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nada
Joined: 21 Apr 1994 Posts: 27
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 10:58 am Post subject: Pocket Wave Volume Q |
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So I'm looking for a new "small" board to match my mid-90s up-and-down stick for Gorge sailing and have been hearing raves about the PWs.
I'm 185 (figure 190 with rubber and harness) and looking for something that can deal with 4.2 and down but also handle lit up 4.7. I'm thinking that the 4.7 is my crossover sail between the two - if it is holey, I'd go with the bigger hull; if it starts blasting keep the rig and just switch boards.
Is this a PW 85 or is it more like a 78/80 (from 14)? I am trying to balance width with float here and the 85 at 59.5 seems too close to the 62 on my bigger board.
I've been sailing here a long time and am realistic about the fact that something in the mid 70s is really too small for the lulls at my weight. (just sold a 77 liter/56 wide waveboard as a result) I want something that is a bit corkier to get through the holes but can hang in there in the gusts or when it gets heavy. The 78/80 are 58ish in width and seem like they might be the better call.
Part of the conundrum here is that I have heard that the PWs float bigger than stated volume, so any/all insights are welcome.
Thanks in advance! |
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boggsman1
Joined: 24 Jun 2002 Posts: 9120 Location: at a computer
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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IMO, a 185 lb Gorge sailor(my exact weight) has to have a 72-77 ltr board for the good days...no way around it, and the lulls aren't a big deal... |
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nada
Joined: 21 Apr 1994 Posts: 27
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, I totally agree but I forgot to mention that I've got that covered with my wife's "big" board. When its blowing snot she goes down to her 60-something small board and I can hop on her other one to cover it.
And...If it's one of those days where being on the river feels like the world is coming to an end, I can always go down to her little stick ;-D
What I am looking for here is a real world board - something that fills the gap.My experience is that those big nukers are fewer and far between these days, and the fact that we all wind up sailing in a 10+ knot wind window calls for something that can bob thru the lulls and hang tight in the 35-knot gusts. |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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You might consider a slightly wider and barely floatier multi fin board. Slower than singles, but less spinout, more drag, but also more drive off the windswells to stay planing in the same winds as a single fin, as long as your go rail to rail to create power.
More fin also means easier slog time, and of course, slightly more drag so you can use the high end for control. |
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U2U2U2
Joined: 06 Jul 2001 Posts: 5467 Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 9:03 am Post subject: |
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My PW , was the single fin, ..2008 I think , it was 85 and IMO rode like a 85.
The PW went Tri in 2011.
You don't say what the larger board is@ 62 wide..
The 2014 @ 229 X 59.5 is comparable to 85s, the past years have been 58---to new one at 58. The lengths have varied with the times going shorter , new being 216, which a few years back was very short.
The only Tabou that I recall being understated on volume were older DaCurves.
The 85DC I rode 1 day, felt small on the water, but carried large enough sails.
The PW have been wider, it's been part of its character.
When looking at boards in the high 70s liters, their , well last I looked, that are not dedicated wave boards.
The PW is one, and maybe have a look at the small 3S.
Garry at Gorge Sports may have some insight, as well Matt Prichard.
The width X length , are part of the picture, the way the board stays wide or not from the max width both fore and aft, have to do with the feel.
I probably haven't helped much, but given more to consider. _________________ K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you
http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/ |
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GarryW
Joined: 11 Mar 2001 Posts: 171
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 10:45 am Post subject: |
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Nada, If you want to demo my Pocket 78 this weekend come by Gorge Surf Shop. I'm there all weekend. |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 11:02 am Post subject: |
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The solution I chose to build a quiver of fantastic boards (by my own criteria, which is all that counts for any of us) included these steps:
1. Research. You're begun that process.
2. Build a list of a few dozen solid candidates. (There are hundreds of prospects; don't start with just one.)
3. Shorten your list to "just" 10 or 20.
4. Take advantage of your location by raiding the swap meets. The selection ranges from big to huge and discounts range from 30% to >99%.
5. Ride 'em, sell/give away the ones that don't meet YOUR criteria (best bet: buyers with different criteria, so everyone wins), and keep the shining stars. I've bought from none to five at individual swaps, and was forced to ride 'em all. What a drag.
My biggest problem was culling my wave board fleet from 30 winners to 15 cold-dead-hands (as in prying them out of) boards, and I did that only after factoring in my own mortality. My best two boards after all that cost me $122 ... combined ... and one of them wasn't even on my radar.
My weight during this 15-year process ranged from 170 to 205. My meat and potatoes displacement for 3.2 to 4.2 is about 70 liters ... up to 80 if unusually holey, even 90 L if current/huge wind shadow/big lulls were dominant and down into the 60s when the 3.2 is a handful. Of course, I rig bigger sails in those conditions as my goal is to plane through the vast majority of the lulls. That way MANY days when everyone else is whining about or slogging through the holes is just another fun, steady day of wind for me.
That "58-ish @ 80L" is also the crossover point between old school "trads" and new school "stubbies" in Boards Magazine's LONG discussion of why old school works better in the conditions you describe. Every word of that article rang true with me. See it at
https://boards.co.uk/equipment-tests/tested-equipment/wave-test/waveboard-megatest-march-2008.html .
In summary, it says Waveboards are certainly not such good
high wind / control boards nowadays.
Shorter flats, less vee, shorter lengths and greater widths makes them harder to track, more bouncy and pitchy, and generally harder to use in strong winds and any chop. This trend is leaving quite a niche in the market, for a longer, narrower, more grippy board to act as a high wind board for non- wave-specific intermediate to advanced sailors.
Waveboards generally aren’t quite as suitable for jumping or as easy to take upwind as they used to be, and far fewer of the current designs can fill the very important role of high wind blaster / control [B&J] board. Waveboards are now biased towards wave faces, often at the expense of acceleration, holding a line, top speed, [chop tolerance,] and/or carving as instantaneously at high speed. Many sailors -- and this test -- are finding that their ‘upgrade’ doesn’t quite bring them the benefits they were expecting. Whereas several years ago we might end up recommending waveboards to sailors who rarely if ever see proper waves, we now probably wouldn’t."
Step #5 above is your ticket to relating that article to your quest.
Mike \m/ |
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hilton08
Joined: 02 Apr 2000 Posts: 506
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:21 am Post subject: |
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I am also around 190 lbs and have the 2014 Pocket 80.
It is a great board, but does feel closer to 85 liters to me.
It works great from 4.2 to 5.2 sails and also hangs in there well in 3.7 as long as it is smooth swell and not psycho chop.
I like it in tri fin mode, but I did go with a bigger center fin (19-20 cm) along with the stock 10 cm thrusters. |
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