Kelly Slater's Wizard's Sleeve (and the like)

[mical]

It's ok mate, was just stirring really.

I would really like to see these 'complex bottom contours ... almost finless' designs when you're able to share though.

Look forward to it.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Any new ride reports after a few of these recent swells bodhidontsurf?

Keen to hear what you think of the Wizard Labia

[bohdidontsurf]

I have ridden it a couple of times in bigger surf and last time I surfed it I promised myself that I would take it out in 5ft+ but it does your head in to think that you will take out a 5'8 when you would normally take out a 6'3 in that sized surf but it comes alive in 3'ft plus . got to say I think it's a very user friendly board for the average punter!

[Cpt.Caveman]

We'll, now that I've been riding my new MORE Kritter that follows a lot of similar principles to the Wizard's Sleeve, I really understand why Kelly and others are having fun exploring mini-boards. This board is 5'7" x 20 3/4" x 2 3/4" with a flat deck, slight single concave the length of the board, slight vee in the tail, medium rails, quad with several fin options. Although this board is more snub-nose fish in dimensions, rather than a HPS with a chopped off nose like the Wizard Sleeve, I get the gist

I really do think that it opens up a different type of surfing, surfing with more speed and the ability to turn in parts of the wave that are usually a little more inaccessible, and less effort to throw the board around to where you want it.

The beast:


The interesting thing was watching the "Water and Oil" DVD that came with the recent Surfing World issue. Rye Craike and a couple of the other surfers were surfing mini-boards in a whole range of waves from hollow reefs, to hollow and fast beachies, to fuller and smaller beachies. It seemed like it had turned into their go-to board for most surf. It was great to see what they could do with those boards... Rye's board looked quite similar to my Kritter in planshape and rocker, but not in dimensions.

Hows everyone going with their mini-boards (bodhi?), and who's having some fun on them?

[bohdidontsurf]

Yeah I totally agree, loving riding my snub nose boards. I sold the Wizard Sleeve, just not riding it enough, I prefer epoxy boards. I am riding my Hayden Cox Shred Sled. 5'10 x 19.5 x 2.5 with a round tail with a single flyer or wing. Its set up for both thruster and quad but I have only ever ridden it as a quad. I have had that board out in solid six feet. It prefers a bit of juice but I would rather ride that board than most of my other shortys at the moment but...that might change. Something about riding a board with most of the nose cut off...like the quad it wont be for most people but I dont think this change in design will go away anytime soon. There was a lot of talk about quads just being a bit of a fad...well to a degree yes, but they are still around and lots of guys frothing on them still, me included.

[Natho]

It may just be a bad photo but that Kritta thing has gotta be one of the ugliest plan shapes I think Ive ever seen.

Sorry to spoil the party and all. Just being honest.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Who cares what it looks like mate, its not a fashion parade. Its not meant to look like a pretty symmetrical arrow head HPS It goes super fast and is very easy to throw around into tight arcs. So far everyone that I've given a go think so too, and they usually ride HPS's.

[dUg]

Could I please clarify the "and the like" aspect of this thread?

The board I mentioned in the other thread is kinda similar, and was inspired greatly by these designs. Dims are 5'8 ½" x 20¾ x 2¼, and it's a narrow swallow tail single / double concave EPS epoxy rail-centric quad.

In keeping with both thread titles, I have named it the "Axe wound".