Surfing Waves

Was thinking of getting another board but am not sure.

I sold a 6'3" x 19 1/8 x 2 3/8 custom epoxy because in small waves I preety much sunk and when it got overhead I could not paddle into waves easily, I'm 42yrs old, 200lbs, intermediate/experienced surfer.

I now ride a 6'5" x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2 custom epoxy, fine with it, use it in waist to overhead+ waves, I'm thinking of getting a 6'2 x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2, want to go down for duckdiving ability. The only difference is that I'll probably ask for slightly fuller nose to keep the float.

I'm hoping that I won't notice the difference in the two as to riding and catching waves but will get the easier duckdiving in return.

I could ride my old 6'3", just not versatile enough, so hope this one comes out better. What do you guys think, will I notice a big difference or just stick to my go-to board? Or just keep my quiver, I have a bunch of other boards but not one like this.

Help and old shortboarder out...

themathteacher wrote:Was thinking of getting another board but am not sure.

I sold a 6'3" x 19 1/8 x 2 3/8 custom epoxy because in small waves I preety much sunk and when it got overhead I could not paddle into waves easily, I'm 42yrs old, 200lbs, intermediate/experienced surfer.

I now ride a 6'5" x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2 custom epoxy, fine with it, use it in waist to overhead+ waves, I'm thinking of getting a 6'2 x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2, want to go down for duckdiving ability. The only difference is that I'll probably ask for slightly fuller nose to keep the float.

I'm hoping that I won't notice the difference in the two as to riding and catching waves but will get the easier duckdiving in return.

I could ride my old 6'3", just not versatile enough, so hope this one comes out better. What do you guys think, will I notice a big difference or just stick to my go-to board? Or just keep my quiver, I have a bunch of other boards but not one like this.

Help and old shortboarder out...

Do you have problems duck diving the 6ft5 then?
Personally i wouldn't go down to the 6ft2 unless you have a specific reason to go that short.
If you are going to get a new board go 6ft3 x 19.5 x 2.5 but rather than going for a fuller nose ask for fuller and slightly sharper rails. A fuller nose won't give you that much more float but will be more cumbersome whereas fuller rails add more float but in better proportion over the whole board. The sharper rails are necessary to compensate for the fuller rails by allowing the water to release better.

KS

KS . Nailed it !!!! Math you won't want to get a fuller nose, it will wreak havock to you surfing ways catch more wind and act as a tug boat in a paddle unless your gonna go longer/thicker, wich inturn kills the duckdive aspect you want. Do the rails that will give the most to what your trying to get.

Guys, I duck dive a nine foot long board no problems. Its all about technique. For longer boards you want to "tilt" the board as you sink it. This will allow you to get deep. Then, you need to make sure to use your back foot on the tail on the board to level you out under water. Like I said I get a 9 foot longboard fully submerged. Last week when we had swells in San Diego there was no problem getting thru the breakers. Just practice, with the little juice that socal waves produce, board size is critical. If you don't have the volume you will never get the speed to pull any turns or make sections (Or you will be the guy that all he does is pump the wave and maybe get in one crappy turn at the end.)

I go out to Sunset Cliffs a bit so If you see a guy on a 9 foot white and sea foam green Stewart, say hi! (Usually out during the week when people are working

To clarify a couple of points:

Lost: I can duckdive the board, just want one that is EASIER to duckdive.

Oldgrom and Kitesurfer: fuller nose I meant to keep the thickness to the nose, not to make it wider.

I have a 6'3" board with full rails already, my shaper copied the Xanadu pig for me as a quad, it's a great all purpose board but the full rails are a problem in steep/hollow waves, hard to set the rail when it's 2 1/2 at the rails, so I specifically want a shortboard.

I guess the question is will a 6'2 be about the same as a 6'5" if I keep the rest of the dims alike? Guess I should have asked that instead, sorry LOL

themathteacher wrote:
I guess the question is will a 6'2 be about the same as a 6'5" if I keep the rest of the dims alike? Guess I should have asked that instead, sorry LOL

LOL, i just wrote you 3 paragraphs, and just realized 2 things.

