Open Ocean Boards
Jrobb
amazing boards I have ever seen. I needed three towels to sop up the
drool pooled around my sneakers. They appear to be the Windsurfing
equivalent to the Miura (Snobbe Horde) Swallowtail snowboards made in
France...works of art and gobs of performance.
I see that a windsurfing vacation spot (Ventana) has them for rental
with packages. My question is are they realllllllly as good performers
as the are supermodels? Are they in similar price range to say a
Mikes' Lab or Roberts? And where besides the Gorge is it possible to
pick up a used one?
J
Glenn Woodell
thought it would. I'm not convinced that the canted thrusters do any
better than normal thrusters. I sail thruster boards almost
exclusively so I've sailed a few in my time. Still, it's a really good
looking board, like nothing else out there.
The rails and deck on mine crushed easily and delaminated so I was not
very impressed with it. I had the cheaper version. Maybe the epoxy
version would have held up better.
Still, thruster boards by their nature stick to the water and allow
you to sail overpowered with much more control. They are slower than a
single fin board on a given sail and wind but since you can sail in
more wind on a given sail they turn out to be just as fast if not
faster. I wouldn't leave home without mine. I've settled for simply
modifying used production boards with thrusters. It's a lot cheaper.
Glenn
pacspeed
the rails. Seeing how these boards are generally used, I dont see why
they all arent like that.
Other than the looks, they dont offer anything that lots of
production boards do. They plane slowly, fall off quickly, and are
generally inefficient sailers. But, they do give you a nice feeling of
control in hi wind. I had one years ago for a single season in the
gorge, I bought it 'cuz I was scared of the hi wind conditions. By the
end of the summer, I was itching to get rid of it, due to all the
marginal days that my buddies would be enjoying while I bobbed around
like a cork waiting to get going. It did what it advertised though, I
will give them that.
a_m...@yahoo.com
Glenn Woodell wrote:
> Still, thruster boards by their nature stick to the water and allow
> you to sail overpowered with much more control.
In a way, so would dragging a small sea anchor that could be deployed
when things get too gnarly ;)
>They are slower than a
> single fin board on a given sail and wind but since you can sail in
> more wind on a given sail they turn out to be just as fast if not
> faster. I wouldn't leave home without mine. I've settled for simply
> modifying used production boards with thrusters. It's a lot cheaper.
>
Now if you could figure out how to make the thrusters retractable, so
you can have a good fast board, but push out the thrusters if getting
caught in wildly increasing conditions... ;)
-Andreas
Craig Goudie
version of perfromance.
They are an easy ride in gnarly chop. They turn nice, but I don't find them
all that snappy. You can really
get on the rail for a smooth turn though (I think mostly because of the side
fins).
You compare them to Mike's lab or Roberts. Well, both those guys are known
for slalom boards
and those, these ain't. They feel and turn very different from a slalom
oriented board. They are mainly designed
for Gorge conditions, but Brian will make you anything you want, you just
have to know what you want.
To me the ride feels more ployester like than epoxy like (performance
without the bone jar pinging),
but I think the current construction is epoxy (carbon and glass) around a
nonhyrdophilic core, so a breech
doesn't fill your board with water.
Every one I've ridden I've liked. I liked the thruster skeg cant and setup
so much, that I had my HiTech modified
to duplicate it. I know a lot of OO owners, and they all love their boards.
Some of them improved their
B&J sailing virtually overnight by getting on one. Picking up a used one
might be a little difficult, because their
owners usually ride them to destruction, but Brian does have a few in the
shop in Lyle. Picking one up outside the
Gorge, I just don't know. New ones are probably a little less than a new
Roberts or Zajicek board, but you're
still talking upwards of a grand
-Craig
"Jrobb" <robbi...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1155103486.6...@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Glenn Woodell
wrote:
> I know a lot of OO owners, and they all love their boards.
>Some of them improved their
>B&J sailing virtually overnight by getting on one.
It did for me. I really started nailing my jibes once I got on mine.
