Strapless super light 70L 5'1 board weighing around 4 kg or less pad included. Primarily for wave riding / carving and freerace in flat water. Rigid enough for pumping. I am 70kg.
Strapless: there wouldn't be unnecessary weight from strap inserts, and it wouldn't need to be built for jumping. Also there's no need for an overly long foil track since foot placement during the start doesn't have to be so precise. Minimal deck pad.
Such a board is not available in anyone's selection? I presume there are riders like me who would benefit from it?
I'm a bit frustrated that top of the line boards from major brands can cost $2,000 and still be very heavy and bulky.
A lightweight board is important because it allows for using a smaller stabilizer and enables more precise riding (wave and speed). Pumping also becomes easier.
However, I don't want a sinker board - prone boards are too tricky and exhausting to use with small 500-600cm2 foils.
With a lightweight 70L board, I could handle all conditions and still make it back to shore reasonably well when the wind drops.
I bet Sunova can do it for ya. I just got a custom Pilot made. 5'9"x20"x65l. I reached out to them and said I wanted it light with nothing more than a 4.5kg limit. Purely for surf winging.
I unboxed it yesterday and threw it on the scale, just under 4 kilos without pad. If you chopped it down to 5'1" I'd expect you'd be under 4kg including pad.
I think the biggest in the pilot range is 68l. Maybe shoot them a message and ask?
get a custom. personally I build my own, but for reference for your 4kg target, I have one board this weight which is 5'11"/93L, and even has footstrap inserts and HD sandwich, and can hold up to my size (198cm/130kg).
4kg is easily achievable for most custom builders. And it might even be cheaper. Production boards can't compare.
Custom is always an option, yes. It would just be nice to have a pre-designed and tested model that's known to work well.
I build boards all the time
4 is too light if you want it to last. For reference - My 16" tracks put into a block properly is 1kg before you start. so yeah 4 is doable but you won't be able to drop a knee on it and good luck if it sees a rock in the car park.
I also think in something with such little swing weight, I doubt people can feel 500g or so in the business area of tracks to front foot. So a bit of rail reinforcement up front isn't going to kill your waveriding. 4.5 seems to be a pretty sweet spot for all those trade-offs
My foildrive ready ML (with battery compartment so far bit extra stuff in there, in vicinity of 300g extra bits ) is 5.5kg
Select to expand quoteKalevi said..
Custom is always an option, yes. It would just be nice to have a pre-designed and tested model that's known to work well.
Perfect
Most of my boards are customer wants a copy but stronger or volume tweak etc.
So find what u like and commission a copy
BTW I think you would be surprised by the lack of testing in some board lines. Literally CAD to water and most test one or two sizes but make five or six sizes .. With scaling errors and all sorts.
Omen just released 3 new boards. Here is some ad copy that sounds right up your alley.
Being dedicated wave boards, the Emissaries have no strap inserts to maximally reduce weight.
omenfoils.com/collections/boards/products/emissary-hp
Turtle Wing boards from Lake Garda, Italy. Very light, very strong, tested shapes.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I build boards all the time
4 is too light if you want it to last. For reference - My 16" tracks put into a block properly is 1kg before you start. so yeah 4 is doable but you won't be able to drop a knee on it and good luck if it sees a rock in the car park.
I also think in something with such little swing weight, I doubt people can feel 500g or so in the business area of tracks to front foot. So a bit of rail reinforcement up front isn't going to kill your waveriding. 4.5 seems to be a pretty sweet spot for all those trade-offs
My foildrive ready ML (with battery compartment so far bit extra stuff in there, in vicinity of 300g extra bits ) is 5.5kg
Agreed re feeling the weight difference. I made 2 similarly sized 5 foot boards around 50l : one super light at 3.5 kg and one heavy (for a custom) at 5kg. A difference of 1.5kg and in retrospect, I wish I build the lighter one (a narrower board) in the heavier construction. The added materials made it incredibly stiff and a thrill to ride.
Yup
and look at the factory boards with sandthru and / or cracks from tiny impact - especially on carbon boards with no glass over. Delicate
Keeps me in business though 
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I build boards all the time
4 is too light if you want it to last. For reference - My 16" tracks put into a block properly is 1kg before you start. so yeah 4 is doable but you won't be able to drop a knee on it and good luck if it sees a rock in the car park.
