Going shorter than used to - short board search

[IB_Surfer]

I got to try a bud’s Tomo 5’11 and noticed it has more volume than mine so I am going up in volume and down on length

My smallest (yes,I ride it) is 6’1 x 19 1/2 x 2 3/8 epoxy, about 28L, and do fine even at 180lbs. I can surf it but it’s not my first choice, opting with higher volume boards most of the time for a higher wave count.

Gonna try a lightweight poly board 6’0 x 20 1/2 x 2 11/16 but going to thin out the rails, should come out around 33ltrs. Having my shaper do it to my specs, super flat rocket, wider but flatter nose and tail, hard and thin rails, thumb tail, double concave

Let’s see how that works out. Haven’t had a board shaped in a while.

FYI, I also tried a 5’10 FireWire, I caught waves fine but took a hit on my wave count, which I’m not willing to sacrifice.

Will report later

[IB_Surfer]

Ok, ordered board from Kunny Surfboards in Orange County. Light weight blank, only using 4oz cloth to make it even lighter but add carbon diamond weave for strength without weight. Going PU on this one.

https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/S ... 531070180/

[IB_Surfer]

Update: so the diamond weave comes as part of the cloth, so if you wrap the rails it will look funky, it is meant as only a deck option. So, decided to just use carbon strips on top and bottom to add strength but keep the board light.

[IB_Surfer]

Shaped and cloth, should be done next week.

So I am going super hybrid, doing 2 11/16th thick and 20 1/4 wide, which none of my past shortboards have been, but took off a lot of volume by having the shaper thin out the rails. 4oz cloth with a lighter weight blank, so the graphite reinforcements are needed. Should end up being a lighter but more floaty version of my other shortboards. I'll post the complete ride and an update later

[IB_Surfer]

So the board is ready, came out great. The rails are so thinned out it doesn’t seem as thick as I ordered it. It has a deep double to single concave, came out awesome. Now to give it a spin, will do an update next week after I ride it

[IB_Surfer]

Got to try it in the wrong conditions: waist high mushy high tide surf, but it did remarkably well. A board that I intended to be a shortboard for a big guy caught plenty of waves. It did not seem that much different than my 6'1, except that when I cut back into the wave to get out it did almost 180degrees every time, so supper snappy. I'll post when we get some real waves, but so far so good.

Recap:

me 5'8 180lbs 56yrs old
board: 6'0 x 20 1/2 x 2 11/16, thinned out, based on the Hydroshort with some adjustments.
Ride: mushy waves ok
Stoke: plenty

[IB_Surfer]

UPDATE: this board is jinxed. Every outing has been too big or too small for this board. I'll post when I get a chance to use it.

[IB_Surfer]

Ok, so finally some shoulder high steep waves at Pacific Beach. After missing two waves I had to move up an inch to get the board to plane, guess a byproduct of the shorter lengthAfter that I caught a bunch of fun closeouts with an occasional snap off the lip. Board works fine, but since it’s polyurethane I started thinking I can go shorter as an epoxy, might try that next.

For now, mission successful, an old surfer can ride a 6’0 at 185lbs. Fun times

[IB_Surfer]

Update: a couple of close out days at Imperial Beach on a south swell. I keep having my feel in the wrong place, gonna just stick with it, probably from being used to the longer 6’2 and 6’4 I ride. That or I need to lose a few pounds

[IB_Surfer]

Last post!

So today IB had big closeout waves, shoulder to head high walls that required air drops at times. After struggling to get used the last few weeks it seems I finally got it dialed in. I think at 180lbs I'm about as short as I can go, although I might try a 5'11 epoxy from the same shaper. I have yet to take it out on a really good day, either small or dumpy days for this board, but maybe that will help when I get quality waves.

So, copying a firewire hydroshort in lightweight fiberglass to my specs turned out good.

[surf patrol]

A happy ending - nice one IB

[IB_Surfer]

Update: So I ended up selling her. When I’m at 180 it worked perfect, but as soon as I gained weight(like I did when I hurt my calf) I could not ride it very well. Then again, for me a good go out is a dozen waves per session, it just seemed I was working too hard for half the waves. The guys that bought it loves it.

Anyway, bought a new sharpeye modern surfboard 2 with eps core in the same size, the extra float from the epoxy construction did it, it’s my daily driver now. I just ordered the same board but for small waves, look for that post