This is my homemade board build after days and nights of hard work. The complete project (including the learning curve and the tests) took me approx two months to complete ...

The Black Pearl

... this is how I made it ..

http://diykiteboard.blogspot.com/2009/10/black-pearl-balsaca...

Anybody seeking info on how to build it just feel free to contact me.

Dimitris

That looks real nice

How does it ride? When I was building boards I avoided using carbon because I was afraid the board would be too stiff. How did yours turn out?

To be perfectly honest I never managed to ride it since I do not know how to.

In the beginning of the summer I tried to learn how to kitesurf but the wind in the area (I spend my vacation) was not enough for me (8-10 knots). My kite is 12m and my weight is 240 lbs. So I can not answer your question directly.

However I can say that the board has not a good flex since I used too thick glass. Its rather stiff compared to other commercial boards. A friend of mine who tried it said that it was stiff but slide on the water extremely fast

How much did all of the materials cost?

Aprox 150 to 160 euros. But I had the polyurethane, the inserts, the pads and the handle.
You also have to consider that carbon is 20% more expensive in Greece compared to Europe.

As a beginner flex isn't so important. The big things in a board design are the outline and rocker. Looking at your photos and on the website with the instructions the board looks like it should work fine for now.

I also weigh about 240 lbs. I have a 13m SLE and I don't use that until the wind is averaging over 20 mph, with a comfort zone around 25 mph. I would recommend that you consider adding a 16 - 18m kite to your quiver if you want to be able to go out in winds under 20 mph. It's really hard to learn how to kite when you're underpowered. A good way of telling if you have just enough power in the kite is that when it is launched you feel "light on your toes". Not dragged around out of control nor walking flat footed without lift. At least that's one of the ways I can tell.

The other thing is that people luck us usually have to use wider boards. Look at the two boards in my signature to see what I normally ride.

Hey man...these are BIG boards. :wow:
I ll definetly consider that info before Ill build my next one.
But this will have to wait for the winter to pass since for now I intend to use my trailskates for some kiterolling action..!

Looks like a nice big low-wind board. My only concern would be the color. When you get yanked off the board and have to look around for it, having something in a dark color can be hard to spot. I know quite a few guys who have spray-painted the bottoms of their boards neon colors so they can easily spot it in the water... Just a thought. Otherwise, looks like a pretty nice board.

@milesAway - Yes they are big, that way I don't have to be totally lit to kite. If you want to build a cheaper board next time, try this: 1 piece of 3/4" divinycel foam, 2 layers of 8 oz fiberglass (2 top and 2 bottom) and epoxy resin. Shape the foam to whatever shape you want with a sureform. Vacuum bag the board if you want maximum strength per weight. I shaped a 150x45 using those materials and it had just the right flex, was super light and excellent durability. Cost of materials was around $100 per board (I built 3 of them).

God I wish there was stuff like that around here ... I love DIY

Quote:

Originally posted by ragden Looks like a nice big low-wind board. My only concern would be the color. When you get yanked off the board and have to look around for it, having something in a dark color can be hard to spot. I know quite a few guys who have spray-painted the bottoms of their boards neon colors so they can easily spot it in the water... Just a thought. Otherwise, looks like a pretty nice board.

Hi ragden,

Thank you for your positive comment.
Regarding the color I have to admit that I never thought of it this way. :puzzled: However this is quite an interesting observation. I thing that I ll use the advice on my next board. For now I wouldn't wanna spoil its name by painting it.

Dimitris

Quote:

Originally posted by bigkahuna @milesAway - Yes they are big, that way I don't have to be totally lit to kite....

Hey man I really appreciate your advice,
It important to me that its taken from someone in my weight range (meaning you face the same durability problems with me)

Dimitris

Quote:

Originally posted by Kamikuza God I wish there was stuff like that around here ... I love DIY

Hi Kamikuza,
Thnx for the comment!
What do you mean by "stuff like that" ? :puzzled:
No matter where you are you can always order the materials and Do It Yourself !

Dimitris

nice board , i used to weigh 220 and lived on my 16 and on a 133 unless it was 18-20mph + ..... is was a struggle . go wide like 42cm it will make things more fun sooner.

small boards <136 and big guys 200+ means you need a ton of wind and ....and....and when you finally get a decent ride and stay up wind its so fast ! holy(hit fast in nuclear conditions .

good luck