On Apr 30, 3:04=A0pm, bertbarndoor <bertbarnd...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> I am an advanced beginner, 5'11 185 lbs (for those who haven't been
> following), looking to lock-in harness-use, foot straps, power jibes,
> and possibly (although not caring too much at this point) water
> starts.
>
> I am leaning (way leaning) towards the Rio (small) mostly because it
> is smaller, and I have this feeling that it will be more performance-
> oriented, while not being too difficult to learn what I want to learn.
>
> I am interested in the Kona mostly because of all the people who keep
> going gah gah over it and apparently it would be a fun board to have
> (and useful for my purposes). That said, the damn thing looks and
> sounds huge.
>
> Thoughts and opinions and thanks in advance....
>
> _Rob
Rob- I don't own either board, so please don't take my advice over
helpful comments from someone in either camp. I am a longboarder
(Mistral Equipe, Mistral Pacifico, Mistral Superlight, Fanatic Ultra
Cat), so you'd think I would definitively wind up saying Kona.
However, the 2008 Rio looks like a quietly revolutionary board in it's
own right. The outline, deck shape, and daggerboard are radically
different than prior Rios (which were Start clones). Starboard has
taken a stab at the one-board approach that Exocet so successfully
promoted with the Kona. Both are high performance boards, no doubt,
but they have different strengths. If you will be in waves, the Kona
must be your choice, since it does very well there. Are you going to
race? Kona again, since there seems to be a nice (though regional)
one design fleet emerging. If you are on a lake, either board will
work, but the Starboard is likely to be earlier planning by some
margin, and will do very well with BIG sails and fins (like formula).
If you are going to teach others on your board, the Rio will have an
edge, obviously.
You mentioned size, and with either board this is no small matter.
But the Rio does have some considerable advantage, in my opinion. I
often ask myself what I would do if I had no boards, and were to
purchase only one. The 2 boards you have chosen would be the
finalists, but I live in the city, so would have to give the nod to
the Rio, I think, just on the basis of size, since trying to store 12
ft. boards is a big problem for me.
I question your decision to go for the small size, though. I would
talk to Starboard about their recommendations for your weight. I
could be wrong, but think you are not likely to notice a big
difference between the medium and small in higher winds, but will
definitely notice the difference in light air.
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