Advice on "Transition" Surfboard - McCoy Nugget vs Aloha Spe

[Samaire]

Hello!

I am looking to buy a 7' or 7'2" board and have a choice of a McCoy Nugget or an Aloha Speedster (or possibly an NSP).

I need a good allround board with a bit more volume. Not a novice, somewhere between beginner and intermediate surfer. The Nugget was recommended to me as a good board for my current skills and abilities, but one that I could still use once I progress, but I also heard good things about the Speedster. Both cost the same, so price is not a factor.

Any input, recommendations, advice? It's my first board and I'm very unsure about which one would be good for me.

Much appreciated!

Cheers, S

[dtc]

If this is your first board, what are you surfing at the moment? And when you say between beginner and intermediate, what does that mean ie to me an advanced beginner means catching unbroken waves and doing a bottom turn and cruising along the face; comfortable in up to shoulder high or higher (it 6ft faces/3ft Hawaiian or Australian measurement), able to catch most waves you go for, rarely fall off in pop up. No major turns or manoeuvres.

I have a Nugget (6ft10); its my 'larger wave' board (ie head highish) and I also use it for low tide because it has more rocker than my general go to board, which is a 7ft4 board more like the Speedster (in fact, quite similar to the Speedster).

I can, just, duck dive the Nugget because of the narrower nose; but I'm pretty heavy (180lb) and I can only get it about 2ft under water - so ok for smallish waves only. I cant duck dive my other board.

The Nugget has an unusual design, very large tail, that some people don't like or aren't convinced by - Geoff McCoy is a bit of an oddball shaper and has his own (very very strongly held!) opinions on surfboard design. You can google for various forum discussions. It seems to be a love or hate relationship for most people.

But I cant say I've noticed too much difference; or maybe the Nugget design suits my style anyway. Its definitely a back foot surfer board, but if (like me) you are coming from a longboard or mid length board, you probably have more of a back foot style anyway because that is what those longer boards require.

The Aloha has the benefit of removable fins (unless you are getting a Nugget with removable fins? The hand shaped ones have glassed in fins) and it looks to have 5 fin boxes; this allows you to play around with fins and go a thruster or quad or even a bonzer if that is of benefit.

I think either board is an excellent choice if you are truly an advanced beginner, as I judge that. The Nugget I think has more nose rocker, so will probably be more suitable for steeper waves (larger beach breaks or low tide/reef) but the Aloha will be easier to paddle, probably catch waves a bit easier and will probably be better in fatter waves (high tide or point waves). The Aloha will be a more stable board.

I am tempted to say the Nugget is probably a higher performance board (as in, easier to do sharp turns etc), or potentially a higher performance board; but I always hesitate to make these kind of statements because the vast majority of surfers (very much including me) don't surf their boards to the maximum anyway. So saying the Nugget is a higher performance board doesn't mean you cant surf both boards to the same level of performance - it just means that once you hit 100% of the Aloha performance (unlikely), perhaps the Nugget has a few more percent.

In short, I think the Aloha will be an easier transition and is the one to get if you want to just go out and start enjoying yourself pretty much straight away. The Nugget may be one that requires a bit more transition effort/time, but its more suited to turning etc. That said, you might prefer the cruisy mid length turns and glide the Aloha provides.

If you are not an advanced beginner, but a bit below that level, no problems; in that case I would definitely go for the Speedster and I would suggest the 7ft4 version rather than the 7ft version. Surf that for 2-3 years.

[waikikikichan]

You didn't explain why you needed a board with more volume. How heavy are you ?

[Samaire]

Thank you very much dtc for your detailed answer, much appreciated!

A bit more info:

If this is your first board, what are you surfing at the moment? And when you say between beginner and intermediate, what does that mean ie to me an advanced beginner means catching unbroken waves and doing a bottom turn and cruising along the face; comfortable in up to shoulder high or higher (it 6ft faces/3ft Hawaiian or Australian measurement), able to catch most waves you go for, rarely fall off in pop up. No major turns or manoeuvres.

That is exactly where I'm currently at. I most recently surfed with a 7'2" Chapstar that I borrowed from a friend. I don't live near an ocean, so my surfing is limited to some 8 or 9 weeks a year (but daily during that time), but I am about to go on a year-long travel & surf trip soon and would like to have my own board for that.

@both: I'm not very heavy (120lbs, female) and don't have as much paddle strength (yet) as I probably should have (and will hopefully get when surfing more often) and I have trouble generating enough speed at times. A bit more volume would hopefully balance that out somewhat - or at least so I was told. Or maybe that wouldn't be the case? I haven't actually seen either the Aloha or the Nugget "live", so I would need to compare it to the most recent one I surfed and see if it makes a difference at all…

I definitely won't have enough strength to duckdive at any rate…

But from what you're saying it sounds like the Aloha might be a very good choice as well, possibly even the better one…!

[drowningbitbybit]

As dtc said, the nugget might be a shorter, wider board than you're average shortboard, but it's still a board that would best suit more experienced riders.
The speedster on the other hand looks like it should be quite forgiving for someone at your stage. The speedster will also give you the best paddle power.

