Richard,
A key difference in many of the boards you'll see at this volume/category is
the Exocet Cross's rear center-strap option - a key item if you want to ride
waves DTL and stay in the straps.... Also, why would you drop down to 109L
from 123L? Did you loose weight? If you're thinking lighter-air sailing,
you're gonna want all the float you can get in a package that will work in
the desired conditions no? I did drop from the Carve 131 to the Cross 117
so I suppose it can be done - but the Carve 131 didn't float me and my gear
either - so I was in the same boat with either board and the Cross planes up
easily the same as the Carve 131 did for me.
The total amount of volume of the Cross, the DDSA (shock absorbers), the
chamfered (sp?) rails, and Wardog's fin, all add up to changing the board to
the ultimate light-air wave/B&J board for me at 250lbs (ok, I use it in med.
air - 6.8/6.2 and 5.7 sails).
If you are looking for max speed in B&J conditions and are willing to have
to come out of the rear strap to do an off the lip, then perhaps the JP
would better suit you....I don't know...
The Cross can be sailed like a wave board, railed into the wind so as to use
smaller, more wave-oriented fins - and will go rail to rail unlike the Carve
you have right now - much, much tighter turning capability. I also find
that no matter how overpowered, you can crank the Cross very tightly
in-between swells when you need to at high speed. Of course, it will also
sail fast, flat to the water and even leeward railed in flatter water...
Never have I pearled the Cross - so that's a non-issue.
I sail the Cross at the highest speeds I can - not quite scary-fast but fast
enough to have my undivided attention - and it can handle all the speed -
which as you know is key to getting the biggest jumps possible :))
Talk to Wardog - we're just up the road from you so come on up on some
weekend and give the Cross a test drive...either Wardog or myself should be
around to help you out...have you seen the latest pic's Wardog posted at:
http://surfingsports.com/santa_barbara_windsurf/slides/sb_randy3.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/santa_barbara_windsurf/slides/sb_willv.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/santa_barbara_windsurf/slides/sb_willv11.jpg
Can you say fun? :)) This board has increased the "fun-factor" tenfold over
the Carve - not much more you can say - it's awesome! With your 6.6 you
will be planing, with little effort - able to hand-out in the harness for
that puff of wind and just let it go off the wind - then cruise upwind, thru
the chop with no problems and with the shock absorbers, no bad jarring on
the joints...sweet-ride for sure.
"Be sure to budget for one of my [Wardog's] fins...it expands the range of
the
cross, especially in the waves..."
http://surfingsports.com/santa_barbara_windsurf/slides/freeweeds1.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/santa_barbara_windsurf/slides/freeweeds2.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/santa_barbara_windsurf/index.html
Bottom line I think: Exocet nailed a timeless shape - the most compact,
fun, versatile, all-around board being made today - as evidenced by the
variety of conditions we sail around here: serious waves, B&J, on-shore
wavesailing, open-ocean swell riding and lake sailing (although I'd prefer a
dedicated slalom board for lake sailing) - the Select fin that comes with
the board is a great flatter-water fin - very fast and reliable. You may
find yourself not sailing other board much - it's that good.
Good luck with your search...and hope to see you up this way this
Spring/Summer.
L8t,
WillV.
Quote:
>I am considering replacing my Carve 123 with either an Exocet Cross 117 or
> JP FreeStyle 109 II. I sail Cabrillo about 25 days a year on a 6.6
> Infinity
> and prefer to use my RealWind 271 (103L). However, about half the time it
> is a lot of work to get the board planning and keep up wind. I have
> switched to the Carve 123 to improve planning but the loss of looseness
> significantly reduces the fun.
> So will the Exocet or the JP be better for what I am looking for: early
> planning and looseness? I have never sailed an Exocet but have sailed the
> JP FreeStyle Wave in the 98 and 84L sizes and really liked them. In fact
> they both felt like they were bigger boards than the volume would
> indicate.
> --
> Richard
> Huntington Beach, CA