Surfer by Kyosho- anyone still using? Brushless? Waterproofing?

[JoeR]

I have a Kyosho Surfer Dude and also just recently picked up a used Surfer Lisa that needs a little work.

Is anyone still surfing theirs?

How about Brushless alternatives? I remember reading of someone using a Phasor 15-3. Chris at FineDesignsRC recommends a Lehner 3600XL and Hacker Navy controller- too expensive for me. Are there other alternatives?

Waterproofing... One of the reasons I do not use my surfer dude much is because it leaks. I have tried a couple difference foams and placing it on the lid instead of the board, etc. and it still leaks. Anyone find a good solution?

I have heard of people recommending silicone to fill the recessed area where the foam goes on the board to help seal it. This seems like it would be difficult to reverse if it does not work. Getting foam tape to stick where the silicone was would be very difficult.

When a gasket manufacturer in town had a garage sale last summer I picked up some soft foam material with an adhesive backing. I haven't tried this yet.

I know there used to be some web site devoted to the surfer but it seems the sites I had bookmarked 2 years ago are not working.

Let the discussion begin- hopefully...

[Dave Reese]

Hey Joe,

I know your on a budget but..........

A good all around brushless set up is the Jeti Phasor 15-3 with the 40amp Hacker navy controller. I think if you shop around on the internet you may be able to pick up both for around $200 usd.

If you want to bump it up another notch for a tad more $, the Mega Motor 22/20/2 with a 70amp Hacker navy controller.

There are other controllers that will work well but these are the only two I have experiance with.

If you run either one of these set ups on 7 cells you'll be stoked.
7 cells will fit without any mods.

A good solution for sealing your board up good and tight is:
Spencer Johnsons inverted hatch seal:
Fill the grooves on the board with 100% silicone.

Pick up some closed cell from your local Hardware store.It's often labeled marine & automotive weatherstrip tape. It should say closed cell foam on the package. Measurements should be either 3/16" or 1/4" thick x 1/2" wide. It has self adhesive on the back.

Clean off the surface edges around the deck of the board on the bottom and place the foam so it butts up next to the outer lip of the deck. I usually set the deck with the foam side down on a flat surface, with a small weight on top (2-4 pounds) for about 24 hours to make sure it's good and stuck to deck. Next step, place a bead of 100% silicone around the outer and inner edge of the foam and smooth with finger. Let it cure for a day or two.

The deck will be slightly thicker then the stock set up so you will need to pick up some slightly longer bolts from the hardware store along with some Neopreme washers where the inside diameter fits snugly on the bolt (slightly smaller) and the OD is either flush with the bolt head or slightly larger. I think the washer dimmensions are around, 2mm thick, 4mm ID, 14mm OD. Sorry I don't have the exact dimm handy. The neopreme washer are key to getting a good seal.

Other possible sources for water intrusion are the stuffing box and water intakes as well as thorugh the rudder box/pushrod sleeve. Best to visually check all of these as well.

One way to help determine where the leaks are coming from is to place little pieces of sponge near the bulkheads where the bolts come through, the end of the rudder push rod sleeve (near the servo) and under the motor (low spot). In fact I always put pieces of sponge all over the inside of the board to keep any water that does happen to get in, from sloshing around the inside of the board.

Now here's a shamless plug for a movie I produced (Radio Waves) with the help of my friend Spencer Johnson, who is the one responsible for all these improvements and many more including rudder suggestions and tail modifications.

RC Groups is supposed to do a review on it soon..... Surfer Magazine already did a full on review in the March issue and gave it 4 out of 5 stars for action :-)

RC Boat Modeler will be doing a review in the Spring issue as well.

More details about the movie can be found here,
http://www.reeseproductions.com
You can download some sample Quicktime clips as well.

Hope this helps,
Dave