I'm an Intermediate/advanced freestyler looking to get into surf.
Which board? any ideas. Wam seems to look the part more. It looks more manouverable.
I Have ridden strapless on an 80's thruster /funboard a few times which is bad ass.
The WAM is a good all rounder and 1 board quiver, you can change from Thruster to Quad fin set up giving a board that will work and track well in bigger surf, or will be loose and skatey for small mushy days.
The Whip is a really fun loose, skatey quad which work well for mushy crappy waves, but should be viewed as a high performance short board, put it on a steep or fast wave and it will get a bit hairy.
We recommend 1st time directional riders go with a the WAM, the smaller tucked tail will mean you will get more drive and power from the kite.
The WHIP will use the wave a bit more, will plane better at lower board speed, so giving you a better low wind advantage.
If you are looking for a manoeuvrable board go the WHIP, if you are looking for versatility go the WAM!
It's all what DM said. I just add to it from an average kiter's point of view.
(I have both.)
Wam: great for any decent wave and more than light wind. It handles speed well in case of a fast slope on thruster setup, but turns quick and fast on a quad setup... but boring in light wind and mushy white water. It's hopeless to jump... I think you can surf it (with no kite) if you are an advanced surfer on bigger swells... not sure about this, though....
Whip: insane upwind, quick planning.....great fun in light wind and small mushy waves... jumps nice if you take the shorter ones... but doesn't like speed and struggles in high wind, and not that easy to carve a decent bottom turn unless you have big long feet.... ...
A bit off topic but i've recently bought the 5' 8" 2013 WAM after riding the 2009 and 2010 Kontacts 5' 10" for just over two seasons in Gero. From starting riding waves on a Kontact has influenced the way in which i ride waves, full power with lots of speed. If i has started out on a WAM/Whip then again my style would have been dramatically different to what it is today. An important factor to consider when selecting the board, just as important as straps/strapless blah blah. I did make the Kontacts do for a while, pushing my skate style moves but they just don't have the ability in smaller stuff.
Now have moved to the WAM and found that in quad setup it is really loose on the top turn and if you drive down the line with as much speed as i would the Kontact it feels very sketchy, almost like that speed wobble moment on a Skateboard. BUT for the steeper mushy stuff i find it excels in quad mode, you don't need to drive it out in front for a sweeping long bottom turn when like the Kontact, you can turn straight back at the wave and take a hack.
And there is the traditional tri fin set up i have yet to try, this may bridge gap between the two. But on those big days at the Point moore i will always have a soft spot for the Kontact, it really is a down the line monster. Then theres the WAMs ability to motor upwind, you can't put a price on getting in a better position than your mates, and of course getting more waves! Hope this Kontact/WAM comparison helps out a little.
Thanks guys! I already have an 80's shortboard 5'8" so i think the Wam will do nicely
Sorry to go off topic, but i'm in a similar boat as i'm looking to get onto a directional surfboard but I've been looking at the Cabrina Skillet. How does this compare to the WAM and the WHIP? By DM's explanation it sounds similar to the WAM?
