Hey. Looking for some advice from the brains trust on my next board.

I'm 75kg. I wing on two Sunova boards; a 6'4" x 24" = 99.6L Aviator (as my go-to) and a 7'6"x20"=113L 2003 DW (for light wind or when I'm pretending to be able to downwind! lol). In terms of skill level, I can ride normal and goofy but my switches are crap, I can get more gybes than not (only in normal stance, both sides) in flat water on my S1 set up (1550 front, 300 stab) and 1350APF, but on my HAv2 1080 w/ 180 stab I manage less of them. My toe side is okay but nailing my switches and riding heel side would be better. Not tacks yet. My pumping game isn't great (I've relied mostly on speed over water to get up but have managed to pump through some short lulls). History of surfing so aim is to also ride waves and DW.

Question 1: At this stage, should I be looking at getting a board of 75L +/- 5L ? Or, should I just save my cash and dial in my gybes and switches before downsizing?

When I downsize, I've been thinking of getting a mid-length Sunova or Army. Army's are too expensive new-I could stretch to getting one used or a new or a new/used Sunova ML.

Question 2: Is there an appreciable difference between them?

Thanks guys.

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DrRog said..
Hey. Looking for some advice from the brains trust on my next board.

I'm 75kg. I wing on two Sunova boards; a 6'4" x 24" = 99.6L Aviator (as my go-to) and a 7'6"x20"=113L 2003 DW (for light wind or when I'm pretending to be able to downwind! lol). In terms of skill level, I can ride normal and goofy but my switches are crap, I can get more gybes than not (only in normal stance, both sides) in flat water on my S1 set up (1550 front, 300 stab) and 1350APF, but on my HAv2 1080 w/ 180 stab I manage less of them. My toe side is okay but nailing my switches and riding heel side would be better. Not tacks yet. My pumping game isn't great (I've relied mostly on speed over water to get up but have managed to pump through some short lulls). History of surfing so aim is to also ride waves and DW.

Question 1: At this stage, should I be looking at getting a board of 75L +/- 5L ? Or, should I just save my cash and dial in my gybes and switches before downsizing?

When I downsize, I've been thinking of getting a mid-length Sunova or Army. Army's are too expensive new-I could stretch to getting one used or a new or a new/used Sunova ML.

Question 2: Is there an appreciable difference between them?

Thanks guys.

In theory, if you were to get a smaller board, why would you be choosing to do so? What's your goal with that change?

Can you go out and spend an entire session just doing foot switches just to get over the hump? That's the best way to move on from that struggle IMO. Go out with no intention of surfing or having fun. Just do switches until you get tired and then come in and take a break before you go back out for your fun sesh.

I prefer Sunova, it would be hard to get me to change away from them since it's so affordable to have customs made. I disliked the raised portions of an Armstrong board and am so picky about my dims that I never cared for those boards. Plenty of people like both though.

I'm 70kg and generally wing on boards between 40-50L and yes there is a noticeable increase in performance especially in surf compared to bigger boards.

Having said that though I'm not a huge fan of neutrally buoyant boards as I tend to find them a bit corky particularly in choppy conditions, I'd rather a full floater or full sinker.

I wouldn't rush to downsize boards until you're very confident with your gybes and foot swaps reason being is you'll be less likely to make multiple attempts if it's harder to get back up and going on foil on a smaller board if you fall.

Your foils are also pretty big for your size as well you'll probably eventually end up down in the 600-800ish range but again get the basics down on your current gear and then make the switch to smaller boards/foils.

Are you able to demo a smaller board from your local shop, or local crew, and see how it feels so you know whether to get one or if it's just more time on the water needed..

+1 on investing In a new front foil first.
put the aviator on fb marketplace, try to upgrade to a used 85l 20-22" width when the opportunity presents itself! The 7'6" sounds fun enough to hold you over/ great to get used to a smaller foil on!

BWalnut, honestly, after I wrote this post, I wondered the same thing - why? I guess generally that I eventually need to downsize over time for surf, as drc13 mentioned. And I just thought with 20L less it might feel a bit more nimble and I might be ready for it. But I also know that I haven't been able to get a foil in for 3 1/2 weeks so what else to do with my frustration but watch vids and window shop online for the next bit of kit that I obviously desperately need?! So I guess it's not actually an urgent thing.

Yep, I think I can probably get the foot switches with a couple of sessions practicing, BW - good suggestion re the drills session. I don't think it's a particular stuck point it's just the next skill I need in the journey now that gybes are a thing. Thanks for your view on the brands, too.

Yes, I've seen you comment elsewhere about neutral boards in other posts, drc - I found that interesting - confusing at first but I can see how that could be the case. Have any of you others found the same thing?

I think I'll take your / others' advice on getting the basics dialed first.

And yes, I guess I'll pick up something like a HA 780 or UHA 670 as my next foil when i get there but haven't yet felt any need to downsize from the 1080.

Bored, yep, will see if I can.

