Becoming less sheep like - Witchcraft v RRD

[PeterR]

Ok so I confess to my sheep like tendency having managed to accumulate 5 RRDs (one's the wife’s). But they are great boards for what to do most of the time - turn up at West Witt beach and blat around in wavy lumpy stuff, jump and have fun. So here's the question: I love my 06 85FSW which jumps and turns like a dream and is fast but still copes OK with a bit of groove riding in waves (5 to 5.8m). I've also got the 07 102FSW which handles just like the 85 in inboard strap mode so often gets used in marginal 5.8 days but with the straps outboard it's also rather good for 6.5 flattish chop. So far so good and why change? Well last year I had a quick go on a Witchcraft Chakra 106 (on a day when I was on my 102/6.5m combo and it was mighty impressive. Ok it was just a short go on flat water but boy did it crank upwind and turn soooo smoothly (even through it was so big). So I'm temped to switch to a Chakra (or two) and would welcome any feedback from you guys who have used one.
Given I mainly sail at a beach that is a. lumpy/wavy b. usually onshore side/on c. has some rip which is pain in light wind d. often very shallow on the inside the Chakra seems to be a good fit.

If I read it right I could go a little smaller 82&94 or just maybe the 88 could replace both but that’s a bit optimistic for early planing in light wind and the 82 would cross over better to my 74l wave board

The build quality is nice but to be honest the RRDs build quality has never proved to be an issue having survived plenty of my crapy wave riding to rinsing maneuvers ;-)

So, on a cold damp windless day I'm off to Brighton for some lunch and shopping(sorry) and expect to come back to find the perfect answers (yes I know I can keep the kit I've got but that's not the point and NO it will not be a ****board quad)

Thanks in advance
peter

[Duncan Adam]

Only has a go on one in light winds with a 5.7m, seemed to do what it said on the tin, so maybe a leap of faith and go for it.

[Silicon Beach]

I have had my Chakra 100 v1 for about 8 months now and I really love this board. It replaced a JP FSW 102 which my wife now has exclusive use of (in fact it was her idea for us to each have our own 100l board ). I use it mainly with 5.7m and sometimes 5.2m when I'm a bit underpowered on my waveboard (Mistral M84 twin).

I've written quite a bit on here about the Chakra if you use the search button, but to summarise the things I like (eg compared to the JP) are:

• the way it gybes - particularly on a wave / swell ... sure the JP gybes well, but the Chakra takes it to another level in terms of tightness, precision etc. One thing though, you have to be a fairly good gyber already as otherwise it will just surprise you with how fast it wips round.

• waveriding ... this is the real point of this board imho. It's like a big waveboard or freewave. Once you get it onto wave and turn frontside it performs miles better than the JP - particularly the top turns. Loads of grip from the fins, but very loose for a FSW.

• jumping - not a priority for me, but I love the way I can land it badly and not spin out

• upwind ... it absolutely stonks upwind - I can outpoint the kiteys on a 5.7m day - vital here as they tend to dominant the wave break on light wind days otherwise.

• the construction seems bullet proof (and I have the standard build - not the total bomb proof dyneema (?) version).

about the only thing I don't like is the way you get spray coming off the rail into your face at speed over chop - but I believe that might have been improved in v3.

So yes, I would say if you have the dosh and you want to get better wave performance from your FSW then go for it. If it's mainly for b&j / grooveriding then I'm not sure if a swop would really be worth it (as I certainly rate the RRD FSW's very highly).

I think maybe the 94 could replace both of your existing RRD's.

[matthewb]

Ok so I confess to my sheep like tendency having managed to accumulate 5 RRDs (one's the wife’s). But they are great boards for what to do most of the time - turn up at West Witt beach and blat around in wavy lumpy stuff, jump and have fun. So here's the question: I love my 06 85FSW which jumps and turns like a dream and is fast but still copes OK with a bit of groove riding in waves (5 to 5.8m). I've also got the 07 102FSW which handles just like the 85 in inboard strap mode so often gets used in marginal 5.8 days but with the straps outboard it's also rather good for 6.5 flattish chop. So far so good and why change? Well last year I had a quick go on a Witchcraft Chakra 106 (on a day when I was on my 102/6.5m combo and it was mighty impressive. Ok it was just a short go on flat water but boy did it crank upwind and turn soooo smoothly (even through it was so big). So I'm temped to switch to a Chakra (or two) and would welcome any feedback from you guys who have used one.
Given I mainly sail at a beach that is a. lumpy/wavy b. usually onshore side/on c. has some rip which is pain in light wind d. often very shallow on the inside the Chakra seems to be a good fit.

