Surfing Waves

Hello!
I’ve been surfing an incredibly crowded east coast beach break with pretty mediocre waves and am looking into getting a big foam board to up my wave count. I have a 7’6 with a lot of float (it’s a Modern Love Child) and on better days I can perform better with that board but on the choppy small days I am having a very tough time catching waves with it. I wonder if it’s the narrow tail combined with my xxxxx paddling? I am not a terrific paddler which is probably one of my biggest issues and I’m still figuring out where I should be to catch green waves. It seems that when I do catch waves with the 7’6 they are basically breaking right on my head so it’s been a challenge. I have had one good day on it when conditions were clean and easier for me to figure out...

I’ve ridden the 9’ Odysea log (tri fin) and am wondering if anyone has any thoughts? One of my issues with the crowded beach break is that I get very nervous about hitting others or being hit so I’m thinking a foamie will make me feel less stressed in the lineup. I’ve also ridden the 9’ Torq longboard and liked that too but am leaning toward the Odysea bc it has more float and of course is softer. I also think I’m wanting to go more into the longboard route once I get better... might sell this inbetween board to my friend who likes it

Thanks!

What are your concerns with doing what you suggest? My view is that if the board does (or offers the potential to do) what you want, then thats the right board. If you want a big foam board and there are good reasons for it - which you have provided - then go for it. You could probably get the 8ft one if you wanted (still very big and floaty), but no reason not to get the 9ft one

Or are you asking whether the Odysea is the best foam board to get?

Thanks, dtc. Sorry for not being so clear! My main concern is whether or not it is worth the cost ($425). Is the Odysea more expensive just because it is hip and comes in fun colors or is it actually a better foamie than the other options available? From what I can tell, it does seem to be better made but if anyone has ever owned one I would be curious to know how durable they are.

I do want to get something that's 9' so that as I get better I can practice stepping forward/backward on the board. There's also a 9' Wave Bandit foamie that's a bit cheaper but doesn't have the changeable fin system of the Odysea. As a beginner, I don't know if that will really matter much to me though...

And last thing, I was thinking to go with the tri fin but am wondering if the single fin would be better? I honestly don't think that at my level I will be able to tell the difference but is one better for beginners over the other?

Sorry for the meandering post. This is what going shopping with me is like!

I have to say I've not surfed an Odysea; its obvious competitor is the wavestorm (which I havent surfed either). My 'I looked at them on the internet' assessment is that the Odysea is probably a better board, it looks stiffer, probably better fins (are they FCS? I cant tell although dont think so). But its obviously more expensive than a wavestorm, and the wavestorm is by all accounts a pretty good board. Either will likely be fine for your needs, but if you want to have the 'better' board (and I know the feeling!) then the Odysea is a great choice. However I suspect the wavestorm might be good enough for you if you want to give things a trial

If you wanted another choice, softtech boards do come with FCS fin systems, so you have the ability to swap fins around.

As to single fin or 3 fin (thruster) - I'm a thruster guy, or a 2+1 (medium large centre fin plus small side fins - obviously you need to be able to swap fins to do this ie the fin system is not a proprietary system). I do have a long board that now and then I surf and now and then surf as a single fin, but I'll leave it to more experienced longboarders to give their opinion.

Sorry, that hasnt really helped. Odysea is a good board but more expensive, wavestorm is a good board and pretty cheap, Softech (and maybe others) have their benefits.

I currently ride a 7'9" funboard and I feel your pain on gutless days.
My plan is to pick up a Wavestorm for small crowded shitty days, then save up for a performance log.

I have the Torq 9'0" and I'm very happy with it. The Torq was my first surfboard. I learned how to catch waves on it and I still take it to the beach when the waves are small. Or when I go to Malibu on a small day and want a long ride. I imagine I will teach my children how to surf with it and will probably keep it around for a long time. I know it's just a pop-out epoxy but I couldn't be happier with that board. It's price point is great and it's a great all around longboard. I still have the fins that came with it. For a beginner I think the 2+1 setup provides the most stability. To be honest I tried riding it with a single fin and could barely tell the difference. So I don't think fins really matter until you're a much better surfer.

@dtc, from what I've read, the Odysea tri fin is not FCS compatible but this isn't really explicit on their website: https://catchsurf.com/collections/odysea/products/log-90. However, the single fin does say you can swap in any standard longboard fin. I will confirm with my board shop. I'm leaning toward the Odysea over something like the Wavestorm bc I really do want that extra foot to practice walking. I was able to get in a few steps when I used one on the West coast and it felt really nice. And guys, I think the Wavestorm is just hideous. I hate the look of it! I know that's not the way to make a decision about a board but I do like pretty things!

@ratfinsurfer, I rented a Torq 9' when I was in Southern California for a week and I really liked it and had some nice successful days with it. It also seemed pretty indestructible. If I was in California, I think that is what I would be getting right about now. However, I am thinking that the foamie might be best considering the crowds I'll be dealing with plus the 9' Odysea log has a whopping 98 L! The Torq 9' is 72 L I believe. The people who seem to be having the most fun at the break I surf most regularly all have gigantic boards and are catching the waves early so I'm hoping a foamie with this much float is going to help me become one of them with some practice

nooshie wrote:, I think the Wavestorm is just hideous. I hate the look of it! I know that's not the way to make a decision about a board but I do like pretty things!:)

As someone with two custom boards and 2 custom spray jobs - and who has rejected second hand boards just because of the graphics they have used - I'm all for getting a board you think looks good over something ugly.

I feel the Odysea is probably the board you want, and there is nothing (other than maybe the fin system) that I can say against your decision. So go for it. If its a total failure, then you probably can sell it for pretty close to what you paid

The Plank has a longboard fin box. The Log has what appears to be a proprietary Tri-fin box. i.e. not FCS not FCSII and not Futures. If you look at their website their fins have a pretty unique look to them.

Personally I'd buy a wavestorm and a pink Perfect storm single fin to upgrade it for a grand total of $130, but I'm cheap and I enjoy a single fin most of the time. When it's mushy and blown out it's just plain hard to catch and the rides are short no matter what. It's more of the skill than the board that makes a difference.

Thanks, everyone for the input Still waiting to see if my shop can actually get the 9' Odysea... I think I will go with that if they manage to get it in! If not, leaning toward the Torq 9' ... Once I make a decision and take the board out, I'll update!

Update! Got the 9’ Odysea log and I love it! I took it out the past 2 days in 2-3 foot waves and just had a blast! It’s made a huge difference and feels like the board I should be riding until I get the basics down. I’m able to get into waves early now and had some really nice rides along the face too when I caught a few peelers.

The fins are unique to the board but they screw in similar to FCS fins but have a different insert. The fin has one long insert rather than the two. (Hope that makes sense.) They are made out of a nice hard plastic so feel and look much more like “real” fins.

Thanks again for the advice everyone!

Great news. Now you will want to surf all the time instead of, well, almost all the time!

nooshie wrote:Update! Got the 9’ Odysea log and I love it! I took it out the past 2 days in 2-3 foot waves a

let us know how it does this weekend on ankle snappers

I will! One of the days earlier this week when I went out was pretty small. Mostly knee high. It still performed well I’m going out tomorrow but we should have 2-3 foot again and decent wind. The board has definitely increased my desire to surf even more—especially here where the waves and conditions aren’t consistently good. Definitely allows me to make the most of the waves I have access to!