I also think in something with such little swing weight, I doubt people can feel 500g or so in the business area of tracks to front foot. So a bit of rail reinforcement up front isn't going to kill your waveriding. 4.5 seems to be a pretty sweet spot for all those trade-offs
My foildrive ready ML (with battery compartment so far bit extra stuff in there, in vicinity of 300g extra bits ) is 5.5kg
That might very well be true, that 4.5 kg is enough. My current Takoon Glide is significantly heavy, but also extremely durable and stiff. The knee didn't go through the board. The knee broke, but the board didn't.
Thank you for the comments and recommendations. There was a lot of eye-opening information here. Turttle boards seemed particularly interesting in my case.
Kalevi, I have a number of boards. A most are heavier (6+kg for 110+ L), but all are durable. I also have a very light board (<5kg for 110L). It's much lighter because there's a single skin and this makes the board fragile. I've bumped it and the outer layer was compromised. I tried a repair and it was impossible for me. Got a mate who has some repair skills to have a go and he struggled, but it worked after lots of effort.
With all these things there are pro's and cons. I reckon the lighter board will not have the same life expectancy as my heavier boards.
Give me extra weight and durability.
I'll disagree with some people here. In most cases, Heavier does not equal stronger. (though, yeah sure, it is possible that's the case) Heavier usually means that they are building for 'production' instead of for performance. So... lot's of build decisions done to reduce production time & steps, and to increase repeatability and cost margins.
That means added weight for things like fairing putty, or not taking the care to properly sand or smooth between steps, or maybe not vacuum bagging so you have extra resin (which is not only heavier but also weaker). You could actually have a weaker board.
It's not a rule that a heavier board is built better, more durable and will last longer. I'd almost guess there's an opposite correlation. .
If it's for carving and wave riding then look at the shape first and then at the weight. A board with a good shape - done with having wave riding in mind - could feel more responsive and more fun to ride than a lighter board that's made for some other purpose.
I have a 60l custom KT with no strap inserts. It weighs 4kg. I'm 80 kg and very rarely do I feel that I would have benefited from more volume
Select to expand quoteKyleT said..
I'll disagree with some people here. In most cases, Heavier does not equal stronger. (though, yeah sure, it is possible that's the case) Heavier usually means that they are building for 'production' instead of for performance. So... lot's of build decisions done to reduce production time & steps, and to increase repeatability and cost margins.
That means added weight for things like fairing putty, or not taking the care to properly sand or smooth between steps, or maybe not vacuum bagging so you have extra resin (which is not only heavier but also weaker). You could actually have a weaker board.
It's not a rule that a heavier board is built better, more durable and will last longer. I'd almost guess there's an opposite correlation.
if you are talking factory boards, yes sometimes heavier is all filling etc
but that's not what this thread is about.
in my boards there is no crap so yeah heavier is stronger.
@Kalevi
Maybe you'll find what you're looking for here:
www.airinside.ch
-> 70 liter board = 3,5 kg.
They are just starting out, but have gained some experience with Formula windsurf boards - there is also a video on YouTube where someone hits the board with a windsurf fin...
I haven't found any testimonials anywhere. But the weight is sensational !
Funny but I'm not a fan of super low weight boards, I do like to have a certain weight in boards to keep momentum. I do not whip the nose a lot however, maybe because of my style of riding or my lack of style in riding waves lol.
Select to expand quoteNordRoi said..
Funny but I'm not a fan of super low weight boards, I do like to have a certain weight in boards to keep momentum. I do not whip the nose a lot however, maybe because of my style of riding or my lack of style in riding waves lol.
I think you're right about this. I don't know what the exact weight is, but I like feeling like there's a board below me. I know some love the ultra short ultra light feel but I'm somewhere in the middle. I want to feel the boards feedback in my riding and in turns.
Select to expand quoteTuberiderG said..
@Kalevi
Maybe you'll find what you're looking for here:
www.airinside.ch
-> 70 liter board = 3,5 kg.
They are just starting out, but have gained some experience with Formula windsurf boards - there is also a video on YouTube where someone hits the board with a windsurf fin...
I haven't found any testimonials anywhere. But the weight is sensational !
This is interesting! Thank you!
I am curious if Flikka are using the name Airinside under licence from Patrik who made hollow WS boards called Airinside too.
or if its a collab?
Either way- both Flikka and Patrik really know what they're doing so it would be a ripper construction no doubt.
