My Second board? From a Longboard to a duck-divable board

[Papa0087]

Hey,

I'm 37 yrs old, 6ft2, 76kg (167lbs)
Have been learning to surf on an 8ft6 longboard for the last year. I'm not overly fit and surf at most once a week.
Where I surf is a beach break and I'm looking to get a smaller board purely so I can duck dive my way outside on those head/overhead days. I understand that in order to duck dive comfortably I should not get a board with volume more than 50% of my weight (38L).
I've never been interested in progressing to shorter boards, however I have had enough of battling to get my longboard outside on the bigger days. What would be the best most stable shape/size board to get as my second board? Would less than 40L leave me unable to catch any waves?

Some boards I've been looking at include:
Torq Mod fish: 6'6. 21. 2(5/8). 39.6L
Torq Mod fish: 6'3. 20(1/2). 2(1/2). 36L
Zephyr: 6'0. 21. 2(13/16). 38.1L
Carbon Jet: 5'10. 20(7/8). 2(1/2). 37.6L
Fountain of youth: 6'0. 21. 2(11/16). 39.6L

Many thanks

[Lebowski]

My opinion is this.

Being able to get out back on most days is about fitness and observation. Fitness is important because you may have to paddle a long way and perhaps turtle roll under several waves before you make it. Observation is even more important because there are certain places where you could spend all day paddling and still not make it if there's an endless onslaught of whitewater. You need to find the easiest route by looking for rips and channels.

Getting a smaller board solely for the purpose of making it easier to get out back is a mistake. First of all, duck diving is exhausting and when you're paddling between waves the board moves much slower and takes more effort to paddle. It is not an easy pass to get out back.
Secondly, assuming you make it out there you're now riding a board with which it is harder to catch waves and harder to keep riding on the waves, meaning your wave count and your time spent riding goes down.

It's a bit like buying a Ferrari because you're struggling to pass your driving test in a VW Beetle.

[Papa0087]

Thanks for the advice Lebowski.
It just seems that on my beach break I get really tired/frustrated from having to deal with the bigger sets and if I was on something that I could duck dive I could spend more time actually catching waves.
Being quite skinny I don't think I'd have too much trouble popping up on a smaller board.
I understand all of the advantages of having a longboard, but is it really the best for progressing at a beach break with overhead sets?

[Big H]

Regardless of the wave size, that is too big a jump in board size....you won't be riding much of anything for awhile if you go that short and low volume so quick. If there is any shortcut in getting out back it's on a longer board together with what Lebo said - paddle speed/fitness/technique, observation and timing....long board will help you to race out back when there is a lull in the sets. You NEED to learn how to get out back with the board you have now; it will serve you well if you do decide to surf shorter boards as you will have learned about finding a way out back other than going right up the throat of the power of the break.

Watching experienced short boarders with superior paddle fitness and ability to read the break have an easier time getting out back than you is probably true........but don't chalk that up to being able to duck dive. It is much more than that and you can learn those things easier on the board you have now.

This coming from a 46 year old who started surfing 3 years ago and learned on a longboard on beach breaks with overhead sets.

[dtc]

There will definitely be an adjustment, and unless your pop up is pretty good you will notice that you fall off an awful lot more or just wobble down the face and mess up the wave. I agree with the others. No point getting a board you can get out the back if you then dont actually surf.

If you can, see if you can borrow a 6'10 hybrid style board around mid 40Ls and give it a go. You might find that, even though you cant duck dive it (or can only duck dive it a foot), just having a slightly smaller board helps you enough

However, if you are determined to go small then the 6'6 fish is probably your best bet

[waikikikichan]

Do you see those guys in tank tops and shorts riding around on 1000cc super bikes ? "Why ?", you'd might ask them. " Cuz, it's way too hot now outside " they'd reply. One thing I learned in MSF ( motorcycle safety foundation riders course ) is ............. Dress for the CRASH not for the RIDE.

In your case though it's a bit opposite........ Choose your board based on the RIDE not the Paddle out.

