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From surfboard to mutant

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Created by Andrash > 9 months ago, 31 Dec 2019
Andrash
WA, 637 posts
31 Dec 2019 6:10PM
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Happy NY first of all!
For my 20th kite season (last 12 exclusively on surfboards) I surprised myself with a mutant (Airush Shredder). I've never rode a mutant, I transited from TT to SB without much problem long time ago.
Now, after two sessions on the Shredder, I am indeed surprised how different it is from a surfboard and how difficult it is to switch.
I am asking those who ride both mutant and SB regularly, could you put together a few key points what you do differently on a SB and a mutant, and what I need to watch for to have a bit steeper learning curve / transition. I want to keep riding both SB and mutant depending on conditions...
Thanks for any advice, and have a great NY celebration.

Nathe
WA, 433 posts
31 Dec 2019 7:13PM
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Don't draw your rail out through turns it'll bog down . More sharp quick snaps or hard and fast turns , if that makes sense. For me tension in the lines while you're on your mutant is key as you don't have the same volume as a surfboard.
As long as you realise a mutant won't ride like a surfboard you'll be sweet . I tend to ride the mutant a bit flat footed with a tad more weight forward with a quick shift back to the tail when jamming a turn.
You've got my number, give me a call if ya keen for a mutant session.
nathe

warwickl
NSW, 2173 posts
31 Dec 2019 11:10PM
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Me to, recently got a Moon Patrol mutant and amazed how well it performs compared to a TT .

Plummet
4862 posts
1 Jan 2020 1:35AM
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Switch between the 2 more often. Then both boards will feel natural to ride. If you ride one board for an extended period of time the other will feel weird to begin with.

Try riding with more reckless abandon if that makes sense. Explore the advantages of the mutant. Smash fall speed at the kickers and booooost, Blaze the shallows, ride the waves powered. Personally I like big fast sweeping snowboard style carves on the waves.

Andrash
WA, 637 posts
2 Jan 2020 1:43PM
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Thanks for the advices. I hit the waves yesterday half / half session on the mutant and surfboard.
I could carve decent, but not very controlled / timed bottom turns on the mutant, and the nose still wanted to dive when riding down the line unless I was "sitting" on the back foot. In fact, the overall ride was much easier when I shifted most of my weight to the backfoot. The other thing I had to watch was to ride the mutant on the edge rather than (like the SB) on the fins.
Riding goofy on left-handers, boosting felt a bit awkward on the mutant as compared to the smoothness of my SB taking off the lip after a jybe... I think, boosting should feel more natural for natural footers on left-handers, but that's also practice, I suppose...

Plummet
4862 posts
3 Jan 2020 3:25AM
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Hmmm. I assume you have the bindings in the most rearward position? If not try setting them back for the next session.

What size fins do you have on the quad? I'm running 55mm.

Maybe put do the sb for a few sessions and recalibrate yourself to the mutant.

Ps I'm goofy riding lefts boosting backwards 90% of the time. Reckon you just need time to recalibrate.

If you have been in the sb for a long time if might take a while to find the rythm.

1likeBJ
WA, 152 posts
6 Jan 2020 11:07AM
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Plummet said..
Hmmm. I assume you have the bindings in the most rearward position? If not try setting them back for the next session.

What size fins do you have on the quad? I'm running 55mm.

Maybe put do the sb for a few sessions and recalibrate yourself to the mutant.

Ps I'm goofy riding lefts boosting backwards 90% of the time. Reckon you just need time to recalibrate.

If you have been in the sb for a long time if might take a while to find the rythm.


Agree with this. I have the Shredder also and went straight to the most rear binding positions after first session and that made down-the-line much better - it felt like there was much less risk of nose-diving. Maybe try going out and wave riding the TT back-to-back with the mutant? Think of the mutant as a directional TT not a nose ridable SB. The snowboard analogy is good and the board does drive a lot off the back foot.

I also removed the toe-side front fin as it is superfluous to my requirements...

KIT33R
NSW, 1714 posts
6 Jan 2020 5:50PM
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Talking about footstraps on a mutant. I didn't like the standard soft padded footstraps on offer for my Axis Twin Wave so I opted for deck grip and surf straps (softer the better). They give a harsher ride but better feel and looseness to your foot positioning.





