I have LF Proof 141 and 151cm boards. They are a very simple and similar board to my previously beloved LF Drop 136.

I have really saved my 151 for a lighter wind option but have been using it in all but absolutely nuking conditions lately and it is (belatedly) becoming my favourite for waves.

A bit heavy (both 141 + 151 about the same weight) compared to seriously techy light (and fragile) boards out there, but good flex (151 has better flex - not as stiff as 141).

The 151 has better planing for riding wave faces and with rounded surf rails goes schweet on the waves. Super nice fanging through chop and even tho it's 151cm, there are no dramas holding an edge in strong winds.

Just wish i had an extra pair of older LF 'Profile' straps. They are the absolute shizzle and the newer 'Deluxe' straps are no where near as good.

Price on Proofs is great too as they are deemed a low tech learner board (only when a learner is on it tho ).

I am 84kgs BTW.

I did try other 'surf' oriented boards some time ago and walked away puzzled how all the tech blurb and nearly twice the $$$ could produce boards inferior (IMO) to the LF Proof.

Simple (like me - duh) is best.

Try one, the extra weight makes feck all diff on the water and the outline/rocker/rails/single concave are perfect for Perf metro surf.

Tuff as bejesus too.


EDIT: Some may like bigger fins as per other posts on this thread. Each to their own. I used to trick ski (no fins) so don't mind if the tail breaks out athings drift/slide a bit on a forehand turn occasionally. In fact i love it! Makes for fun. Standard surf fins have good grip though. Big buckets no wkn fuggets!

My older model below. Same in every way to newer but diff graphics

getfunky said...

I have LF Proof 141 and 151cm boards. They are a very simple and similar board to my previously beloved LF Drop 136.

I have really saved my 151 for a lighter wind option but have been using it in all but absolutely nuking conditions lately and it is (belatedly) becoming my favourite for waves.

A bit heavy (both 141 + 151 about the same weight) compared to seriously techy light (and fragile) boards out there, but good flex (151 has better flex - not as stiff as 141).

The 151 has better planing for riding wave faces and with rounded surf rails goes schweet on the waves. Super nice fanging through chop and even tho it's 151cm, there are no dramas holding an edge in strong winds.

Just wish i had an extra pair of older LF 'Profile' straps. They are the absolute shizzle and the newer 'Deluxe' straps are no where near as good.

Price on Proofs is great too as they are deemed a low tech learner board (only when a learner is on it tho ).

I am 84kgs BTW.

I did try other 'surf' oriented boards some time ago and walked away puzzled how all the tech blurb and nearly twice the $$$ could produce boards inferior (IMO) to the LF Proof.

Simple (like me - duh) is best.

Try one, the extra weight makes feck all diff on the water and the outline/rocker/rails/single concave are perfect for Perf metro surf.

Tuff as bejesus too.


EDIT: Some may like bigger fins as per other posts on this thread. Each to their own. I used to trick ski (no fins) so don't mind if the tail breaks out athings drift/slide a bit on a forehand turn occasionally. In fact i love it! Makes for fun. Standard surf fins have good grip though. Big buckets no wkn fuggets!

My older model below. Same in every way to newer but diff graphics

Hey jason from westoz has some older LF 'Profile' straps - they are the delux ones, but the 2009 ones. I got a pair, love them wasn't sold on the new ones, also on 140 bucks for the lot.

I still ride an old lithuim, will catch up with jason for a demo.

eppo said...

moons said...

Hey Eppo,
A couple of the guys down Avalon are using Airush Hammers and seem pretty stoked with them.
Hard to find a second hand one though

Hey moony, haven't seen you out at pyramids for a while. Cool I'm flying there today will see if anyone is out. yeh the hammer looks like the same principle as the mako, but without the huge concave. An option one feels.

Will be out Tuesday and Wednesday if theres wind.
Hows this little beauty I got from Darren @ AKS

Hello friends,
I would like to add my opinions:
The post say "Twin Tip" not directional, mutant etc...

Back in the days before Surfboard and even before Mutant most of the guys here use to ride the Underground Wavetray... They had the flips at the extremity kind of like the Hammer.
We use to put a bit longer fins "5 cm" instead of the regular 3,5 cm that they came with and we were very happy with them.

