Am looking at getting a wave board, finally. Got into kiting purely for the surf aspect and now have it sorted on the twinny. Time has come to take the next step. Tried my surfing short board (6'8) and while it was fun, struggled without straps.
Am 6'5 and 95kg. Any suggestions on length, width and make?

Hi simstat,

I made that decision a couple of years ago. I am about 6ft and anywhere from 95 to just under 100Kg. I've got a 6'2" with straps and it does me just fine. I rarely ride the twinnie anymore. You will struggle for a while, but once you get your turns nailed you'll be right.

With straps its easier to keep the power to the board, because you don't have to worry about leaving it behind every time you go over a bump. And moving your feet around for turns isn't a drama with straps either.

There's arguments on here about strapped and strapless and no doubt you've come across them, me, couldn't give a toss. I'll even wear a wettie without boardies.

Anyway, stick with it, good luck!

I'm 6ft & 87kg spent last 20 months learning on surfboards strapped and strapless and lengths from 6'2" epoxy SS KSB to 7'3" boards from 20yo to reasonably modern shapes. Started strapped, found straps were too far back especially back foot unless fully powered. To me, the stance is slightly different with a kite than surfing and find im wanting to move my feet all the time to improve trim. ( re wot Puetz said) Got rid of back strap and found much greater freedom but still had confidence in heavy chop or heading out over waves. Now no straps and starting to ride comfortably with turns like normal surfing, have settled on a 15yo 6'5" square tail that was always a good wave board that has the volume to float when not powered and still remain in control when powered.

I'm now looking for something more modern in epoxy around 6'2" with fairly flat rocker for easier planing, harder edges for upwind but a small 62 that will still allow me to snap in waves. but I think it's a compromise, just need to work on right size kite to suit volume of board to keep it moving or have a quiver including low volume high performance for powered up days and more volume for lighter days.

My advice just keep trying different kite & board combos and you'll find what works for you. Keep trying strapless you'll get comfortable with it, its all about the hours and trying.

go wide (19" plus), thick (2.5" plus) and flatter rocker
= Volume,
length is debatable
plus some extra glass/cloth under your feet

Poida said...

go wide (19" plus), thick (2.5" plus) and flatter rocker
= Volume,
length is debatable
plus some extra glass/cloth under your feet

^^^^^^ Thats about right, 5'8"- 6'4" doesnt mean anything

Im around the 95Kgs too, My first wave board was a 6'1" Webber Which is bent like a bannana and has a fair bit of tail rocker, its great while actually on the wave, but so hard to go upwind.
Took me a comitted 4 days trip away to finaly convince me to change from the twinny to surf board.
Well life used to be easy, one twin tip did it all, flat water waves etc.
Now I break boards and need more boards.
After playing around with several surf boards I ended up chopping down a 6'4", to around 5'9" removed the tail kick, its got 22cm at the ends in width of the fish tail now. The fins are closer together and this works great for me in all metro conditions appart from Lano where I would compromise on the up wind ability for board control on waves over 6'

Straps or no straps, well Personally started with feet in straps all the time, as your not loosing the board all the time its easier, but the position is never ideal for all tacks.
Later you will find that the front foot stays in most the time and the back foot moves in front of the back strap while chugging up wind etc. and into the strap just before getting onto the wave.
Or loose the straps alltogether.
Hope this helps.
heres some info on strap positions.
http://www.kiteboard-independent.com.au/index.php/board-mods

Puetz said...

simstat said...

Am looking at getting a wave board, finally. Got into kiting purely for the surf aspect and now have it sorted on the twinny. Time has come to take the next step. Tried my surfing short board (6'8) and while it was fun, struggled without straps.
Am 6'5 and 95kg. Any suggestions on length, width and make?

... I'm a big fella too (6'4" 125 kg) and same as you wanted to get into the surf side so years ago I got a so called light wind surfboard but I found it wasn't always fun and needed the same amount of wind and power as my TT. The board was too narrow.

Then got a Sector (wide) which although not surf orientated, was way more fun than the surfboard and kills in light winds. I got very used too the Sector and got used to a directional feel, even taking it out in small surf occasionally, way fun!

A few years later, and just recently I tried my old surfboard again and man, was waaaaay fun. Threw the straps away and its way better again and found with all the foot work I learned on the Sector, I could easily transfer to the Surfboard.

The biggest thing I found was when using the footstraps in my early days on the SB you need to be well powered and the board felt too bouncy, the position of them was too far back. But, with out straps I moved the front foot forward, got comfortable and as I picked up speed I shifted around to suit. Suddenly it was all fun. Took the footstraps off the Sector too and a new world is opened for me.

The moral of this is you might find it not so good now on the surfboard strapless but once you get used to it, it will be fun, I did it via excellerated learning on the Sector.

I've got a true light wind surfboard coming (Airsush Cypher 5'10") so I'll let you know how I go btw!

cheers,

Robbie

Hi mate. You are the same weight as a mate of mine but he is 6ft 6inch
He wants to get into kite boarding. What size kite would you recommend. He wants to do twin tip for a while then into the waves.
Cheers.

fingerbone said...

Puetz said...

simstat said...

Am looking at getting a wave board, finally. Got into kiting purely for the surf aspect and now have it sorted on the twinny. Time has come to take the next step. Tried my surfing short board (6'8) and while it was fun, struggled without straps.
Am 6'5 and 95kg. Any suggestions on length, width and make?

