In the midst of all the 2019 on-sail gear you can find online, I've been tempted to buy a 2019 Starboard Kode 109 at an attractive price to replace my Starship 115.
But, is it what I need?
I'm attracted in the lively and blasting performance of the Kode, the fact that it rides fast in the chop, is light under the foot and can jump, is said to be quick to plane and can help me catch that Michigan swell during those NE days. And on top, the 2019 Flax Balsa version features my "happy colors" - Red/Orange!

Ady, you own one. You know how I sail. Would you reco the Kode for me?
Also coming from a 115 liter, would I found a 109 liter that different in its capacity to keep a 90kg guy on its back schlogging in the lulls?

Man, I’m flip flopping on my opinion every hour On a clear head in the morning I’m starting to believe that it’s actually a good board for you. I have an issue with the size-I like simplicity and order like 95;105;115 etc-but the extra volume will probably be beneficial to you and more confidence inspiring for getting in the swell and breaking waves. and doing more then just blasting. You should be able to slog comfortably and even uphaul after some practice. I hope you will change your attitude from blasting /you have the Bolt for that/ to wave riding /despite our challenging conditions/ . Meaning less pedal to the metal always powered up riding to more relaxed -stop and go, look around, wait for that swell to catch up to you kind of riding.
If I on the market for a board and I can afford new I would probably choose the Goya One as a more wave biased board, but for a wave introductory and better freeride performance the Kode seems to win. Be warned that to make a basically a freeride board make a faster rail to rail transitions without compromising speed and planing they shape them with a lots of dome which makes them sensitive to foot placing and more unstable when slogging. I prefer tri fin setup for better turning and tracking at the cost of loosing some speed.
oceanairsports.com/collections/goya-boar...riant=21291667816533

Ha! When I saw your initial reply I was thinking you might just had a really bad day! Thanks anyway, whatever your perspective might be!

I tried the Goya One 113 back last spring in Bonaire in a central strap / thruster set up and I found it demanded some convincing to put on a plane. I have to admit I've been spoiled with the Bolt on that front. Too bad I couldn't try the One on a single fin/outboard strap setup. It is said that it is better in the waves than as a freeride chop board though. 116 Goya One: L 234 / W 65.7

My 115 Starship: L 245 / W 65.6 - definitely more freeride than wave

109 Kode: L231 / W 66 / Tail width 42.7
115 Dyno: L 229 / W 64.5
Both seem to have a balanced wave / freeride ability. Seems like they both would already be an improvement from the "heavy" Starship, right? Where is my wallet?

If you want a new board for the same type of sailing like the Bolt you might aswell just buy a smaller Bolt. It will do the job a lot better than any freewave board. Or just keep the Starship. In your place I would add a 105 L freewave and keep it tri fin and 3 inboard foot straps solely for the purpose of wave riding in Lake Michigan or maybe Winnebago also when it produces a big swell. It’s a totally different approach to windsurfing and a new challenge that will keep things interesting for years to come and will make you want to visit wavy places like Cabaret, Jericoacoara, Maui and other popular wave spots. It’s a great natural progression in the sport IMO.
The Starship is probably worth keeping as a middle board although it’s easier to carry around only 2 boards /and one inflatable /. I miss sometimes a middle board that’s floaty , but jumps and carves good for learning tricks, but I challenge myself to do this on the 94 in stronger winds and it doesn’t matter how long it will take me if ever. Now with the speed challenge I’m motivated to sail the 110 in stronger winds and might as well skip the tricks part entirely-I’m too old for that shit anyway. Burn the 110 until it’s good for 5.2 and there are bumps to ride and jump from, then its tri fin mode. Lake Geneva opened my eyes this summer. It was 4.7 but I felt very relaxed and went like that: hey , there is a good swell coming, lets slow down and wait for it, then yoopee a couple of turns and some more on the next one. A jibe or tack and then some speed or a bit slogging to get back upwind. If I was good at jumping it would have been even better.

Btw, I just bought myself a balance board - revbalance.com/balance-boards/swell/ for fun workouts at home and not loosing my board legs during ling winters. I just realized that it might be a good therapeutic exercise for your knees aswell, but you probably have to consult a specialist. It seems to be hard leg work but without the damaging stress on the joints like from running . Here’s my wife trying it for first / and probably last time

Very cool! If not for windsurfing, maybe a good training to help her advance her career in pro-skateboarding?!
Could certainly help my knees too. I know what's wrong with them: Just being over-used and not strong enough. I plan on an intensive workout training this winder to not have to suffer from chronic knee pain again next season. My ortho-surg. told that is all I need to do (plus loosing that emerging beer gut of mine! )

I think your sailing and mine are not to far away at all. You seemed to have a better appreciation for this exhilarating blasting run at full tilt and on my side, I'm experimenting with small jumps, braving 8'-10' swell and progressing on my jibes.

