Surfing Waves

I need some help selecting a shorter board. I am stuck between a used 6’8 Al Merrick flyer, a new 6’6 Anacapa Tri Fish, or a new 6’8 Anacapa Glider. They are all the same price and from what I understand all shaped by Al Merrick. I weigh 180 pounds and my height is 5’11.

pcm0725 wrote: all shaped by Al Merrick.

"All vaguely glanced at on a computer screen by Al Merrick."

Go ahead, go for the imported name branded shortboard, either one will do.

I'd rather get a Sharpeye, Plus1 or Kane Garden since I'm in San Diego. There aren't any good shapers in your area?

pcm it says your from saint augustine so i know there are plenty of shapers and local shops to get a board

it doesnt have to be a merrick=]
mine is basically a flyerII but only cost me 225 used instead of 450+
if you are only picking one of the 3
the glider does have plenty of foam in it so it should work my friend

Thanks for all the advice. Yea I live in St. Augustine, Fl but I just moved here and don’t know of any shapers. I was just going to go to a local surf shop and pick up one of the boards. I am going to talk to the people that work there, but I just wanted to get some background info first because after all the people who work at the shop are salesman and I didn’t want to get pushed in to buying the wrong one. I guess I am just looking for which would be the best all round board, because my parents live in North Carolina so when I go home I can surf as well. The only reason I wanted merrick was because I have never heard a bad word about that brand of boards.

well dude those are all pretty big boards. Do you plan on mostly surfing double overhead waves? cuz if your mainly surfing waist to head high waves i would def. recommend somehting smaller. I am 180 pounds, excluding my wetsuit and booties, and i ride a 6'2'' standard shorty. I woudl recommend a shorty anywhere from 6'2'' to 6'4'' shorty, with 18.5 to 19.5. width, and 2 3/8 or more thickness. That would float well enough, and since its shorter lessen the chance of pearling, and also in smaller waves be way more manuverable.

and to add, i wouldnt buy a merrick man, those things, even though excellent boards, cost like 700 dollars, and they are glassed very light so they tend to break easier than other surfboards. Just buy a used board in good condition for 200 or 300 bucks, i bet you wont notice the difference, and it has a decent chance of being glassed stronger

sweatthesalt wrote:well dude those are all pretty big boards. Do you plan on mostly surfing double overhead waves? cuz if your mainly surfing waist to head high waves i would def. recommend somehting smaller. I am 180 pounds, excluding my wetsuit and booties, and i ride a 6'2'' standard shorty.

I'm 200lbs and could not ride a 6'4" x 18 1/2 x 2 1/4 Solomon S-core comfotably, I could on shoulder high + waves but just sunk too much in smaller surf. I do have a 6'3 x 19 3/4 x 2 1/2 handshaped eps epoxy that I ride but my go-to board is a 6'5" carbon epoxy, I'm 45 so need a littlbe bigger board to get into waves to paddlewar with you youngsters.

If you are already a good surfer you might want to go smaller, but as a transition board or for begginer/intermediate level surfer a 6'6" will do fine.

but, if you really want a Global Surf Industries pop out here is the best deal for them:

http://www.islesurfboards.com/anacapaby ... -fish.aspx

sweatthesalt wrote:I'm 45 so need a littlbe bigger board to get into waves to paddlewar with you youngsters.

Hey math, there might be growing debate about that concept. Someone on this forum put up a shaper's forum link where more and more people were saying that mid-sized boards can even be harder to paddle than shortboards and longboards, bringing their users to a premature "surfing death". Have you ever noticed groms on potato chips paddling circles in the lineup around guys on hybrids? Just a thought. Anyway, I'm not a youngster either

jon.biarritz wrote:

sweatthesalt wrote:I'm 45 so need a littlbe bigger board to get into waves to paddlewar with you youngsters.

Hey math, there might be growing debate about that concept. Someone on this forum put up a shaper's forum link where more and more people were saying that mid-sized boards can even be harder to paddle than shortboards and longboards, bringing their users to a premature "surfing death". Have you ever noticed groms on potato chips paddling circles in the lineup around guys on hybrids? Just a thought. Anyway, I'm not a youngster either

you cant compare a 14 year old grom that weighs 120lb to a 45 year old who weighs 200lbs Its all about the right board for the right person and the right conditions

OK I dug up the link, check this out, it was posted by oldwashaway a month ago here under the topic about easy-to-paddle boards. It's worth reading:

"OK, I did some searching on Swaylock's on this paddling speed subject as it relates to shortboards. I found an absolutely fascinating discussion here:
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.c ... t=18905839
Surfers were discussing why some shortboards are faster paddling than others."

I just read the info, it's about a guy riding funboards going down to a 6'8" and Ben Aaipa riding a 6'4". I ride a 6'3" and a 6'5" and I'm recommending a 6'6" to a begginer, I think I'm speaking the same language, I never recommend getting funboards.

As to groms, I eat them for breakfast, I catch almost every wave I go after and don't get skunked when surfing.

I used to surf 6'1 shortboards, still can, but I know my limitations, I rather go stlightly bigger and improve my wave count than try to hang on to my youth.

That said, PCM075: let us know how it went.