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Bio - Eric L. Mihelbergel is an intermediate/advanced windsurfer, kiteboarder, and foiler living in the Great Lakes Region of New York State who enjoys sharing about windsports and fitness.
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Windsurfing Boards: How Small Is Small Enough?
By Eric Mihelbergel (Written January 2019)
(Wavesailing)
I really enjoy reading about and listening to veteran windsurfers who have been sailing for many decades. It is inspiring, fascinating, and very educational. They make me want to be a better rider, and they move me to be a more passionate waterman. Often, I read or hear about the ultra small boards (60 liters and under) they used 'back in the day'. It amazes me that they were able to ride such small boards. But, many of these veteran windsurfers don't use such ultra small boards anymore. So, let me pose the question, 'how small is small enough?'
To begin, we should recognize that "small" is a relative term. One particular board may be "small" for one person's body size and not small for another person's body size. Keep this relativity in mind as we discuss boards.
Next, let's recognize that board size is NOT just volume. Board size is length, maximum width, width in the tail, width in the nose, maximum thickness, thickness in the tail, thickness in the nose, volume, and the integration of all these together. Yes, the calculation of volume equals length times width times height for rectangular objects, but windsurf boards are not rectangular so a volume calculation involves an mathematical integration. Even for a rectangular object volume alone would not give you much information about each of the individual dimensions of length, width, height, and the impact of those individual dimensions on the objects performance in a fluid. Consider, for example, a board with a wider tail compared to other boards. This board will require a bigger fin because of the greater leverage from the extra width (moment of inertia). This one minor difference makes a big difference in performance. All board size dimensions are significant, not just volume. Somewhere along the line windsurfers got accustomed to thinking that volume is the only size factor. Maybe windsurfing manufacturers are responsible for this, I don't know. I have not been windsurfing long enough to really know the history of why windsurfers reference board size only by volume. But, I do know that volume is NOT the only size factor. If we look at the surfboard and kiteboard industries we see that board size is generally referred to by "length". Ask a kiter what size their twin-tip is and they will tell you 130cm. But what about the width? What about the thickness? Ask a surfer what size their surfboard is and they will tell you 6'8". But what about the width in the tail relative to the maximum width? Board length is not the only size dimension either. So let's stay opened minded about the term "size". We will revisit this towards the end of the article.
Next, let's recognize that board size is NOT just volume. Board size is length, maximum width, width in the tail, width in the nose, maximum thickness, thickness in the tail, thickness in the nose, volume, and the integration of all these together. Yes, the calculation of volume equals length times width times height for rectangular objects, but windsurf boards are not rectangular so a volume calculation involves an mathematical integration. Even for a rectangular object volume alone would not give you much information about each of the individual dimensions of length, width, height, and the impact of those individual dimensions on the objects performance in a fluid. Consider, for example, a board with a wider tail compared to other boards. This board will require a bigger fin because of the greater leverage from the extra width (moment of inertia). This one minor difference makes a big difference in performance. All board size dimensions are significant, not just volume. Somewhere along the line windsurfers got accustomed to thinking that volume is the only size factor. Maybe windsurfing manufacturers are responsible for this, I don't know. I have not been windsurfing long enough to really know the history of why windsurfers reference board size only by volume. But, I do know that volume is NOT the only size factor. If we look at the surfboard and kiteboard industries we see that board size is generally referred to by "length". Ask a kiter what size their twin-tip is and they will tell you 130cm. But what about the width? What about the thickness? Ask a surfer what size their surfboard is and they will tell you 6'8". But what about the width in the tail relative to the maximum width? Board length is not the only size dimension either. So let's stay opened minded about the term "size". We will revisit this towards the end of the article.
At this point, it will be helpful if we list the advantages and disadvantages of smaller boards so that we can more systematically explore the question "how small is small enough?"
Small Board Advantages:
1. Quicker turning
2. Snappier
3. More maneuverable
4. Fit into pocket of wave better than large board
5. Better able to use steep curl of wave, where the power is located, than a larger board
6. Lighter
7. More compact in the air when jumping
1. Quicker turning
2. Snappier
3. More maneuverable
4. Fit into pocket of wave better than large board
5. Better able to use steep curl of wave, where the power is located, than a larger board
6. Lighter
7. More compact in the air when jumping
Small Board Disadvantages:
1. Bog down when wind drops
2. Bog down and sink as the board slows when frontside and/or in onshore conditions
3. Less ability to drive upwind
4. Cannot accommodate as large of a sail as larger board
5. More difficult to get planing and stay on plane
6. Generally require higher skill level
7. Do not stay on plane as well as larger board during jibes and tricks
1. Bog down when wind drops
2. Bog down and sink as the board slows when frontside and/or in onshore conditions
3. Less ability to drive upwind
4. Cannot accommodate as large of a sail as larger board
5. More difficult to get planing and stay on plane
6. Generally require higher skill level
7. Do not stay on plane as well as larger board during jibes and tricks
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Enough of the preliminary discussion. Let's address the question, "how small is small enough?"
