Exocet Windsup Bamboo vs. Kona Carb One

[Goodwind]

OP wants to compare the subject boards on: early planing, ability to handle wind up to 18mph, upwind ability, planning jibe and tacking.

I have a "cheaper" brother Kona One and a 10' Exocet Bamboo WindSUP; here is my two cents.

Both boards can handle wind up to the low 20mph range and have roughly similar upwind ability. The Exocet WindSup plans earlier, jibes better and tacks easier than Kona One. If you've future racing in mind, go with Kona One. Otherwise, the Windsup is a better choice. The WindSUP is basically a very stable high performance *low wind board. It will never jibe like a 80-90 liters board but you're gonna have tons of fun doing low wind free styles or free rides on it. At 28.6 lbs, its still too heavy for my liking, I hope they'll make a carbon version in the future.

*low wind : 5 to 20 mph.

[jingebritsen]

konajoe, IMHO, the windsurfing community has mostly ignored the best class of board available: the planing long board that does well in waves. exocet has tried naming theirs in all types of ways to try to hook folks.

windgood: agreed, a windsup 10' and 11'8" in carbon would be dreamy. esp without the dagger.

[jingebritsen]

BTW, just compared 2 short boards vs 11'5" x-longboard. wind was seabreeze, 11-17 mph side shore veering side off. 11'5" crushed the other 2 boards. waves were up to head high. got some seriously long rides DTL, with 6-7 pairs of top and bottom turns. a few lip schmacks too.

[brynkaufman2]

windgood, thanks for your post confirming what I felt which is the Exocet WindSUP 10 was the better choice for me.

I don't just see it as a low wind board though. I use it in high wind and I think it works great. The stability and size allows me to blast through the choppy water fast without getting tossed around. It still gives me the confidence to sheet in and go fast, where I have found smaller boards bounced me around too much so I had to back off the speed.

I think the concept makes sense. In high wind choppy waters all boards are going to bounce around more, so to me it makes sense that the more stable board will still be more stable.

[brynkaufman2]

John, I find your comment very interesting. Exocet has a 10'2 WindSUP Carbon with no dagger board. At 156l it is smaller than the 10' WindSUP.

So reading between the lines it seems you prefer the WindSUP 10' shape and size. I was wondering if the WindSUP 10'2 was another option for me but was concerned the smaller board will not plane as fast in light wind, nor be as stable in the choppy water.

Like you I would definitely like to see a 10' WindSUP in Carbon with no dagger board. That would help with the only two complaints I have about this board, which is I don't need the dagger, I had it sewed up anyway, and the weight.

[gregnw44]

[jingebritsen]

carbone was not fragile feeling to me. i don't knock around boards, but i am 97 kgs. the board had a great feel to it.

competition construction boards have given the carbon board class a bad reputation. the carbone is pretty tough.

as far as my discussing wave features, i have done upwind adventures to far away sand bars to find better surf during certain wx conditions. sometimes have to grind upwind for prolonged periods to get there. ALL these boards go upwind. carbone planes sooner because of construction and rocker. been there, sailed that.

[gregnw44]

[GURGLETROUSERS]

This sudden burst of longboard talk certainly stokes the fire! I want one of all mentioned, and some not, (Phantom) , but can't afford it.

The Kona (early original one) is now my main go to do it all cruising/exploring board. It's virtue is that it's tough enough not to have worry when tackling unknown rocky/reefy cliff lines, while having sufficient performance and upwind beating ability to get into, and back out of, tricky situations. (Expensive carbon would lead to much greater worry, and caution.)

As for design, the best shaped board for that kind of thing (balance of performance and stability etc) was my 1986 Bic Bee-bop longboard. Sadly, construction wise it was a disaster area, and, after extensive usage it ended up highly modified fitting wise, and totally and irreversibly waterlogged. (Certainly gave it momentum!)

That shape, in modern Kona 1 type construction, with proper fittings, would be my ideal cruiser/explorer. Meanwhile, the Kona and the old Bic Bamba (recovered from its recent nervous breakdown and seemingly back 'up for it') fill the bill.

Keep talking 'em up folks,and roll on summer. Still got plans!!

[Awalkspoiled]

I recently lucked into a lightly used CarbOne at a nearly affordable price, and I’ve sailed the Exocet 11’8” also, although only briefly. I think the Exocet would be the choice is I were going to use it mostly for small surf in light wind. I wouldn’t be happy jumping either one but the Exocet with its center strap option would be more comfortable. Most of my sailing though is in flat water or chop but not in breaking surf, and for that purpose the Carbon Kona is clearly a stronger choice. In fact, it’s about as fun and versatile board as I’ve ever sailed. For reference I’ve been windsurfing since 1979 and weigh 105kg, reasonably skilled but not as daring or athletic as I used to be...

The construction seems extremely solid and although it’s not as light as spec it’s similar to big raceboards but seems to be much sturdier (My last real longboard was an AHD Eliminator which weighed about the same even with 50liters more volume, but which felt like an eggshell.) Masttrack works great and after some tweaking so does the centerboard. I wish it had a Tuttle box but the powerbox is a reasonable second choice I guess. There are a range of strap options fore and aft but no center strap inserts. The strap positions seem just about ideal for blasting around.

In light wind it planes quickly although not as quickly as a Formula board. Much quicker to jump up than a Kona One though and much more fun once it’s up, too. The step tail really does work, and once on a plane it’s just plain FAST - basically feels like a slalom board and a light one at that. The board just seems slippery - I’ve never spent so much time not hooked in because it’s just not necessary. Really fun with a powered 8.5 but I wouldn’t feel any constraint going out in much more wind. Carries a 10.0 well too although for that sail I’d ideally want a wider tail. Jibing on a plane is really smooth and fun, pivot-jibing at slow speed is a little tippy compared with wider offerings but typical of long raceboards.

At slogging speeds the big pedal and the daggerboard take up a lot of room so finding comfortable foot positions is a work in progress. It doesn’t rail up as easily as a real raceboard (I put my back foot on the daggerboard head to tip it up) but once railed with dagger down it’s very fast and points high.

I think it would work well riding waves - it certainly rides swell very nicely - but I’m a little uncomfortable taking a pedal-operated mast track into waves. Just too easy to bend something.