Kronos Nano - going to try smaller while I can

[surfafrica]

The Nano is out of the shaper's bay and on to the glassers.  I'll be picking it up on Sept 28.  7'4 x 26, 81 L.

[anonsurfer]

Looking good.  Are you still going full carbon?

[surfafrica]

Yep, still going full carbon.  Hoping for something in the neighborhood of 8-9 pounds.  Looking forward to connecting on the 30th if things work out.

[SunovaBouy]

What a great thread.

Really nice to see the progression from ideas to it being made, and all the questions in between.

Be nice to see a pic of it when its complete, if you have time off the water from being on it all the time that is.

[eastbound]

agreed--great reading for ignoramae like me

my creek works a charm on the wave--that i can say

[surfafrica]

Slight change of plans on the construction.  Apparently the glasser has a new method for the hot coat that will shave off 1/2 a pound or so without sacrificing strength.  Something about using micro balloons (??).  It'll change the look of the board from pure black to an acid wash.  I'm OK having it more white--it'll make it a bit less sensitive to the sun & heat.  I'm also OK shedding some extra weight, even if it's just a baby step.  I mentioned 8-9 pounds above, but was a little too aggressive.  It'll likely be 9-10.

Here's a preview of what the new construction looks like.  I think mine heads in for glassing later today.

[anonsurfer]

The "acid wash" looks sweet.  Less than 11lb with traction and fins would be awesome. 

[surfafrica]

Less than 11lb with traction and fins would be awesome. 

Just got the weigh in.... 8.2 lbs without fins/traction.

[SlatchJim]

Well, it's Sept 29, where are our pictures!? 

[anonsurfer]

Less than 11lb with traction and fins would be awesome. 

Just got the weigh in.... 8.2 lbs without fins/traction.

Nice!  Did you pick it up yet? 

[surfafrica]

Board - 7'4 x 26, 81 L  Kronos Nano
Rider - 5'7, 148 lbs, 43 years old, intermediate, full of injuries

Just got back from a quick mini-tour of SoCal with a couple of friends.  We were lucky and got to meet up with a few guys I've connected with on Instagram including my shaper--Kyle at Kronos.  The swell was really weak, but we still managed to find a few spots picking up something.  We had a blast!  It was a reminder that the best part of travelling is the people you meet along the way.

I was hoping to meet up with anon too, but we ran out of the time (and the swell up at Doheny was pretty much non-existent, and the beach was packed due to the PPG event).  I was really hoping to try one of his mini-stix!  Next time, I'll make sure to plan the trip around a swell.

The new board turned out beyond my expectations.  I knew it came in at 8.2 lbs minus traction/fins, but when I picked it up, I was shocked.  This thing is feather light.  It really is mind blowing.  You have to pick it up to really appreciate it. I have bad shoulders and a bad back, and I can pick this board up horizontally by the handle with one finger. The new construction technique involves inserting micro-bubbles in the hot coat so there is less resin.  And apparently there is no loss of strength.  Obviously time will tell how well it holds up, but it feels solid.  At this point, I have no concerns.

The shape realized the goals.  The nose is full enough that I can get right up on it to scrap myself into waves if needed and make a slow sections (and with the swell we had, I needed to do both). The glide in general was more than I expected. The nose width also added noticeable support for the board's size keeping the performance goal in mind as well.  The tail is pulled in a little, but maintains some width too.  The width keeps a little extra stability and speed, but it has enough curve to encourage turns.  And the super low weight adds a bit of extra float making it's 81 L float like a 15 lbs board that is 85 L. Our third session of the trip was in pretty choppy water with a bit of wind. I managed better than I expected.

With the low litres, the rails are nice and thin.  They run pretty hard in the back half. One interesting thing I noticed was Kronos kept a bit of extra thickness at the tail. He ran the center thickness right through to the tail in the middle. The rails are refined, but off the back of the squash, there's just a little bit extra foam. It's still thin enough to sink the tail on turn, but I'm convinced that that extra little thickness adds support in the standing position (keeps the tail up just a little more) and offers an extra little push into the waves.

The Nano has an intermediate rocker. It's enough to fit into the wave face (I don't ride overly critical waves), but maintains decent glide. With the small swell, I didn't get to really push it. But on the few waves that I did have something to work with, I revelled in the lack of swing weight.  The board was so easy to throw around. 

Will I grab this board in January with my 5/4 suit on in our typical winter conditions?  Only if it's really calm.  My 28" wide, 95 L RNB still has a place in my quiver when I need something a bit more comfortable.  But in late spring, summer & early fall up here or anywhere south of San Francisco, this will be my board of choice moving forward (unless it's a longboard day).

Huge props to Kronos for this one.  This construction could be a bit of a game changer. I'm looking forward to seeing what a board in 140-160 L range feels like with this construction (my buddy is close to pulling the trigger).

(the last picture is the 7'4 x 26, 81 L Nano compared to the 7'5 x 26, 87 L NB--the board I'm coming off of)

[anonsurfer]

The board came out sweet!  Wish I had got to see it in person. 

[surfafrica]

For a while now, I've been trying to zero in on a 3-board quiver that covers most of my bases--choppy winter surf in a 5/4, rippable shoulder-highs, mushburgers, mellow knee-highs, tropical glassy point breaks, head high pitchy beach breaks, etc (not worried about triple overhead!).  With this new Nano, I think I might have gotten there.  Before the Nano, I had the Kronos 7'5 x 26, 87 L Nutter Butter (a wide-tailed cornice shape--red board in post above) in rotation.  It was really fun, and had a bit more performance in it than the RNB, but was still close to my RNB as far as range.  This Nano leans slightly more to the performance side and differentiates itself a little more.  I'm pretty stoked (if you couldn't tell).

Kronos Longboard: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L
For those days when you need to cruise.

Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L
It's wider and has more foam. It's my comfy board but still performs great. It could be a quiver killer really. If it's choppy or I'm tired or am weighed down by rubber, or am not feeling confident, I'll grab this one.  If I can only bring one board and am unsure of conditions, this one will get the nod.

Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L
If it's not a longboard day, and it's not too choppy, and I'm not too tired, and if this board is with me, I'll be taking it out. This board pushes me but is still on the fun side of do-able. I can't wait to get this into some good conditions.

For longer trips south, I'll likely bring my Longboard and the Nano in a double bag. Excessive?  Yep.  ...but so much fun.

(don't forget, I'm a light weight...these volumes are more than they seem...85 L for me is like 115 L for someone 200 lbs)

[anonsurfer]

Nice quiver.  Did you sell / trade the Kronos NB?

For a while now, I've been trying to zero in on a 3-board quiver that covers most of my bases... With this new Nano, I think I might have gotten there. 

Never say never, there's always room for one more board.

[surfafrica]

No, I still have my NB.  I think with the Nano now in the quiver now, it'll fall out of rotation for me in the surf.  But my wife likes to paddle it on flat water and it's a good size for my kids too.

Ya, I've been living the "one more board" lifestyle for a while now.  ....but I think I might actually be ready to settle down.  Probably a good thing I didn't jump on one of your 6-somethings last week!  (though I really want to jump on one of your 6-somethings)