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2010 Starboard Kode Freewave 86L - The perfect lightwind board?

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Created by Manuel7 > 9 months ago, 17 Feb 2022
Manuel7
1275 posts
17 Feb 2022 1:07PM
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Still looking... darn! Was hoping it'd work great for our light conditions here but it fell short for 3 reasons:

- the 86L actually feel like 86L and I could use a bit more buoyancy
- planing could be more nervous in lighter winds
- the wave performance while decent lacks a bit of fun

Overally, it's a great board, just looking for some more wave oriented when it's light but good.

Full test: windsurfing.lepicture.com/board-tests/#2010-Starboard-Freewave

Mark _australia
WA, 22736 posts
17 Feb 2022 6:10PM
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You won't get a proper turny FSW / freewave in that sort of age. FSW's that are actually is OK on a wave is a pretty recent thing.

Also, Kode changed too much, they were FSW, then a twin wave, then some small ones wave and bigger ones almost freeside (in the same year) then Ultrakode pure wave.... but then different shapes for the small ones vs the large ones.... its like Forest Gumps box of chocolates.

In older FSW, a Goya One converted to thruster would be your best chance I reckon.

Manuel7
1275 posts
17 Feb 2022 9:13PM
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Yeah they called everything "Kode"...

Funny you mention the One. I have a Goya freewave 77L from 06. It stalls over the front foot and is very stiff despite running a 19cm fin. Worse than its same year 105 freeride version. However, it auto pilots on a plane, no need to use the arms!

You think a recent One in 85 is sufficient for light wind and 12-21kts? Pivot well over the front foot? If the Thruster wave (custom wave) version planes just as well I could just go 91L with that instead.

Mark _australia
WA, 22736 posts
17 Feb 2022 9:52PM
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^^ That's cos they have no rail rocker in that age, they're just a controllable freeride. Its taken a very long time for shapers to get the balance right and finally freewave / FSW does acutally have some wave use - but only recently.

If you want light wind use in proper waves, get a faster rockered wave board -and the first Goya thruster (2018?) is perfect..... the one before they wrote Custom on it. If that is the one you mean, yeah they're tops.
If you want to be planing in between wave riding and sacrifice a little turning, you need a less than 4yrs old FSW like Dyno, 3S thruster, Goya One thruster... or even better a MozCustoms Freewave that is a true allrounder - blast in 15kn and go DTL in 25kn plus, same board.

Manuel7
1275 posts
18 Feb 2022 12:35AM
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Thanks for the feedback.
Max sail size is 4.7. I have 3 boards around 80L 54-58cm, they're all a bit small for light days.

How about the RRD wave cult in 90L?
7.1kg naked :( :( Wave performance seems excellent and planes ok?

EDIT: I'm afraid that the Goya 3 in 86 is a bit small (too close to what I have), maybe 90+ better.

Basher
538 posts
18 Feb 2022 2:10AM
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I'm going to comment because I had the Kode 86, in the 2010 version.
In fact I still have the board in my loft, although my one has gone a bit soft in the deck - despite me having it repaired once already. I must have gybed that board a million times.

For a while it was my favourite light wind board, with the 86 litres matching bigger sails for me, usually a 5.2 or 5.7, but the outer footstrap options also meant you could blast around with it, using a 6m or even 6.5m - or so I'm told. Some people did 'wave slalom' on it.

At the time I weighed about 72kgs, so I'd be on much smaller boards for true wave sailing weather. But when I did take this size board on the wave, I found I had to exaggerate my driving stance to crank turns on the wave face, because of the single fin, and because of the board length. I think the board length is about 240cms.

But it's worth noting that this was a Freestyle Wave (FSW) board not a 'free wave'. It was very much developed in the single fin era, and you might remember that Kevin Pritchard won some wave heats on the 80 litre version when his customs got lost in transit.

The Kode later morphed into different styles and sizes, and of course it became a tri fin, and had quite a bit cut off its length.
But the 86, 94, 103 and later a 105litre size remained very popular as cross over kit.
The 86 has a bit of rocker but it planes really early, is very light in the wood version, and has Vee in the bottom to help with turns and chop.

Manuel7
1275 posts
18 Feb 2022 8:51PM
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Delam and starboards seem to be linked :D !

Next candidates:
Goya One 85
Goya Custom 3 86
RRD Wave Cult 90
New Wave single 91L
Re-re-dry my Kode Wave, feels like tail is letting water in but not spotting anywhere else (tail feels heavy too)



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"2010 Starboard Kode Freewave 86L - The perfect lightwind board?" started by Manuel7