dtc wrote:I dont think a long board can be 'too long' (well, up to 9ft6 or so) - you have the ability to use leverage to get on the tail and turn etc - particularly if its a nice point break- and 6 inches here or there doesnt change that. However, there will be a size that maximises the benefits of volume, so over that size you dont really get much advantage and potentially getting into disadvantage.
I have a 9'1 and a 7'4 (mini mal and I definitely notice the relative lack of glide in the 7'4 - but its much easier to turn. However, I dont notice any difference in paddle power or wave catching.
So at the end of the day I feel
- the decision on length in is based on what is important to you in your surfing eg turns, glide
- the decision on volume is more focused on wave catching and paddling (but its always better to be overvolumed than
undervolumed unless you absolutely have to duck dive)
- width obviously plays its part - stability etc
- the lighter you are the less volume you need to maximise the benefits of volume
- going shorter to get less volume is just one way to do it. Width and thickness are almost more important
- there is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer as such without knowing what is important to you in terms of your skill level, preferred surfing style or feel and so forth
Good points to consider. I guess what also got me thinking the whole thing is that me riding a 9' is almost equivalent to a 6' person riding a 10'+ board. In addition to that, the length is only one of many areas that contribute to the board's riding characteristics. I'm starting to see what my preferences are... some of which are contradictory, say I appreciate relatively heavy boards for stability even when it's choppy yet they need more torque from me to turn. At this point I'm working on more defined bottom turns then leading to top turns (and repeat if the waves are long enough.) I'm not sure I'd ever be able to do cutbacks with my current board but that's probably more about my skills than the board. I agree that once the board length decreases below 8' or so the glide isn't there anymore so I want my next longboard to be still longer than 8'. I prefer wide and thin board for stability. Narrow and thick to me is wobblier and lacking the "moving with the water" feel.
waikikikichan wrote:If I didn't have to ride a 9'0" in competition, I wouldn't need to own one. I'm the same height as you at 5'2", and for me 8'8" is my favorite length. It matches my GAIT ( the pattern how a person walks ). With the 9'0" i have to take an extra half step to reach the nose.
From a shop/glassing point of view, the price to glass a 8'6" is around the same for a 9'0". And a longboard considered above 9'0". So 8'6" are harder to come by.
And again, length is just one factor.
Tail design,
rocker, v-bottom,
tapered vs. full rail, hip and bumps and
fin setups can totally change how a board rides. I rode 9'0"s that turns on a dime, yet ridden 8'0"s that are soo stiff. You have to consider the whole package.
Here a 9'0" single fin with a deep swallow tail. It was sitting outside the house for a few years, my wife said "What's that ?, I want to try it !". She loves that board, easy to turn yet easily nose rides.
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Question- have you tried a flex fin or Greenough 4-A fin ?
Yeah, the board is a whole package of all the dem. and designs combined. That swallow tail board is pretty cool and unique looking. There's a good example of how each tail shape etc. affects the turning ability. As to the fins, currently I have a 9" Farbrow flex fin (all the way forward) as per the rec. of the local shop. I love the stability and the drive but it needs more concentrated effort to turn. But it may be that at my skill level any turn needs an effort... The board (single fin box only) came with a 8.5" true ames cutaway which is a little easier to turn but less stable. I had the option to go with 9" 4-a (that was my original plan) but decided not to because farrow would be better for nose riding. And I got too excited by the prospect of being able to nose ride in the future despite better judgement
So 4-a would be a good balance between stability/hold and maneuverability. Right now I'm contemplating on ordering a new longboard to upgrade from my beater so unless I'm going for another 9 footer I was thinking of holding off of buying a fin unless I can use the same size fin on a short board around 8'6. I'm not looking into competing so I don't have a length requirement. Somewhere between 8 and 9 foot, not too wide, not too thick, not too much rocker would seem nice.
For those who have a carver, is the effort required to turn a longboard(surfboard of course) roughly just as much (or as little) as a carver with a mid length deck? I have a 33" greenroom with c7 truck which is less work to turn than my longboard, unless I haven't been pushing the longboard as much because riding a carver is a lot more familiar than surfing, relatively speaking.
"For the rest of your life, you can't look at a wave without thinking about riding it."
I typically surf a point break that's around thigh to shoulder high but it can have really small days as well as rare OH days.
) is more of a mad dash. The longboard in scenes in films make it look so fluid and effortless... almost magical for sure 
