Switching to Soft Top shortboard

[Naeco78]

I'm thinking about getting a soft top performance shortboard for next summer and I keep reading that Soft Tops can be ridden much shorter than traditional boards. The review below even said the 4'8" Kyuss Fish is equivalent to a 5'8" traditional groveler like the Lost Puddle Jumper etc.. Is that true? Seems like a big difference in dims..

I currently ride a 6'2 Rocket Wide (41L) and looking to transition into something like the Softech Mason Twin 5'6" (35L) or possibly the Kyuss Fish 5'8" (46L). Do you think I would notice a big difference dropping into waves or maybe even the skatieness of such a short and buoyant board. The bigger sizes seem to take away lots of the advantages that soft tops have.

Anyone else make the switch to a soft top board? Any gotcha's to watch out for?

[Lebowski]

Careful, my friend bought one of these shorty soft tops, and after the first use, we both decided we didn't really like it. It's hard to describe why exactly. Every wave, I just felt I'd rather be on a 'normal' board. It felt a bit benign and unresponsive.

[Naeco78]

Thanks for the feedback. Any chance you remember which brand or model you had?

[Lebowski]

I think it's a Softtech mystery box. One of those weird square boards. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrific, but my friend actually bought a new board straight after that one to replace it.

[dtc]

You can ride them shorter because they are higher volume than equivalent hard boards. Whether you can handle the shortness is a different issue

[Naeco78]

Thanks Lebowski I remember looking at that one similarly so it's really good to know that it disappointed. Yeah i think what youre describing is exactly that I was worried about.. the rails on the board might not have a hard enough edge to use for carving the way I like for a shortboard.

I hear ya dtc. I think the 4,8" Kyuss is definitely out of the question, even though the volume is close to a 5'8" groveler. Thats just too much of a change in my foot placement etc. I dont think I would like Mini Simmons boards for the same reason. I think I would go with the 5'8" Kyuss if anything, but thats almost too much volume and might feel kinda boatie.

[IB_Surfer]

I've been thinking of getting a 6' Odysea but haven't pulled the trigger, I could probably buy it smaller but don't really need to work that hard LOL

[Naeco78]

Yea I was thinking about the Odysea or Bomber for weaker waves or even messing around with it as a finless just to change things up in the summer. I think those 2 are a little more like a mini mal soft top and might get more use in the summer.

Sometimes it seems like the surf requires a different type of board for every season and swell type.. it hasn't been helping my board hoarding tendencies.

[dtc]

Sometimes it seems like the surf allows us to justify the need for requires a different type of board for every season and swell type...

[Naeco78]

Sometimes it seems like the surf allows us to justify the need for requires a different type of board for every season and swell type...

Lol so true. I guess I have board hoarding issues

[IB_Surfer]

Ha, reminds me of my finless surfboard experiment from 5 years back...