At your experience level and at 120lbs (although you didn't say how tall you are, which makes a difference), I'd look at the 7' version, or maybe even the 6'10. It'll be a wee bit wobbly for a few sessions, but will then have a bit of added manoeuvrability once you're used to it, which will be more use to you as you progress.
Also, if you're travelling, the smaller the board the better!

[waikikikichan]

At 120 lbs. the Nugget will have a too wide tail for you to control. Volume does not equate to speed. If you're small and light, having a big fat rail and tail will make it hard to set your rail. Since you will be traveling, how much is the cost of the Aloha compared to say a NSP 7'2 Fun board or 7'0 Fish. Also a determining factor is the size limit you can bring on the plane. Check to see because there is a big difference for shortboards and longboards. Funboards may or may not make the size limit.

[dtc]

I'll third the above comments - at 120lb I wouldn't get the Nugget. The Speedster looks good, or as waikikichan (-pro) says, a similar fun board or a fish (have a look at the various 7S boards, although there are naturally heaps of 'fish type' boards around)

I will say that if you are going on a year long surfing trip, or at least frequently surfing for a year, after about 6 to 8 months you might find yourself wanting to try a shorter board or one with a 'non funboard' set up (6ft8 egg/hybrid shape maybe). At the time you feel that, don't hesitate in giving it a go. Grab a second hand board or rent a board

Sounds like a great trip - where are you heading?

[Samaire]

Awesome guys, thanks so much for your input, you're really helping me a lot!! Looks like the Nugget is off the table and I'll have a closer look at the Speedster. They actually sell it at a local store here and I will go check it out on the weekend.

Regarding (board) size - I'm not small (5'6"), but due to my current skill level I figured any board below 7' would be too short… Don't want to make the classic mistake of switching to a too small board too soon. Of course the comments on traveling/airline restrictions and carrying the thing around are very valid, I was thinking about that too. I have no problem on long-haul (due to frequent flyer status with an alliance which includes a free bag of sport equipment of my choosing), but local and budget airlines are a different issue… And of course the lighter the better…

Sounds like a great trip - where are you heading?

Various places in Indo (been to Bali and Lombok several times already and will probably start there, but am planning to go to Mentawai, Sumbawa etc. as well), probably Australia and maybe South America too. Not all planned out yet, but that's the general idea

[drowningbitbybit]

Regarding (board) size - I'm not small (5'6"), but due to my current skill level I figured any board below 7' would be too short… Don't want to make the classic mistake of switching to a too small board too soon

At 5'6 and 120lbs with the basics under your belt, you should be fine on a high-volume 6'10, maybe even the 6'8. If it was a skinny shortboard, then no, but there should be plenty of volume in the speedster. You'll wobble about a bit for the first week, but then you should be fine.
My 'transition' board (many years ago now) was a 7'4, but I'm 6' and it was a bit more pointy, and it was a great board to progress with after a learner mini-mal

Of course the comments on traveling/airline restrictions and carrying the thing around are very valid, I was thinking about that too. I have no problem on long-haul (due to frequent flyer status with an alliance which includes a free bag of sport equipment of my choosing), but local and budget airlines are a different issue…

Check this carefully! A lot of airlines won't take longboards anymore and the limit is a ridiculous 6'6

[Samaire]

Really? 6'10" or 8"? Sounds so small But I trust your advice and will definitely have a look at boards that size as well

Check this carefully! A lot of airlines won't take longboards anymore and the limit is a ridiculous 6'6

OK that actually worries me a bit, so I'll make sure the major airlines I would likely be flying with would take the board. At least the few I already checked (AirAsia, SingaAir, Qantas) accept up to 277cm, so some 9', on most flights/aircrafts, but I'll definitely inquire further!!

[drowningbitbybit]

Stand next to one and see how it looks
Obviously, a test ride would be good, but you should be able to get an idea simply by holding one. If it feels ridiculously small, then go bigger. If it feels a little bit small compared to what you're used to, then that's ideal

As for airlines, here's a useful (but nowhere near comprehensive) link...
http://www.surfline.com/travel/boardbag ... m?id=15425

There are various tables around the internet showing the same thing but different airlines, so get googling.
The biggest problem is likely to be budget airlines and spots that are only served by short-haul flights (damn you Jetstar...), but it's just a part of surf trips these days.

[Samaire]

Soooo I went to look at the boards - the volume on the McCoy is just sick - 43l on a 6'3". I could even pretend to be one of the cool, awesome surfers by taking that small board

The NSP is out, too heavy. They also had the Speedster 6'8" and 7". Unfortunately, they didn't have a 6'10", they either don't make it that size at all (it's a distributor through TSA) or I would need to have it specially made and delivered and that would set me back several 100 $$… So it's either the 7' or the 6'8". I gotta say the latter looks so small to me still and I'm very torn on the size… I'm pretty sure I could manage on the 7' after the first few days, but I'm not sure about the shorter one... Maybe as I progress I'll be able to make full use of it?

Damn, decisions decisions

[Samaire]

And thanks a lot for the link btw, sorry, forgot to write that in the previous post