Step up shortboard options?

[saflyfish]

Ive been riding a hybrid shortboard for a few months and im looking to move forward.
Im 6'3 and 200lbs,and 42yrs old.The board i currently ride is 6'4 x 22 x 2 7/8 and its 45L volume.
Any recommendations on specs and models to up my game?

[dtc]

What is the problem with your current board? Its a fairly high volume board for that size, so you could just get something a bit narrower (eg 19.5 inch) and thinner but same length (one of the wider shortboards that comes in just under 40L volume); or go shorter but stay wide (hypto krypto or firewire type) or something with more rocker etc

Its hard to say what to recommend without knowing what you think is the problem with the current board.

[saflyfish]

At 22 inches wide it doesnt have the manoeuverability id like.I think going down an inch on the width would improve it.
In terms of length not sure if i should maybe try 6'2...nothing wrong with my current board,just have room for something different.

[Big H]

What is it that is holding you back? What can you do on your board now? Do you feel the board is too wide and restricting quick turns? Too much volume and slides out in steep conditions cause you can't sink a rail? What kind of waves do you get and normally ride? Do you want to ride a different wave/ same break but bigger/ more hollow? How long have you been surfing?

As an example of different but not necessarily better:
I'm 45, 6'1" 187lbs so I can relate. BTW, the board I rode today was 6'4" x 21 3/4" x 2 3/4" 40L in shoulder to slightly overhead waves....it is big but foiled....really easy to catch waves, wide nose and body but has a thumbtail that holds in bigger and stronger surf like today....is on the big side for deep duck dives, but with good timing there is no need to have to go too deep on the way out back in overhead Bali surf.....went fine; I had another board in the car that was better suited, narrower, lower volumed, thinner nose, more rocker, more pulled in tail....I was tired today and wanted an easy paddle so I managed the lower rocker and wider tail in exchange for that. I can turn the lower volumed board better; it is quicker and easier to bang the lip with; it is also more work to paddle, less stable (better for manuvers, not so great when a bit on the lazy/tired side like today).....decider was that it was a crowded break and I don't miss with the 40L and can catch a little further out giving me an edge. So anyway, for the two boards I had in the car today, one was bigger overall and an easier ride and easier to catch waves with....however, that board in comparison responds slower to my input/harder to manuver, turns flatter, takes more work to manage steeper drops.....the other one takes more effort and more precise positioning to catch, but fits into good waves here better due to more rocker, is twitchy and quick on the wave; makes moving on the wave feel a lot more instinctual as the board just stays with me better and I've done more radical moves both on purpose and by accident on this board than any other but is harder to ride.....I have pulled off some things that amazed me on the highs and fallen while riding in a straight line like I ran into a hole in the wave on the lows in the same sesh. Pros and cons, differences.....

Another side note:
When I want to train on something, I do a sesh or two on the longboard. i sorted my bottom turns a couple of months ago so that my body positioning was better and I got a lot more compression and projection coming out then translated that feel to shorter boards..........which up'ed my game considerably. A month ago it was training out the need to look down ever. Again, translated that to shortboards after training it out of myself on a longer board; game changer.


So again, what do you want to do differently that your current board won't allow or a newer board with a different shape and size would make easier?

[saflyfish]

Thanks for the detailed response.My current board i guess is a bit of a groveler,very tiny to 4ft board.Someone more skilled would probably be able to do everything on the board.I guess its not what cant my current board do,but rather i have the money to buy another board.It does feel harder to do snappier,sharper moves.

[Big H]

BTW the board that is harder to manuver is 6'4" ....the one that is twitchy but moves much easier is 6'6" but 19.75" and 2 7/8" thick at 37.5L. Volumes are not far away from each other but due to the rocker differences the paddle effort is noticeable between the two....foil is a lot thinner on the 6'6" as well. I kept length because I wanted a board that would handle the big and powerful waves here and at 6'1" a 6'6" board really isn't big. You're bigger than I am; consider longer but thinner for more manuverablity and for maintaining some paddling ability as well as a little forgiveness on bigger drops that you might not be as stable on.

I also have a firewire 6'2" board that is something like 20 3/4" wide (dominator), lower rocker and 38L.....it is quicker and less stable than the big board I rode today....it's epoxy and doesn't really like chop and I was afternoon surfing so I left it at home.....relatively new for me and not sure if it is a keeper yet but it definitely is less stable, responds quicker but has a flatter rocker and seems to turn flat like the big board I rode today does. Rainy season waves are fat but for 8 months out of the year conditions wall up and get hollow so flat isn't really good for me during the period that starts roughly now.

What conditions will you use the board in?

[saflyfish]

I surf beach breaks 90% of the time.My local breaks.Waves do jack up on the banks,so generally steep take offs.Im not a big wave fan so prefer 1 -5ft max.It seems width plays an important role in how a board manoeuvers.Your 6'4 is 20 3/4 and your 6'6 is 19 1/2 and feels looser,more lively.I think dropping an inch on the width and going from 2 7/8 thickness to 2 3/4 wont be too much of a change,and something i can handle comfortably.

