6' Catch Surf Wave Bandit for Winter / Spring?

[pmcaero]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6 ... PDKIKX0DER


I need something more portable than the 7'9" Bic. Probably will turn better too. It's so cheap! What do you guys think? It has 48L of volume so I'm sure it can catch lots of waves. Any concerns regards quality / durability from Catch Surf owners? I don't need it for life, just a for a few years.

[jaffa1949]

Sadly I think you will go absolutely backwards if you buy this kids toy? Sorry think you are chasing unicorns with this.

[pmcaero]

Sadly I think you will go absolutely backwards if you buy this kids toy? Sorry think you are chasing unicorns with this.

It will get me out the door faster - which means more surfing time. But why do you feel like it will impede my progress? Over here winter means bigger waves - but my fitness is such I feel a shortboard is a waste of time during winter when coupled with the thick wetsuit that impedes my paddling. The better quality foamies are fairly rigid and beyond that I can't see how this is worse than the plastic Bic I use as my daily driver - but which I now cannot store for quick retrieval.

[jaffa1949]

I reality it is learning type surfboard for children, experienced capable surfers with high skill levels might use these boards Ausbeuter boards. Bendy fins, no real effective paddle length.
If youreally want to get out the door fast ,get honest about that and boogie board.
I think you have an odd bent for choosing equipment and what you do in response to advice to continue limiting your surfing.

[waikikikichan]

Probably will turn better too.

There is a difference between TURNING versus PIVOTING.

It has 48L of volume so I'm sure it can catch lots of waves.

And after you catch the wave, then what ? You can't turn and position on the wave correctly your 7'9". How is riding something almost 2 feet shorter going to get you onto the open face ?

I need something more portable than the 7'9" Bic.

Agreed "any" board is better than "no" board. And if it gets you out more, cool. But you tend to throw money at or recommend buying things instead of improving the rider. Sponge boards, especially the ones with rubber fins, take skills to turn properly.

Any concerns regards quality / durability from Catch Surf owners?

Don't you already own a Catch Surf Beater board ?

[waikikikichan]

Any concerns regards quality / durability from Catch Surf owners?

The board you listed is of the Wave Bandit line, which is the budget-friendly lower build quality versus the higher end Odysea models. So your question is a bit misleading to yourself.
The Wave Bandit boards series are marketed to :
"Kid-Friendly Boards To Get Your Grom Shredding!"
"When they designed this, they had a specific type of wave rider in mind.
"One small in stature, on the lightweight side, someone who already has some surfing skills but they want to progress, and they want a stylin’ stick! You may be thinking “GROM” and you’d be right! Yet, you don’t have to be a kid to surf one. You just have to fit the “type” – small and lightweight."

If i were you and needed a small wide fat play around board, I'd get the CBC 5'8" sushi fish. Priced around $110 -$170. Costco had some for awhile next to the 8'0" Wavestorms.

https://www.amazon.com/California-Board ... B0072WME3K

[pmcaero]

The Wave Bandit boards series are marketed to :
"Kid-Friendly Boards To Get Your Grom Shredding!"

Ahh, didn't see that. OK then maybe pay a bit more and get the Odysea Skipper Fish?

[pmcaero]

Don't you already own a Catch Surf Beater board ?

No, my beater is Softtech. A bit more expensive than Catch Surf

[pmcaero]

There is a difference between TURNING versus PIVOTING.

I understand that. Weight shift, body ,arms move etc versus using heel toe for small trimming turns.

And after you catch the wave, then what ? You can't turn and position on the wave correctly your 7'9". How is riding something almost 2 feet shorter going to get you onto the open face ?

I can get to the open face just fine when there is one.

[waikikikichan]

Probably will turn better too.

There is a difference between TURNING versus PIVOTING.

I understand that. Weight shift, body ,arms move etc versus using heel toe for small trimming turns.

I'm not talking about how to turn, but that you think one board will "turn better". Just because a board is "smaller", less volume, more fins, more rocker, has a swallow tail, has a four-leaf clover embedded in the glass, cost more, etc. , doesn't mean it will "turn better".

Ahh, didn't see that. OK then maybe pay a bit more and get the Odysea Skipper Fish?

So $350-$445 from $225 is just a bit more ?

[RinkyDink]

Why don't you watch for a cheap Pumpkin Seed to come along and add it to your quiver? When you feel like trying out a shortboard you'll have one. Or, if you feel like it would be a good day to experiment, you'll have a board to take out. I learn things when I take out my shorter boards. I'm just really loving longboarding right now. I was even looking at a 10 foot board the other day and thinking about buying it. I still plan to take out my 6'4" shortboard one of these days.

https://surfsimply.com/surfboards/pumpkin-seeds/

[saltydog]

If you can step up to $400, I'd go for a NSP fun shape or a fish. Sometimes there are deals online, eBay, or craigslist, new or used. Santa Cruz pumpkin seed that Rinky has brought up seems pretty good as well.

[dtc]

Or our old favourite Torq

A shorter board is not want you want for bigger waves. I guess it depends on what you mean by bigger; but step up boards are actually longer and often thicker and wider than a persons standard board.

[Namu]

Pmcaero, Have you ever tried surfing a high performance longboard? Is your 7’9” Bic the biggest hard board you ever surfed? You might be surprised at how much more fun you can have on a longboard vs a mid length.

