Surfing Waves

Hi Guys

Just relocated to Cornwall, though south side but right on Pendower beach, so waiting for some nice north wind and channel swell.

Looking to invest max £600 on a longboard 9,6" what you think is best out there, seen so many shops selling there own makes, some made locally or some China imports branded.

Dont want to spend more than £600 but want something decent.

Cheers pete

To be honest, asking 'which board should I buy' is like asking 'I like crime fiction novels, what book should I read'? There are likely to be 100s of perfectly fine choices that will do the job; there is no 'best' crime novel nor 'best' longboard. there will be boards made locally that are entirely suitable that few outside the area has heard of and there will be the major worldwide companies

What you should do is decide on what you want to do with the board (general surfing, nose riding, performance surfing etc) and then consider dimensions (eg 9' x 22 x 2 5/8 as a minimum, prepared to go greater) and what material you want (PU or epoxy) and how many fins (ie single fin only, or 3 fins) then look at the options that result.

You shouldnt discount getting one shaped for you - I dont know UK pricing but presumably for £600 you can get a custom made

The major rules of thumb are probably

- Chinese made boards are likely to be cheaper but lower quality (but may still be suitable)
- boards from major companies will generally be a reasonable design and reasonable quality, but might be over priced
- boards from a local maker will vary, you need to consider the actual board (eg glassing thickness etc)
- a shaper who has been in business for 15 years is probably a good shaper
- dont assume a shortboard shaper can produce a longboard, find someone who makes longboards
- PU or epoxy is really a personal choice. Some people like one and some like the other
- if you are unsure, get a second hand board

If you're going to spend a lot of money on a longboard, I would suggest you talk to a shaper about how much rocker your board should have for the conditions you surf in. The rocker of the board also comes into play, as far as I know, if the board is intended to be a noserider. I suspect a noserider shape will have less rocker, but that can be a limitation if you aren't strictly trying to ride up toward the nose of your board. In other words, you're starting from an angled takeoff, planing across a clean breaking wave, and creeping up on the nose. I don't pretend to know all the nuances of longboard shapes, but if I were going to drop a lot of money on one, I'd spend some time thinking about what kind of surfing function I'd want that board to have.

xxxxx wrote:Hi Guys

Just relocated to Cornwall, though south side but right on Pendower beach, so waiting for some nice north wind and channel swell.

Looking to invest max £600 on a longboard 9,6" what you think is best out there, seen so many shops selling there own makes, some made locally or some China imports branded.

Dont want to spend more than £600 but want something decent.

Cheers pete

Pete < your weight and experience might help us help you. As the other forumites have suggested how you want to ride might too.
There is quite a range of longboards in the forum shop to view ( doesn't get enough credit for what they offer) .
Selection is alittle more limited at £600 ish but a TorQ may be in there.
My suggestion is an all round longboard, 2+1 fin system , unless you specifically want to nose ride as your major feature avoid specific nose riders. Avoid over rocker in the board, it actually effects the paddling length and makes the board boggy .
Browse through any local surf shops and shapers, see what you can find. Don't rush!

You can get a custom shaped Longboard from Quiver in Newquay for ~600GBP http://www.quiversurfboards.co.uk/, They have a variety of models and you should be able to get one built for your needs. They are helpful and will be able to advise you if you are not sure what to get.