And like you mentioned, I sailed mine to destruction. I'd go with
another one but I doubt I'll ever go with another new board. The
prices are just out of my range these days.
Glenn
sm...@seattletimes.com
I'm one of those who swear by them. Most of the boards Brian makes are
probably Gorge boards, but he lived in Hawaii for a long time too and
will shape for waves too. He's also been building wide-body light-wind
boards for the past couple of years (light-wind around here meaning
maybe 6.5 wind.) His boards are remarkably easy to sail--they plane
easy, stick to the water like glue when you want them too, jibe smooth,
and are great upwind. Whenever I have to rent, I realize how nice his
boards are.
I've ridden them for about 10 years now, but don't take my word for it.
Recently my brother came out to the Gorge for a sailing trip. He had
rented an Angulo and we went out to Clatskanie, which gets pretty
gnarly above 20 knots. I let him take out my board, and he came back
glowing. On other boards, he felt like he was "just along for the
ride," but with the OO he felt in complete control.
His boards also have a reputation for strength, although I'm not sure
about this newer construction he's started using in the past couple of
years. I met a guy in the Gorge who weighed 230 lbs, his biggest sail
was a 4.7, and he sailed a 7'10" OO, and was a big jumper; in other
words a seriously high-wind dude. He said the boards were
"indestructible."
I think you can pick one up at Ventana, although you may have to wait
until the end of the season before they ship it to you. Brian also
usually makes an appearance there some time during the winter and maybe
he can bring a used one for you. Or he'll ship one from his shop.
Glenn Woodell
>
>Glenn Woodell wrote:
>
>> Still, thruster boards by their nature stick to the water and allow
>> you to sail overpowered with much more control.
>In a way, so would dragging a small sea anchor that could be deployed
>when things get too gnarly ;)
That definitely would do the trick however the slowness of thrusters
is hardly noticible. All mine are removeable but I NEVER take them
out, even for flat water sessions.
>>They are slower than a
>> single fin board on a given sail and wind but since you can sail in
>> more wind on a given sail they turn out to be just as fast if not
>> faster. I wouldn't leave home without mine. I've settled for simply
>> modifying used production boards with thrusters. It's a lot cheaper.
>>
>Now if you could figure out how to make the thrusters retractable, so
>you can have a good fast board, but push out the thrusters if getting
>caught in wildly increasing conditions... ;)
That would be a nice idea, similar to an adjustable outhaul. Still, I
don't see any disadvantage to having them in. I did a lot of tests and
found that my speed difference was not even noticeable most of the
time.
Glenn
Bob A.
service I've gotten from Brian.
I bought my first OO (8-0) 5 years ago for Gorge sailing. This was a used
PolyRight (lighter version) and I immediately loved it for the typical Gorge
4.7 sailing sessions. Back then I would switch down to my little 7-6 Gorge
Animal as soon as the wind came up to 4.2 or better. But over the years I've
realized how versatile that 8-0 OO is. It's the perfect all around Gorge
board for someone my size (165 pounds). It has become my bread and butter
Gorge board for 4.7 and 4.2. (The little Gorge Animal still rules for full
on 3.7 or higher winds, but the Open Ocean can hang in there too at
3.7 --sometimes I do sail it in 3.7 if the wind is gusty/holey.) So
basically, I got the OO for cruising through holes in "friendly 4.7" winds,
but I've ended up using this board 80% of the time when I'm sailing the
Gorge. (since for my weight 4.2 and 4.7 covers most of my Gorge sailing).
