Welcome to the 24-7 Boardsports guide to choosing the right Airush Sector for you. The Sector has been one of the biggest & best things to happen in kite boarding since the introduction of bridled kites. Over night it was possible for the average kite surfer to get on the water 5 knots sooner - without investing in a monster kite!
The Airush Sector is now in its 3rd Generation & has evolved into three different boards to suit different applications; so the choice now is not whether to buy one, but which one to buy?
54 wide: This is the smallest of the Sectors & suits lighter riders or a bit more wind. Airush say it's 'maneuver oriented'... I'm not to sure about that. If you want to carve, buy a surfboard. If you want to boost, buy a twintip. The 54 is delivered as a tri fin with swept back fins. At 20/17cm they are (for me) too long to work effectively for surfing & catch if you whip it round too sharply. So what would you buy a 54 for? Well, it's fast, very very fast. If your happy to trade a little light wind & upwind performance, you get an absolute rocket of a board. It's more comfortable in higher wind than it's bigger counterparts & if kite slalom racing ever gets going this will be the ticket. Once you nail planing gybes, it's just like windsurfing with a kite.
60 wide: The 60 was the width of the first Sector & is still probably the best all round shape for most kiters. This year the performance has been upped with the addition of double back straps & the reduction of the cant on the fins, so it rides a little flatter. The deck has been given a bit more shape, to make it more comfortable on your ankles when riding flat. Supplied with a quad fin setup, the 60 feels very grippy, even in chop, it tracks well in a straight line & goes upwind very effectively. The Sector 60 is a plug & play option that anyone can jump on from a twin tip or surfboard & ride easily. Until you step up significantly in volume/technicality to the Sector 66 or a full blown race board the performance of the Sector 60 is the best you'll get anywhere.
66 wide: The 66 is a stepping stone towards a box rule race board. It has lots of volume, outboard straps, a tri-fin setup & likes to be ridden flat. However, the supplied fins are asymmetrically profiled & actually quite small for a board this wide. Going back to it after riding a race board you immediately realize how loose it feels & how much drive is missing. You can't help wonder just how much more it could give with a change up in the fins? The boxes are all full tuttle, so replacement fins are easy to source. For heavier riders wanting a light wind board or anyone racing on a local scene this would be a good option, just bear in mind that the Airush Sector 66 will give you the bug for aiming higher & going faster than everyone else on the water.