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  • Strap Inserts

    #1
    In all surfboards for kiting on the market, the front anchoring inserts are not placed forward enough to allow changing the placement the front strap according to the wave and wind conditions.
    Being able to change the placement of the forward front foot strap helps in the case of lighter winds when one needs to decrease the drag of the board, while being able to use straps to negotiate larger than average size waves. In addition, it optimizes cruising speed and decreases the bouncing oscillation over the chops. Thus, being able to have greater pressure of the front foot is crucial, making the ride more comfortable and less tiring.
    The beauty of the longer setting system is that one can easily adjust the straps to suit any change in conditions or preferences.
    My questions is: Can I order a board with an extra set of mounting screw inserts placed a few inches forward for the front strap?
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  • #2
    Claudio,

    Thanks for the feedback. At this time I am not sure this would be possible for a custom order. We have over the course of the past year or so adjusted the foot placement to be optimum for riding for all types of riders. There is about 3-4" of play I believe for adjustment which should be enough. The best option to avoid all this anyways is to ride strapless, but obviously not all riders are without straps. The problem with straps in general is that regardless of the conditions, when you set the straps, they are set...unless you come to the beach, unscrew, and move/adjust. This is time consuming thus we feel we have the right placement currently.

    We recently increased the number of holes on the front strap to (5) on the front and (4) in the rear to add some more room for adjustment as well.

    Do you currently have a FW board and have you tried the strap placement?
    Last edited by Grant; 06-03-2012, 07:16 PM.

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    • #3
      Grant,
      I kitesurf strapless 80% of the time with a 5-8 quad for light wind conditions and a 5-6 thruster for "good wind" .However, as I mentioned in my first entry, I would like to have an option in my quiver for a light-weight board with the ability to set up the front straps according to the surf-wind conditions. I share the frustration of several other kiters about the "normal placement" of the front strap setting NOT being adjustable forward enough. I have kited with a 5-8 Hellfire and I loved everything about it! Where near Huntington Beach can I find FW kiteboards?

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      • #4
        Hey Claudio,

        I had a similar issue on an existing epoxy race board I have. I wanted to reduce my stance and get my back foot forward so before getting extra inserts added I made this baseplate so that I could play around with strap positions and really find out where I needed them. Obviously better to have them installed where you want them when the board is made but if you are like me and retro fitting this idea may help.

        The one I made is just out of some mild steel I had lying around but you could make the plate out of stainless steel or aluminium and keep it on the board.

        Cheers
        Slack

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        • #5
          Firewire...

          I just got my KHF. I haven't had much time on it yet. In the future you might want to consider inserts with metal threads. As a kiter, I don't just put the straps on and leave them. Somedays are strapless days, some are strapped. On-Off, On-Off several times in a month or even a week. I'm hoping that these kind of 'self-threading' inserts will hold up over time. I'm going to have to be careful to try to get the screw in the same way every time... which is not an issue with metal threads.

          I agree with the above posts. I was happy to see the front strap has quite a bit of adjustment range.

          Thanks.

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          • #6
            Claudio,

            Are you near Huntington? If so, just order direct from the website and the headquarters is here in North San Diego at Firewire. Also, if you are interested, check out the firewire page for a chance to be a Firewire Ambassador which gets you two boards a year at $500 a piece!

            I understand the frustration on the strap insert placement...we hopefully resolved a lot of riders issues by increasing the number of holes in the front.

            We can't really do custom orders at this time, but the future holds promise for custom boards like the Surf side, but that is a ways out still. It has always been a frustrating thing to ride with straps in those marginal conditions where foot placement does come in hand for going upwind and tacking. For light wind conditions, since I ride in similar...look at the new 510 hellfire for some good volume, and throw the quad setup in for easier upwind tacks.

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by Barry P View Post
              Firewire...

              I just got my KHF. I haven't had much time on it yet. In the future you might want to consider inserts with metal threads. As a kiter, I don't just put the straps on and leave them. Somedays are strapless days, some are strapped. On-Off, On-Off several times in a month or even a week. I'm hoping that these kind of 'self-threading' inserts will hold up over time. I'm going to have to be careful to try to get the screw in the same way every time... which is not an issue with metal threads.

              I agree with the above posts. I was happy to see the front strap has quite a bit of adjustment range.

              Thanks.
              Hi Guys ,
              Also remember in some ways the plastic inserts give you an advantage as if you strip them you can go up in thread size (bigger gauge) and get straight back on the water.
              With machine inserts if the thread goes wrong you have to reset the insert.
              Give and take.
              Enjoy
              Felix

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              • #8
                I too was worried about the plastic insert at the beginning.
                It happens to be more forgiving with bits of wax and sand being stuck.

                Also, we use ISO metric screws in Europe, and we are having problems with some US brands using different standards for their twin tips. If we lose the screws, it is difficult to find them around here. So if for some reason Firewire decided to change for machine inserts, please consider that issue.

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