Hi all.. Im riding a 161 go and looking to progress. I am still learning water starts. Still a novice.Thus up hauling is required Im 86kg. Has any one ridden an Atomic IQ. If so I would like to know what you think of them.

Hi Bero,

Yes I have one. I demoed one a the Zuu at St Kilda and when I got back to Sydney sold 2 of my other boards and a bit of cash to buy a Atomic 110. Originally from Melb and was visiting family. I sailed it in around 18-23 knots a few weeks ago. It is an excellent board. At 7.5kg it is just over a kilo heavier than an isonic or other top line slalom board but it has really good pads for the bay and the rails are very forgiving in the bay chop. It accelerates very quickly and I always felt in control with it. The rails are very thin which is a bonus as when I came into a gybe at speed it really gripped. Having said that if my gybe wasn't 100% or it was a bit of a lull it had the width to just take your time flip the sail and not get wet. Probably two options sell the 161 and get a 120, or I think if I was at your stage keep the 161 and get 110. It shouldn't take you long to learn how to water start and it will be easier on a smaller board. Have a go at water starting at inverloch where you will soon get blown down onto a sandbank and can beach start and don't have to worry about pesky bay chop. I use a mast/boom head protector from Pryde just in case I get catapulted, but haven't even looked like being close on this board, but at your stage you will want to. I also use a severne NCX on it which is easy to rotate. First go on it didn't get wet for the first hour till I got a bit tired. On my own gear in that time frame I would have normally fallen off 5 or 6 times in the hour. I'm 88kg. All the hype on starboard site rings true after I sailed it. You will need to be able to waterstart before taking it on the bay however otherwise you will damage it trying to get up and up hauling in bay chop in the conditions for it to perform.

Hi Dean

Thanks a lot for your info. I have been out at west beach over the past week. I have had a short spin in lite wind on a 110. One of the sailors there saw me drooling over his ride. I was able to up haul and off I went with a huge grin.

The real good thing about sailing there are the crew who have been giving me pointers on water starting. that's been ace.
I can now shallow water start. Deep water starts need work. Doing some thing wrong as I find it hard to fly the rig.

When I get a bit better I will be looking at a 110L. However I do need to protect the front of the board.

Thanks again
Bero..

No worries Bero. With the new shorter boards it is not as easy as it used to be water start as one could always drag the boom over the back of the board and the rig would pop out. I just use one arm to as an extension of the board and put the boom on that sometimes. It really is in the positioning of the rig and once in the right position a quick yank with the mast at right angles to the wind to get the water off. Also make sure you start with a wave sail or sail without a clew that is too long and foot not too low. I have never gone to the end of the mast like in some of the old learning videos.