Back to the Starship: Like you said, I could keep it and get a 100L freewave thruster for those swelly days above 25kn but, I don't want to carry more stuff than I currently do. I also see no need to rush in selling it either. I progressed quite a bit when I moved from the IQ to the Bolt: My sailing got a lot more efficient, knowing that the board was capable, it pushed me to progress and rise closer to the level that makes that board worth having. The Starship isn't this anymore. As long as I can do what I'm doing on the water, I prefer to spend and switch quickly for the stuff that I hope I can enjoy. I might make mistakes but so-far, everything I got helped me progress and delivered on the fun-factor to the fullest (Sometime with frustrations and that's OK; it's called "learning")

The Bolt is awesome and won't trade it for nothing else at this point. It has become like a pair of go-to comfortable snickers. I've also experienced it in more demanding conditions despite the fact that it is not really meant to ride in 18" chop in 6.0 conditions. Or taking it with the 8.5 in what seemed to be a relaxed session, cruising away from the launch in less than 15kn to suddenly being "cornered" in an unexpected lasting burst of 20-25kn wind and committing to a crazy-fast 110% hell of ride back! That has helped raise my confidence-meter up a tad! Gears with higher limits helps with finding my own I guess!

Now if I spurge on this new board once more, I cannot even imagine the level of compensation my wife will demand!

Greg from Sheb. wrote:
Jewellery does wonders

Ady wrote:
Not in the budget!

Does anyone know what thruster fin size would make sense on a 2019 Kode 109?

Greg from Sheb. wrote:
Now it gets a bit complicated. The question is not only what size, but what material as well not to mention form/area. My 94L came with a 20cm MFC TF /the epoxy black with white stripes/ center and 2x10 G10 sides. It worked fine. After I destroyed the center and damaged the sides hitting a shallow rock at speed I bought an all TF set from MFC. The same size 20+10 but it spun out a lot easier so I started to make combinations from a 22 G10 that I had plus the repaired G10 sides. When I use a 4.2 I put a 20 TF +2x10 G10 , with the 4.7 and 5.2 I use a 22 G10+2x10 TF. With the 5.7 I use all G10 combination. The big brands all used a similar stock combinations -G10+TF or vice versa . Now it seems they have simplified their stock options to all G10 like Starboard and JP or all TF like Goya and Fanatic, to all K4 /plastic fins/ in the RRD. The TF seem to be softer and better suited for wave riding and G10 is stiffer and better for speed and chop. I have no idea how the plastic K4 feel, they have quite a fan following it seems, Ezzy Jr. is sponsored by K4 and I believe Isthmus have them so you can research.

Some size examples: 2020 Kode 115 comes with 22 G10 center and 13 G10 sides, Goya One 115 comes with 25 G10 center and 11 TF sides /in the pictures they show all TF set/. I found a pricey but solid looking all G10 sets at Black Project fins blackprojectwindsurfing.com/product/epic...ewave-thruster-fins/ with the biggest set being 23+12.5 which seems more then adequate. You can also ask the board dealer for the price of a Starboard fins set -Drakes or whatever they brand them now. Maui Ultra fins and Makani are 2 other popular fin brands.

Be careful what fin base type you select!!

Enjoy your new challenge

Greg from Sheb. wrote:

Bob, we are talking Thurster, not Dualster. Missing one fin there.

Ady, Thanks for the pointers. Large size Thruster fins is hard to find. MFC has no stock, and no one has big-enough MFC fins as far as I could see. The only thing I could find as a set of 20/12

Starboard 2019 Kode 109L is recommended with a set of Drakes 21/13. Not avail. either.

Back Projects is interesting but it's new sides don't seem to come in USBox (Only Slot, which I can't use - Only one side screw on that Kode StarBox)
Though I found a pair of older BP MiniEpic USBox 12.5 or 13.5 and a BP Kraken 22. Would that work OK?

Or a pair of side Maui Ultra Fin XTri 12.5 or 13.5 combined with a MUF X-Wave 20 or 22.

Or a Makani Walu Side Wave 11 plus Makani AHI Thruster Wave 22 (Cool graphics!)

If I get the Kode 109, I'd probably use the center fin only with my 6.0 and 7.0, and might get a thruster setup for my 5.2 and 4.7, and maybe the 6.0 in NE swell on Lake Michigan. We'll see...