[Big H]

Yeah, narrower kicks up the lively feeling, length not so much so but does affect catching waves and paddling....shorter boards react quicker to body trim changes when paddling for a wave....not really important if you are in the right position in the first place but if you're inside a bit and you can dive the nose to get in then arch hard and snap that nose up to get up a shorter board responds quicker (like a shorter see-saw). I would agree with you; losing an inch will be noticeable in feel, shaving a little volume will make it a different board then you can have a choice for different conditions. I think the rocker plays a role as well; dominator has a little more rocker than the 6'4" as well as being narrower.

Reference photos of the boards that I was talking about.

[drowningbitbybit]

Im 6'3 and 200lbs,and 42yrs old.The board i currently ride is 6'4 x 22 x 2 7/8 and its 45L volume.

Don't worry about the length - at your height and weight, 6'4 should be about the minimum you're looking at for a step-up board. In fact, I'd say you might consider going up to 6'6.

Width is too wide for a really responsive board - a bit narrower (but not too narrow at your weight) will help its responsiveness. Don't go lower than 20" or you might struggle.

Thickness and 45 L - don't cut too much, if any, off these. At your height/weight, you should be able to handle a bit of volume, and as a member of the 40+ group, volume is your friend.

...but for a jacking-up beachie, there's more to it than that.
My favourite beachie boards include a bit of volume under the chest to get in nice and early, a fairly narrow tail (I'm guessing your groveller has got a wide tail?), a fair bit of rocker, particularly at the front, and nice thin, hard rails around the last third of the board.
Oh, and a thruster - some people like a quad on a jacking beachie, but I prefer the hold of a thruster during the bottom turn.

And hey, if you've got the money for it - talk to a shaper and get a dedicated beachie board. That's what quivers are for

[dtc]

My favourite beachie boards include a bit of volume under the chest to get in nice and early, a fairly narrow tail (I'm guessing your groveller has got a wide tail?), a fair bit of rocker, particularly at the front, and nice thin, hard rails around the last third of the board.Oh, and a thruster - some people like a quad on a jacking beachie, but I prefer the hold of a thruster during the bottom turn. :

Exactly the board I'm looking for! I have a McCoy Nugget which works really well in non jacking up waves but if they are fast then the fat tail flings you around before you even figure out what is going on. So I've decided to experiment with the board you have just described, if I can find one second hand in my neck of the woods...

[IB_Surfer]

So you want performance but still glide? Simple, I'll give you the size I used to start shortboarding: 6'5 x 20 x 2 5/8, single concave, 4" nose rocker, 1" tail rocker, 12.5" accross on top, forgot bottom. Thumbtail is more forgiving, which is what I ride, or squash has a little more volume but cuts harder. I always get hard rails to hold up in steep waves and slightly less rocker to make it easier to paddle. There u go

[waikikikichan]

Don't worry about the length - at your height and weight, 6'4 should be about the minimum you're looking at for a step-up board. In fact, I'd say you might consider going up to 6'6.

The post title is mis-leading. I believe the OP wants ideas on getting a "smaller" board to maneuver more easily than his current board. Not a bigger "Step Up" board for bigger waves. I think the meaning/definition gets jumbled up.

[saflyfish]

correct,a smaller board to maneuvre more easily

[saflyfish]

Thanks to all for your responses.
I live in a country where we import boards so channel islands,lost mayhem,firewire & Rusty boards rule the roost.
The firewire dominator looks to be a good choice but also more expensive than the lost and CI boards.
I like the rusty dwart,rusty smoothie and on the lost mayhem board i like the short round and the V3 Rocket style hybrid shortboard.Has anyone surfed these ive mentioned?

[dtc]

How big are you looking at? I know you mentioned 6ft4 or so. Almost all of the boards you have listed are designed to be ridden quite short ie they are fat and wide and high volume. For example, the rusty dwart 6ft6 has about the same volume as my 6ft10, and my board is a high volume board as it is. If I wanted a lower volume board I would be going to a 6ft4 or even 6ft2 and it would still be pretty wide around 22 inches - really they are designed to get a 6ft4 short boarder onto a, say, 5ft8 or 10. You can't compare (in my view) a 45l volume 6ft10 with the same volume in a 6ft4 - they will be quite different boards.

So I wouldn't pick those boards if you were thinking of something more manoeuvrable in the mid 6ft - they are still very wide, thick etc

Unless you are looking more for a small wave board of course

That said, the V3 rocket is one I have my eye on. It's a bit narrower than (say) the dwart. The smoothie looks good as well. For what you are looking for I think those should be looked at first

(Lost also has the short round and the quiver killer that might be worth a look - I only mention them because I've been looking at the lost website recently, not because I have any
personal experience)

[IB_Surfer]

We are about the same size, I used a 6'5 x 19 1/2 X 2 1/2 after my bigger size, I've since gone smaller but kept this one for bigger days, love the board

My suggestion based on experience, nothing else