26 Reply by Jonathan

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Re: Kona 10'5"

OK got the 10'5" and just came in from my second sail, both times with my 7.0SF (just can't quite break the habit of trying to sail powered up!). Much much better tonight, stopped trying to sail it like an Evo and started to get into the longboard mentality. Very average one or two foot waves which were actually great fun and just as easy to ride backside or frontside. The glide really shows in getting planing, going out,  on and off the plane felt a little weird, like the duck tail was catching and slowing it down but coming in down the slightest swell it was straight onto the plane. I'm sure it's just a matter of more time to get the hang of it though. Effortless to gybe, step back to slash it around or smooth big planing gybe, so cool sailing in with 4' of board out of the water. I've SUP'd it a couple of times too, to me it feels about as wobbly as the 12'2" Starboard but I've done heaps more since I paddled that so it's hard to say, at 70kg it's do-able as a SUP but I haven't tried it in waves yet, only bay chop (except to  surf shore break which was stupid easy!). It's certainly not relaxing to SUP but very easy for the kids to paddle and a good challenge after the 12'6" Starboard. After the first sail I thought I'd made a mistake and should have got the 9'8" Starboard but now I think it will be a fantastic and responsive light wind board - there is no way I would have had as much fun tonight on anything else I have, just have this feeling I don't look anything like Patrice on the cutback, oh well as least I have something to visualise! - all I need to do now is convince WARDOG to ship me 12" and 10" weed fins to OZ, I've got a feeling they would make a huge difference.

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27 Reply by Waterloo

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Re: Kona 10'5"

I agree that WARDOG weed fins need some extensive Australian testing by dedicated Freakers.

Can't seem to find anything like them here.

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28 Reply by dumpstatic

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Jonathan -

That's what I like to hear...  keep those 10'5" reports coming!

Especially from a fellow 70kg Super Freaker  smile

Drew (waiting impatiently for the spring thaw)

Last edited by dumpstatic (2008-02-18 11:22:01)

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29 Reply by WARDOG

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Re: Kona 10'5"

We now have the Kona Mini Tanker & Kona 10'5" in our demo fleet at our shop in Santa Barbara...should be some interesting head to head testing results from a wavesailing standpoint...bring on the waves and Spring winds...;-)

<image>

Picture gallery link here:
http://surfingsports.com/blog.asp

http://www.surfingsports.com/exocet_05.asp

Mahalos, good waves, & warm winds...{:~)

WARDOG
http://surfingsports.com
http://standuppaddlesports.com
http://standuppaddlesurf.com
http://longboardwindsurfing.com
http://longboardwavesailing.com
http://longboardsurfsailing.com
http://beachboysurfing.com
http://paddlesurfing.com

Last edited by WARDOG (2008-02-22 07:30:55)

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30 Reply by david

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Re: Kona 10'5"

wardog,
i've seen the kona's in action(france-brittany), and i like the shape/concept. especially the 10.5.
No wind windSURFboards to ride waves. Also the straps make it possible to get air, and get a steady position in turns. (however with the kona it's forbidden to get air:-(
But i don't like the weight of these boards. Think they are to heavy.(of course exocet made a perfect mix of stability/strongness etc..for the customers needs) . But i'm different So i'm gonna make one like the 10.5 ...lighter and one that i can lift easier in the air when we come across a breaking point in a wave ride.(allready got a 10.0 longboard with rail, but i need something that's more radical to surf in light wind) Willl make a sandwich construction with carbon/kevlar, and for me it will be strong enough.
--got allready all the materials at home cause made a lot of boards--

Wardog, what about your comparisson/like /don't like/ etc.. between the short new starboards sups and the Kona's you just got in?

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31 Reply by Don_Cavalli

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Here's some Kona 10'5 pictures from a typical onshore day at a spot on the swedish westcoast.
http://www.stoneandwater.nu (apelviken081012)

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32 Reply by Geoff

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Re: Kona 10'5"

david wrote:

...Also the straps make it possible to get air, and get a steady position in turns. (however with the kona it's forbidden to get air:-(

I beg your pardon! It's not FORBIDDEN! The Kona Gods won't strike you down with lightening if they find air under your fin. It just won't be covered by the warranty if you break it.

That's a BIG difference, because it all depends on whether or not you can land it safely and have the courage to go for it.

GEM

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33 Reply by Geoff

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Don_Cavalli wrote:

Here's some Kona 10'5 pictures from a typical onshore day at a spot on the swedish westcoast.
http://www.stoneandwater.nu (apelviken081012)

Nice illustration, Don. Exactly what I was looking to see. Onshore mush, looks like it was about 13 -15 kts.

Currently, I use a *B A117 and a Mistral Pacifico Wave (my first true SUP, though I'm not yet a fan of the SU and P....I'll take a sail, thank-you).

The A117 is a cult board for good reason. It has a very limited unique repertoire, of light wind wave sailing in 12-13 kts with an 8.0 and as big a wave fin as you can get (I use a Wardog 12" Weedwave). It's quite usable with a 6.3, but no longer unique (nor the best) at that point. Wardog likes the Exocet a little more, but they're similar.

The Pacifico Wave is for the days when it's just not enough to plane. Being completely neophyte in light wind wavesailing matters, I like it for Great Lake swells (bigger than they oughta be based on wind alone, so there is some fetch/swell component to them but they are 95% wind driven). 

