Going from a 144 to 139? difference?

I am currently riding a 144 '08 CWB Faction, I like the board but have been considering going to a little smaller board to gain a little better response in the air when spinning the board. I am 6'0, 195 lbs. Would going to a 139/141 make a difference or would I be waisting my money? If yes, what board would anyone recommend in that size for an intermediate rider?

Thanks,
Travis

I'm 6'0" and 198, not familiar with the Faction but I just moved to a 144 Decade from a 139 Natural after riding it for 3 years because I felt the board was hogging too much water. BTW- I ride at 23.8mph

I have a friend that likes riding the 139 for spins. I'm sure a shorter board is easier to spin, but how much might be debatable and a personal preference. If Ryan sees this post, he might have something to add.

6'3" @ 200lbs and prefer 135-138

I think you will love the smaller board..
Pros
- Softer landings (less surface area)
- Harder edging
- Less swing weight
Cons
- Less forgiving

Sometimes surface area adds softer landings...ex the CWB Marius

Surface area helps by giving more area to absorb the impact.

(Message edited by dlwsrider on October 19, 2009)

Yeah, I went from a 136 to a 143 and now a 144 and the landings are SOOO much better for sure.

I think you will hate it. Once you're used to landing on a board that big, I think its hard to go back.

Bigger board = softer landing for me. They dont sink and slow down on the landing.

If you can make it work, bigger is better for sure, at least in my opinion.

I think with today's new technology there is not much difference in swing weight considering the boards are so light and 1/2-3/4" difference in length is not much. That is not to say someone spinning 900's/1080's wouldn't every from a every little ounce. Considering most of the pros that have stomped those legendary spins, in RECENT history are on bigger boards. In the old days, things were much different when the boards and wakes were much different. I would think bigger is better generally as long as you are comfortable.

To me, its less about the swing weight and more about edging and loading. The bigger the board, the more strength it takes to load it and edge properly. Notice alot of the pros ride the bigger boards for their size but they are also strong as hell! I would generally ride the biggest board you can while still being strong enough to load it up, correctly. For most people your size, its gonna be in that 139-141 range. IMO, only those with significant strength to weight ratios, or people significantly heavier than you would benefit from the 144+ boards.

Don't waste your time or money. Stay on the larger board.

Exellent points Jason. I have to agree with others that bigger is better, if you can manage it.

yeah i switched from a hyperlite 3ds to a slingshot response 142 and couldnt be any happier, im 6 ft. 1 and 185 lbs. and use it both cable and boat

larger surface area means more resistance when landing.So bigger equals harder landings.

Brock
Hard landings are more about how you land and the shape of the board, not the surface area. For example, The Faction 144 will land softer than a Liquid Force Trip 138 if the rider lands centered over the board.

Travis
Don't waste your time or money on a smaller board. For me, I went from a 138 to a 142, started riding a wider stance and can't be happier. I'm 5'10, 158lbs, will be 43 next month and ride the CWB Transcend 142(not the platinum). My advise is to work on your technique, ride with someone new or consider getting some instruction/lessons. Have fun

Thanks for all the input, I appreciate the feedback. As I mentioned, I like the 144 CWB Faction, but have never had a chance to experience a smaller board. From the sounds of it, staying with the larger board might be to my advantage. Softer landing for me are a good thing, I am 37 and not getting any younger! It makes sense, the larger the board the softer the landings will be with more surface area to absorb the impact.

Thanks again to everyone who replied....

Travis,you should take this thread with a grain of salt.

Hey I have the smaller 08 faction. I think its 138. I'll trade ya. If your interested shoot me a message. I live like an hour south of you in modesto

Travis, another thing to think about is that the '08 Faction is a tank. I rode the 138 and really liked it. I think if you were to try the '09 142 Transcend you would notice a difference in weight, I sure did. Another thing is for 2010 the Faction was redesigned and offered in a light weight awesome version the DB9. That setup is like a supercharged Faction and worth checking out.

bigger=better in my book and with boards as light as they are now a days the size shouldnt hinder your spinning or control