By the way, why don't you rent a 6'6" ( or even a 7'2" ) just to see if you can even catch waves. Don't even worry about duck diving with those, just see if you can paddle out in the channel, work your way to the break and catch a wave.

[Papa0087]

Thanks folks. I guess I'll go a bit smaller, but not so small that I cannot catch any waves.

Would either of these fit the bill dtc?
Torq Mod Fun 6'8. 21. 2(3/4). 41.8L
Torq Mod Fun 7'2. 21(1/4). 2(3/4). 47.2L

[pmcaero]

you might duck-dive that volume but you won't catch a single wave. You need to be really fit to get a shortboard up to speed.
And at our age, reflexes are also slowing down so your pop-up might not be what's required.
I think a longboard can mitigate bigger days by:

1) faster paddling through impact zone
2)ability to catch wave earlier when it's not that steep

[oldmansurfer]

Sounds like you have good advice already but I just want to make this point. Once you get a board that can duck dive don't go straight out to the break. Paddle through the impact zone on the end of the wave and get outside of the break then paddle out so you aren't in the way of everyone surfing the break all the way out.

[Papa0087]

One another query (just for the convenience of fitting inside my car)...

Would a small but wide & thick board of higher volume (high40's) serve the same purpose as a 6'10 hybrid of similar volume?
I know i would still not be able to duck-dive it, but would it be just as stable as the longer board?

cheers

[dtc]

Thanks folks. I guess I'll go a bit smaller, but not so small that I cannot catch any waves.

Would either of these fit the bill dtc?
Torq Mod Fun 6'8. 21. 2(3/4). 41.8L
Torq Mod Fun 7'2. 21(1/4). 2(3/4). 47.2L

a few people on here have the 7'2 and rate it - they might come along with comments. Its probably not very duckdiveable but its much more surfable

[Namu]

I've had 6'6" x 21" x 2-3/4" hybrid fish and a big guy short board at 7' x 20" x 2-5/8." Both boards are thrusters with a swallow tail, the fish has higher volume. The hybrid fish caught waves easier, but the big guy shortboard was much easier to control and easier to duck dive. Those short high volume boards are not meant for beginners. You would be better off with a longer board than a shorter board if the volume is equal. The shorter the board the harder it is to keep yourself on the sweet spot when paddling or riding the board.

Listen to the good advice above, duckdiving looks like an easy way to get thru waves but it takes time to get good at it and it is very exhausting. On a short board you have to take twice as many paddle strokes to cover the same distance as a longboard. With a longboard you have to wait for a lull between sets, then paddle outside before the next set comes in.

Provided you reach the lineup with overhead waves, would you rather catch those waves early with a longboard, or have to catch the waves when they are steep and critical on a short board? What happens when an outside set rolls through where the waves are 1.5x -2x OH and you are just outside the impact zone for 1x OH waves, but well inside the impact zone for larger waves?

If your fitness isn't great and you are still learning learning the basics, stick with the larger 7'6"+ boards. Or borrow or rent a short board and see how that goes.

[Millsy82]

I'm 35, 6'2" and 90kg and I would say probably above average fitness. I get out surfing as often as I can during the summer probably minimum of 3 times a week but over the last 2 weeks I've missed 1 day but yesterday I went out twice so that makes up for it.

I have just bought a new board that is Alot smaller than my 9'2. It's 6'9 and 48l volume I can do a kind of duck dive but not too effective but that is not why I bought it as I can get my longboard out on very large days. I've also got a 6'10 which is probably around 42l which os the same. If you haven't got the fitness though I think you will struggle as your paddle speed will be Alot lower.

What others have said is true learn to look for the rips, learn to time for the lulls, if you do have a set come through landing on your head just take it and then turtle roll the last 1/2 then paddle like mad.

Also work on your fitness. When it was too big for me to get out I used to paddle out for as long as I could and do as many turtle rolls as I could then just catch whatever in and do the same again and again and again which really improved my fitness now I can get out the back when the waves are too big for me to catch them as my bottle goes (although I am starting to get better). Also work on your paddling as changing my paddling technique put loads of speed on what I already had.