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Amos Cain
5 years ago
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1 Will a new fin help? Or should I save for a board. Posted by _T /08/23 11:49 A rambling question I'm afraid. As recommended I have shelled out on a newer sail. I have a Severne S-2 6.4mtr. It's not arrived yet but as I am still trying to sail an old Bic Electric rock I'm wondering if I need to upgrade the fin. I read around somewhere that newer sails pull work better with newer fins and that the development of newer sails was driven by developments in Fin design. I have an old looking big ole fin on the Bic and I am wondering if I should buy a modern fin to suit the sail (and if so what do I look for?) or should I save the money and buy a more modern board? Or if I did buy a modern fin I guess I could utilize it on a new board when I can eventually afford one. Any advice welcome, Cheers, rd. Posted by gopher /08/23 12:42 If it's an old Electric rock the finbox will be the U.S. type and most modern boards with the exception of race type or wave boards use power box fins, so I would stick with what you already have. Posted by AndyBoardman /08/23 17:26 I would say stick with the fin to and save up for a new / newer board, the fin will not make a lot of difference to you unless your a full on PRO sailor!! Enjoy the new sail when you get it as this will go great with a newer board. Hope this helps rd. Posted by Shawn /08/24 08:42 I'd go with andy. Save yer dosh & get a board thats been designed in the last 3 or so years - it's perform far better. Electric rocks must be nigh on 20yrs old by now?? I've got a pal that just picked up a good as new starboard S type for so the bargains are out there. Boardwise & robinhood w/s have a large selection of 2nd hand boards to go at if u fancy - can be browsed online - ebay also has some good'uns. rd. Posted by _T /08/24 09:08 Cheers guys, thats the sort of response I have been after. I'll keep keeping my eye on ebay and boards for a board. I'll slip the money back in my pocket for the next month or so. cheers,

2 rd. Posted by TwoFish /08/27 21:09 Seconded / thirded / fourthed or whatever might get you a reasonable nick four year old or so board, whick will be a world apart from an Astro Rock. If you want to leap a Bic generation you can probably get a techno (classic board) for even less. Boardseeker is somewhere to add to your list of hunting grounds. Posted by AndyBoardman /08/28 16:44 Here you go a nice new board that would be great for you and suit your new sail down to the ground!! # Mistral emotion (31 hits) On the site now under for sale on main page. Worth a look!! Hope it helps Andy B:) Posted by _T /08/29 07:42 Cheers for the replies guys. Andy the Mistral sounds good but too much for my budget right now. I've got a change of career coming up in the next month or so and cash is gonna get a bit tight until next year. I was wondering is buying something thats Ok, not as good as very recent boards, but perhaps good enough to out class the old electric rock would make sense? Say something in the up to 120 or so region. Yesterday I followed up a board on ebay, it didn't reach the reserve and the buy put it on again today with a buy it now of 90. I'm going to be sailing coastal waters, Cornwall south coast, and I have my formula board for light winds and want something for moderate conditions, bit of chop and smaller waves. What do you think about this board? AHD G-57 Posted by TwoFish /08/29 08:23 I'm assuming you're not a fat boy, and so can comfortably sail a board that size (not much less volume / width than an Electric Rock though, I think). At that price it seems a real bargain, though can they really courier it to you for 20? Hears an old review: AHD G-Ride 57 Tested Boards March 2001 The G Ride 57 is a classic example of the problems inherent in trying to categorise boards by size, and knowing in what conditions, and against which other boards, to compare them properly. It quotes 85 litres of volume and the manufacturer's spec. recommends sails of between 4.2 and 6.0m. So in both these respects it is perfectly in line with the other boards tested here. However, it is a couple of cm wider than most, 3cm wider in the tail than average(!), and a massive 7cm wider in the nose than many. This extra width has a huge bearing on how it sails and in what conditions you would want to sail it, as we found out. The Ride: This is where AHD Freeride and Widestyle boards excel in every test. Shaper Jean Bouldoires likes to give his boards negligible Vee and plenty of concave, resulting in an extremely smooth and 'air-cushioned' feel to the ride. The G