So I'm happy with the A117/PW quiver, but if one board could fill the bill, then my trailer would be happier and I would send the A117 and PW to family destinations where I could use them once in a while.

Thus, this is a judgment call, on how well the 10.5 or maybe 11.5 can do the job of my A117/PW mix. If it can do only 60%, I'm not interested...but if it could do ?85%, well that might sell a Kona.

Thanks,
GEM

Last edited by Geoff (2009-07-15 15:27:47)

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34 Reply by J_Brown77

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Great stuff! That'll be awesome to try it on the big swells of Hawaii... hang loooose!!  big_smile

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35 Reply by Annabelle

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Re: Kona 10'5"

I believe that once on the wave face, a well designed SUP below 10' can wave sail circles around an 11' or 12'er with parallel rails.Physics dictates that with shorter turning radius.
This is the search for the holy grail,the Ingrown hairmissing link between planned wave rides on a big light air wave board and sub planning wave rides on a long board.
Plus, the board needs to be able to stand-up paddle surf shouldn't have to bring two boards when one will suffice.

Last edited by Annabelle (2010-12-03 23:00:41)

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36 Reply by Geoff

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Re: Kona 10'5"

As an update...

I got a great closeout deal on a Kona 11'5", which I think is the better choice (than the 10'5") for great lake light-moderate wind swells. Mushy low-power waves, 9% less bouyancy and the fact that the 10'5" is more for planing than for bi-modal riding. Also in the gliding mode, I like having a little extra deck space in front of the footstraps (which are a complete non-starter for some, like JH, but I like them when the K11'5" powers up.

The K11'5" is substantially superior to the Pacifico Wave. I'm not quite ready to match John Ingebritsen in calling it the perfect board, but it truly is one heck of a board. I will likely convert it to tri-fin, to enhance maneuverability. I haven't yet decided if it bumps the K117 off the traveling list, but it definitely has sufficient upper-end range to do that. Am thinking about moving the K117 down south for my vacations there, like I did with the PW.

I have zero interest in SUP'ing. Actually, it's active disinterest akin to my desire to kiteboard. If it's not windy enough to sail surf, I'll go run/bike/golf or something. So I don't mind that the K11'5" is a little narrow to be an easy SUP.

Lastly, I think longboards have a wonderful feel all their own, more laid back than shorter boards (even a <10' SUP), and in good hands they are far more maneuverable than one might imagine. Having gone away from longboards, I am back to now having two in my quiver (Kona One and the 11'5"). Longboards probably should be in most windsurfer's quivers.

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37 Reply by w8n4wind

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Re: Kona 10'5"

my kona 11 5 is the most useful windsurf board ive ever owned.
has easily at least doubled my sailing time.. probably more.

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38 Reply by Waterloo

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Re: Kona 10'5"

w8n4wind wrote:

my kona 11 5 is the most useful windsurf board ive ever owned.
has easily at least doubled my sailing time.. probably more.

I also find it a very rewarding board with a huge range and a gybing ability well above my initial expectations...

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39 Reply by w8n4wind

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Re: Kona 10'5"

yep, way better than i thought it would be..just wished i had spent the bit extra and got the lighter one, but was just too skeptical at first..and had no way of testing it.
the only thing, it really doesnt jump too well...  hmm

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40 Reply by Geoff

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Yeah, the 11'5" isn't a jumper, but really now good jumping is full-on <100L stuff. I mean, 6.0 is the bare minimum for great jumping (one can jump well in 6.0 - 7.0, but i's a different experience. The 11'5" is light to moderate wind stuff).

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41 Reply by w8n4wind

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Geoff
... but had to try it in super powered 5.2m, and 2m wave conditions..just to see...  ugh... haha
think its best for 6.3--7.5m, and smaller waves.. and in that..much better than expected.

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42 Reply by Geoff

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Sailed mine once in onshore wind ~5.5 /c 1+ meter breaking swells on Lake Ontario and it was quite a surprising ride. This was one of my earliest uses of it when coming back from a foot injury last fall, so it might have been how I had it set up and/or me, but I felt like it was very controllable, that it would jump if I asked it to but it seemed a bad idea on recent fractures in my foot, and it felt like it was too big / too much wetted surface to really get it up and go. As a result, I never felt like the sail got light, nor the board skittery and light underfoot. So it seemed like more work than on a small board, but nonetheless it was smooth and easy to control / surf the waves. I think the optimal sail range of the 11'5" is 6.0 - 8.0 (in Super Freaks), the 7.0 SF being the sweet spot.

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43 Reply by Geoff

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Re: Kona 10'5"

Have finally finished converting the K 11'5 to a 2+1 configuration.

I used ProBox inserts, set at 1.5º toe in. I do not like the standard ProBox installation, where the boxes are basically epoxied into the EPS with edge mating at the exterior. Such a design asks for failure and could waterlog the board. In more traditional windsurfing construction, I routed spaces for 1" thick Divinycell, which I glassed in place and recovered the bottom. Then routed a typical ProBox hole and epoxied it in place.

This design should make the box pretty resistant to being knocked out, and it won't leak and waterlog the board.

Have a set of symmetricals and now am hoping for wind...it's been a bit of a doldrum period here lately.

Report to follow...

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