Info on small wave/BJ boards

gwandsh · Joined: 02 Aug 2016 Posts: 39

Looking for a gorge-friendly small board for lightweight intermediate lady sailor on big days.

Have been considering RRD XXS or Angulo Chango 65. Any ladies out there have any TOW with these boards and can describe sailing style and range?

Would also be interested in knowing how the footstraps accomodate a smaller stance, as most wave boards seem designed around guys 5'9" looking for bottom turn leverage.

many thanks

kmarasco · Joined: 17 Jan 2000 Posts: 52

Don't you have enough boards already Wink

Enjoy the Gorge. I'm headed for FL tomorrow for two weeks of heat and humidity...and visiting family.

See ya mid August.

bobgatpdx1 · Joined: 13 Oct 2002 Posts: 385

Another popular choice is the RealWind Fish 73L (purple). This board sails smaller than its volume. You can demo these for free at the Hatch - look for RealWind Mike's van. I believe they are also coming out with an even smaller version of this board.
bobg

gwandsh · Joined: 02 Aug 2016 Posts: 39

Kurt - the last time I "checked", you were neither small nor a lady, so your feedback is moot. Have fun in FLA, we'll save some wind for you.

Bob - (I assume that's BobG) thanks for the Realwind tip. Yeah, I'd love to grab a little Fish, but the pricing is way out of my budget. Unless you have one and want to sell it at same terms as the last Fish I purchased from you Wink

?

I had considered a little Realwind SurfLite too - the 240/241 model, but again they seem hard to come by.

dghmiel · Joined: 02 Apr 2000 Posts: 7

Get a glass board made in the gorge for a woman, New or Used, lots to choose from: Open Ocean, North Pacific, Cascade etc. Less pricey than production boards and they are made for us! Real Winds are fine in moderate air, but go too fast for light people on big days! AND buy modern small sails 5 years or newer (2.8, 3.2 )and a short mast. Christine

dghmiel · Joined: 02 Apr 2000 Posts: 7

Get a glass board made in the gorge for a woman, New or Used, lots to choose from: Open Ocean, North Pacific, Cascade etc. Less pricey than production boards and they are made for us! Real Winds are fine in moderate air, but go too fast for light people on big days! AND buy modern small sails 5 years or newer (2.8, 3.2 )and a short mast. Christine

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

Get a polyester/fiberglass board (your knees will appreciate it) at the swap meet for a really good price. Doesn't matter if it was made for a girl or not. Open Ocean are good boards, but they have a lot of volume and are better suited to not-so-petite flowers. Probably not a good choice for a truly small woman, unless she likes to bounce around a lot.

H2OJoe · Joined: 20 Aug 2002 Posts: 112

I am 102 pounds, I sail on a custom board by Art, North Pacific. The board has saved my ass in 40+, sails used are 2.6 to 3.7. The foot straps are placed close, where he measured them to be. Sticks to the water, turns on a dime and planes up quick. Swell in the swell, great in the gusts, a "slice of heaven". Spinwitch

wooot · Joined: 05 Oct 2002 Posts: 199

I am neither light nor female... but I have the Chango 75... went through quite a few boards before I found one that really worked well as my super highwind board... use it from powered 4.2 on down.

Minimal tail rocker, good "V" in the tail to just in front of the front straps w/slight double concave, good nose rocker that starts gradually at about mid mast box.. super fast... AWSOME and smooth in the chop , Carves extremly well wide or tight, as hard as you want to push it. likes fast turns, but can be pretty pivotal if you want it to be . planes up easily. and NEVER gets bouncy in any conditions. Damn near impossible to pearl. Super agile , yet goes right where you point it.... What more could you want.

I had been looking for MY "perfect" high wind board for about the last 5 years. I FINALLY found it... absolutly ecstatic with the Chango.

Expert sailor friend of mine in the 140 lb range took it out for a 10 minute "demo" with a 4.2 a month or so ago... the 10 minutes turned into an hour brfore he finally came back in.

His comments were... "I felt like I've been on this board forever... It does whatever you tell it to do, whenever you wan't it to"... I wan't one.
Now he is ruined... he's looking to replace his Real Wind with the Chango 68.
I am not sure if this will be his ultimate 40 knt.+. board though, or more like maybe his 3.2 -4.7 board.

I know a few sailors (male) who use the 75 as their only board for 3.2-5.2
Not many boards out there that can do that, AND be great at both ends of the spectrum.

Footstrap spacing is 22" from back of back strap screws to back of front strap screws (most rearward for both front and back straps)... But there are three positions in the back and 4 in the front.

The first back strap position is really far back... so I think as long as you go with middle (or even front on the back strap) it will be really easy to get a tight spacing and be no issue at all... long finbox also so no issue there.
(I am riding with back strap in front position on rear and second from front front the front straps... this gives me a 22" spacing with back strap rear screws at about 9 5/8" from tail )