QLD
6809 posts
Since my favorite board JP 92L is waiting for major repair work I am experimenting with different boards to find optimum size replacement.
When power is not the issue 20-25 knots I could ride pretty much everything from 70L to 130L ( and I am 79kg) using my 7.4m2 Gastra on choppy Shearwater.
So far in my skills development tendency was to switch to smaller and smaller but there must be some limits.
How do you know that board is simply too small for comfort riding the choppy water at speed?
My first impression smaller board is that getting slower at traversing chop, and slowing dangerously down in sudden wind holes.
So if there is any advantage having the board with buoyancy at or below your weight?
QLD
1929 posts
The 92L JP is really as small as you need to go at your weight, if you are mainly sailing shearwater. I assume its a FSW? If anything I'm a little lighter then you (73kg), and I found the 92L FSW to be a bit small, thou to be fair I pretty much hated everything about that board.
There isn't really any advantage in going for a tiny board for shear water conditions. I sail my 100L freestyle board pretty much exclusively, unless its 4.2m weather.
Main reason for going small is for control when its mega windy, particularly when jumping etc. However most wavesailors these days especially with the multi-fin waveboards typically ride 'floaters' anyway
QLD
2039 posts
It all depends...
Litres are important, but IMHO not as important as shape, length and width. That is size, not the volume figure. The volume is a product of the shape, to get boards into a certain volume range the shape will need to change/comprimise in some way. You can only get so much volume into a given shape.
So simply comparing boards on volume is flawed, you need to consider everything. Take two 99lt boards, one 250 long x 58 wide the other 230 long x 64 wide, they will perform very differently from each other. Then add a wave rocker vs FSW rocker Vs freestyle rocker... again all very different. Rail shape, bottom shape, track position, strap position, fins etc etc, all makes a difference.
Think about what you are trying to achieve by going smaller, then look to the overall shape and dimensions that will best achieve that outcome, then you will see what possible volume options you have.
SA
565 posts
in my experience (individual results may vary) as long as you're powered up - the smaller boards deal with chop a lot better and are all the more maneuverable.
a 70lt with a 7.4 seems a bit mis-matched but there's no real rules - if it works for you, then go for it.
wind-holes or fading conditions will cause issues with small gear but i've seen big boys who literally sink their boards shin-deep up-haul and submarine home. takes more skill than I can muster - but it's 'do-able.'
NSW
466 posts
I have a FSW 92L. Works great with my Hellcat 6.2. I have used it several times with my hellcat 7.2. I don't find it to be balanced at all. I find I have to put the mast base way forward and boom down to my weight forward to semi-balance the board. When fully powered up it is much better, but then I would prefer my 6.2. In moderate power, it gets you planing a little earlier, but once planing it feels too big for the board. It could be that I am using a smallish 32cm fin though. Would probably work better with a larger fin, but would lose control when fully powered with the narrow tail.
QLD
1929 posts
unless it's a slalom board, then a 7.4m sail is probably too big for a 90L board.
wave/bump/jump gear i'd say you don't really want to go much bigger then 6m for that sized board.
