Shortboard versus Fish

[?uest]

BIC 6'7" vs NSP fish 6'4"

Hello,

As a novice I would like to have some advice from the strapless riders amongst you! I want to use a pop out surfboard for kitesurfing. Now I have the possibility to buy a secondhand BIC 6'7" shortboard and I'm in doubt wether I should do it or not. I would like to use it as a strapless light weather board in combination with my Vegas 12.

What I'm looking for in this board is not really a perfect wave board, I just would like to put a more 'surfier' feel into my kitesurfing. I want to use it just for cruising, carving, playing around and riding the occasional wave, you know the deal...

1)What do you guys think of this board? Is the shape ok? And what about the size? Is it responsive enough or to slow? I know smaller (6'4" or so) would be better but I would also like to use this board for regular surfing and since the Belgian surf isn't all that I would be better of with a slightly bigger and more stable board.

2) Is this board controlable in combination with my vegas 12 in lets say 11 to 16 knots or is it to much power?

3) An other board I had thought of was the NSP fish 6'4". I read some good feedback about this board for kiting. Can anyone tell me how this board would differ in ridingfeel or performance in comparison with the BIC shortboard?

Thanks for your advice! (and sorry for the sometimes poor english)

Laterz

[Todd]

If you are getting a good deal on the Bic 6'7", then it's not bad. I have one. First off the shape is great; this board is designed by a reputable shaper and tested in Hosegar, France, a kick ass wave spot. However, it's a plastic board so it has a lot of flex and a spong-ie feel. You can definitely surf this board in chest high or better waves, maybe smaller if you are good. With the kite, it feels slow compared to 5'7" boards tuned for kiting, but it's a nice relaxed feel and super easy to use. The other nice thing is that since it's plastic, you can mistreat this board and it still has a half-life of a million years...

I find in the right conditions, I can get the kite overhead, drop in on a wave, and then let go of the bar and literally SURF. It's a great thing.

I can't comment about the Fish, although that size fish is huge for a kite. I think a 5'10" fish is a better size for light air kiting.

Good luck.

[Daco]

hi!

i dont want to start a new topic so I wil ask here.
I am planning to get a shortboard for strapless kiteing.the problem is where I live I can only get bic and NSP shortboards.what would you recomend for a 200lbs guy(me).my usual conditions are winds from 10-15knot's with choppy sea state or 15-30knots gusty with 2-3m chop-shorebreak.I have 14m north rebel and 10m Rhino08,planning to get a 7m.
I don't have a chance to try to many boards so I would like to hear your oppinion.


tnx
daco

[Todd]

Neither are churning out boards tuned for kitesurfing, but I know the 6'7" Bic well and it's a cadillac soft ride in the surf. It should be a good first wave board. If you are looking for fast slashy rail to rail turning and cutbacks, you will probably need to find a Quad fin in the 6' range around 18" wide minimum. Good luck!!

[FranP]

I've been riding several boards...

5'8'' x 18,5'' Rawson Quad,...

6'2'' x 18'1/4'' Rawson SurfTech thruster with straps
http://www.sbckiteboard.com/2007boardtests?news_id=179&uniqid=1052

and a 6'4''x19''x2''1/4 strapless thruster .... every board has it's sweet spot but all them perform well from 8 to 30 knots, ...as expected...

...but recently I bought a surfboard Surftech Rusty Piranha Quad 6'0 x 20 x 2 1/4...which is great for surfing (I'm 200 lbs fit ) but it does perform very bad with a kite ... the board points upwind very well but in the waves and choppy conditions, it is uncontrolable because it bounces too much... is it because is too wide or because it is too flat ??

http://www.surftech.com/boardDetails.php?bid=SURFBDS+%3A+L1642-0600-RUS&type=KITE&shaper=Mark+Richards

anyone has experience with those type of boards ? ....sould I add strap pads from DaKINE or NSI to kite ??

THANKS A LOT !!

[JonModica]

I've been riding several boards...

5'8'' x 18,5'' Rawson Quad,...

6'2'' x 18'1/4'' Rawson SurfTech thruster with straps
http://www.sbckiteboard.com/2007boardtests?news_id=179&uniqid=1052

and a 6'4''x19''x2''1/4 strapless thruster .... every board has it's sweet spot but all them perform well from 8 to 30 knots, ...as expected...

...but recently I bought a surfboard Surftech Rusty Piranha Quad 6'0 x 20 x 2 1/4...which is great for surfing (I'm 200 lbs fit ) but it does perform very bad with a kite ... the board points upwind very well but in the waves and choppy conditions, it is uncontrolable because it bounces too much... is it because is too wide or because it is too flat ??

http://www.surftech.com/boardDetails.php?bid=SURFBDS+%3A+L1642-0600-RUS&type=KITE&shaper=Mark+Richards

anyone has experience with those type of boards ? ....sould I add strap pads from DaKINE or NSI to kite ??

THANKS A LOT !!

I ride full nose boards all the time. The bouncing comes from 3 things:
1. the board has a really big nose, so a 6'0 in that is REALLY big...i ride a 5'6.
2. the board is really wide,
3. you just have to ride those types of boards alot flatter, watch good surfer's surf a fish, notice how they pivot turn much more than bury a rail?

DONT PUT STRAPS ON IT! because its lame and that board will feel even bigger.

-Jon

[FranP]

Hi Jon... THANKS a lot !!

20'' is not so wide compared with some of the boars you ride (placebos,...) ...maybe my choppy water conditions are worse than most of you guys ride, because I feel most of you kite in nice waves or in super-flat lagoons or flat places like Florida-type ones...right ??

...and regarding your point

you just have to ride those types of boards alot flatter, watch good surfer's surf a fish, notice how they pivot turn much more than bury a rail?

do you have any youtube link where I can see it please ??

good winds !
Fran

[JonModica]

Hi Jon... THANKS a lot !!

20'' is not so wide compared with some of the boars you ride (placebos,...) ...maybe my choppy water conditions are worse than most of you guys ride, because I feel most of you kite in nice waves or in super-flat lagoons or flat places like Florida-type ones...right ??

...and regarding your point

you just have to ride those types of boards alot flatter, watch good surfer's surf a fish, notice how they pivot turn much more than bury a rail?

do you have any youtube link where I can see it please ??

good winds !
Fran

Check out these two...

This first one is on a round nose fish


this next one is on a standard 6'1