I tried a JP exite Ride 120ltre board today ( 1st modern one Ive tried ) & decided I need to get something similar as a light wind board.5 - 15kts odd range.I want something I can uphaul in sloppy conditions & that will breeze through the lulls.
I found the JP planed through the lulls much better than my existing board ( 105ltre 258cm long 58 wide) & I even got a chop hop in light wind!! suprise suprise..I want to have a board I can get on in gusty conditions maybe work upwind for a while or travel & then come back downwind & know if the wind dies I can uphaul & get back in. I weigh 65kgs.
Problem is limited funds..Dont care if its crappy to look at as long as its sound & pref last..8 years...? or more recent..
Had a look in the buy & sell but nothing much of that size on offer.
There was a starboard Isonic 125ltre 2006..? what are they like..?
I just got a F2 Stoke 117 litre freeride board and are very very happy with it. does everything well and bloody fast as well. has inner and outer straps and floats me easy. use a 6.7 and 5.8 on it. smaller i use a wave board. I weight about 78kg.
i am similiar weight, it depends on funds.
i have tried the 2009 F2 boards.[raceboards]
the 62cm wide,by around 238 is probably too small.
i have also tried the 2009 68cm wide[around 105litres] and the 85cm wide[around 120 litres]
both boards are carbon and feel light underfoot when sailing.
they both sail very high out of water, unlike the starboards which sail lower in water.
it depends on what you like.
the 68cm points upwind so high ,yet feels quite like quite a small board.
i own a older F2 X-SPEED 64 wide 110 litres it feels slightly faster than 68cm newer model but not as good upwind.
the manta i have heard is good also.
in this type [lightwind] the weight of the board is all- important.
the F2 by weight and design is the best by far.
the starboard125 if its the non carbon one that i tried, feels like a log and slow.
i tried the 68cm wide F2 with a 5.8m rigged full, i got me going in around 11/12 knots. a 6.7m would work great.
contact steve stratfold in perth he has a few older F2 boards for sale.
Can't go too far wrong with a JP x-cite or Starboard carve. My first board back 4 years ago was a Carve 131, and I was able to chop hop that nicely in quite light winds. Here are some used board Oz sites too look at. My last board cost me $65 to freight from WA to Vic.http://www.2ndwind.com.au/products-used/used-boards.asp
windforce.com.au/web/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,75/
www.windsurfingperth.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=123
www.sunshinecoastsailboards.com.au/pre-loved-sailboards.html
Starboard Carves changed little thru the years. A really old one is still a sweet board. I just sold one for $100 so they are out there.
See what second wind in attadale has
carve+3
exocet are another board brand that build very smooth sailing and forgiving boards. well worth a look.
JP's excite also is a very good board.
The Fanatic Cross was a great board. I never rode one in that size that big but have sailed my Dad's 100L. After a few runs I wanted one! To be honest, you probably can't go wrong if you get a freeride board of any brand made in the last 5 or 6 years.
If funds allow try look at a starboard futura; in the bigger sizes they have lots of footstrap option to suit novice right up to expert...fast too..
Also just sold mine but a fanatic ray 125 is a great option...I am 95kgs and floated me well...was ultra fast with tuned botton and c3 fin...just too windy here in wellington to get much use from it...what a problem to have eh !!!
if i could live anywhere else in world, wellington would be it!
perth is great, but after nearly 20 years, time soon for change.
is it as windy as perth is the question.
Ive got a 130ltr Xcite Ride. If you can find one grab one - though they are normally fairly $$$$ which is a sign of how well they are regarded.
As far as the Futura goes a mate just bought one but it doesnt seem to handle chop real well with its big wide nose - having said that you want it for a light wind board so shouldnt be a problem - On the upside the Futuras seem reasonably quick.
Anthing that gets you up and running in light wind is going to be more fun that watching from the sand.
I'm not much for bothering with sailing in 5-15knots so I could be well off here but was thinking that at 65kg a 120l board seems a little excessive in volume for you, you'll be lucky if you even get the rails wet.
If your 105l board is from the 90's, have you tried a newer board in that sort of volume range? Still plenty of volume for you to uphaul.
Anyway, give one a try before buying in the 120lplus size range. It will give much better planing through the lulls than your current board, feel less like you're riding a bus and definitely be a lot more fun on the days when you do get some decent wind.
I've just upgraded from 103l 2002era to 93l 2009 board, even with a drop of 10l it's a lot easier to gybe and I don't feel like I need any more wind to get it planing.
Am I asking too much..??
For your weight 110-120 should be a good size. As far as uphauling in choppy water the width will make more difference.
I tried a Futura 122 a few weeks back and loved it. I had been out on my 94 Carve and only just planing when a mate offered me his Futura. As soon as I put my rig on his board I was straight on the plane without any sail pumping at all. This board also pointed a lot higher into the wind than I ever could on my Carve. I wouldn't swap my Carve for a Futura but as a light wind board you could do a lot worse. The day I tried it we only had around 10 knots of wind and I was using a 7.8 sail.
Am I asking too much..??
.
Are we getting ripped off over here? I just found a new Jp excite for $1200 odd dollars & thought wow thats good! Checked out the website & in America ..[}:)]
Any of the slalom boards will make a good light wind board. Just check the width, I would look for a minimum of 68 wide to give you stability for uphauling.
You would probably find some of the freeride boards easier to jibe depending on your sailing standard.
I have a Futura 122 for light wind and use it with 7.5/8.5. It's a little closer to a slalom rocker than the xcite - in otherwords a little faster but not as comfortable in sloppy stuff, a bit slappy because it is quite flat and requires a far bit of back leg pressure. I sometimes use it when it's gusty with a 6.5 or even a 5.5 (flat water) just so I'm not struggling in the major lulls - it's good fun in the gusts on flatwater. You might want to also consider something like an RRD FSW 120 - they're still pretty quick but will be more comfy and manouverable than a Futura. Carve would be a great choice too. Unless speed is your number one requirement you should probably stay away from slalom boards like the iSonic, you may find them harder work and less comfortable. Hope that helps 
i would not touch the older jp's with a barge pole, the current model has an ok design.
the 68cm wide 2009 F2 try it first and you will buy.
My biggest sail is a 5.7m & if I buy another board i wont be able to get a larger one for a few years ( needs another mast & boom too if I get one). So does the fact that I only have a small " large ' sail have any bearing on what size board would be best for the purpose..115 or 130ltres..?
For lighter days a bigger sail is really worth it. Back in the day a 6m sail was a big sail. Now its a smallish sail. I've got a Tabou Rocket 140, 74cm wide and its a sweet board. It can take something like a 9m sail. The only real downside is I can't get much faster than about 25 knots on it, maybe 27 but thats about it for me. Great for lake sailing.
The biggest sail I have is a 7.8m. I don't really want to get a bigger sail as it means like you I have to buy a bigger mast. I have no desire to get a 490 mast. I'm not a great sailor and can hold down the 7.8 to about 20 odd knots before its too much for me.
So if you are getting a bigger board for lighter winds it would be best to buy a bigger sail too. Or perhaps get the bigger sail first.
i would go a bigger board over a bigger sail everytime.
currently using a 5.8 on my 125lt board. to uphaul you only need 30lt more than your boady weight so a 110lt board will still work.
certainly for 5-15 knots a 130lt won't hurt either.
only downside for a lightweight on bigger boards is tail width which can make gybes a little harder.
how did you find the gybes on the excite?
also, i know i'm going to get hammered here but at 115lt you open up a whole other segment of boards to look at. freestyle boards!
etc but that was in strong winds & I was young & fit..
