Hi, Franco,

For what it's worth, I do not think that any of the Fanatic boards that you have nominated will give you a "lively" feeling, because they are too heavy and not much different to the weight of the Rio M.

The AHD is definitely the best option if you want a better "feeling" board, simply because of its lower weight. It does not have a centre board and it is more fragile than the other boards, but that is something you have to trade off as you progress in the sport (you overcome the fragility by mast bumper pads or rail guards).

All of the boards you have nominated would be at their limits in 20 knots of wind (unless you have super-flat water where you sail) and all of them will be tail-walking and difficult to keep on the water. Also, the boards will be working optimally in the sail ranges of 6.0 to 7.5.

To progress in the sport, you HAVE to get rid of centreboards and learn to steer using the fin, alone (but you can vary the length of the fin to get better results).

At your weight of 175 lbs/80kgs, there is no way even a board of 100 litres is going to sink if you are becalmed!

Contact me privately for more info, if you are interested.

Hope this helps.

Francone...I can vouch for the shark, I went from the Viper 80 to the 145L shark and had no problems with the volume change. I was about 100kg at the time and could uphaul with no issue, and with a big fin this board has no problems going up wind. By the end of the first season on the 145 shark I was fully plainning, foot steering and gybes and switched to a 120L board....Highly recommended.

(By the way I know where you can pick up one of last years models in good nick and for $1000)

cheers.