can get going in 10-12kts but that's on a 111ltre board with a 7.5m sail..

Ha! Thanks for clarifying. Still sound like the board has some good features for light wing sailing.

I just got my 107 Isonic 2018 and can not be more pleased with it. I had a light wind session 12-15kts with my 7.7m V8 and absolutely loved every second on that board. Efortless to get on the plane and really took a big lull to come off. The contact with the water is something I never felt before. I feel every bump and ripples but in a good way. It feel like the board is an extension of my body. It does everything I want it to do. I guess its because its so much lighter than other board I have used. The footstraps have no stretch that I can feel and I really liked that too. The board tell you straight away if you are doing the right thing or not and making the smallest adjustment in body weight, toe pressure, mast pressure is instantly felt and so far resulted in noticeable speed increase. So thanks for everyone help with this and I think I got myself a magic carpet. I look forward to try this setup in the top wind range, for me in 18-20kts.

Cheers

Ben