Maybe you can still find them around, we are talking of boards from 2003..
Bye Jankie

eppo said...

Blownaway said...

another jimmy lewiss mutant fan here,yes it goes both ways very good,but surfs down the line excellent they are very hard to come by tho and fins are expensive to replace.I have f-one fins in mine at the moment an it is a lot more slippery than the JL surf fins,anyone know if you can put some bigger fins in theses so I can lay in to the bottom turns harder.
That shinn board looks like it might be fun,love to try one.

Which Jimmy lewis Mutant are you talking about? I still ride an old 2006 Jimmy lewis lithuim and love it. Just looking for something a little stickier in the surf which still give the the TT freedom.

So which one man?

Its just called 136.Its pretty much identical to the rad-f model tho,It comes with a deck grip,I took that off an put some decent foot straps an pads on and it is very comfortable I love it so much I bought another one that came up on ebay,rare as rocking horse siht tho to find,I know where there is a brand new rad f model if your interested,if you go on the JL web site there is a pic of it there I think.

kitesurfbali said...

Hello friends,
I would like to add my opinions:
The post say "Twin Tip" not directional, mutant etc...

Back in the days before Surfboard and even before Mutant most of the guys here use to ride the Underground Wavetray... They had the flips at the extremity kind of like the Hammer.
We use to put a bit longer fins "5 cm" instead of the regular 3,5 cm that they came with and we were very happy with them.

Maybe you can still find them around, we are talking of boards from 2003..
Bye Jankie

True about the TT post, but interesting insights regardless. One needs to probably mention the directionals and mutants for comparative reasons as both directional and mutants are in the end, better in the surf. Yeh i remember the underground wavetray, good board.

Mr float said...

^^^^
Hey Jankie why are you wearing your Pyjamas in that photo?Did the wind come on early?
Regards

Lach

he he he

I too am interested in a TT or a mutant for the waves.

There's two main reasons:

1. I get a little tired of riding toeside and/or swapping feet to jam back upwind.
2. The main reason is I can't do big toeside boosts (I'm very strong on toeside and I can do glides and speed hops and stuff, just not big boosts).
Sometimes I would prefer hit those ramps on the way out and go into orbit rather than glide over them or carve a turn.

I also get sick of taking 4 kite boards away on weekend trips down the coast (small TT, big TT, kite surfboard, strapless surfboard)

Add to that there's a lot of people who like to ride in waves but are not very good at toeside. You'd think with the activity on this thread that there is a global demand for a surf-oriented TT. Most of the suggested boards in this thread are antiques.

We want a TT/mutant/surf/boosting machine!!!!!!

Gorgo said...

I too am interested in a TT or a mutant for the waves.

There's two main reasons:

1. I get a little tired of riding toeside and/or swapping feet to jam back upwind.
2. The main reason is I can't do big toeside boosts (I'm very strong on toeside and I can do glides and speed hops and stuff, just not big boosts).
Sometimes I would prefer hit those ramps on the way out and go into orbit rather than glide over them or carve a turn.

I also get sick of taking 4 kite boards away on weekend trips down the coast (small TT, big TT, kite surfboard, strapless surfboard)

Add to that there's a lot of people who like to ride in waves but are not very good at toeside. You'd think with the activity on this thread that there is a global demand for a surf-oriented TT. Most of the suggested boards in this thread are antiques.

We want a TT/mutant/surf/boosting machine!!!!!!

Totally agree gorgo, although on the west coast, natural footers do get to boost on way out!

I will be looking into each board mentioned, via reviews etc and riding them and will post my findings at some stage.

With a sliding spreader bar the toeside thing is much easier, and yeh the swapping of feet gives me the absolute shi$ts after a while. I also find the SB's give me ankle and knee soreness, but that is a personal - 37 year old problem. Now I'm an excellent toeside rider, can boost, rotate not probs, but I'd rather not do it all the time...