Banjo, great idea except the DW board ...on foil - lovely, fun. Getting up on foil - easy, beautiful. Not on foil managing it in big, messy chop / waves or trying to taxi gybe if I've come down, it has a (straight) mind of its own and can be more frustrating than the 100L.

Thanks all! Appreciate any other thoughts, if relevant.

I reckon for 75kg your current boards are pretty big and if you downsized to a 60-70l board, would take a little getting used too but wouldn't take long - presuming you are powered up :) if its lightwind you are after stick with what you have.

I would search around for a cheap secondhand wing board to get a taste and see what works for you, or as the lads said try and demo or test a few. I'm 75kg too, started on a 90' and went to a 75l, 4'10' x 22.5 and stayed on this for around 2 years as it did everything I needed it to. Short is fun. I'd say you'd pick up something like that cheap enough in current market :)

Actually I'll caveat that by saying a small board, the get up and go skill takes some learning as the board can be pitchy etc. If you are nimble and getting to your feet quick then go for it. If you are used to getting up on that aircraft carrier of an aviator slowly then might take a little longer to get used too !

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DrRog said..
But I also know that I haven't been able to get a foil in for 3 1/2 weeks so what else to do with my frustration but watch vids and window shop online for the next bit of kit that I obviously desperately need?!

That sounds like a sick kind of torture, foil retail therapy is pricey but effective!

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DrRog said..
Yes, I've seen you comment elsewhere about neutral boards in other posts, drc - I found that interesting - confusing at first but I can see how that could be the case. Have any of you others found the same thing?

Just to expand on this a little further a positively buoyant board can provide stability by simply having so much volume that it's not knocked around quite so easily.

A negatively buoyant board sits under the surface of the water largely unaffected by any surface chop (I can sit sunk to my waist and relatively stable until I'm ready to go)

A neutral buoyant board doesn't provide either of those advantages it doesn't sink so sits just on the surface of the water where every bit of chop can toss the board around.

Even though I have advised you not to change boards out just yet. It really happens pretty quickly when you're ready and in all honesty riding a sinker or more accurately starting a sinker really isn't that advanced at all providing you have enough wind to get the board to the surface. In fact once my board is to the surface due to it being smaller/lighter I'm able to very quickly engage the foil so it's not actually having to plane on the surface long at all it's basically either under the water or flying.

I'd go for it. It's never the right time. You'll progress with the challenge. I myself switched to a 60l board at 80kg bodyweight when I couldn't do any tacks and maybe 80% of jibes. You'll learn the stinkbug start real quick and then it's basically no different than a big board. Only exceptions are that you cannot slog home when the wind dies and you cannot get up on foil on short gusts as it takes a few seconds to get to your feet.

But other than that no disadvantages in my opinion (granted I ride in flat water).

With the smaller board I progressed much quicker than before, it's just more reactive.

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BWalnut said..

DrRog said..
Hey. Looking for some advice from the brains trust on my next board.

I'm 75kg. I wing on two Sunova boards; a 6'4" x 24" = 99.6L Aviator (as my go-to) and a 7'6"x20"=113L 2003 DW (for light wind or when I'm pretending to be able to downwind! lol). In terms of skill level, I can ride normal and goofy but my switches are crap, I can get more gybes than not (only in normal stance, both sides) in flat water on my S1 set up (1550 front, 300 stab) and 1350APF, but on my HAv2 1080 w/ 180 stab I manage less of them. My toe side is okay but nailing my switches and riding heel side would be better. Not tacks yet. My pumping game isn't great (I've relied mostly on speed over water to get up but have managed to pump through some short lulls). History of surfing so aim is to also ride waves and DW.

Question 1: At this stage, should I be looking at getting a board of 75L +/- 5L ? Or, should I just save my cash and dial in my gybes and switches before downsizing?

When I downsize, I've been thinking of getting a mid-length Sunova or Army. Army's are too expensive new-I could stretch to getting one used or a new or a new/used Sunova ML.

Question 2: Is there an appreciable difference between them?

Thanks guys.

In theory, if you were to get a smaller board, why would you be choosing to do so? What's your goal with that change?

Can you go out and spend an entire session just doing foot switches just to get over the hump? That's the best way to move on from that struggle IMO. Go out with no intention of surfing or having fun. Just do switches until you get tired and then come in and take a break before you go back out for your fun sesh.

I prefer Sunova, it would be hard to get me to change away from them since it's so affordable to have customs made. I disliked the raised portions of an Armstrong board and am so picky about my dims that I never cared for those boards. Plenty of people like both though.

I'll add to the foot switch learning curve. I did it without falling much. I did like a million foot switches while doing a tiny touchdown. Then one day I realized it taught me the right technique, and I started doing them while flying in a single session, and barely ever falling. That day I went from 0% to 75% in a single session. This approach still allows you to have fun, but the approach of spending an entire session falling to get them dialed be be good too. I do that for other tricks.