Currently 80 kg weight riding 80L board neutral weight and able to paddle back when the wind shuts off. Want to go down in board size either 60 or 70L but worry I can't paddle back. Our local home spot is fickle with wind. At what volume or the lowest I can go before water paddle (self-rescue) becomes an issue? Thanks in advance for any tips.

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Ingenuity said..
Currently 80 kg weight riding 80L board neutral weight and able to paddle back when the wind shuts off. Want to go down in board size either 60 or 70L but worry I can't paddle back. Our local home spot is fickle with wind. At what volume or the lowest I can go before water paddle (self-rescue) becomes an issue? Thanks in advance for any tips.

I would argue the shape is a much bigger deciding factor than the literage here. What are the dims on your current board?

You could paddle a 40L board back, people prone foil on smaller....

You can paddle anything down to 50% of your kg. Lower than that it's more like swimming.But I prefer something floats.

Minus 10 lts to body weigh, you can still kneel and use the wing to putt back in, even go upwind if your skilled.

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airsail said..
Minus 10 lts to body weigh, you can still kneel and use the wing to putt back in, even go upwind if your skilled.

I'm on -20 and can do those things no problem. If I were to get a new everyday board today I would go 55L (-25), 4'10-5'/ 20.5-21".

I am a bit heavier than you at 89kg, had a 90l board. Went really well, but I like jumping so wanted something smaller. Ordered a 75l, was great but pretty difficult on your knees, was worried about going smaller. Ordered a 60l for my son, gave it a go and absolutely loved it. Way easier to start, because it is fully underwater and I don't have to fight it like the 75l. Getting on foil it is easier 2, pushes very little water and once on foil, everything is better.
I think a board to be comfortable needs to be al least 20l under your weight so it sinks enough or go 10 to 20 over. Anything in the middle will be hard work, specially if very windy and choppy.
you can paddle back a 25l board, so no issues there.

95kg and on my KT5.4x56l I can prone paddle back.IMO the length is more important sas the volume when paddling.

I'm in the same boat. 95kg on a 90L board in typically pretty choppy water with lots of current etc. Smallest board I've tried was 85L which was no different than my 90L board. I keep wanting/debating with myself going to a full sinker but fear throwing away a chunk of cash only to find it's a bust. I guess only way to know is to try to rent/borrow and give it a whirl. Any feedback on ideal weight to board volume ratio fo success/ease for a 95kg rider? I guess Bolocom would advise -20L so a 70-75L board as a safe bet- is that a pretty common view?

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Holoholo said..
I'm in the same boat. 95kg on a 90L board in typically pretty choppy water with lots of current etc. Smallest board I've tried was 85L which was no different than my 90L board. I keep wanting/debating with myself going to a full sinker but fear throwing away a chunk of cash only to find it's a bust. I guess only way to know is to try to rent/borrow and give it a whirl. Any feedback on ideal weight to board volume ratio fo success/ease for a 95kg rider? I guess Bolocom would advise -20L so a 70-75L board as a safe bet- is that a pretty common view?

I think it depends on how you like to ride and what you value in your experience. My weight fluctuates 85-90kg throughout the year and I like my boards at 83-85 liters and 5'3"-5'10" so I can use small foils and small wings and never worry about slogging back home. I can start a -10 (70-75l) just fine on reasonably windy days but slogging or light winds are a bummer. I tried a -20 several times over the summer and didn't care for it at all. I normally ride a full wing size smaller than everyone else on the water. With a -20l board I had to use equal to slightly larger wing and it just wasn't worth it to me. If I was jumping, I'd feel different, but I'm not. I like to surf swell and then rocket upwind.

I am 78kg and have progressed from 115L to 95L to 85L then to 75L. My skills got better withtheshrinking boards and I never really felt like thevolumemattered. That isuntil I acquired a 48L board. Figuring out how to get going on this little skateboard was like going back to zero; so hard in fact that I pretty badly injured my arm on first attempt wrestling the gear, desperate for it not to beat me. The injuryscared me away from the board for a few weeks.Afew YouTube videos later, I figured out how to ride the thingwith more easeand it reallyopened upa whole new world of performance. It's definitely more work to get going; need to have technique and balance much more dialed and you need a solid puff to get onto the surface of the water before even starting to pump onto foil. But damn it's fun. The board is 6" shorter, enough that I don't see the nose in my peripheral vision. Took a while to get used to this feeling. I must have been unconsciously using the nose to help judge ride height. The sensation is like you're directly connected to the foil.Reduced swing weight isas nicefor free riding and trimming the foil asit is for wave riding and jumping. My 75L / 5' board is now my marginal light wind board and the 48L has become my go-to. That said, if I buy another board, I would consider ~58L as more of a do it all size. And to answer the original question - super easy to paddle the 48L board. Also easy to sit on it in the water; doesn'tproperlysink unless you I try to fully stand on it without any forward motion. Hope this helps. My first ever post is a novel, lol.

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Hekerua said..
I am 78kg and have progressed from 115L to 95L to 85L then to 75L. My skills got better withtheshrinking boards and I never really felt like thevolumemattered. That isuntil I acquired a 48L board. Figuring out how to get going on this little skateboard was like going back to zero; so hard in fact that I pretty badly injured my arm on first attempt wrestling the gear, desperate for it not to beat me. The injuryscared me away from the board for a few weeks.Afew YouTube videos later, I figured out how to ride the thingwith more easeand it reallyopened upa whole new world of performance. It's definitely more work to get going; need to have technique and balance much more dialed and you need a solid puff to get onto the surface of the water before even starting to pump onto foil. But damn it's fun. The board is 6" shorter, enough that I don't see the nose in my peripheral vision. Took a while to get used to this feeling. I must have been unconsciously using the nose to help judge ride height. The sensation is like you're directly connected to the foil.Reduced swing weight isas nicefor free riding and trimming the foil asit is for wave riding and jumping. My 75L / 5' board is now my marginal light wind board and the 48L has become my go-to. That said, if I buy another board, I would consider ~58L as more of a do it all size. And to answer the original question - super easy to paddle the 48L board. Also easy to sit on it in the water; doesn'tproperlysink unless you I try to fully stand on it without any forward motion. Hope this helps. My first ever post is a novel, lol.