I'm going to make a statement that some of you will not agree with. Here is my statement:
"Smaller does not mean better."
There, I said it. Some of you will not agree, so now I will prove it. I assure you that if you put a 2.9m sail on a popsicle stick it is NOT going to work. Your feet won't even fit on a board that small. An emery board is a little bigger, but still not gonna work. You get the point. You can only go so small. So it stands to reasons that there is going to be some point that if you go smaller than this point your board will totally suck. Or, if you go larger than this point your board will work.
"Smaller does not mean better."
There, I said it. Some of you will not agree, so now I will prove it. I assure you that if you put a 2.9m sail on a popsicle stick it is NOT going to work. Your feet won't even fit on a board that small. An emery board is a little bigger, but still not gonna work. You get the point. You can only go so small. So it stands to reasons that there is going to be some point that if you go smaller than this point your board will totally suck. Or, if you go larger than this point your board will work.
Where is this point? Well it depends on the type of board you use. Thirty years ago, according to veteran windsurfers, if you wanted a board that would be maneuverable enough to really, really turn and rip off the lip you would need a very small board (this would fall under "advantages" above). The problem, however, was that the same small board would really suck when you headed back out trying to get far enough upwind to catch another wave (this would fall under "disadvantages"). It could also be difficult to get on plane quick enough to gain enough speed for wave jumping. You may have had a very dynamic wave ride, but you would waste a lot of time and energy slogging around on the way back out. Your friends on larger boards may not have had such a dynamic experience on the wave, but they would blast upwind catching far more waves and hitting great jumps. In 2019, however, we don't have to sacrifice much.
Enter multi-fins and compact designs. When multi-fins came out they gave riders the opportunity to ride a larger board that was still maneuverable enough to really, really turn and rip off the lip and still large enough to get on plane, get upwind well, and hit some ramps at full speed. The extra fins made a larger board turn like a smaller board. This was a big step! The NEW compact designs are an even bigger step. Around 2016 manufacturers started coming out with multi-fin boards that were much shorter in length, a little thicker in the middle, had a much wider tail and more parallel rails. The stance was moved more rearward on these new designs to compensate for the shorter length which further increased the maneuverability and snappiness of the board. Examples of these compact designs would be the Fanatic Stubby and the Quatro Super Mini. So now we have a very short multi-fin board with the rear footstrap right at the tail to allow radical turning, more parallel rails for less drag and more speed, and a wide tail for early planing and the ability to blast upwind. Instead of using, say, a 60 liter board that is 250cm (8'2") long we can now use an 80 liter board that is 220cm (7'3") long. In 2019 we no longer have to deal with the disadvantages of a 60 liter board in order to get the advantages that came with a board that small. We can now use an 80 liter board that is just as radical for turning as it's smaller ancestors, but also blasts upwind and planes like a dream.
So how small is small enough? After the above discussion, we see that I was asking the wrong question from the beginning. The question is not "how small is small enough?" The question is "how large is small enough?", or, "what design is good enough?" In the above paragraph, the 80 liter board is larger than the 60 liter board by volume, but it's smaller than the 60 liter board if we look at length. With multi-fins and compact designs we can ride large enough boards to easily plane and blast upwind that still behave small enough for radical turns and maneuverability. Above, we listed 'Advantages' and 'Disadvantages' of small boards. The list comparison is almost obsolete in 2019 because boards today have the advantages without the disadvantages. You can use a larger board that really, really turns and rips off the lip, planes and goes upwind great, and you can put a relatively small sail on it which makes you even MORE maneuverable. The overall design of the board plays a huge role in its performance.
If you live in Western NY and you are not riding today's compact multi-fin boards you may want to give them a try, especially if you like to use smaller sails (click here for an article on Riding Smaller Wave Sails). On Lake Erie and Lake Ontario we get mostly side-on and onshore conditions. Our waves are small and mushy. A larger board that can really turn and rip, and, at the same time, planes early and blasts upwind, is a total game changer! You will catch more waves, you will keep your speed, you will still have really radical turns, and you will blast upwind. Enjoy.
