Kids board recommendation for progressing

[combinatorial]

My 9 year old is doing well sailing a 180l beginners board. It's a beast to turn though. Seems like something smaller with less volume would help her progress. Any recommendations for modern boards that would help her move towards planing, harness and then footstraps? Thanks

[dllee]

Any board over 100 liters should be fine, unless she weighs close to 100 lbs.
Key is small sail and more fin than you'd use.

[coachg]

New or used? Need the upwind ability of a centerboard or not? To be shared by parents, kept by child or dumped soon after progress?

Coachg

[combinatorial]

> New or used?

Either.

> Need the upwind ability of a centerboard or not?

Interested to know how to progress here. It's super hard to keep a 180l board upwind with a small sail, as it's hard to get the center of effort behind the daggerboard. She actually does really well and stays upwind. The goal is to get to sailing a board without a daggerboard. What's the best next step?

> To be shared by parents, kept by child or dumped soon after progress?

Just for her. I would hope it would last a couple of years before selling it on. We might be able to rent a board if it was short-term.

[dllee]

She'll probably need 10 days to feel comfortable and safe.
What boards do you already have?
Centerboard only needed if she's sailed less than 10 days. She can easily stay upwind while you cannot because her sail is tiny and her waterline really long..compared to you on the same board.

[combinatorial]

She has sailed more than 10 days and is comfortable sailing back and forth, and staying up wind.

Current board is a 180L Naish. She can uphaul my 106L Tabou 3S and sail it but it's too fast for her and I don't think the best way for her to gain confidence in a harness.

[grantmac017]

If you can find one the Starboard Kombat 114 they made for a few years could be the ticket.
Has a tuttle box in the middle to get her used to the new board with a bit more stability/upwind grind. But can definitely blast along with it plugged.
Has strap positions so far forward that she can be in them from day 1 to make feeling for them natural.

I know a few other similar boards were made as well, but that is one I've seen in person.

She could probably even foil it in a couple of years.

[dllee]

So anything in between, even old 58cm wide boards.
She has small feet, better balance than us, and youthful learning curve.

[coachg]

Fanatic makes a kids board called the Ripper. 112 freeride that can also be used by adults but it is more for the kids. It has a center fin slot & a box that covers the slot when not being used.

Any 115ish freeride board should work fine as others have mentioned to double as parent child board.

Without dagger board she will need to sink the windward rail to aid the board going up wind. Very difficult for a kid on 180 liters, much easier to sink the rail of 110.

Coachg

[mark]

Hi Combinatorial,

I sent you a PM.

Mark