You mean a mutant?
I'm sure i've seen some of the older Naish mutant boards that are exactly as you described; mostly pointed front end with a 'TT' style tail and the straps biased to the 'TT' end.
There's also a couple of TT style sparrow tail boards with the triple fin array.

This one
http://www.kitepower.com.au/catalog/product_17262_Underground_Freewave_cat_351.html

Hey Steve,

I haven't read a review on these boards yet, have you ridden one? If so tell us about it, I ride a 2004 Underground TT and love it, I hope these wave boards are equally as good. I am still in transition period between jumping and stuff and wave riding, I would like a wave board board that is light, has flex, great on waves, but also good to jump with. Am I asking too much?

Catcha

toxic wave from rrd perhaps?

I own an underground as in the posted link..when compared to a tt they are no way to ride the same feeling. but you can pop and jump if that's your main thing your looking for in something to ride waves with other than a surfboard. otherwise try the toxic its still a mutant but LOOKS to have the surfboard nose and the tt dynamics.. demo one as I'm just dribbling sheet.

doesn't exist(without comprising significant features).

i.e. surfboard feels great for surfing because it has thick rounded edges and a twin tip has a sharp flexi feel for pop. The closest i have ridden(briefly) was the toxic wave with the skull and bones(i think). Other manu's do similar stuff, but nothing feels like a board made especially for the conditions.

Save up and buy one of each.

i have an rrd toxic for waves when strong onshores mess up the swell

works really well to carve the wave heel and toeside when the kite is depowered and as a tt for old school boosting off the ramps (IMHO getting air on a strapped surfboard looks clumsy)

doesn't get upwind quite as quick as a surfboard

i've kept the shorter fins for the reefy shallows at cott (surfboard length fins catch too easily)

if the waves are clean and the wind is light then a surfboard can't be beaten

Everything you want from a TT works against what you want in a directional, and vis-versa. This is why Mutants have all but disappeared. A board like you are asking for is like a Jack of all trades but master of none! (Boards that do everything ok, but nothing well) These lost momentum a few years ago, it seems the majority of consumers want to buy specific boards for specific conditions and styles.

I personally love(d) the whole mutant thing, and preferred them for freestyle also, but I am pretty old skool.

The so-called "Wake style" killed directional freestyle!

Regards,

JB

Echo,

Have a look at the SlingShot Fuse.

Its pretty much what you asked for.

If want let me know and I can hook you up with a test ride on one.

Other board that I reckon you would love is the North X-Ride its a TT but loves the waves and has waveish style fins and nice round tips and rails.

There are a few local guy's riding and loving these up at Maroochydore.

They are great if you are in and out of the waves.As far as a TT goes they are as good as any if not better and they carve up the waves well.


Cheers

Luke

par said...

Most of my popping so far hasn't been intentional, and usually leaves my board some distance behind, so I don't claim any expertice here, but isn't the "poppiness" of a board just a matter of how quickly you turn its direction 90 degrees so that your lines go tight? And if so, why couldn't you do this just as well with a surfboard whose rails taper at the back to the same hardness as a TT? Thge trade off would be that it would be a little less forgiving to stear, but going down waves you'd normally be weigthing further forward where the rails are softer anyway.

Short answer... NO.

poppining a board involves bogging it down stretching your lines and letting it slip out of the water converting the forward energy into upward energy. So regardless of how hard it can cut it has nothing to do with how well it can pop. Luke is right about that new X-Ride, it is a sick board but still a tt. I want something that can utilise all the power of the wave and still pop like my liquid force element. I was almost certain it didnt exist and the synopsis is the old "jack of all trades master of none theme" however with the progression of the spot I can see a hybrid in the mix... possibly a 5'2" with a wake style fin and rail array with a flat rounded channel and long nose like a surfboard. That way you can still pop and move your weight forward to ride the waves. Might take you up on the offer for the demo lukus.

My guess is that there will be a lot more R & D on wavekiting boards with some departures from the 6ft shooter design.
The mutt is dead but there's a heap of work to do on twin-tips for wavekiting.
The twin-tip waveboard will probably end up not having 'twin' 'tips'.
The problem with the 6ft shooter is footstrap placement.
If the straps are set-up for waveriding, their placement won't be ideal for non-waveriding.
So there's the rub.
And for many wavekiters, the simple solution to the paradox of placement was to just remove the straps,
and go naked.

sunseeker said...

I was thinking about the strap placement dilemma too - when I do a hard bottom turn on my 134 TT, the board tends to skate out a bit so I had to change my style on waves compared to when I go surfing.

Me and echo are both surfers before kiters however we both prefer TT style kiting in the surf and a bit of wakestyle on the flat which is probably only 5% of the time. I don't see myself going to "the dark side" even though I surf a lot.

So I understand echo's dilemma however I don't know if you could get a board with good enough foot placement to do a huge bottom turn and also be able to ride switch or blind.

I might try the fuse before I decide - the pics didn't show fins or foot placement - does anyone have fuse pics with fins and footstraps?

Surprised as a surfer you could EVER prefer a twin tip for waveriding-just does not NEARLY work as well to a directional/surfboard-although I see you say

TT style kiting in the surf

so maybe you're not actually riding waves but rather using the waves as ramps to pull wake/technical stuff?????

Splene zone took it out in 25- 30 kt se the other morning, feels like theirs nothing under your feet and super fast, dig the rail and release it just pops off the water and up you go and easy to control and easy to land both heelside and toeside,tried a frontroll but landed nose first into shallow water hard thought i might of done some damage to it but not a sign just myself. love it going to ride it all the time

Did someone mention SPLEENE ZONE ?

Check my review on this link. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31971

These days I am pretty much focused on wave riding, but can't see why this amazing board wouldn't pop like a good TT (and I've popped a few over the years ). Have to agree with Quirky on this topic.

Rob Quirk's your closest at this stage -he's @ Woolongong

Kitepower might get some in if there's enough interest