^^^ decrep - yes correct but I think it was red thumbed as trying to add weights on a board, no matter how calm will surely result on them falling off as you try to "sink it level"..... result is you get the sh!ts with it and go home

The only easy suggestion I have ever seen - and seems to be a new one - is Chris' wheelie bin. But don't tell him I said that.

^^^^ after it has bulged cos it is full, THEN you have water at the top, and insert half the board vertically, causing spillage
Then remove board.

Any change in the bulge during that process would be negligable. Like a litre at most.

Adding weights and try and have it sink evenly (level) so weights don't fall off = hours of fragging around. Insert into water and measure spillage - about 1/10th the time with an acceptable tiny error.
He is trying to ascertain if the board is 80L or 90L - not 88.2L or 89.05L.

Mark _australia said...
^^^ decrep - yes correct but I think it was red thumbed as trying to add weights on a board, no matter how calm will surely result on them falling off as you try to "sink it level"..... result is you get the sh!ts with it and go home

The only easy suggestion I have ever seen - and seems to be a new one - is Chris' wheelie bin. But don't tell him I said that.

Aww gee shucks Mark

I use a wheelie bin full of water to rinse my gear daily rather than run the hose all the time. The bulge is minimal, the only issue is whether the board will fit and you don't try and move the bin when full. Do it somewhere where you can tip it out afterwards.

I was more talking about the ways manufacturers measure boards, not so much about the board at the start of this thread. That board is easy, it's precisely 364 'onions tied to my belt'...

My only point was that production boards are all over the place, so it's pretty clear that they have no set way to measure them that eliminates error. I'd trust Fanatic with a volume, cause they're CNC, the rest should have +/- 5L..

sausage said...
Are we talking virtual volume or actual

is easy if you know how. Let's say actual volume of a board is 100L.

Subtract for "spiral vee", "integrated rocker concept" and an "orthoganal rail system" (about 10L total) gives 90L.
Then add the feel of more volume created by the muliple fins (is it 5 this week?) and "balanced volume distribution (pat pend)" which is about 10L. So 90L + 10L = 100L.

So then we have a "virtual volume" of 100L.... oh, hang on.....

beatlloydy said...
Do you take the volume of the board, subtract the weight of rig and it should be equal or more to the weight of the individual?

I know I will probably get a lot of "it depends" but for arguments sake, lets say the person is interested in 2 boards...a flat water cruising board and a wave board...what differences would there be and what sort of volume are you looking at? Assume the person is 80KG which would be the average weight of a male.

hope you can get something from my journey so far...

I'm currently asking the same questions but I have windsurfed before (back in mid eighties). I just started sailing again recently.

I have a Mistral Superlight 260ltr and 9' Pete Cabrinha fiberglass board (see pic @ start of thread). Me 75kgs. I can still sail both but IT IS HARD WORK. Recently I purchased used 6.5, 5.8 & 5.0 Ezzy sails with booms & masts, got a good deal on them.

Today on the lake wind was blowin NE at least 20knots. Had a loan of a 10 year old 93ltr 60cm wide board (thanks Phil ) & used my 5.8 Ezzy. It planed in no time and it's the fastest I've ever been on a board. Water start in chest deep water was a breeze.

Talking to the guys later they say 100ltr is the 'sweet spot' for me. Everybody seems to have a couple of boards for various wind strengths (just like a range of sails).

beatlloydy just wait till you make that first plane in a good wind, nothin' like it

Mine goes to eleven !...

I found an empirical method on the net a while ago which I've found to work well on about 5 boards I've tried. The method is as follows:

"Estimation of the volume of a board (empiric made - don't look for any logic):

1. Measure the board where thickest.
2. Measure the circumference of the board with intervals of 20 cm (starting 10 cm from the stern).
3. The measured circumferences of the board are put into the formula: Circumference/221*20*thickness/13, which
of course is calculated.
4. The sum of the results (from "3.") tells the volume of the board in liters. "

Here's an example that I did for a mistral equipe 1 (quoted volume of 235 L)

thickness (cm)
16

circumferences (cm) / formula
63.0 7.0
83.0 9.2
101.0 11.2
117.0 13.0
128.0 14.3
134.5 15.0
140.0 15.6
144.0 16.0
146.0 16.3
147.0 16.4
146.5 16.3
143.5 16.0
139.0 15.5
131.0 14.6
121.0 13.5
103.5 11.5
79.0 8.8
39.0 4.3

volume (sum of right hand column) 234.6 L

It's not as hard to do as it sounds, you just need a string and tape measure for the circumferences or one of those flexible things you use to measure you're waist.

jdemol said...


Here's an example that I did for a mistral equipe 1 (quoted volume of 235 L)

thought you might be interested; Boards magazine, April 1990, measured the Equipe to be 221 litres.

Bondalucci said...

I can't for the life of me determine the volume of my board.
It keeps bloody changing....

...seems the choppier the conditions, the louder the board!!

The trouble with all this is that even of you end up accurately measuring your board, you are presuming that the volume of new boards is stated accurately, which I somehow doubt.

You're just better off working out your requirements and talking to a few people to get an idea of what nominal volume board you should get. Better still if you can test sail a couple of boards.

Actually you don't even need to know the volume of the tank of water, just mark the side of the tank when full with the board submerged then remove the board and add water a liter at a time until it's to the mark again.

FWIW we guesstimated it to be 'in the nineties'.

Last weekend I purchased a second hand 100ltr JP Freestlye III, now I'm hangin for some wind.

Noticed similar board @ www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/New-South-Wales/Wavesailing-video-off-Long-Reef/. Now I have a skill level to aim for.

barn said...
I was more talking about the ways manufacturers measure boards, not so much about the board at the start of this thread. That board is easy, it's precisely 364 'onions tied to my belt'...

My only point was that production boards are all over the place, so it's pretty clear that they have no set way to measure them that eliminates error. I'd trust Fanatic with a volume, cause they're CNC, the rest should have +/- 5L..

All production boards are milled barn, you should know that. They would know the EXACT volume of each board..........then proceed to call it whatever the marketing division needs it to be called. Generally they would be pretty close anyway.

beatlloydy said...
the person is 80KG which would be the average weight of a male.

Ha, average weight of a skinny male,