3 Ride sails flat (ie; doesn't roll from side to side) and therefore feels very stable even at speed, blasting comfortably even through moderate chop. Although not the quickest in feel it's very controllable in its wind range. The wide nose makes for very easy jumping off any available ramps, and gives very high stability at slow speeds for tricks or simply sorting yourself out. The down side of all that extra width throughout is in stronger winds and heavier chop, when it inevitably becomes rather bouncy and harder to control. Range: Contrary to its brochure claim of being "the ultimate board for all windy conditions", we found it to have a very specific preferred wind range. The curvy rocker line dictates against using sails larger than the recommended 6.0m and the board isn't the quickest to plane, despite its massive tail. It needs to be borne off the wind a long way and pumped to get decent early planing performance. At the other end of the scale, its extreme width means that winds much above Force 4-5 can only really be enjoyed where the water remains fairly flat. Manoeuvring: It is not a natural carving board; although it will turn quite nicely it is more inclined than most to stop carving and level out, particularly at higher speeds. However, for tacking and general freestyle its width gives it great stability. Guesters' Comments: Most really enjoyed sailing it, and it was rated as 'third favourite' by one Guester. However, it did come in for criticism, particularly in terms of not being the easiest to get going or to carve. It was also commented that it doesn't go upwind that easily. Overall: We never quite managed to put our finger on the ideal 'target market' for this board. Its width makes it easy and accessible, and it's great fun to sail in conditions; smooth, very controllable, good to chop- hop and fun for medium wind freestyle, but it doesn't score so well for either stronger or lighter winds, so overall it enjoys a fairly narrow optimum performance band. Summary: A lovely smooth ride and good freestyle performance, but very targeted at a specific wind range and conditions. and one from WindSruf of its big brother AHD G-Ride 59 Tested Windsurf March 2002 Discribed by AHD as being 33% wave, 33% freeride and 33% freestyle the G-ride range is designed to satisfy all riders in all conditions. This implies that the boards have manoeuvre oriented characteristics, with a large scope of use. Made in Protec construction. (custom sandwich with a plastic skin) they are light and durable with a very high level of finishing. On The Water The G-Ride 59 has a particularly fast and yet effortless feel, with a great deal of solid stability underfoot. For such a short board. (possessing a length of just 253cm rather than the quoted 260cm in the AHD brochure!) it gets onto the plane immediately when sufficient power is there, although the thin tail presents little to pump and push against in more marginal conditions. Once on the plane it is quick to accelerate, reaching a respectable top speed and providing a very composed, predictable ride. When considering that the G-Ride has such a rounded plan-shape and thin tail, similar to that of a wave-board, its top speed is very impressive. Gybing the AHD is progressive and easy to control. Without needing to power up the sail to initiate the turn, the G-ride almost instinctively reacts to a change of foot pressure and commits itself into the turn without feeling twitchy or unstable at any time. In this sense the G-Ride has a very unique feel. It has very definite directional potential, being fast and stable on all points of sail. yet in transitions it meets the demands of the rider precisely and with accuracy. And unlike some boards, you don't need to exert much pressure on the rail to get the desired response - when the board bites it does so in a very controlled manner:. So what of its freestyle or wave potential I hear you cry? Well, the G-Ride definitely has the capability of mixing it in fairly choppy conditions. Far from encouraging a blasting, locked-down riding style the AHD's tail-shape forces you to adopt quite an upright stance - a good position for starting manoeuvres, and dealing with small waves. But whilst providing a secure, dependable platform for traditional freestyle tricks like 360's, monkey gybes, body drags etc, the G-Ride's solid and safe nature is perhaps a little detrimental for the more modern, radical freestyle tricks. This said, the AHD is most suited for those who possess the rudiments of planing technique, providing a great deal of controllable performance, without having to be an expert to master it. Verdict A responsive but easy to use board, suitable for intermediates and above. With such a solid and controllable nature it has a great deal to offer all but the most extreme freestyle guru. Capable of handling a variety of sea states and a wide wind range, it is best suited to lighter weight rigs and more manoeuvre oriented riding. Posted by _T /08/29 08:35 Cheers for posting the review. Hmm fat boy, not sure but 2 days ago whilst at my parents i slipped onto the scales in their bathroom and was staggered at the 85kg reading, seems a little harsh. I can sink the electric rock though I can't say I know what the litreage is of that board, it says it has a buoyancy of 95KG... I'm probably going to fall into the beggers can't be choosers category but no harm in looking at getting something worthwhile for low bucks. A bit put off by the low wind range stated in that review. The guy selling the board told me what his reserve was yesterday but it didn't fetch much more than 60.

4 Cheers, Posted by TwoFish /08/29 08:46 _T wrote: A bit put off by the low wind range stated in that review. It's always a bit tricky reading 'stand alone' reviews, as of course the mags review a whole batch of similar boards at the same time, and so presumably are drawn to the differences noticed between them. In the 'bigger scheme of things' though, those differences may actually not be that great. I've never sailed on of those, but it looks to me like an early example of what Boards now calls "fast tail all-rounders". Given the price, it looks a good bet to me. Good luck. Posted by TwoFish /08/29 09:04 One more thought. Your 6.4 is outside the quoted sail range. You might just get away with it though. I know I sometimes sail at the top end of a couple of my boards. However I'm no expert and as say, am not familiar with the AHD. Anyone else have any experience / views? Posted by _T /08/29 09:27 Cheers again TwoFish, much appreciate you making the time to answer my Q's. The seller sailed it with a 6.2 and my 6.4 hasn't arrived so far due to ParcelFarce delivering it to someone in Milton Keynes not to me in Cornwall, they also have no idea who it has gone to nor how they are going to retrieve it. So I may not get it yet. I'll give it a pop me thinks. If it's no good for me at that price I should be able to shift it on again. Posted by _T /08/29 09:30 Also it's worth me considering that this board will surely out perform my Electric Rock? Posted by _T /08/29 10:04 Just found that the Electric Rock is 102ltr board v's the AHD being 86lltr. There is no way on earth I can uphaul the electric rock, I'll send it a good knee deep in the water if I try that. I can water start and don't need it for light wind so does

5 that matter or would this be too little volume for my weight (suspected 85KG)? Cheers again, Posted by TwoFish /08/29 10:20 Well I'm 5kg fatter than you and I sail both a 95L/ 60 cm fast tail / freestyle wave type board and an 81L / 57cm wave board. So, you should certainly be able to sail the AHD in stronger winds. However I guess your other alterative might be a 'proper' wave board rather than a small freeride. It might just be possible to pick up a model from 5 years+ ago for that sort of price (ish), with a bit of luck. It still looks a bargain to me mind. Posted by _T /08/29 10:54 Wonder what this is going to go for? Starboard s Type Posted by _T /08/30 15:39 I'm such a sucker for whim sickle ebay purchases, or "buying on a beer". Just bought an AHD convert 261 from boardwise for 56. Needs a Fin and a small repair sorted out and may well be a dumb purchase but as I get back into it I am happy to try out a bunch of cheap boards whilst I find where I want to go with this windsurfing lark. Rather that than buy a new board that isn't right for me or I stuff up due to lack of skill.

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