AI.Dave forum posts in last 60 days

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Reply in Topic: El Nino
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
18 May 2026 9:07pm
yeh if only we could have another polar vortex thing but a bit further south 😎 would love to check out vic and sa one day
Around the hobart/south arm area theres several beach breaks for wave sailing which are usually pretty bumpy and unreliable but occasionally can be gold. These are all about 30-40mins from the city





The good south coast stuff happens a short drive away. These are within 40 to 90mins of the city and go off in big SW or NW systems. They are best in side off and get super gusty, very challenging to sail and some days you get flogged. But usually score some pretty special rides








AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
18 May 2026 7:07pm
Not to my knowledge.. Just keep an eye on it. They can squish and flatten with age
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
18 May 2026 5:24pm
Nice board 👍
If its the vent which has failed you can just replace it with a newie
But be worth having a good look for cracks in case the water is coming in elsewhere
Reply in Topic: El Nino
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
17 May 2026 9:51pm
KJ see above for my 10 cents worth on tas. quick answer, unsure
Traditionally Tassie gets consistent westerlies, most of our usual wave spots work in SW or W wind. What we have seen over the last couple of years is a shift in weather patterns - still plenty of wind but from different directions.
Last year it was the polar vortex, from Aug to Dec we got smashed with constant W and NW systems. For 2 months, BOM were issuing severe weather warnings on average every second day and we were regularly seeing speeds exceeding 50kts
Then this year la nina has brought consistent NE winds and east coast swell. Moderate but steady.
Upshot of all this is that our goto wave locations have gone off the boil. Normally places like Low Head and Marrawah can be sailed several times a month, for the last year I've only had a handful of sessions there.
But on the flip side new locations along the north and east coasts which are rarely sailed have taken over. Probably sailing DTL conditions more than ever, and its been awesome scoring sessions in parts of the state that we never used to bother about
Reply in Topic: Boots in straps
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
17 May 2026 10:47am
sboardcrazy said..

AI.Dave said..
i always wear booties, most of the year its too cold not to. I like the front straps tight, so i can only get toes into them. And a narrow but high rear strap which i can push my foot all the way thru for riding. I've tried all the variations and this works best for me.
Also found that when the sole of the bootie wears down it seems to get softer and grippier and more likely to get stuck




Mine slip when worn..when it's too light to get in the straps.
I get about 6 months from a pair but I average 2 sails a week or more over a year.


Its a dark art isnt it! Trial and error to find out what works
This was learning not to use old wornout straps 😎 much grippier than expected





Reply in Topic: Boots in straps
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
17 May 2026 9:57am
i always wear booties, most of the year its too cold not to. I like the front straps tight, so i can only get toes into them. And a narrow but high rear strap which i can push my foot all the way thru for riding. I've tried all the variations and this works best for me.
Also found that when the sole of the bootie wears down it seems to get softer and grippier and more likely to get stuck

Reply in Topic: El Nino
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
17 May 2026 9:38am
i have been lying awake every night worrying about this 😂
So for tassie (and maybe southern parts of Vic, SA, WA) my understanding is that the influence of the roaring 40's weakens. The band of westerlies gets pushed further south.
This may mean fewer of the westerly patterns which bring high rainfall to the west coast of tas and create prolonged periods (up to 10 days) of strong NW to SW wind
But what i dont understand is how far south the westerlies will go, maybe tassie will still be in the midst of them? Or maybe we'll just see fewer frontal systems?
Then the other thing is el nino means warmer sea temps off our east coast which can intensify storms. So perhaps we'll see short sharp windy periods? Which is kind of what is happening here at the moment, light N and NE winds for a few days followed by strong SW change.
Also the BOM say that the strength of el nino doesnt necessarily manifest in dryer conditions. ie. a weak el nino can bring drought, a strong el nino might not, there is not a good correlation. Anyway we'll find out in a few months





AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
13 May 2026 5:54pm
haha yes the old marketing bs.. reactive construction sounds like a board which falls apart. maybe they should say the board is responsive? i dunno
I would add the JP magic waves to this list.. Early to plane and they feel very free and quite quick. Plus the 5 box setup on the older model (pre 25?) is great for tuning



AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
1 May 2026 9:37pm
The new site is shaping up well! Appreciate the hard work 👍
Couple of idea's re the forecast
- option to switch between the normal 10 day BOM forecast (ACCESS) and the more accurate 36 hr forecast (ACCESS-C)
- can you add wind gust speed on the graphs?

Reply in Topic: US Box quad set wanted
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
1 May 2026 3:04pm
The severne style SB might give you a long enough tab (10mm) for the screw and plate




Reply in Topic: US Box quad set wanted
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
1 May 2026 8:06am
bit of mucking around but could you adapt a SB side? tab & pin
Reply in Topic: 2025 Simmer evoq
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
25 Apr 2026 11:16am
glad you're enjoying the new sail!

Agree with your thoughts on power delivery. The evoq is very smooth and progressive compared to the blacktips which are very abrupt and power on/off instantly. I think the 2 complement each other well, choose what suits best for your riding style. I would prefer the snappiness of the BTs in larger sizes and then the more mellow Evoqs for small sizes when control becomes more important.

