Directional Boards

[More Waves Please]

yojimbo,

I had a conversation with a friend the other on exactly the same topic you're talking about. To take advantage of the directional's benefits described by Z, you have to think about riding the board flat, and using the fins, rocker and rail template for carving turns and pointing upwind.

On twintips, you pull up on the straps with your toes to edge the board and "rudder" (I like Z's term!) your way upwind. On a directional, especially when underpowered, you want to use the bottom of the board to stay on plane and the fins to provide direction. Instead of pulling up on straps with your toes, think about putting your toes flat and standing more centered over the top of the board. Riding strapless really helps lose the twintip habit of pulling up with your toes.

When you do it right and you're on a smaller kite (don't want to be lit up on a directional), you actually ride the board rather than hang off the kite like you do with a twintip.