Surfer62
1357 posts
9 Jan 2020 5:08PM
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Mutants are awesome fun, really enjoying the LF Moon Patrol, great travel board, just use 2 rear fins, it will glide under your feet effortlessly into toeside and back, carve waves perfectly, crank upwind and land jumps without sliding out, have fun




Plummet
4862 posts
9 Jan 2020 7:21PM
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Surfer62 said..
Mutants are awesome fun, really enjoying the LF Moon Patrol, great travel board, just use 2 rear fins, it will glide under your feet effortlessly into toeside and back, carve waves perfectly, crank upwind and land jumps without sliding out, have fun






Do you ride it backwards?

Surfer62
1357 posts
10 Jan 2020 5:09AM
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Plummet said..

Surfer62 said..
Mutants are awesome fun, really enjoying the LF Moon Patrol, great travel board, just use 2 rear fins, it will glide under your feet effortlessly into toeside and back, carve waves perfectly, crank upwind and land jumps without sliding out, have fun







Do you ride it backwards?



Yep both, backwards or toeside out then toeside into the waves which suits my local

ReefWalker
WA, 115 posts
10 Jan 2020 8:04AM
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I've been on the lookout for a cheapie on gumtree of SB...
Interested in the sizing of these. Do people ride them with a similar surface area as a TT or a bit bigger?

Plummet
4862 posts
10 Jan 2020 9:06AM
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ReefWalker said..
I've been on the lookout for a cheapie on gumtree of SB...
Interested in the sizing of these. Do people ride them with a similar surface area as a TT or a bit bigger?


Generally go a side bigger because of the more elliptical shapes. My board is 145x45.

warwickl
NSW, 2173 posts
10 Jan 2020 6:18PM
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Had an excellent session on my Moon Patrol today.
It's amazing up wind and fun down wind hit just over 20kn speed with no control issues.
Sometimes I forget I am riding it backwards it's so easy.

Andrash
WA, 637 posts
24 Jan 2020 6:26PM
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Thanks for all the input. I was skiing for over a couple of weeks switching off anything else, but now I am back and tomorrow looks promising to hit the water again.

In response to your posts:

I placed my foot straps the furthers rear and front positions. It's a bit wide for a short legged guy like me, but that way I can drive the board a bit more aggressively both ways.

I did not install the 'obsolete' toe side fin, and my double fins are 50mm, so they have plenty of grip.I still have a TT, but I am not keen on jumping onto it. not desperate enough ??. and not sure how it would help anyway.

Deck grip gives a direct feel, but the same time it also transfers all vibration from a bumpy ride directly to the ankles and knees which they do not like. (especially in the ripe age of 66). I put a 1cm layer of EVA even on my surfboards. It smoothens the ride, makes rail to rail transitions a bit more natural and protects the board from dents or breaks from hard landing. The direct feel is more or less irrelevant for powered up riding anyway, but may feel just right for dedicated surfers' "park'n'ride".

I did my homework re sizes and found not a lot of choice in sizes of the same models. These "directional TT's" generally appear to be a bit on the larger side of the scale.

The other big difference is the flex. My Shredder is quite thick, stiff and surprisingly heavy. The construction of the LF mutants seem to be more like TT's, so they may be more flexy and lighter for a TT feel. While I don't like the weight of my board (when jumping), I prefer its consistent solidity on the waves.

The Shredder too has remarkable upwind, better than any surfboards I tried. Is this something unique for mutants?

All in all, I will have to spend some time on the Shredder to get the juice out of it, but I will still ride my SB on any decent waves.

Cheers

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
24 Jan 2020 6:57PM
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Better upwind than a surfboard ... how big is this thing?

Plummet
4862 posts
24 Jan 2020 11:55PM
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eppo said..
Better upwind than a surfboard ... how big is this thing?


My lastest board is similar. Cranks upwind like a mofo. I put in down to the flatter rocker, reasonable concave more rectangular shape giving a pretty damn efficient shape across the waterline.

Andrash
WA, 637 posts
25 Jan 2020 2:19AM
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Plummet said..


eppo said..
Better upwind than a surfboard ... how big is this thing?




My lastest board is similar. Cranks upwind like a mofo. I put in down to the flatter rocker, reasonable concave more rectangular shape giving a pretty damn efficient shape across the waterline.



I suspect, the thin rail may also contribute... as compared to the round rail of a SB. The mutant generally rides with / needs more kite power too.



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"From surfboard to mutant" started by Andrash