Like a Door

[Barry P]

I have a Spleene 154 Door that really does the job in light winds and gusty conditions.

What other boards boards out there are favorites for these kind of conditions?

My son-in-law rode mine, loved it, wants to buy a used Door or something like it. What do you guys ride?

[scottman]

I also have a 154 Door, I can ride that thing in all types of wind from high winds to of course the light winds which you just can't beat it in. I also ride a raptor pro Crazyfly 134cm, probably the best all around board I have ever ridden and by way far the lightest, it does not even fell like you have anything on your feet at time, most excellent board and I recommend that you try one.

[Eric P]

I like to ride a home made plywood skim board. Very similar to the skims you can buy at beach stores in tropical locals. No straps is the key, makes for a challenging ride, even in light winds, and if you feel yourself getting overpowered, go to your fun board. Bryce just made me a new one out of 1/4 inch marine grade plywood, with a layer of fiberglass on top for rigidity. I believe a bigger skim board can have just as good of light wind performance as a glide or door board, but is not as beginner friendly.

[tom_latcham]

I love my crazyfly cruiser board. 145X48. I weigh 190 lbs. Normally I use it on light wind days with my 17 or 14 meter kite. It is strong and light with full wood core and full nano carbon wrap. Friday I used it with my 9 meter. The wind was real strange. with big lulls and some high gusts. The big board allowed me to stay upwind in the lulls I would flatten it out and could walk on water. When it gusted over 30 I angled it on one edge and was amazed at how it handled chop at speed on its side. great light wind board that will get you back to the beach when the wind drops off. Plus with the 17 meter you can start to jump in 10 mph winds.
I also have a crazy fly raptor pro 137X44 that I love. For a light person this would be a great light wind board. Some day I wish to add a 130X40 to my quiver for those days when I am really powered on the 9 or 7 meter. However those days are few and far between.
Tom

[JRN]

CRAZY FLY ALSO MAKES A SPLEENEDOOR COPY, for less $'s. I have also been impressed with the skimboards for light wind. I watched Doyle riding his SS skimmer in low wind on a 11m RPM in 10" depth while my 17m kite wouldn't stay up. No fins meant no scraping bottom in the shallows. Laura Mayer was totally schooling everyone on her skimmer this spring @ SPI. Then she went out on a twin tip & showed us how it's done L.M. style.

[RobH]

The Doors are tough to beat for real light wind and pointing upwind. I rode Cabrinha's light wind board in Florida.Cabrinha plasma 146x46 felt a bit more surfy and turny than the door and worked well in the lulls but couldnt point upwind as fast as the door, still a super fun board for that size

[Geo]

I also ride the 154 door. Its flexibility make it fun to ride even in larger waves (lower wind), but you gotta work harder to make sure you don't catch your edge.

I also would like a mid range board that has a surfy (or at least a lot surfier than the Door) feel and can shoot upwind to allow more freestyle play time. What is the common set of attributes that seem to work best?

Big fins?

Fins mounted on the heel rail side (rather than at the corners)?

straighter sides?

wider?

flexible (stiff?)

lightweight?

flatter (front to back, less rocker)?

flatter (less concave?)

Looks like the 134 / 137 and a mid-40s width seem most popular for our gusty conditions. I find that my 134/34 is tough to drive upwind unless it is full on 9M or better (and even then not always easy).

[JRN]

I JUST PICKED UP A BEST SPARK, on line, for $200. It is the only board I took to SPI. It is the cheapest one they make, but it has as much range as any board I've ridden, from barely moving with a 15m to lit on a 7m. I also have a giant Underground FLX: Not quite on the low end as a Door, nor as good up-wind. I've tried the dedicated light wind shapes, and feel like I'm riding on a BARN door, so chose the FLX for its livelier feel, and boostability. For a one-board quiver, many like the great range of the Lunacy. I think the Door excels from off-set fins & footstraps, flat bottom, perfect flex, and just the right concave on heel side.

[Dean Rizer]

I weigh 176 in light winds I ride an older Session 141, it has a lot of range. My all around is a Nobile 666 132 X 41 again lots of range and pop. I have a Mako 151 which is great on big days in nasty chop and the surf. I've tried riding a directional, jybing is tricky, I'm really good on port, Corpus to Tampa . I love the skimboard. Joel from SPI is amazing. He tacks, rides in the surf, rides in low/ almost no wind. Riding the skim board really dials the kite skills and foot work instant feedback you either stay on the board or your in the water, or sand, or.

[Barry P]

Has anyone tried the Mako Wide or Mako King?

I have the Mako Freeride, and I'm really liking what the extreme concave does to smooth out the ride and give a very solid edge.

[Mike W]

Skimboards are a blast in light air. Much more fun the that big twin tips in my view. I have tried straps and no staps. With fins and without. I find that strapless and finless is best for light air fun. I am experimenting with a single fin for wave carving this season. I find that finless is a bit slippery in the waves.

Homemade plywood skims work just fine. My epoxy skim is lighter and has a livelier feel.

[steveb]

I have a mako wide 150 , I know Dean, Mike and a few others have the board too. I really like it but it's not a light wind board. I get mine going around 13 or 14mph. You have to ride them a little differently with more weight on your front foot , really goofs up your jumping till you get used to it.
I'm seriously thinking about a Mako King, depends on how much stuff I can sell at the swap, I don't think it come close to the Door style boards but with a big lightwind kite it'll get me going.

[seamonkey]

Steve, let me know when you want to sell a 15 Edge. Ozone is the only way to go.......

Michael McKinney ( Austrailian for, bricklayer )

[steveb]

Sorry Michael I don't have a 15m edge demo. May have a 15m Sport for sale soon.
My new MN bread and butter kites the new Zephyr 17m it's pretty awesome, I think it'll be a great Mn kite, though in truth I haven't ridden it in Mn yet. NIce glide in jumps and shoots upwind very well.