old vs new longboards

clif371827 · Joined: 31 Oct 2015 Posts: 22

How do old long boards compare to modern wind sups. For instance Mistral Malibu (165 L) or F2 Comet (149L) VS new Execot X-10'5 (145L) and X-longboard 11'5 (175 L). What are the differences in light wind, early planning, turning, stability. handling chop and waves. Tell me what you think! Thanks.

U2U2U2 · Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:28 am Post subject:

I feel the wind SUP, will excel , except a higher wind situation. Obvious the olde board was never intended to act as a wind SUP.

CAN either be used as a hybrid ,yes with limitations, the SUP, less so.

I have a BIC SUP, which I installed the mast track on, I only intended to use as a hybrid, wind SUP. When the wind is light, 10 or less, I find I get some time on the water, otherwise it's fly a kite, not kiteboard. This playtime could be done with any number of boards, this one works nicely.

To address the ?

If you had the Mistral/F2 already it would work with limitations.
You don't mention SUP ..

cgoudie1 · Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 11:47 am Post subject: Re: old vs new longboards

I think you can "make" an old longboard work as an SUP, and you can
windsurf an SUP. The limitations are as follows

Most old longboards were actually designed to "Boardsail" in both
displacement mode, and planning mode, so if you want to boardsail,
they are a great choice especially in winds from 5-15MPH. But they
don't really glide that well under SUP paddle power, as they weren't
designed for that. They also don't wave sail well, since they weren't
designed for that. The 2 long boards you reference in particular
would be poor paddlers (and not great for wave action either, but better
than a typical racing longboard like a Mistral Equipe ).

Wind SUPs are better under paddle power, but not as efficient as
long boards for wind powered motion. They do typically wave ride
better than a long board.

Plane wise I'd probably give the edge to a long board,
but only slightly, chop wise, I think I'd probably give the
edge to a Wind SUP. Wind SUP will be more stable (in similar volumes
to long boards) because they are typically wider than old long boards.
They both turn like tankers, but Wind SUPs typically turn a little better.

The question you might want to ask yourself is if a Wind SUP will get you
10 times more jollies per dollar?

.02

-Craig

p.s. Most of my Wind SUP experience has been in paddle mode, and most
of my longboard experience has been under wind power, but I've tried both
both ways.

NOVAAN · Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1549

Wind SUP gets my vote. Much less weight. Wider range of use. Most have a nice deck pad...

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

i have sailed SUP's in waves. they are great when the wind is side shore to side off, AND the wind is less than 10 mph. i don't paddle. i have noticed longer is way better. not just me noting performance from one day/board to the next, but by watching others trying to windSUP really short and wide stuff. those stink in wind mode.

have sailed old long boards, back in the bad old dayz. they rip in all winds, light to heavy. they surf sail like crap. paddle worst, i imagine because of the width.

planing long boards today come as either open class race, $$$$$$, and very specific course racing performance. or kona one, do all, but only passable in waves and a racer class. stemming from the kona are the windSUP's: tghe 2 largest plane very well. the 2 smaller are plodding to plane specifically side off wavers.

the 10-5 and 11-5 are magic to me. esp the 11-5. they plane, wave ride and free ride well. they also windSUP in winds below 10mph. 11-5 is a one board wonder. esp the 11-5. i wonder why every brand does offer similar. onshore or offshore winds present very few obstacles. these long boards have slogging/planing power galore.

there's my rant again about how this sport self destructed by abandoning planing long boards.....

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

had an F2 comet and did NOT like it - early in my game and am heavyweight
have a Mistral Equipe One/I and i LOVE it - later in my game and knew what i wanted
i do not wave sail nor SUP
although i have SUPped a BIC Dufour with a 10 yr old child sitting on the front
because we are talking narrow - liters vs your weight matters
and as jingebritsen says - NO to width in this category
and bigger / longer is better

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

this past october, sailed an 11'2" with 6.2 sail in lower kanaha with a guy that had a short wide SUP. I caught 5 to 1 waves than him, rode them longer, and never fell in. turned on waves bunches. oh, BTW, i was talking about SURF not gorge swell rides. BTW, the waves were about 12 feet, no one out there but me and a foiler after the guy with the dinky board quit.

after about an hour the other windSUP guy left, a guy from munich came out and joined me with an 11'4" naish. it was his first time wavre sailing a SUP and he quickly adapted. again, perhaps maui culture is holding back the rest of us. this constant push for shorter, wider, smaller, esp during el nino years cuts down on wave sailing dayz there....

folks around the world that enjoy the SL in SURF need very specific conditions: side off wide wave intervals and MUSHY waves. oh, and i have used the sea lion too. so my basis of comparison is i have ridden all these types of boards not read about them on forums.

gregnw44 · Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 783 Location: Seattle, Wa

clif371827 · Joined: 31 Oct 2015 Posts: 22

I am inquiring about windsurfing experience rather than use as a paddle board. I have read a lot of good things about the Kona but is it better than old longboards ? I have a Mistral Equipe but I only ride it in higher winds. It is a very nice riding board in conditions you would think are too extreme for a big board. I like to ride in the open ocean and go out farther than I can swim for sure. In the mid eighties I had an F2 Strato (180 L) . My friend had a longboard also and she and I would ride off South Florida out to the Gulf Stream in 20 knot winds. We would be out of sight of land for a long time. I am guessing we were 5 to 7 miles off shore. I would never go out there on a short board. My friend weighed about 120 lbs. We could both ride together on one very easily. She would stand in front of the mast and hold it with one hand. That was a lot of fun. There were many creatures so being able to be entirely out of the water was important. I have seen the Man Of War jelly fish so thick you could walk on them. I don do that anymore but I would like to go for some long rides offshore. I would never do it on a board that was hard to up haul in very rough seas. I do have an old F2 comet. I can up haul it if needed in the roughest of conditions. The Equipe handles chop and rough seas better than any other big board I have been on. I do think a lot of people were lost to the sport when the focus shifted to short boards. The wind sups are getting more people on the water but I know the old longboards were not fast turning wave boards but they were a fun ride when the small craft advisories were up. I did break an F2 in half about a mile off shore in 10 foot breaking waves , but with 20 knot onshore winds I did make it back to the beach in about 2 hours. I'm old enough now that I would try to avoid that but I do love riding in the open ocean.