Also i've found my evoq 5.3 is very tunable and for extra power responds will to minimal downhaul and outhaul. For float and ride i use about 4cm less downhaul and neutral outhaul. The batten above the boom rotates out in front of the mast and there is almost no softness in the leech. Definitely helps early plaining and upwind.
Reply in Topic: Tassie east coast
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
25 Apr 2026 10:05am
Yesterday further up the coast - very small conditions but nothing elsewhere. Plus it was an unusually warm 25deg










AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
23 Apr 2026 5:25pm
corrosion and stuck/broken screws with the finer threads and metal to metal contact?
Reply in Topic: Tassie east coast
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
21 Apr 2026 6:00pm
Gestalt said..
I've been searching for conditions like this in seq / nth nsw and may have found a spot hiding in plain sight. more cross shore, with smaller waves and much less wind however very good setup for float and ride.. /was on the sup there on the weekend and wished I had a sail.


i've gone big on my float and ride board, 115l (i'm 85kg). Its made a huge difference and opened up lots of new locations. Its quicker upwind than my normal board which is important at this spot as its almost dead offshore and the waves are very fast. The flip side is that the faces are so smooth you dont get punished with the extra volume.. very addictive







AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
16 Apr 2026 9:56pm
From last sunday. Super offshore and gusty but no complaints!











AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
12 Apr 2026 12:33pm
hmm.. but then you run the risk of analysis paralysis ... too many choices, what to sail, continual swapping and setting up gear
For me, 2 boards max/3 sails and deal with it
Topic: Big week
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
11 Apr 2026 6:22am
Love a good forecast!
Today expecting 8m+ swell on west coast
Next friday another intense system getting close to 60kts

Maps are wind gust speed from the ACCESS forecast (BOM) on windy and surfline for swell









AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
9 Apr 2026 10:29pm
Nice!
Curious to hear how it compares to your BTs
Vs a 2023 Blacktip I found mine (5.3) to have less abrupt power delivery, perhaps slightly slower to plane but more control and top end. Enjoying it definitely a fan


Reply in Topic: Windsurfing masts
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
9 Apr 2026 8:58am
Another variable would be the age of the mast and the amount of use its had as masts can lose their flex response over time.
I've noticed that with an older mast which looked great on paper but felt unresponsive and lifeless.
Reply in Topic: mast compatibility ?
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
6 Apr 2026 11:54am
i dont think smaller size sails are as sensitive to bend curve as the larger. plus if it has an adjustable top you can move it up/down the mast to find a section with the closest curve. Try and if you cant get it right buy the correct mast
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
4 Apr 2026 9:22pm
The newer JP straps have the offset plastic moulding and twin screw holes at each end. Also come with torx head screws which are a good thing

Also the older duotone (pre 2025? Not the pro straps) straps do as well. I think fanatic have 4 holes on each side if my memory is right, but hard to track down
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
2 Apr 2026 8:50pm
From height and weight

www.heartfoundation.org.au/bmi-calculator
Reply in Topic: East coast low
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
1 Apr 2026 12:46pm
tricky conditions Dunk! i wouldnt want to come too far in under that point
Reply in Topic: Duotone.
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
29 Mar 2026 8:34pm
Don't ask me to find it again

To summarise I think they mean you can have any 2 of light, durable or cheap

Plus it's not custom. Custom to me means you talk to the guy who makes the board and they create a board for your needs. Not mass production
Reply in Topic: Duotone.
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
29 Mar 2026 8:31pm
FULL CUSTOM SLS TECHNOLOGY
The FULL CUSTOM SLS TECHNOLOGY is a full custom technology which is one hundred percent identical to high-end custom made boards.Instead of using a mould to bring the EPS foam core into its final shape each EPS block gets CNC milled. This ensures maximum precision and saves weight. Same as with high-end custom board makers the major advantage lays in the processing. We call this SINGLE PROCESS TECHNOLOGY and it is the key to our industry-leading weight-strength ratio. Instead of combining working steps to save time and money every single step follows its individual process. So for example instead of joining the PVC sandwich with the EPS core in a single shot we vacuum-bag the top and bottom PVC shields with the EPS core separately. For all SLS boards we use our most sophisticated layup which consists of more than 50 individual parts and components.The major difference compared to the FULL CUSTOM D/LAB TECHNOLOGY is the S-glass on the PVC sandwich for the SLS boards (like most wave boards on the market), while the D/LAB boards are equipped with a carbon-Innegra layer on the outside. Innegra is the best composite fibre to prevent dents. Dents caused by the mast touching the board (during catapults or when getting washed) are mainly an aesthetic issue. But if you want a board that stays dent-free, you should opt for the D/LAB version.Last but not least even every single board size has an individual layup. That's the final stage of individualization in construction.Yet all of this is achieved without any sacrifice in durability since we always follow our core motto LIGHT DONE RIGHT.
Reply in Topic: East coast low
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
29 Mar 2026 5:51pm
thats frustrating Matt.. nothing worse than a good swell with the wrong wind. Glad you guys got the early session though
Reply in Topic: Duotone.
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
29 Mar 2026 5:43pm
Lol.. the "last board you'll need". Guess its a dud then and you're better off using anything else
Reply in Topic: Duotone.
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
29 Mar 2026 8:25am
DLAB is carbon/innegra
SLS is carbon/s-glass
and i dont really know about the wooden construction

DLAB the best for durability and ding resistance

Does that help?
Reply in Topic: East coast low
AI.Dave
AI.Dave
TAS
162 posts
TAS, 162 posts
29 Mar 2026 8:22am
but at least you dont have to live near antarctica
tassies advantage is being a small island - you can usually find a good break most weeks if you dont mind being mobile. Plus westerly systems often set in for a week or more, mostly from autumn thru to spring
Return To Classic site 😭
Or... let us know if a problem, so we can tweak! 😅