SF Bay wave riding adventure by David Wells

[jingebritsen]

It's great to have a Kona in my life. Others have been enjoying theirs too.

http://www.aerotechsails.com/forumpage.html

[outcast]

Unabashed commercialism, but better than nothing this time of year!

[jingebritsen]

Yup, there is the commercial element. However, I could get any board in the business. Konas offer a windsurfer performance for the industry's base. That's a bit rare at the moment, windsurfing brands offering long boards that work well as surf sailors, and do pretty well as SUP's too. If the windsurfing business continues to abandon its base, where do you think it will end up?

There's an ocean of SUP offerings that pander to the narrower minded, clannish surf crowd already, right? Just sticking a sail on a long board with tons of rocker ends up seeming a waste of time for me, at least in my humble environs. Might work in Maui, but where else? Outcast, have you explored doing the sail on a long board thing in your break? Seems like I remember you paddle instead. Your choice, I know. But have you tried a Kona 11'5 in surf?

I may be tilting windmills over this issue, but I dunno what else to do.

[outcast]

"Outcast, have you explored doing the sail on a long board thing in your break? Seems like I remember you paddle instead. Your choice, I know. But have you tried a Kona 11'5 in surf?"



I am the KING of schlog....for shizzle

Was looking hard at the 106 and minitanker till the sup thing hit....

I think it's all good, but now, the sailable lightwind gap/kitable konable gap is pretty small....

From what i know of Fla conditions, think i would be owning one there
Mostly i just putz around on an 11' Munoz that i put a mastrack in

[jingebritsen]

When comparing a number of surf board rocker type long boards with sails on them vs ones with windsurfing rockers, I tend to believe that our windsurfing industry has abandoned its base. Trying to pander to the surf market that is very territorial, and conservative at the expense of one's own sport seems like not such great business. Our strongest brands are "off brands" in the surf culture.

Put sails on surf board rockered long boards for onshore winds and come away not so impressed, vs windsurfing rockers that are better performers. Now the mkt is flooded with unimpressive performers for the most common conditions in the world: onshore junk. That's good business? Oh, and the lack of handholds for getting past shore pounds, another oversight? Not much of that in Maui.

Example. Running upwind on the shoulder backside to gain ground after a ride with a few turns. On a surf rocker, they top out at a very low speed. Long boards with a windsurfing rocker keep accelerating. Guess which boards require more walks back upwind during onshore dayz? Guess what happens to the enthusiasm on such dayz? Eddy's and my video "Wavesailing Made Easy" was 60 degrees onshore!