Disclaimer: A friend works at Shinn
I have been using The Shinn Monk for about 3 months and I have found it Fantastic in chop, no spray in your face, very smooth but extremly fast.
Ive been using the 132 x 41 and i'm 85 kgs, I think with Shinns you can drop a size as they are very efficient on the water. sanded base apparently!!!!
Worth a demo, I'd try it at Brighton Kiterush, Rory has a couple (0400827882)
Oh Yeah the binding are brillant, takes a bit to set up but then.............

Here is my board at Kitestock this year

allano said...

Disclaimer: A friend works at Shinn
I have been using The Shinn Monk for about 3 months and I have found it Fantastic in chop, no spray in your face, very smooth but extremly fast.

Man, whats with the graphics? Scare the sharks away at least.
Thanks to you and radman for the advice.

radman4 said...
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Hey stick with the cardboards and go for a 131 fr awesome board,or give chris a yell at Griffin and grab one of the new Griff 133x41 tt boards i got one the other day and have been addicted to riding it,real wide tips so it gets on the plane quick and holds a nice edge,prob one of the best priced boards around too.

was thinking same but i'd probably say the 136 x 41 FR, suprised that you had the tempo as an opening board, its quite technical and really geared at free style not free ride .

""""""8m Chimera with the tempo board would put you well into the mid to late 30's.8 Chimera would be my choice of a next kite to compliment the 11 Argo."""

Have to agree with the Chimera. The 8 m has a great wind range with great performance
With the Monk 132 x 41 I can easily get out and about at around 15-16 knts and been up to 30 solid gust over 35!!!

BrisKites said...

I think there are 2 underlying reasons you are struggling to hold your kite in over 25knt and neither is board related.

With more practice and experience you will get a better wind range.
Also I would suggest a smaller kite before forking out on another board.

Jas

Yep, there's no doubt that I'll gradually get better at controlling the kite's power.

I got the Tempo at a good 2nd hand price and figured that when learning it's about surface area and lower rocker more than anything and 140 x 42 seemed ok at the time. With 20/20 hindsight, considering the fecal season we've had here, I would have been better off getting a larger board - maybe Glide 146 - to learn on then keep as light wind board. Then there would be scope for a more noticeable/useful difference in size to a smaller board if you get my drift.

Same conundrum with going to a smaller kite. 11m argo is an odd size (equiv to 12m is debatable I reckon) and going to a 9 seems a little too close in size to the 11 while an 8... well ... it just seems small for my weight and I'm not sure if I really want to be geared up for 35kts+. Never known mid 30kts+ not to be crazily gusty.

Splitting hairs? As usual, having not yet experienced these things I find myself in the land of the hyperthetical and am reliant on the experience of others as a guide....

Does Chimera come in a 9m? Griffin website contradicts itself (twice!). Chris?....

RayQ said...

For your weight, a 140X42 isnt really a big board, it may be due to the rocker line.

If the board is really flat, it may be harder to control as you are progressing and at higher wind speed.
With boards its not just a size factor. Best thing, is to get to a demo on the beach and try stuff, to get your head around what different boards will do for you

Yes good advice - really should make an effort to try stuff instead of tying myself up in silly mind games per my previous post.