Skim size for my size?

[Dman]

Hey guys the local shop has some body glove fiber glass skims for $79 bucks, they are the pin tail type and looks to be well constructedat 43" long and about 20" wide. I hover around 190# and plan on using it for the river behind my house(check out StGeorge Skim on UTUBE) and hope to do a bit of kiting with it as well. Do you dthink it's big enough, or should I look at something a bit larger.

[Lonny]

Hey Dman,

I am using a Zap Phase5 Wake Skim that is 54" x 20 1/2" and it is really the perfect size to use with a kite. Here is a link to there site:

http://www.phase5boards.com/productPropBoard.cfm

I could see going a bit smaller, maybe 48" or 50", but 43" seems too small. Especially @ 190 lbs. I weigh 160, and I can start having fun in 10mph with my 12 CB3. Although, I would say that the skimmer you are looking at is relatively wide for its length, and that can make a big difference as well. Does it have some volume throughout the length? How thick is it?

What wind conditions are you mainly riding in, and what is the type of kite you want to use with it? Most of the traditional skims are too small or narrow to ride with a kite in lighter winds. One thing I have to say though, is at $79 it is hard to go wrong.

Did you check out the skim video on the site? In that video I am riding the Zap in anywhere from 12 - 22 mph and I am using a 9! I prefer to use a slightly bigger board, with a smaller kite. I find it is more enjoyable, but that is just my taste. Let me know and I can give you more feedback.

[Dman]

I thought it migth be a tad small but if it doesn't work out I'll hand it down to the boy. I have also found a 48"x20" on Ebay for the $50 range plus shipping so I may take a stab at that. I have 7 thru 13 bularoos so I should have a kite in there that works on most days with an average size skim, I just don't want to go so big that it handles like a truck when I go down to the river on the no wind mornings.

Thanks for the reply Lonny.

[Lonny]

A 48" x 20" sounds much better, and I think you will have more fun on it for sure. Plus, again the price is right! From what I know of the Bularoos they have a good amount of low end and decent depower. Keep in mind that a good light wind skim should allow you to ride upwind starting in consistent 11 - 12 mph with a 12 or 13m bow kite.

When you go to the river are you wake skimming behind a boat or are you using it in the shallows and throwing it down? If you are wake skimming it will work great, but as a regular skim it probably would feel like a truck.

When you get some time please post pictures of the boards and give us your feedback on them. We love to hear about other skims and how they work!