I have 6’4” quad fish and a 7’ big guy shortboard that I rarely surf because I always have way more fun surfing my high performance longboard or noserider. I’m sure I can learn something on my shorter boards that will make me a better surfer, but I hate to waste a session struggling on a smaller board vs the joy of getting more waves and longer rides with a long board. I only get to surf once a week now that I have a baby boy, so I prioritize having an enjoyable session rather than trying to progress on a shortboard.

The hardest part about surfing a shortboard is catching the damn wave in the first place. If your fitness level isn’t good, the waves aren’t good, and your positioning and timing are off you won’t even catch a single wave. I regularly surf a spot where I will catch about 5-10 waves per hour on a longboard, without trying that hard. I took the fish out and caught zero waves in 3 hours! I have come to accept that unless the conditions are ideal I will not even bother with the shorter boards.

$225 for a soft top is a waste of money. If you really want a shorter board then get a used hard board for the same price. Try to get something at least 7’ long with a lot of volume.

[jaffa1949]

Realistically, and brutally stated, no board and especially a shorter kids toy is going to help you surf better,
If you believe a board that is easier to get out the door will do it for as you will surf more often, you are being delusional.

You post videos, get positioning stance and wave advice, all of which you ignore, there are better waves ( at times ) than you choose to ride at your beach, go out and begin trying to surf better. We see others in the background riding better waves , howcome in all this time you haven’t gone to that level. The enjoyment of surfing better will encourage you to take good board out your door. Flick the BIC, get a good basic longboard paddle further out catch more waves, listen to the advice given.
Enjoy yourself,. I want you to be a successful advice story.

[RinkyDink]

Pmcaero, Have you ever tried surfing a high performance longboard? Is your 7’9” Bic the biggest hard board you ever surfed? You might be surprised at how much more fun you can have on a longboard vs a mid length.

I have 6’4” quad fish and a 7’ big guy shortboard that I rarely surf because I always have way more fun surfing my high performance longboard or noserider. I’m sure I can learn something on my shorter boards that will make me a better surfer, but I hate to waste a session struggling on a smaller board vs the joy of getting more waves and longer rides with a long board. I only get to surf once a week now that I have a baby boy, so I prioritize having an enjoyable session rather than trying to progress on a shortboard.

The hardest part about surfing a shortboard is catching the damn wave in the first place. If your fitness level isn’t good, the waves aren’t good, and your positioning and timing are off you won’t even catch a single wave. I regularly surf a spot where I will catch about 5-10 waves per hour on a longboard, without trying that hard. I took the fish out and caught zero waves in 3 hours! I have come to accept that unless the conditions are ideal I will not even bother with the shorter boards.

I have the same experience. Every time I take out my shorter boards, I regret not having taken out my longboard. I just don't want to waste a good session working on getting my shortboard skills right when I could be flying down the line on my longboard. I like surfing from the outside rather than on the inside on a shortboard where you're constantly having to get out of the way of the surfers riding through. On a shortboard I sometimes feel like I'm playing on a runway. You don't really get a chance to relax because you have to focus on the traffic rolling through (depending on the conditions).

[saltydog]

A longboard with a decent rocket is totally fine in big-ish waves with the right fins. But I see that used longboards are still fairly pricey in New England. I just found this mid length in Rye area.
https://nh.craigslist.org/spo/d/lightly-used-surfboard-great/6389014608.html
I still think it’s a bit too short for summer days over there..: I know it’s too short for my ankle slapper days, but it should be a lot better than the shortboards, or a waterlogged bic.

[pmcaero]

Right now I am mostly concerned with space and accessibility . I have a 7'4" board that I have stored in an easily accessible location but dunno how long the Gorilla tape on the nose will keep the ding tape under it over the crack... That board is perfect but more Solarez than board by now. Based on feedback here I guess I'll stick with it till it breaks in half, doesn't look like I'll be going out that much this winter anyway ....

[jaffa1949]

[quote="pmcaero"I have a 7'4" board that I have stored in an easily accessible location but dunno how long the Gorilla tape on the nose will keep the ding tape under it over the crack... That board is perfect but more Solarez than board by now. Based on feedback here I guess I'll stick with it till it breaks in half, doesn't look like I'll be going out that much this winter anyway ....[/quote]

That board is perfect, just like the Titanic. Bogged up nose, waterlogged weighted down with lots of solarez, REALLY
Why not give yourself half a chance, get a new board around 7’6” flick the BIC, a standard shaped board with some meat in the thickness, .

You are really a martyr to doing things the hard way, please give yourself the help and support I think you deserve.

[pmcaero]

Why not give yourself half a chance, get a new board around 7’6” flick the BIC, a standard shaped board with some meat in the thickness, .

Almost went to look at one with that exact same length. But with space at a premium as I said, first I have to get rid of the 7'4". But that was in the past.
Now the current situation:
I had room for two midlengths with fins on, now only got room for one midlength with fins on - and the Bic is too big for that space. I need to store the Bic finless for a while. I don't want to waste time putting on and taking fins off every time I go surfing.
It's all due to the water heater in our apt. being replaced with a model with a larger circumference. This leaves too little gap for a board with fins to be taken in and out of the water heater closet.