Surfing Waves

Hey,

Im looking to buy a board for surfing around the baltic sea in Denmark. We get about 20-30 working days a year and its primarily messy windswell and small waves. Still fun though.

Im looking to get a board for just these conditions.

Stats. 172cm tall, 71 kg, probably 75kg in a 6mm suit. above average fitness / strength

I have been surfing very on/off for 8 years, almost all surfs being on 10 day trips about once a year. I am completely comfortable catching waves, riding them frontside and backside and doing basic turns to keep speed on a standard shortboard 5'10. This is however in good clean waves if portugal, morroco, etc.

I usually rent a funboard around 7'2-7'6 sometime foam sometimes not for the waves here, as its the only rental available with our limited surf scene. I have a really good wave count given the conditions on these, but manuevarability is obviously limited.

Im looking at getting a fish / groveler board with lots of volume (35-40L) but unsure about sizing and if this is the right way to go.

I have found limited info on what size these boards should be bought at relative to the surfers size?

Example of boards im looking at

http://comparesurfboards.com/reviews/si ... s-compared

Examples of the waves we get
https://www.facebook.com/hornbaeksurfsh ... spot-hornbæk-rider-christoffer-hartkopp-photo-ripn-snap-year-2017-stoke-100/796497487219367/

https://www.google.com/search?q=surf+ho ... 0373773473

https://www.google.com/search?q=surf+ho ... 0373846039

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1920& ... 0373879702


Any advice is appreciated!

I am not familiar with Baltic waves and what the locals prefer to use. If there are a lot of Fish shapes, go with that. If there's a lot of funshapes, go with that. But since you say you prefer a 5'10" ( for good waves ) and have rented 7'6" for the local windswell small waves, I would go with the tried and true Goldilocks and the Three Bears formula.
5'10" is 70 inches and 7'6" is 90 inches ................... then 6'6" at 80 inches should be juuuuuuussst right.

and stick with a thruster.

If I were in your shoes (which I'm not because you're a far better surfer than I am), I imagine I would take this mindset. The type of waves you ride are probably really sectiony with occasional semi-lengthy clean faces when conditions are right, but often you have a lot of staccato-like breaks in your waves. So I think I would probably look for the ultimate fish board for getting through, around, over . . . various wave sections. The best way to do that, I imagine (I don't pump very well), is to get a board with channels that allow you to really grab the wave in your board pumps. One of the great advantages of a shortboard is that you can transfer energy from your legs, torso, shoulders . . . pretty much most of your body into board speed. That's basically what rail-to-rail surfing is I think. In some ways, you turn your board into a giant paddle that you use your entire body to push through the water where necessary. I think a fish board similar to something like this would probably allow a surfer to pump pretty effectively in wind swell. I'd also watch skimboarders and surfers who play in shorepound (Wedge videos are fun) to see what they're up to.

https://shop.firewiresurfboards.com/products/go-fish

That's my armchair quarterback surfboard advice for the day

Thanks you very much to the both of you for the thorough feedback.

waikikikichan - thanks, it seems you are mostly considering length not volume. what is your reasoning? (i am still learning)

RinkyDink- thanks, I have actually looked into some firewire boards, both the baked potato and potatonator. These are more egg shaped groveler style boards. With both these and the go fish, its very difficult to figure out recommended board size related to surfers stats. What makes sense to you guys?

In the meantime i found a shaper that has shaped a board for the nordic sea where i surf. Im aware a lot of this is conceptual marketing but what do you guys think?

http://www.lisboncrooksandsurfers.com/s ... ds/nordic/

tobiastommerup wrote:waikikikichan - thanks, it seems you are mostly considering length not volume. what is your reasoning? (i am still learning)

Forget about Volume, or at least consider more importantly OTHER factors that go into a board. If the board is a basic tried and true shape, it should have the right volume for what it suppose to be for. If you are a Pro and working with your shaper on a CAD/CAM to get that last bit of whatever, then Volume is a tool. But for the majority of beginners, Volume is not a tool, it is just more confusing. If you are "just learning" forget about volume. Learn how to drive and shift a car or bike competently, before asking how much pounds of boost to use or how much caster, camber, preload and rebound you should set up the suspension at.

The only time you see me write about Volume is when someone claims they can't turn or duckdive a board of such and such volume, and I have to explain it's possible with a guy smaller than them with a bigger board than theirs.

Check here:

https://fatumsurfboards.com/product-cat ... iterranean

Cool guys, very helpful and they build good quality boards.

tobiastommerup wrote:RinkyDink- thanks, I have actually looked into some firewire boards, both the baked potato and potatonator. These are more egg shaped groveler style boards. With both these and the go fish, its very difficult to figure out recommended board size related to surfers stats. What makes sense to you guys?

I threw that board out so you could see the channels on the underside of the board. I only use links to Firewire boards to show things about board design. Actual Firewire boards are too rich for my blood. I'm a cheap Craigslist heathen. To be honest, I don't have any idea on the dimensions that would work for you. I suspect you could figure out the volume of your current high performance surfboard (assuming that amount of volume is working for you) and then look for a fish that has the same volume or more, but sticks it all into a fish design you like. That way at least you know the board is going to float you properly and gives you a volume baseline you're familiar with. Should a fish have more volume than a high performance shortboard? Probably. I don't know how much more volume: a 1/3 more, double? I'm sure an experienced shaper could give you a good idea of what you want Fish volume-wise. Anyway, the Nordic board you linked looks like an awesome board.