1. Getting new boards it the best partly because you learn something about shape each time you get used to a new board.

2. Every board with similar dims is so different. I guess thats why I like rack boards. I can look thru 100's of boards and find the exac shape I am looking for

Sorry brah I miss understood your ?..... But you allready know the answer to that question Math !!! Come on man !! you know better ha ha ha. Of course it will be the same as dims go and everything else but if you keep a ( thick ) nose it's more density you'll have to sink in the front and I don't think that's what you want right?? Your looking to plunge and dive/scoop under better easyer as well as have some float under you so your not fighting the rougher conditions when it gets bigger surf. Unfortunatly this is where trying a few different boards might be in order so you can get the hand in glove match your looking for, So try to rent or borrow a couple of boards with the dims your looking to get and try em.

Ultimately I say shave the nose get the rails cut for the conditions you want match some fins/foils that match you and surf conditions and make the board a little thicker to give some more overall float without making it nose floaty. just fractional amounts of foam in the main body would add more float considerably and give you the shorter manuverable board (duckdivable/ floatable) stick your shooting for. I have a 6-4 and a 6-2 with thicker noses and don't care for them in the duckdive department but I do love their float once I'm out.

ah hell I say do it why not,, you can allways sell it latter if your not happy with it right.

Ok, so I decided to take a differnt direction. I own a 6'3 x 20 x 2.5 quad, shaped like the xanadu pig, I was using it as an all purpose board for chest to head high days. My shaper is going to put in center plugs and I'm gonna try it as a thurster, will let you know how the change went in a couple of weeks.

Ok, so I decided to take a differnt direction. I own a 6'3 x 20 x 2.5 quad, shaped like the xanadu pig, I was using it as an all purpose board for chest to head high days. My shaper is going to put in center plugs and I'm gonna try it as a thurster, will let you know how the change went in a couple of weeks.

Here's a pic of her:

The only thing I'm seeing is the potential that the two Side fins are in a position for a quad, so hopefully the angle and cant will work as a thruster.
I don't see why not, so say go for it a much cheaper alternitive and who knows you might just have a working stick that your looking for and if not will have a the same quad you had before.

I asked my shaper, since the board is a hybrid shortboard the front fin placement is the same, the rear was different, retro's are less toed in and straighter but the modern fish have the same toe-in.

So he just measured where the center is supposed to be and I already got the board back, now just need to wait for the rain to be over to try it...

Wow, surfed Encinitas this morning a few hours before high tide, overhead+ on some fun walled out waves. The board did not slip out once from under me, even with the thicker rails. No tail slip, and it tucked in nice, entered a bunch of closed out shacks, totally fun.

The cool thing is now I have a board that I can use as a quad for mush days and as a thurster for step ways. It's fun to experiment.

I might still order a new one slightly narrower, but I'm digging this!

I went shopping for a wetsuit and came accross a deal I could not pass up, I bought a Solomon holllow core surfboard. I've always wanted one but did not want to shell out the money for it, but got it for only $400 so I am totally stoked.

So, santa arrived early this year...

Well, tried it today, and I'm not sure I'll keep her. I cought a couple of great headhigh waves on it but had some wobbles in the smaller surf and other waves.

Dilema: Do I take the time to get used to it? Do I want to take the time and waste the waves trying to get used to it or just stick to the tried and true arsenal I already have? I could just spend the same ammount of energy just getting better at surfing than learning to ride a smaller board. Confused!!!!

The board is new, and I got it for a great price, so I'll get my money back when I sell her. So, keep or sell????

well ill just throw my two cents in on this. i think your worrying too much over small things. exact thickness in the nose, an inch off the top, hollow core or not, its too much thinking about small aspects which is not worth spending hundreds of dollars over. you dont need a "perfect" board to rip or have fun. just skill. a surfboard as long as it floats you well enough and is shaped well, is enough. really u only need three boards in ur quiver. a small wave, a mid to head high board, and then a board for BIG day double to triple to bigger overhead. if you surf mavericks type xxxxx, the you will need a fourth board obviously haha. to me it seems you already got two boards that only meet one of those criteria (waist to head high +), and then you just bought another 400 dollar board to fufill that same criteria? id say def. sell it, get your money back. you dont really need it. just my two cents. haha im pretty poor, so this is coming if from a money savey surfer buyer.

for example, i have a 5'8'' fish, a 6'2'' shorty, and am gonan buy a 6'9'' for the big days cuz i recently sold my other 7'2''.

to me it seems, your buying a bunch of boards in the same range. so id say def. sell it. and get something else, or just save the money.

i deffinately agree with sweatthesalt
i thought about buying another shortboard cuz mines two inches too long
butthe i realized how dumb that would be

Already on Craigslist. It definitely gave me an idea of what I want next. I rode this one on head high surf no problem but I could not catch smaller waves and ride them easily like my other boards.