board for 25+ knots

[o2bnme]

Thanks guys. I'll take a look at those options. I definitely need to try a few boards before doing anything.

[Ola_H]

mike
Hi Ian/Ola,

I looked up past posts on the PA & can see how it would appear pretty ideal in the overlap with Kombat 96. I've also been checking for board availablilty, pricing & starboard's historical board reviews. What do you think of the following options in comparison to PA80:

'05 Acid 74
'04 Acid 74
'04 Trance 74

Ola, you mentioned '05 & before is from a different line of development vs the PA80.

It's not that I'm looking for 74 litres, it just seems I've found more available in this size. I've read how there's more to 6 litres than 6 litres (shape etc). These boards all report able to hold a 5.3 sail (I'd use a 26 cm B&J fin). With this can you get drive off the fin with these boards??

Neither the 74 liter boards you have above is quite in the same league for blasting as the 06 boards. The Trance has a more controlled feel to it and would for aexample probably make a good high wind freestyle board. The 04 and 05 Acids are both nice. The 04 is the last year from the "old" line of development. Very controlled in high wind but not as fast as 06 PA. The 05 74 is a bit more rockered than the 06, but still has a fast and flowing feel to it. It fill not lock down for pure blasting in quite the same way as the 06, but people are still getting really fast GPS readings from it. So, out the these three, I would suggest the 05 A74. For me at 150lbs, any of these takes 5.3 no worries, but at 185 non will be that effective with a 5,3. You will get better 5,3 performance with the B&J fin, but trim will generally not be that good. Possible but not ideal. Any of the three would be a sweet deal for steady powered up 4.7 and more.

[Ian Fox]

Right !

From 06 the PA80/86 had a different rail shape to the smaller PA73 (and older Acids), which subtly but significantly accounts for extra efficency and a lot of the hi wind rough water blast ability of the 2006+ PA80(86), whereas the smaller 73 really is a softer rounder rail, so while a better choice for ligher riders by "size", (and an epic small board for really slashing waves) important to note the differences in the performance when taken into B&J blasting mode ( c/w true wavesailing) are more than just size (volume).

Ease of getting (keeping) the PA80(86) going and reasonable upwind "bite" are also + factors in B&J mode, as well as the rather good rough water speed.

In general, rating actual GPS speed on hi wind blasting boards can also be deceptive; in most situations it is the combo of speed, comfort and control that makes an open water "hi wind" blasting board king - and in many real world situations the "slower" (control) board may be a "faster" (and easier) ride on the day than the dedicated speedster in rough water. While a few Acids have pulled some serious speed numbers on flat water, there is no doubting a more dedicated board will be faster in that mode. But for the same reasons, those speed boards are not really your ideal open water/hi wind chop blasting choice.


Cheers ~ Ian

[steveC]

Hi Ian,

You mention the PA73, but isn't the 2007 offering the PA74?

[Ian Fox]

Hi Steve,

That's correct for 2007, but what I was describing above is the background of the first time (model year 2006) we had a (significant) difference in the design/development methodology inside the Acid/PA line- which occurred in 2006 (model range PureAcid 86/80/73) - and resulted in two (86/80 KP..) of the boards having the extra efficency =B+J potential, while the other (then PA73) remained more "pure" hardcore (Levi..) wave.

The underlying point to highlight was that from model year 2006, the PA80(86) have a real reason for delivering "better" hiwind blasting performance than simply size (volume) alone, when c/w the smaller PA/s.

In 2007 that differentiation still exists - maybe not so marked, as the 2007 boards are changed mildly from 2006- but still there in the PA86/80 vs PA74/68.

Cheers ~ Ian

[Ola_H]

To complement Ians words, the 06 PA 73 was actually developed from the EVO 70 but kind of drawn out (both rocker and outline). Still it had the same control oriented concave bottom and soft rails. The 07 PA74 (and 68) was developed from the 06PA 80 so the rocker and v-layout is similar, but the smaller boards still have the softer rails.

Still, the 07 PA74 and 68 are in my opinion much nicer for blasting than the 06 PA73.

[Giuseppe from Italy]

Very very interested thread!

[steveC]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the clarification. I reread your earlier post and I can now see that I missed the mark at the time. Nevertheless, your added comment clarifies things very well and further highlights the design distinctions within the PA line.