Surfing Waves

Hello all, I've been surfing for about 10 months on a bic magnum and catch almost every wave I go for but took my shortboard out for the first time today It did make me realise that I had become lazy with my paddling but I am now questioning the size of my board. I caught a wave but a school boy error with not enough wax had the board shooting forward at 100mph leaving me in its wake, another moment!

I am 6'5" and weigh 15 stone / 95Kg / 210lbs and the board is 6'8" x 19 3/4 x 2 7/8 and is a second hand Chevallier shortboard with a pointy nose and most of its volume in the middle. I am fairly fit and regularly do press-ups, sit ups, balancing exercises etc.

So what do you think, is the board right for me because if it is I will carry on practising as I love the feel, look and weight of it in the water. Many thanks for reading this and I hope that you can point me in the right direction.

John Mc wrote:I am 6'5" and weigh 15 stone / 95Kg / 210lbs and the board is 6'8" x 19 3/4 x 2 7/8

Eek!
At 6'5 and 15st, that board would be quite a challenge - not impossible, plenty of people ride boards only a little taller (or even shorter) than they are, but you would need to be fairly competent to start with.
If you were asking "should I buy this board", I'd say no, find something with a bit more volume (21" wide) and a rounder shape - but as you've already got it, I'd say give it a few more goes and see whether you think its worth putting the effort in and going through a bit of frustration.

Not impossible, will just need a bit of time and effort

drowningbitbybit wrote:

John Mc wrote:I am 6'5" and weigh 15 stone / 95Kg / 210lbs and the board is 6'8" x 19 3/4 x 2 7/8

Eek!
At 6'5 and 15st, that board would be quite a challenge - not impossible, plenty of people ride boards only a little taller (or even shorter) than they are, but you would need to be fairly competent to start with.
If you were asking "should I buy this board", I'd say no, find something with a bit more volume (21" wide) and a rounder shape - but as you've already got it, I'd say give it a few more goes and see whether you think its worth putting the effort in and going through a bit of frustration.

Not impossible, will just need a bit of time and effort

Many thanks for the reply and great advice I love the board and so if its possible I'll put the effort in. In a strange kind of way I feel more connected to the board and the sea when using it compared to the bic. Rather than bobbing around like a cork, i'm in the sea .........sinking
Seriously, I now know what people mean when comparing fiberglass to other materials. Feels totally different. Thanks again

Ditto, the size is fine, your ability isn't. Hang on to the board, it will eventually be the right one.

Also, I always ask, what size fins you got on it?

Give it a wax and try again, report back.

themathteacher wrote:Ditto, the size is fine, your ability isn't. Hang on to the board, it will eventually be the right one.

Also, I always ask, what size fins you got on it?

Many thanks for the reply, I was living in hope that the board was the right size..........I love it, there is just something about it It has a thruster set up and the fins are 4 1/2" with 4" bases and they are futures. I was thinking of taking the centre fin off and giving it a go? I know the board out performs me by an awfully long way but it really gives me a buzz being in the sea with it. Sounds silly but there you go . Thanks again.

Rickyroughneck wrote:Give it a wax and try again, report back.

I will

John Mc wrote: I was thinking of taking the centre fin off and giving it a go?

Sure, give that a go - it won't work, but it'll be a valuable lesson in what that centre fin does

drowningbitbybit wrote:

John Mc wrote: I was thinking of taking the centre fin off and giving it a go?

Sure, give that a go - it won't work, but it'll be a valuable lesson in what that centre find does

OK......now i'm interested, that valuable lesson isn't going to involve a broken board or drowning is it, because either of those is gonna really spoil my day........especially the broken board On a serious note though, I have read that removing the centre fin reduces drag..........is that true? I realise that at the end of the day it comes down to patience, commitment, technique and paddling fitness.............I think for a moment I was falling into that trap of looking for shortcuts..................lesson learnt

Don't quote me on any of this, as I'm no expert on fin set-up, but...
A thruster set up is quite specific and will usually involve two smaller side fins and one slightly larger centre fin. Taking that middle fin out will remove drag, but also drive, and (most importantly from your point of view) stability.

Some boards are designed to be 'twinnies' but the fins are in a slightly different place (a little further forward and wider apart) and the fins tend to be slightly larger. They're often used in smaller waves when you need minimum drag but holding onto the wave isn't an issue.

Some boards can be used as twins or thrusters but a 'standard thruster' will work best with all three fins.

Give it a go though for entertainment value - we've all done it

The center fin will mean that the bird slips out the first time you try to turn.

As far as the fins, what kind of futures? 450? 460? AM?

The fins make a big difference. I always recommend the F4's for begginers, they don't have as much inner foil which means less turning performance but easier release on take off, meaning you can get into waves easier but can't cutback like a pro.

So, take off one of the fins, post what kind. Bet they are AM fins...