Roger - Phantom versus Kona?

[MA_Pete]

Roger:

Hey there. I am about 70 kg, and have been thinking about getting a longboard of some sort. I have been thinking about a Kona Style or Kona Surf (the new smaller one, 315 x 65 cm versus 350 x 70 for the Kona Style). My sails are Retro 9.5/8.5/7.5, NP Supernova 6.5 and Jet 5.4. Other boards are 2006 SB F-Type 148, 2006 iSonic 125 (still shopping for the high-wind board, have a Carve 122 I am selling).

My wife is lighter than me, and I have 3 kids, ages 11, 6, and 3. We have a 2006 Fanatic Viper 80 for the family board (and a bunch of smaller kids sails of course), but I wanted to add one of these new longboards for a second family board that would do double-duty for a board for me.

How would you compare the Phantom to the Konas? If I recall correctly, you have tried the Kona Style, but probably not the Kona Surf, since it is new this Spring.

I would use it for light-wind sub-planing, but also likely for higher/variable wind days to adventure out further from my launch point without worrying about the wind dying and schlogging home on a shortboard.

I would imagine the tradeoff would be the Konas would be faster in sub-planing mode, due to greater waterline length, but the Phantom would plane earlier.

Which do you think would be better in higher-wind planing and chop? Would the Kona Surf theoretically be the best on a plane in higher winds and chop due to its 65 cm width? I believe the duck tail on that is about 35 cm, so on plane the effective length should be about 280 cm, shorter than the Phantom.

I sail in U.S. in New England, mostly flat water and chop in the Narragansett Bay, I don't really play in the waves (yet). On windy days it can get pretty choppy, but the wind is pretty variable, I have got stuck way out a couple of times on the smaller boards.

Thanks!

-Pete

P.S. I will be down in Avon the last week of June. I will stop by to see you if you are going to be around...

[Roger]

Hi Pete,
I cannot give you a direct comparison as I didn't have the Kona and the smaller Phantom at the same time.
Here are my "impressions" of the differences.
For sure, the Kona, (and the new Kona Style) are good in marginal winds (say 5-7 knots) as they do indeed have the desire long waterline length. And, even fith quite small sails, they plane up and give good speed in higher winds. My first expereince on the big Kona was with a 5.6 m2 Hucker last summer. The iwnd was approaching 18 knots, and I sailed away from the beach with the centerboard down.
The board felt very heavy and wanted to "rail up" so I retracted the centerboard and it took off. It was fairly fast (compared to alot of 100 liter short boards) and it's speed kinda surprised me. Not faster than the short boards, but keeping up pretty well.
I soon tired of sailing that huge board and got on the Isonic 115. Much faster and more fun.
I've sailed the Phantom 301 in similar conditions, and it really feels alot more like a shortboard, with the centerboard retracted.
I don't have a current model Phantom Race. so I won't talk about these new models.
In subplaning mode, the Phantom 301, with the mast track forward, does a nice job upwind. It has no beating straps, so you just stand a bit more offcenter to rail it up, and the more Div. 2 (rounded) front section sems to get through the water very nicely.
But, I must add. in really light conditions, the Serenity is more fun.
But as a 2nd (and higher performance) family board I think you will like the Phantom 301.
I does not have a full EVA deck, which is going to make it a little less nice for your kids, but if they have the basics mastered on your EVA deck Fanatic Viper, they will be able to have a grand time on the Phantom.
I have yet to race the Phantom, but the entry level sailors I've put on it have liked it alot as it's smaller than bigger longboards (like the Kona) and quite a bit lighter.
Sorry, I'll be in the Midwest in June, so I won't see you in Hatteras.
Come down to the windfest in a couple of weeks and you can try out both the Serenity and the Phantom 301.
Hope this helps,

[MA_Pete]

Roger:

Thanks, that did help. I will think about the Phantom versus the Kona some more. I can likely get out on a Kona for another sail, never really got that thing planing at full speed. I don't know if I can find a Phantom to check out locally, but that sounds interesting too.

BTW, the Phantom now shows up on the website as being a 100% EVA deck, maybe they changed that in the spring.

http://www.star-board.com/viewpage.php?page_id=33

I would also love a Serenity (and a Gemini for that matter), but budget is tight and so is room in my trailer. For boards longer than the Kona (350 cm), I would need to put a roof rack on my trailer, which would also require making on of my garage door openings taller. Maybe next year... ;)

Thanks!

-Pete

[MA_Pete]

Well, I ended up getting a good deal on a 2006 Kona, $999, couldn't pass it up. My Carve I had on sale via consignment at my local shop sold, and I just used that to get the Kona.

Thanks again for the input...