Surfing Waves

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster.

I've been surfing for just over a year, averaging 3 sessions a week in mostly 2-4ft mushy waves (French side of the English channel).

I've got 5 boards, in chronological order :
8'2 epoxy mini mal
7'2 PU mini mal that I bought 2nd hand from a local shaper. Only his 2nd board and pretty rough around the edges but cheap
7' foamie fun board, 3rd hand and repaired with a glue gun by yours truly
6'4 beautiful board made for me by a very talented local shaper
6' catch surf log

I can catch most waves pretty easily with the 8'2 and the foamie. The 7'2 takes a bit more effort and the 6'4 isn't easy but I'm thé type of person who needs a challenge to keep things interesting.

Ideally, I could reduce my quiver to just the 6'4 and the log for storage and transport reasons, with maybe a proper longboard in a year or two when I can afford it.

But the log is driving me nuts. Easy enough to catch waves but as soon as I pop up everything goes to hell. It is feels way faster and less stable than the other boards and has a tendancy to scream down the face of the wave whereas the others are much more chilled and easier to ride down the line.

Granted, I've not been surfing for long but the difference between the 2 foamies, bearing in mind they have the same volume and are only 1' apart is freaking me out.

I was really hoping that the log would be my goto board. Instead I'm wiping out all over the place. That's what you get for watching too many kalani robb videos on Instagram!

What am I missing? Thanks!

Its not '1ft' different to a 7ft, its 15% shorter. ..

It may well just be too much volume in too small a package. I mean, its 57L in a 6ft board. So its sitting on top of the water and skating all over the place, rather than you being able to bury the rail or get some stability (or you just dont push it hard enough to get this). Have you tried bigger fins?

Or maybe you are just a bit too stiff in your knees and body and the board is 'getting away' from you

Thanks dtc.

The fin boxes are specific to catch surf. I don't think they have bigger fins available.

I'm 36 so not as limber as I would like but am working on it!

I'll try pushing harder on the inside rail next time. Wish me luck... I need to get the hang of this board. Thanks again

Catch surf soft logs are just really beater boards, with soft plastic fins, the size is unsuitable for you, as is the thick rails. Losing 15% of the length doesn’t help at all.
You’ve given us your age, but your height and weight need to be factored in.
Theguys that can ride these toy well are able to ride well on anything.
Since the waves are weak, longer boards are appropriate , you can get hard boards with soft tops.
Weak waves condemn your “log” to bigger body board status!

I'm a sucker for slick marketing. 40yo dudes having fun on small waves with fun looking boards, I'm down with that.

36, fairly athletic (rowing and Olympic lifting), rubbish coordination, 5'9 and 161lb.

We get a lot of steep shorebreak surf here, 4sec. and 3-5ft. They just rear up and break immediately. Hence the beater.

I do catch a lot of them but wipe out every 2 out of 3. The third one I just about manage to ride down to the white water but it ain't pretty.

With an explanation, of a shore break, understandable, if you can get to decent down the line break you will see the difference.
But first and most important rule, you are out there doing it!
Enjoy thoroughly

elitr6 wrote: It is feels way faster and less stable than the other boards and has a tendancy to scream down the face of the wave whereas the others are much more chilled and easier to ride down the line.

Now that is a first. If you look back to all past post, most would complain that longboards ( and especially SOFT longboards ) are slow and can't pick up speed, and that shortboards have better get up and go.

Question: is the unstable-ness feeling from the fins feeling like they're not engaged ?

elitr6 wrote:The fin boxes are specific to catch surf. I don't think they have bigger fins available.

You should be able to put FCS twin-tab fins into catch surf fin boxes. But I don't think the fins are the root of the problem.

jaffa1949 wrote:But first and most important rule, you are out there doing it!
Enjoy thoroughly

Thanks dude, appreciate the moral support

waikikikichan wrote:But I don't think the fins are the root of the problem.

Lack of skills a more likely culprit. I'll get there!

Wind has dropped a bit here, 2ft, 4sec forecast for lunchtime. Going to see how I fare with the 8'2 beast

dtc wrote:It may well just be too much volume in too small a package. I mean, its 57L in a 6ft board. So its sitting on top of the water and skating all over the place, rather than you being able to bury the rail or get some stability (or you just dont push it hard enough to get this).

This sounds pretty spot on to me. I had the 6' Catch Surf Log. I'm 5'11" and 185lbs and that board was crazy buoyant for me as well. I also got duped by the amazing Kalani Robb vids! Well I shouldn't say "duped" since I finally got a 5'11" RNF! It's 48L which is still a lot of volume, but not like the log. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around this concept as well, but too much volume can be just as bad as too little. Just as dtc explains, you're sitting "on top" of the water and it's harder for the wave to push you in (when paddling for the wave) and to engage the rails.

I'd be curious to hear others comments on this notion. Because as a kook I did the same thing. Not to say I'm no longer a kook!

elitr6 wrote:

jaffa1949 wrote:But first and most important rule, you are out there doing it!
Enjoy thoroughly

Thanks dude, appreciate the moral support

waikikikichan wrote:But I don't think the fins are the root of the problem.

Lack of skills a more likely culprit. I'll get there!

Wind has dropped a bit here, 2ft, 4sec forecast for lunchtime. Going to see how I fare with the 8'2 beast

There is a mindset you already have, 8’2” BEAST, really helps you get your head around riding a bigger board. start talking positive about what you are doing!
BTW 2ft and 4 seconds - soft and sloppy,

Ratfinksurfer wrote:I'd be curious to hear others comments on this notion. Because as a kook I did the same thing. Not to say I'm no longer a kook!

Did you end up selling the log then?

Great session today. Over 2 hours in the water, caught a lot of green waves and rode a number of them down the line. Didn't try to pump up and down the face but working on it. The surf coach who runs a small surf school and who gave me some lessons last year was impressed, said I've made great progress.

Just got my 6'4 back after a ding repair. Let's just say it's going to be my aspirational board and I'll concentrate on the 8'2 for the rest of summer.

Thanks everyone for the pointers