I'm not inclined to put up with sinking in the holes with the little Animal,
now that I know I can have almost the same high wind control with the larger
Open Ocean and cruise through the holes. On the lighter end of 4.7 I'm less
inclined to go to my bigger wave board since I'd rather pump a few extra
times to get planing and then have a smooth ride than be on a corky
production board that zips along on every little puff but bounces the heck
out of me once I really get going. This translates to more fun sessions and
less rerigging of sails. The OO is the perfect balance for me for getting
through the light spots but not getting too bouncy is the gusts. I guess
it's my knees that have a major say that this is a great board. And I don't
really lose all that much in the lighter conditions anyway if I just put on
a bigger fin when it's marginal. I've done side by side comparisons with
some larger production boards with the 4.7 and I seem to usually like the OO
best all around for Gorge 4.7/4.2. (For Gorge 5.2 or coastal wave sailing I
do go to my 8-6 wave board though.) I do notice that the OO is not as fast
as a typical production board in the lighter end of 4.7...but I'm happier to
have the smooth riding. And once I'm fully powered I think it's more
advantageous to be on a smoother riding board for comfort, and speedwise it
equalizes out because I can "stay on the throttle" all the time where I
can't do that in the chop with a bouncier "faster" board.
As far a turniness goes, fin selection and placement makes a big difference.
I've found it pays to work with fin positioning relative to the thrusters to
find the sweet spot to get the thrusters and fin working harmoniously for
good turns/carves. I get about 85% of the turniness of my wave board once
I'm dialed in with fin, boom height, and sail balance. I pretty much carve
up the Gorge swells at will with no spin outs. I like the Curtis (now
GSport) fins. (I found non slotted fins are a bit faster and more responsive
and I don't need the slot because I work for balance and effortless sailing
and don't like to rely on a slot to make up for things a bit off.) I start
with the leading edge of the fin foil about even with the trailing edge of
the thrusters, then move the fin back in 1/8" increments to experiment--yes
1/8" is a noticeable difference. Once dialed in and turny I mark where that
fin is positioned. For marginal to friendly 4.7 I use the Curtis B&J 10"
fin. For well powered 4.7 I use the Curtis Surf 9.25". For typical 4.2 I use
the Curtis Surf 8.75". For maxed out 4.2 the Curtis Surf 8.25; and for 3.7
the Curtis 8.25 slot. Note that with the more vertical B&J fin I move the
leading edge back versus the Surf Fin, and with a Surf Slot fin I move the
leading edge forward (or else the slotted fin doesn't turn very well at
all!) Boom height makes a big difference too. If the board feels sluggish I
raise the boom until it feels zippy and turny.
As far a durability, I'm happy that these boards stand up reasonably well
and even happier that I don't have to worry about dings posiibly letting
water in that will be absorbed by the core. (This is true of Brians new
construction too I gather.) And I also can't say enough good things about
how Brian has taken care of me when repairs have been needed. For instance I
had a severe encounter with a rock that pushed the fin all the way to the
back of the box and sent me flying into my mast causing a dislocated finger.
Anyway the board was still sailable after that impact though it did have a
hairline crack across the tail. Brian did a beautiful job re-glassing the
tail for me for a very reasonable price, and turned it around in 2 days too!
Can't beat that for service.
A few years ago I had Brian make me a full custom new board for when I'm not
in the Gorge, and it handles New England chop beautifully. I love my Open
Oceans. I like staying on the same sail when others are scrambling on the
beach to re-rig. I've talked to Brian about his new construction now that
Clark Foam is gone and it sounds like things are even better than
before--the boards come out lighter than the older Clark Foam version. or he
can beef it up with extra glass to make the weight a little heavier if you
can't wrap your mind around Open Oceans now being so light. And as Brian
says, he can make the new ones so strong now for the same or less weight of
the older ones that he may be putting himself out of business if they never
wear out!
--Bob A.
Jrobb
I was most curious because of the tri fin arrangement. I have an old
WRV wave board that was given to me back east that I sail from time to
time (it too has thrusters and these are moveable) Only problem is the
mast track is too far forwards. But it Does stick to the water, in
fact it is hard to jump it. I have a repair to do to it and maybe I'll
get it out on the water again. In high wind, for me here is 4.5 I'd
like some more control, and that's why I was interested, however
upwards of a grand (though I'm not surprised) is a stretch for me too.
As I do mostly slalom and speedsailing, I should maybe keep looking a
new board for me needs to play football and baseball.
J