BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I'd like to hear your thoughts on some kite board features based on your experience.

What is high flex vs low flex good for? How much of a difference does it make kiting at Alameda/Bay.

What is high/low rocker for?

How does having multiple concave channels help you on the water?

How do the above features affect/relate to freeriding and long air jumping?

I'm looking for a twintip board, I'm 6' 5" 180lbs, size 12 shoes. I'm interested in freeriding and air jumping. I'm not interested in tricks or riding unhooked.
I'm thinking I should get a board that somewhere around 136cm-142cm. I'm a beginner but I don't want to buy a large beginner board that I can't/won't use later. I've been body dragging last season, couldn't pull the trigger on getting the board then, and the season ended.

Not a lot of boards for sale on CL or in classifieds here. I might go for a new board if I understand all the features and the foot straps fit and feel better. I have long skinny feet, so the foot strap fitting might be an issue and I don't want to have problems with the foot straps on my board, because then the sport won't be fun with painful feet.
Any idea on how to try out the foot straps and what to watch out for when trying them out?

By the way, do people here ride with neoprene socks or barefoot? Does it matter, what's the problem?

I wouldn't look on Craigslist, I would look on ikitesurf classified or the classified on this forum.
Low rocker: better upwind
High rocker: softer landing
Channels and concave/dbl concave shapes: directing the water to either way achieve speed, early planning or more grip depending of the channels/shapes.
Flex: softer boards can help in choppy water but again, if the boards is too soft you're increasing the rocker when loading it so less upwind ability.
138ish sounds good to me.

Best way to decide is to demo!
Use advice from people with a grain of salt.
I know you don't want a beginner board but it's always better to start with one that you snagged for cheap on the classified (take a flat rocker and medium flex and don't worry too much about the pads, you can always change them for another set later on). Then come back the next season to a shop once you can get upwind and jump and then demo as many board as possible. Just my 2 cents.
Cheers.

Just demo various boards and based on your height/weight, a 144 board is certainly not out of the question. Lighter conditions call for bigger boards so a large twin tip is ok to own.

Thank you a lot, still thinking which board is best.

I'm not sure I want to pay someone and have them send me a board without inspecting it first. Shipping hassle if needs return.

Any idea what Naish means when they say: "3-Stage Rocker R8/4/10" (for Monarch) or "3-Stage Rocker R10/4/20" (for Hero), or "3-Stage Rocker R6/3/1"(dub), there are others.

Since price, riding style, height/weight, current skill level, and brand favorites are all variable, there is not going to be a "best" board thats universal.

Personally, I have extremely partial to http://www.litewavedesigns.com and both the Wing for light/variable conditions and the Carbon Kick for everything else. Completed 200 miles+ on my Kick over the last four weeks. Its possible I may find another board/binding thats right for me as I progress.

By the by, my wife commented yesterday I always get three of everything and this reflects me trying stuff out and selling/trading until I find the right gear.

Dwayne