Surfing Waves

Greetings Long Board Forum,

Sooooo, I learned to surf on some rentals and then bought a a 9'2" x 21.5" x 2.75" used custom board (shaped by Midget Smith) in pretty decent condition (few small dings)

Had the thing for two months and am still pretty 'meh' about it. I can get going as long as the waves are waist high and up, but its not the knee-high wave magnet I was hoping for. I'm just not getting picked up by the smaller waves and am having a hard time keeping the board in front of the curl and out of the wash when I do finally get picked up by the smaller waves.

I rented a few boards of different dimensions (thicker and longer)and had a much easier go of it. So I've decided its time to just try a different board and found a pretty good deal for a used 'Stewart Hydro Glide' (9'6" x 23 1/4 x 3)

I want something easy to paddle, stable, and good on knee high to head high surf. I would like to eventually try nose riding, but for now would be really happy just being to make those slow swooping turns I see other longboarders pulling.

Is this board a good match? Some reviews say its a little heavy, so I don't know if that means its not a good fit for me or not, even though a lot of reviews say this is a great 'all-around' log.

Thoughts?

Stewart Hydro Glide or Hydro Hull? could only find a shorter hydro glide????

Whoops, Hydro Hull.

Yes... That should be a pretty good board. I think that hull is known for planing easily so that would be good for you. I am not a fan of the hydro hull personally but it is a good board, especially for beginners. I think at your stage that board would be great and easy to sell when you want to graduate to another board. Once your skill level improves you will be able to talk with shapers or surf shoppes to tell them what you want from your board and they will assist at that point. Right now, spend as much time in the water as possible and soon you will know what you want out of a surf board. Boards are weird.... What's great for one - sucks or the other.

Thanks, Hound.

Specifically, is it going to a good board for knee-high surf?

I'm going to talk to a shaper as well. I know what I'm going to be using the board for (primarily knee to waist high surf at Malibu and Sunset Blvd.), so hopefully they will be able to tell me what specs match up with that the best as I have no idea myself.....

I think the board would be perfect at those spots. My only problem with the hydro hull that I had was I felt like the board only wanted to go straight, not very performance oriented. I am not a nose rider so maybe that's what that hull is known for ?? I don't know. I still feel its a pretty decent board. I had one for awhile and had no problem selling it. I think I had the Stewart Fun Line or something like that and the board was probably a 9-4 and about 3" thick. I was probably surfing at 235lbs when I had the Stewart. I remember it was a really good wave catcher though but nothing over head high. I think the board was a bit too flat on steep waves and I was pearling a bit with it. Again, that was me. Some guys will surf that same board in head high plus and never pearl. Now that I think about it.... I think that Stewart I had was a really good wave catcher and I am thinking it was a fairly fast board as well.... it just would not turn well for me and I think it was pretty heavy. It was not the Fun Line series but something else similar to that though. SH*t, I cannot remember the model I had but it was definitely a hydro hull.