Surfing Waves

Hi guys, for the past 2 years I've been surfing an Al Merick M4 board (6.1 x 18''5/8 X 2''1/4; Squash Tail, G-AM fins) and love it. The issue is that I feel it is a bit too small for my size (5'11'' X 180lb) when paddling. For example, quite often other guys catch the waves earlier than me -- which is particularly annoying when the line-up is really busy..., also my overall paddling seems slower than most of the other guys when trying to quickly get to the best spot for catching an incoming set. Once on the wave, I have no problems and I simply love this fantastic board.
Initially, I thought about buying exactly the same board just 1'' taller, but I think that in my case it is really the extra volume that is needed not the extra length. Another option is buying the same length but wider and/or thicker board - but then the shape would change and not necessarily for the better...
I am an intermediate surfer (cut backs, some off-the-lip's, etc, but no air's, no 360's,...) surfing mostly knee to waist high waves (and, unfortunately, only crappy local shapers...). I am willing to invest the $$ and go for another Al-Merick --- Any suggestions ?? Thanks, Dan

yeah thats a rediculous board for those conditions, even some of the pros are moving away from those sorts of boards in the smaller waves. (kelly, dane) have a look around for a hybrid fish, super fun boards in the small stuff, and you'll get much more speed than on your shorty and it should progress your surfing alot with the extra speed just from the board.

so you might want to look for something around the 5'10 to 6'0, width 19.5 to 20.5 inches around the 2.5 inch thickness. have a search around.

Personally im not much of a fan of CI. Ive always liked shapes from lost better. I shaped a board similar to a Lost Rocket recently and love the thing. its a 6'0" x 19.75 x 2.5. im about your weight with my wetsuit on. Ive tried alot of different boards and I havent had any boards compare to the fun I have on the rocket. Catches waves fast easy/comparable to a fish, the nose comes around so easy and I can hit moves on it just as easy as my performance shortboards, and it paddles like a charm. If you cant get a good custom shape around you and you have to go with a mass produced board then I would go with the lost rocket. Amazing board, you wont be disappointed. Ive had 2 buddies try mine out, and both of them are now riding one. Also im not a easily impressed person, but when I find something great I let people know.

Take the Al Merrick catalogue, turn to page 7, take lighter (a match or candle will also do for this part) and burn. With the remaining pages, stuff pages 1-6 down the toilet, and 9-14 can be given to a homeless guy for insulation in the winter.

Now that you've done all that, go to your local shaper and buy a proper custom board that suits you and your local conditions.

drowningbitbybit wrote:Take the Al Merrick catalogue, turn to page 7, take lighter (a match or candle will also do for this part) and burn. With the remaining pages, stuff pages 1-6 down the toilet, and 9-14 can be given to a homeless guy for insulation in the winter.

Now that you've done all that, go to your local shaper and buy a proper custom board that suits you and your local conditions.

lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

I'm 5'8" and fluctuate between 190-200lbs. My overhead day board is a 6'5, my shoulder to head high is 6'2, just ordered a 6'1. However, what makes mine different is the width/thickness, mine are 19 1/2 x 2 1/2 custom epoxy. I'm actually thinking of going with something 2 3/8" epoxy. Definitely talk to a local shaper, I think the length is fine, but that thickness and width I think is too narrow and thin for your weight. Not sure if as wide and thick as mine, but for sure wider and thicker.

As to the crapy shaper stuff, where are you? Maybe someone can recommend a better shaper than the ones you know. I have a cheap shaper and he's awesome, sucks at painting boards but man he cranks out a quality board every time I get one, just depends on your taste of boards. I really don't consider CI a great board, great shape maybe, but not a great quality board.

Lastly, GAM fins have a bunch of hold, they are made to be in the pocket or up high, but you sacrifice glide and thrust. Try different fins, I've been very happy with GMB and DHD fins. See if the local surf shop will let you test a set.

Thanks guys for all the valuable info. I will definetly try some thicker and wider boards and/or a fish, which seems to be the connecting line between all of your answers.
I leave in Israel and we have 2-3 local shapers that shape & produce relatively poor (to my taste) surfboards, and I am talking from experience - I tried 3 different boards that I really did not like. I suspect it might also be due to the use of slightly different materials than what is commonly used in the US (glass & perhaps also the foam). The bottom line is that the CI M4 board I have is far better than the local surfboards I tried. I have never tried any other US board - so perhaps CI are no better than good local US shapers, I really do not know.

LOL, well, I guess then a CI would be much better than a local board.

Akso, try changing the fins, you'd be suprised what a different it makes. Do you have a friend that surfs that you can swap fins for one session? If not ebay has them for as little as $35. Try that before buying a new board

I replaced the middle fin to an FCS M3. It did help a bit on smaller waves. Never tried to replace all three, will give it a try too. The main issue I want to improve is the paddling speed and early wave catching, and I am afraid the fins would not help here.

I put on the GAM's only when it's overhead and steep, for the hold, the rest of the time I use GMB. Huge difference in my oppinion, but then again I'm not the authority on everything surfing. To me the GAM's have super hold at the expense of paddling speed, just something I noticed after going fin crazy a couple years back. I preety much use different set up's now: K3's on my CI tufflite, DHD on my big boy shortie, PG5's on my big fish, GRX on my shortie, GMB's on my stepup, OCCY on my gun, all discovered by trial and error. Again, got someone you can swap fins with? Even M5's will make a difference.

Like I said before, I'm no pro surfer, but for $35 it might take care of the problem, if not you have a backup set of fins.

Hmmmm.... interesting! Any idea where can I purchase GMB's - need a store that can ship oversees ???

ebay has them:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FCS-GMB-MAYHEM-LOST-SURFBOARD-3-FIN-SET-NEW-FINS_W0QQitemZ230381033808QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a3c79950&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-FCS-GR-X-Carbon-Lite-Surfboard-Shortboard-Fins-Set_W0QQitemZ190338180573QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c510a25dd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14


http://cgi.ebay.com/FCS-DHD-2-SURFBOARD-3-FIN-SET-BRAND-NEW-FINS_W0QQitemZ230381033823QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a3c7995f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Thanks!!!

Good luck, let us know how the experiment works...

OK just to report to u guys on my G-AM versus GMB fin experiment. I got a set of GMB fins from ebay, then had to wait for about 10days as it was flat till finally yesterday I had the chance to try them in knee to waist high waves. In order to make the experimentation a bit more scientific, I decided to surf the first half of the 3hours session with my GAM, then went our replaced to GMB's and went back in for another hour and a half. All in all, I could not feel any major difference - not in my wave catching nor in the feel on the wave. Perhaps it was a bit too small surf to really tell the difference. Will try it also in a higher day.

In bigger days is where I felt the difference, it seemed to get in easier. Good luck

Feel good to see your posting. But I do not have any suggestion to give you.