... I'm a big fella too (6'4" 125 kg) and same as you wanted to get into the surf side so years ago I got a so called light wind surfboard but I found it wasn't always fun and needed the same amount of wind and power as my TT. The board was too narrow.

Then got a Sector (wide) which although not surf orientated, was way more fun than the surfboard and kills in light winds. I got very used too the Sector and got used to a directional feel, even taking it out in small surf occasionally, way fun!

A few years later, and just recently I tried my old surfboard again and man, was waaaaay fun. Threw the straps away and its way better again and found with all the foot work I learned on the Sector, I could easily transfer to the Surfboard.

The biggest thing I found was when using the footstraps in my early days on the SB you need to be well powered and the board felt too bouncy, the position of them was too far back. But, with out straps I moved the front foot forward, got comfortable and as I picked up speed I shifted around to suit. Suddenly it was all fun. Took the footstraps off the Sector too and a new world is opened for me.

The moral of this is you might find it not so good now on the surfboard strapless but once you get used to it, it will be fun, I did it via excellerated learning on the Sector.

I've got a true light wind surfboard coming (Airsush Cypher 5'10") so I'll let you know how I go btw!

cheers,

Robbie

Hi mate. You are the same weight as a mate of mine but he is 6ft 6inch
He wants to get into kite boarding. What size kite would you recommend. He wants to do twin tip for a while then into the waves.
Cheers.

... the great thing about kiting is its a great equalizer, get the right equipment and even us heavy weights can have a good time, even it the light stuff.

I use an Underground 144 x 46 as my usual Twin Tip and its my go to board for most winds when I'm in the mood for riding the twin tips. When 20 knots plus, I then go to a North 138 x 42.5 cm as my high wind twinnie.

I would suggest that you get a board length for your height, and board width for the weight, so as in my case the 144 x 46 is good, infact even a little longer is good too, especially in the early days of learning. And like a lot of people, when more experienced the old board becomes a good light wind board. If you go for a purpose built beginners board, most people tend to out grow it, so a big twin tip is suggested, such as my Underground.

But, and this is a big but (no pun intended), kite choice is very important. Not just size but what sort of kite, as in bridal, 5 line 4line SLE sort of kite. I've tested many kites over the years and unfortunately the bridal SLE types suffer under me and will eventually p!ss you off if your a big dude. I use North Rebels with a Dyno as my bread and butter kite. Although the Dyno is SLE and has a bridal, it was the first one that didn't constantly fold on me. When the kite 'folds' the last 1/4 length of the leading edge will bend and contaught (spelling?), usually around the last bridal connection point. When this happens the power is disturbed and the kite turns like sh!t, really horrible. A lot of bridaled kites do this to me and I know they are fine for others of less weight, but when considering for us super-weights, bridals are not up to it. Rebels do not even come close to doing this folding and so suit me to a tee.

So, I can highly recommend a Rebel 14m as a beginners kite and when experienced, and going to the next level, start getting a bigger and smaller kite to cover the wind extremes, like a Dyno 17m for low winds and say a 12 or 10m for high winds. Rebel's are super stable and remain completely composed when pushed hard where alot of others kites don't. Even the famously good Ozone Edge folds under me so I think if your mate is keen, he goes for a Rebel style kite, combined with a decent board with enough width, he should be happy!

Hope this helps,

cheers,

Robbie

im 6'1 and 80 kg and ride a 5'6 north whip, the new x-surf whip in the larger sizes are looking sick this year and they go well, id suggest trying the 6'0 has plenty of volume and rips.

eppo said...

Yeh robbie that makes perfect sense actually. I'm on SLE-C kite now but before this on the rebel and the canopy is rock solid, direct connection, steering etc, definitely the god for heavier guys. I actually like the feel of the SLE for my 77kg size. Yeh makes sense.

... an easy way to simulate what can happen with us big guys on bridaled kites is to under inflate the kite and watch what happens when you dive it.

One day a couple years ago, at Point Moore, Geraldton a guy was testing a 10m prototype brand of kite and gave a few of us a fly. I innocently said that it was nice kite but it won't suit big guys, even before I had actually flew it. I was challaged that I couldn't fold the kite. Okay! It was a prototype SLE which was just going into production, available very soon. Apparently disigned for plenty of power and can be pumped up really high, no problems. He even had a compressor on the back of his car. The owner then pumped the kite to a high level then I flew it, it folded and we brought it down. No worries he said, so he pumped it up even harder, way beyond what I have ever done in my lifetime. I flew it again and guess what, it folded again. I wasn't trying to be a smart arse, just saying is all. Other guys couldn't fold it and when we watched him kite he showed it was a great capable kite but I maintain that it has a flaw, albeit a small one.

Having said all that, you still can live with it and ignore the folding but you may eventually get the sh!ts with it too.

cheers,

Robbie

Great advice, thanks. It looks like I am going to need a 6'2 - 6'4. Given the current state of wind, it shouldn't be too hard to rack up some hours at home to pry permission from the finance manager to release some funds.

Finger bone, to date I have gotten by with a 12 and a 9m on a 150 x 42. Big board I know but have done a lot of traveling with it and kited everything from about 16 - 30kn with this kit. It's even fun in small surf but am amping to get onto a wave board for a run. Weight is an advantage at times, especially as it gets stronger.

Hi mate see if you could pick up a second hand 6'4"Simon Anderson XFC, would be great for you to progress on for a bloke your size...you could glass in some wood or plugs for some foot straps...