I just have more fun on TT's it seems, I like being balanced left and right. Although I love watching these SB riders in action, just unreal, but I want:

1. A board that can hold the line on wave and not lose it's fin and skip out.
2. That will allow some actual independent wave riding, with stalled kite (never get as much as a SB but close enough - I'm no fuc88en pro!).
3. Will allow, after wave riding into shore, to then boost big with trickery if needed on way out.

I love the rail to rail feel of the TT, too much fin just doesn't feel right. But hey each to their own.

Agreed activity on this post reveals a strong market need. We started on SB's, we went TT then mutants, then along everyone goes to the SB's, but I feel their is strong need for a specific wave riding TT to be designed - if that is at all possible. Maybe one of the TT's mentioned actually does all this - need to get out and try. Antiques my be the answer...

the Mako is my front runner at the moment. But it's availability and service support leaves a few unanswered questions in the west ...

The Mako carve really nice but is not a wave board!
The concave is so deep and with just 1 middle fins changes of directions on a face of the wave are not that great specially if you loose a bit of planning.
My "opinion".
They made the Mako King that can change set up and be more like a mutant.
Did not try it..

ONE more.. Skim are also quite fun in small waves.. But really difficult to use.
Bye Jankie

Here are some old photo of my friend Alain charging waves Mutant style..
I still think that he was more radical back then that now on a Surfboard...

Twin tips in small sloshy surf are good fun and beat a surf board any day.
The problem with the twin tip is it gets too fast on bigger waves, which means you do one massive slash on the face, and come out of that a hundred miles an hour trying to push the board back around for the next one.
What you need is a twin tip board with a fair amount of rocker and small fins, you can then make it break out and slide in the bottom turns to face your next object of destruction.

Persist with that surfboard for the decent waves.

Also the Twinny will keep you on edge and keep your riding style more versatile.

moons said...

Hey Eppo,
A couple of the guys down Avalon are using Airush Hammers and seem pretty stoked with them.
Hard to find a second hand one though

You may not believe this but the 2011 Protoy carves really nice. If you see one in your local shop, go look at the rocker and plan shape. It's nothing like the 2010.
Deep double concave, big rocker and curvy plan mean it's a smooth freestyler that seems to go well in the waves too.
Airush also do the dedicated x-over board.

RayQ said...

Twin tips in small sloshy surf are good fun and beat a surf board any day.
The problem with the twin tip is it gets too fast on bigger waves, which means you do one massive slash on the face, and come out of that a hundred miles an hour trying to push the board back around for the next one.
What you need is a twin tip board with a fair amount of rocker and small fins, you can then make it break out and slide in the bottom turns to face your next object of destruction.

Persist with that surfboard for the decent waves.

Also the Twinny will keep you on edge and keep your riding style more versatile.

True, true. Was out in big bowly surf the other day and after the first slash would come out way too fast! Large rocker hey! will look into it.

eppo said...

Do the make the hammer in a bigger size?

The biggest Hammer is the 144 by 42, which sounds big, but because of the flip tips and the curved rails, it feels smaller.
I've only spent a few minutes on one and cant really comment on the performance.

The Hammer was designed to be a good wave twintip, and was based on a twintip that 2001 World Champion Julien Sudrat was using.
Some photos of him on a twintip at Supertubos in Portugal
http://www.kristenpelou.com/Eng/News/Kite-Portugal/index.html

Maybe the one major improvement that could be made to the Hammer would be to fit the rotatable footstraps from Sportsgear solutions, to allow a better stance when riding a wave?

For my 2c my 151 x 43cm doesn't feel too big in mushy surf at all.

Maybe the 1st few times I rode it it felt bigger than my 141 (no sh!t Sherlock) - but still not too big at all for flicking from toe-heel-toe on wave faces.

Remember surfboards are heaps bigger - so if you want a board that is gonna plane between sections and not need 100% kite power, don't shut out options over 140cm.

Been riding my 151 a lot more than my 141 lately and my wave riding is improving every sesh. I have the bruises (from my harness straps digging in on front and backside churns)to prove it!

Makes for BIG boosties too as planing speed (when I allow it to flatten out on the run up to a wedge) is unreal. Only downside is a flat landing can be a bit hard due to large surface area. Small price to pay tho.