If I read it right I could go a little smaller 82&94 or just maybe the 88 could replace both but that’s a bit optimistic for early planing in light wind and the 82 would cross over better to my 74l wave board

The build quality is nice but to be honest the RRDs build quality has never proved to be an issue having survived plenty of my crapy wave riding to rinsing maneuvers ;-)

So, on a cold damp windless day I'm off to Brighton for some lunch and shopping(sorry) and expect to come back to find the perfect answers (yes I know I can keep the kit I've got but that's not the point and NO it will not be a ****board quad)

Thanks in advance
peter

seems to me you know that the Chakra is the right board and the only question is the sizing? How much do you weigh?

[Sailrepair]

I can't praise the chakras enough.

The wind range on them is huge and you never need to mess around with fins like a normal fsw. The only place/time I'd say thay aren't ideal is dead flat water.

[Sailrepair]

them mainly off the tail. using the bouyancy at the front of the board to get you on the plane and getting you out of "sinky moments" the Tail on a 106 feels as manouverable as a 90 ltr board. On the v2 is feels more harmonious, still the tails that can carve like a board 15ltrs smaller but you feel as if you can use the full rails in the carve more. Bouke will probably come allong and give some technical info but I'm just saying how I find them.


106 doing its stuff

[Duncan Adam]

them mainly off the tail. using the bouyancy at the front of the board to get you on the plane and getting you out of "sinky moments" the Tail on a 106 feels as manouverable as a 90 ltr board. On the v2 is feels more harmonious, still the tails that can carve like a board 15ltrs smaller but you feel as if you can use the full rails in the carve more. Bouke will probably come allong and give some technical info but I'm just saying how I find them.


106 doing its stuff

That's a big wave for a 106!

[Harvey Dawkins]

I have been using a witchcraft for about 6 months , the wave not Chakra. Obviously I can't comment on the Chakra as never sailed one but the construction is just superb and they hold there value really well.

[Sailrepair]

That's a big wave for a 106!

Some of the other waves were bigger. The first drop in, I did wonder if it was going to hold in the bottom turn but it did without question. being so big it doesn't turn supper tight but as the waves get bigger your turns tend to open up anyway. I certainly had the easiest day that day as everyone else was being spat back up the beach at Balevulin Tiree. I could get out 3 out of 4 attempts, the others were more like 1 in 4.

But thats just one aspect of the board.
float and ride - great
fun in small waves - you bet
bump and jump - great fun, they aren't super light so they aren't "jump rocket ships" but then again you could go through 3 or 4 such boards in the lifetime of a witchcraft.
flat water - it is fully freestyle capable but I'm not, doesn't have a sizzeling top speed but thats not what its about.
General every day chop - its a board that lets you use your imagination on what chop and slop is around you, carving off the chop, knocking the top off little waves, the board might be in Hastings but your mind can be in Hawaii.

With the popular "fast tail" fsw's you can end up with a fin for nearly every sail and in reality they are a 2 (3 at the most) sail board. The chakra will take 3 or 4 different sized sails without having to give the fins a second thought.

Just to balance the discussion a bit - fast tails do have a very nice "sweet spot" but it is often one sail and a wind range of about 5 kts.

[rod]

I've only sailed the chakra 100 in super marginal flat choppy conditions. Sort of s coast sea breeze conditions. I'm 90kg. I really liked it, especially for turning. I imagine it would be a brilliant light wind early planing wave board. It was easy to sail and well behaved in the chop.

The only down sides were; it got planing a bit later than my Goya 95 - probably due to to the narrower tail. The version 1 I used splashed water in my face. V annoying. Probably due to the big bow.

If I thought I would use my big board for wave sailing. As above I'd have one like a shot.