|
I'm giving it a 9 because I think I finally figured out how to turn that F2 Wave. First time out I slogged out with enough wind to be planing -- the board just didn't want to go. Then I fell and coming back it was all I could do to go at all... and still there was enough wind to at least be almost planing, or even planing. I hit shore about 100 yards downwind and did the walk-of-shame and thought up all these plans for ditching the board, or turning it into a table or a toy for the kids, or put some wheels on it and make a skatesailor...
Then, I got up to the launch and the fire in my arms from my battle slogging a weathervaning sinker a 1/2 mile died, so I started thinking... I'm not going to get beat. But, I knew it was hopeless as is, so I went to shore, shoved the mast base all the way to the front, then upped the boom maybe 5 inches -- a lot. It's about nose or eye level -- too low before, but probably too high now. Nope. Perfect. I had to wait about 10 minutes for the wind to fill in again from an extended lull, but then I got on, started slogging for the better offshore wind and IT WENT STRAIGHT! I was psyched. Then, I hit some wind and off I went. That board is so loose and nimble and turny, it's amazing. It's not a bunch smaller than the carve -- a little longer actually, but 15 liters less, but it feels like it's not even there. After a bunch of tries, I finally found something that works. Ahh. It's a sense of relief as well as excitement for my next chance on the board. The board is fun, but of the probably 12 or 15 times I've used it, it's been hard as heck to get started. This could be my main board if I had a little bigger fin.
I say all this with love for my Carve 111, but the Carve is in the hospital with soft-spots and I'm going to try to do a home repair. The F2 might have to be the boards for a little while.
|