Walden Mega Magic - Larger folk

[petelaud]

9-6”. Somewhere in north New Jersey.

[Geezer]

@ Pete….FWIW Im just a bit smaller than you @ 6’1” and 92ishkg. Im older, turning 52 this year, but likely more paddle fit. All the same, we’re roughly in the same ballpark and Id advise against the 9’6” mega magic. Its just flat out too big for a guy your size. That torq and its light epoxy/eps construction should give you all the paddle advantage you need; bigger (and heavier) than that will effect diminished returns as some of the others have mentioned. Since you were asking for advice, this is what Ive got: stick with the torq and just practice and be patient. As attractive as buying a nee board as a solution to an issue seems, that size board is really made for older overweight surfers, those with injuries or other limitations. It will let those folks surf but its a platform with several comprises to accommodate those limitations that you dont have…… size and float for YOUR size, age and health is really too big. I lnow this via goldylocks style trial and error and have discovered that truth; there IS such a thing as too big.

[Geezer]

I have a big board in my quiver and found out the hard way about too big. Mine is 10’4” long and 24 1/2” wide and 3 5/8” thick at 106L. Every time I take this board out I wish Id gotten the next smaller size down which at this point I realize would have been plenty (9’9”x23x3 3/8 88L). The extra size definitely gets in the way; arm position to paddle is too wide, sitting on the board hurts because its WIDE, piggish to turn. Fat rails. Any advantage I have gotten in terms of paddle power with the extra plan shape size and floar is negated by my arms being positioned a little too wide (and I have wide shoulders for my size, was told all through my youth to pursue boxing because of them - even still, this board is too much for me).

I wish someone had warned me but personal experience, as expensive as it may be, makes a more lasting impression I suppose.

[Geezer]

LOL..just realized Im twice your age. Hope you don’t mind some advice from an old man! Hahahaha

[Geezer]

As far as noseriding, there is more to it than picking a line and walking to the nose. I had a lightbulb moment when I was learning and had accidentally locked down the tail; had faded the takeoff and was stunned at how stable the board was and how it felt supported like a diving board.

Check this post from Wakiki out:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=38080

[buxtert]

3)

( Oh forgot, if you want your board to be more "stable", take off the sidebites and only run a suitable sized single center fin if you are currently running a 2+1 set up )

Dear forumite,

Can you explain this to me please? Thanks in advance! All that was written in front of it is very understandable, ha ha.

Bux

[eastcoastlongboard]

Hi Picardward,

sorry to throw a spanner in the works here BUT as far as I'm concerned the Walden Mega Magic is game changer. As soon as I got the 9' version my surfing changed. I surfed when I was 13 in 1972, stopped for a few decades and started again in 1999. The only board that the really made things start working for me was the Walden. The reason why is - I was able to paddle out the back far more easily [Saunton 5' low tide is not an easy gig] and therefore confidence went up, wave count went up and then I was able to try some new things like the odd cross step, hang 5 cheater and then develop onto sharp cutbacks. The bottom line is - having this board made me WANT to be in the water, whereas with others often, the cloud of dispondency would descend and the inspiration was easily lost.
I'm a musician for a living and a mate of mine said he wanted to get a Gibson 335 semi acoustic, a guitar way above his ability, but he said he it was the 'guitar of his dreams', so I suggested he get it, IF - he made him want to play more, learn more and inspire him more.
Same with surfboards - first thing you need is something that inspires you, sometimes that means it's the wrong thing to buy, but we all do it because it's part of THE journey and when you get it right , YOU PROGRESS. When you get it wrong YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE.

Don't get me wrong Waikikikichan is The Wise One of this forum. And the Walden Mega Magic might be an utter turkey......FOR You, but for me it was a Godsend. But surfers are odd, I've got another mate who bought a 9'6" Mega Magic and hated it, he has surfed about 4 times and only ever surfed 2' of white water - so he sold the Walden and bought a 7'2" thruster because he convinced himself he 'needed' that - he will never progress- period.
Like I said to him, get a board that you can bag lots of waves on, that's the first thing that matters- then you can progress from there.

You might find the Walden utterly does it for you!

So......seeing as you are a UK surfer i am looking for a 9'6 long board I am in the UK and get to the west coast about 4/5 weeks a year rest of the time I am stuck with the brown mush of norfolk. i tried an in the pink for a week in October (9'6 tuflite) and found it ok (I would say I am a 50 year old, 6ft, 15st long term beginner standard with a lot of leg injuries to carry). any recommendations for a similar length but more suited to UK waves. i am never going to be great but wife and kids surf and i love being in / on the water.
Surfed the in the pink at harlyn, bude, Watergate, sauton and woolacombe this october

[voyager]

Hi eastcoastlongboard, yes I would say a 9' or 9 6' Walden would probably do the trick. It doesn't sounds like you're in the water everyday, so you will probably want something that paddles phenomenally well, especially through a lot of our white water mush so the Mega Magic 9' or 9 6" should be spot on. Personally I find the 9 6" a tiny bit more of a handful paddling out and into the big mush that we normally have in the UK, so for me the 9' is just about perfect, it turns a tad quicker without having to get back on the fins so much, so if you're not genned up on cross stepping, the 9' is good for turns.
I found the In The Pink a pig to paddle, if you're trying to get through 5' of white water, but an amazing board in the right hands on the right day with the right conditions but tough for most UK days.