lib tech surfboards

Libtech Vert not good for kiting and jumping

Bought a new Libtech 5'10" Vert in May 2014 mostly because of the reviews of it being bomb proof yet very light. I only used the board for kiting and I weight 185 lbs. I have been working on strapless aerials and had put my heel through a 5'8" Firewire Dominator after only 4 sessions.

The Vert sure did surf in the waves just the way I had dreamed but it turned out to only be slightly more durable than the Dominator. I put my heel through the deck and cracked the Vert in half right at my front heel line after about 12 sessions with lots of strapless airs. A buddy of mine put a huge fiberglass patch over this part of the deck, which added a lot of weight to the board but kept it very strong. However, after about another 25 sessions with even bigger airs, the board again cracked straight across right at the very front edge of the fiberglass patch. I also notice that this board does not have a stringer, which must also greatly compromise its strength.

So, if you plan on using the Libtech for jumping with a kite, I would strongly recommend avoiding these boards. But if you plan on keeping the fins in the water, the Vert was an awesome surfing machine.