2008 Starboard Isonic 101
 

Hi everybody,

I am an advanced San Francisco Bay Area windsurfer. I use 93 liter JP freestyle wave and 76 liter wave board with freestyle wave sails. Winds in bay area tend to diminish by the end of August from 20-25 mph average to 10-15mph. My gear is too small for this wind range. So I am thinking about getting a slalom board and a slalom sail so that I can extend my season or make the season year around as long as conditions permit.
I want to get your opinion about the 2008 Isonic 101. I weigh 160 lbs and I want to use the board in 12-16 mph range. I have never used a slalom board. I am used to FSW boards with big wide footstraps on the center for jumps and tricks. I heard that Isonic is a technical board. I was wondering if this board might be somewhat difficult for me to ride. Would Futura be a better option? And interns of volume I heard that 101 is actually 96 liters. Is that true? Should I go bigger? And what sail size would suit best for 101 and for my weight? I am aiming for either a 5.8 or 6.2 Neil Pryde RS mk3.

I will appreciate any comments and recommendation.

Cheers.

Delta,
10 knots would not be enough for your 6.2 m2 rig on the Isonic 101.
Perhaps the iSonic 117 wide would be better, but you will need at least a
7.5-8.0 m2 rig to make that work at your weight in < 12 knots.
The iSonics are a bit "technical" to sail, and the Futura or Carve boards
might be better with your stated experience and the conditions.
The Isonic 101 may not be exactly 101 liters, but I would not think that
it's actually 96 liters.
5.8-6.2 m2 rigs are for 18 knots, not < 15 knots.
I would reassess your sail size range a bit if you truly have 10-15 mph (not knots).
As suggested above, for 10-15 mph at least a 7.5 m2 (at your weight) would seem
more appropriate.
Roger