Interesting,
What wind speeds are you needing to ride the 48L and with what size wing. And what wind speed are you switching to your 75L board. And are you changing the handwing size when you upsize the board.

At 80kgs my regular ride is 74lts x5'3, I can get going in the lightest conditions and always make it back to shore easily if the wind drops. Recently I picked up a 52lts board to do some jumping. It's a real bitch to get going on but once up is great to ride. But I find I need a full wing size bigger to get up and going and once going I'm almost overpowered.

Getting up takes multiple attempts unless the wind is really blowing and I find I have stopped trying new stuff in case I fall, kind of defeats the purpose. So borrowed a 65lts board, much easier to get going, will sell the 52 and get a 65.

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airsail said..
At 80kgs my regular ride is 74lts x5'3, I can get going in the lightest conditions and always make it back to shore easily if the wind drops. Recently I picked up a 52lts board to do some jumping. It's a real bitch to get going on but once up is great to ride. But I find I need a full wing size bigger to get up and going and once going I'm almost overpowered.

Getting up takes multiple attempts unless the wind is really blowing and I find I have stopped trying new stuff in case I fall, kind of defeats the purpose. So borrowed a 65lts board, much easier to get going, will sell the 52 and get a 65.

I think it depends on the board shape and weight.
I have not tried many, only an Armstrong 60l and a custom 60l. Both same width and length. But the Armstrong needs more wind and it's harder to balance on your knees. Once up it's great!
The custom, mage by Jason Pyke it's really easy, different shape and over 1kg lighter. I use exactly the same foil and wing than before (Amos 75l) Peregrine (great board). If it is super light, then it's a problem.but I am loving the smaller board, I think it does everything better and I don't stress about falling, If the wind is constant, I think it's easier than before, definitely less work. Not fighting corky board on the surface..

My experience at 65kg.

I learnt on 69l 5'2x24" and i now ride a 4'10" X 21" 50L.

10 knots and up is fine on the 50litre and i could probably lose another 5 litres but i would keep the width and length the same. its actually easier if the board sinks a fair bit on your knees. Sure it takes good technique but once you lock it in its easy on normal sized wing and foil (knee start). I would never go back to more volume. I wing mostly in waves and DW bumps.

I think it depends on where you are in your learning curve along with your local and personal circumstances but if it is your goal and you are ready then i think between .7 and .75 times your weight or you go settle on equal volume but not in between. Don't go too short and too much thickness is useless in this circumstance.

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AnyBoard said..
My experience at 65kg.

I learnt on 69l 5'2x24" and i now ride a 4'10" X 21" 50L.

10 knots and up is fine on the 50litre and i could probably lose another 5 litres but i would keep the width and length the same. its actually easier if the board sinks a fair bit on your knees. Sure it takes good technique but once you lock it in its easy on normal sized wing and foil (knee start). I would never go back to more volume. I wing mostly in waves and DW bumps.

I think it depends on where you are in your learning curve along with your local and personal circumstances but if it is your goal and you are ready then i think between .7 and .75 times your weight or you go settle on equal volume but not in between. Don't go too short and too much thickness is useless in this circumstance.

So we agree, 15lts under body weight is a good option, 25lts under is definitely doable but you need good consistent wind, any lulls will have you bobbing.

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ninjatuna said..

Hekerua said..
I am 78kg and have progressed from 115L to 95L to 85L then to 75L. My skills got better withtheshrinking boards and I never really felt like thevolumemattered. That isuntil I acquired a 48L board. Figuring out how to get going on this little skateboard was like going back to zero; so hard in fact that I pretty badly injured my arm on first attempt wrestling the gear, desperate for it not to beat me. The injuryscared me away from the board for a few weeks.Afew YouTube videos later, I figured out how to ride the thingwith more easeand it reallyopened upa whole new world of performance. It's definitely more work to get going; need to have technique and balance much more dialed and you need a solid puff to get onto the surface of the water before even starting to pump onto foil. But damn it's fun. The board is 6" shorter, enough that I don't see the nose in my peripheral vision. Took a while to get used to this feeling. I must have been unconsciously using the nose to help judge ride height. The sensation is like you're directly connected to the foil.Reduced swing weight isas nicefor free riding and trimming the foil asit is for wave riding and jumping. My 75L / 5' board is now my marginal light wind board and the 48L has become my go-to. That said, if I buy another board, I would consider ~58L as more of a do it all size. And to answer the original question - super easy to paddle the 48L board. Also easy to sit on it in the water; doesn'tproperlysink unless you I try to fully stand on it without any forward motion. Hope this helps. My first ever post is a novel, lol.

Interesting,
What wind speeds are you needing to ride the 48L and with what size wing. And what wind speed are you switching to your 75L board. And are you changing the handwing size when you upsize the board.

I've been sailing the 48L with a 4.2 and a 5.5, with an 850 and 1050 foil. I guess around 18 knots and under I take the 75L. 20 knots plus and there is no drama with the little board. But the cross over can be frustrating as I always want to go smaller but it is more relaxing to take the big board. It's a bit gusty where I sail which can mean sitting in the water waiting for a puff if I fall. Some videos of smaller board towards end of this Insta story highlight reel: www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18015068722943781/

Thanks for that info Hekerua.