After some time that you do windsurfing, you begin to think to reduce the volume of boards you use. And if you don't, your funny friends make you raise the question, starting to tease each time you come to the spot with unlikely board volumes. But do you really need to reduce the volume of your boards? And is the volume the only parameter to consider when deciding to buy a board of lower volume? In this article, I will tell you my experience up to date, believing that it will be useful also for other enthusiasts.
Windsurf board volume and shape. How to choose
Like almost everyone, I started windsurfing on a classic beginner large volume board (180 liters - I weigh 65-70 kgs), with retractable daggerboard. After learning to stay in balance upon it, I felt the need to move to a lower volume board, as the weight, but also the size of the board, involved the inability to get the planing ( too heavy board to be pushed by wind strength, and large enough to determine a high resistance in the water). After trying a 155 liters, hired at windsurf center, I found a 145 liter freeride board (RRD z-ride). With this board, I learned to plane with both my feet in the straps without achieving perfection.
To go even faster (always for the same reasons), I decided to get further down in board volume, buying a fantastic Tabou Rocket 125 liters (a freeride again). Fantastic, more or less for me .... 'cause, for almost a year, I could not even put my feet in the straps (so that, after having sold the 145 ...., in frustration, I bought a Jp X 146 -cite!). Then one day a magic thing happened, and I got able to put my feet in the straps also on Tabou, and I began to enjoy that very performing board. The 125 liters helped me to understand the key movements to get planing, and to manage the planing. Moreover, being a very good board, it helped me to learn decently how do basic tack and jibe, and to begin to try fast tack, and power jibe. Until that time, 90% of my sessions took place in lake spot, or at the sea, but with almost no waves (and with typical thermal breezes).
Then, I started to go out often at sea spots (Andora and Hyeres, most of all), with waves much more significant. The 125 freeride, in these conditions, proved to be almost completely unsuitable. Of the first session at Andora, in particular, I remember unwanted jumps of more than a meter, at each wave I took with the bow board, if I was planing fast.
At this point, for the sessions in sea spots, more experienced friends advised me to choose freestylewave boards, and smaller volume.
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