Longboard alternative

[swsurf]

I'm looking for a board to progress to from my waterlogged wavestorm. Longboard style surfing appeals to me but the board would ideally fit in my car. Would like something versatile for UK waves but that I could also take on a trip to Morocco. I’m thinking something like an 8’ mini-mal but I’m worried I’ll regret not buying a longboard..

Me: 6’3, 95 kg, 27 years old. Athletic but only surf a handful of weekends per year so surf fitness is lacking.

Where: Surf North Devon and Cornwall, mostly Saunton and Sennen but other places too. From April-October, try to pick weekends with decent clean waves.

Current level: Happy paddling out back with my wavestorm in knee to chest height, catching green waves left and right, trimming down the line and starting to learn bottom turns.

Preferences: More interested in a laid back, long boarding style over shortboarding. Thinking long cruisy rides over fast turns, I’d like a board which paddles easily and gets in early.

Before my wavestorm I had a 7'2 Surf Series board until a lashing strap broke and it was crushed by a lorry. The wavestorm has upped my wave count considerably and I've progressed much more quickly so in hindsight it might have been a blessing for my surfing.

Cheers!

[waikikikichan]

Current level: Happy paddling out back with my wavestorm in knee to chest height, catching green waves left and right, trimming down the line and starting to learn bottom turns.

Before I give my thoughts on what board(s) I recommend you get, could you first please clarify one thing in the above statement.

Question: How are you trimming down the line left and right without first doing a bottom turn ?

[Geezer]

I’m your same weight. When I was learning I started on a 9’3”x23”x3” longboard. I managed to break my cherry on that and learned to go left and right and do cutbacks both ways. I felt I wanted a smaller board so I could surf more dynamically and git a 7’6” mini mal. I was awful on that and struggled for a few months until I decided to get another 9’ longboard. Once I did my surfing progressed and a year and a half later when I did get a smaller board I was then ready for that challenge.

[oldmansurfer]

I am guessing the 7,2" Surf Series didn't fit in your car? And it limited your ability to ride waves? I seriously doubt you're going to find a board that fits in your car and doesn't limit your ability to ride not to mention you pretty much rule out a longboard which you say is what you want to ride. I guess if you're set on that then get a board with a continuous rocker and has a wide nose and tail and is as wide as you can get your arms around to paddle on. However I think you should just get a longboard and strap it to your car

[swsurf]

Thanks all for the replies!

Current level: Happy paddling out back with my wavestorm in knee to chest height, catching green waves left and right, trimming down the line and starting to learn bottom turns.

Before I give my thoughts on what board(s) I recommend you get, could you first please clarify one thing in the above statement.

Question: How are you trimming down the line left and right without first doing a bottom turn ?

I guess I am botom turning then, oops!

I’m your same weight. When I was learning I started on a 9’3”x23”x3” longboard. I managed to break my cherry on that and learned to go left and right and do cutbacks both ways. I felt I wanted a smaller board so I could surf more dynamically and git a 7’6” mini mal. I was awful on that and struggled for a few months until I decided to get another 9’ longboard. Once I did my surfing progressed and a year and a half later when I did get a smaller board I was then ready for that challenge.

Interesting, do you remember the dimensions of that mini-mal?

I am guessing the 7,2" Surf Series didn't fit in your car? And it limited your ability to ride waves? I seriously doubt you're going to find a board that fits in your car and doesn't limit your ability to ride not to mention you pretty much rule out a longboard which you say is what you want to ride. I guess if you're set on that then get a board with a continuous rocker and has a wide nose and tail and is as wide as you can get your arms around to paddle on. However I think you should just get a longboard and strap it to your car

The 7'2 fit easily, the 8' wavestorm also fits but probably couldn't go much longer than that, maybe a few inches (I'd have to check though). I definitely had a hard time catching and riding waves with the Surf Series, I've progressed since then but don't want to buy another board which leaves me frustrated.

I can use roof bars but prefer having the option of fitting the board in the car, if I want to leave it and not worry about it getting stolen. It seems like the consensus is to get a longboard though!


To streamline the question a little:

• What board would you buy in my position if it had to be 8' or thereabouts?
• What board would you buy if length was no issue?

[waikikikichan]

This NSP Double Up only comes in two sizes. 7'4" and 8'4". Maybe, like you said, a little larger than 8'0" might fit in your car. I know you're a little apprehensive about going too short, but this 7'4" has a volume of 72 liters, which is greater than most 8'0"s.

https://www.nspsurfboards.com/product/t ... double-up/

Walden Mega Magics are well known for their over-volume. They make an 8'0" with 82.2 liters, which rivals some 9'0"s.

https://surftech.com/products/mega-magi ... 3359701244

[Geezer]

The mini mal I had as a second board was pretty standard, 7’6”x21x23/4” I think it was. I’m 92kg so at the time and development stage it was not enough float. I have had a walden mega magic 8’ board same as WKK spoke of. Shape was good, lots of float, fit into waves with a lower swingweight….easier to turn quicker than a longer board. Drawback was that it was really wide and rails very fat which on steeper waves as we often get here, when you woukd turn to set your rail on the wall you’d get spit out like a bumper car hitting the wall. Great for fat wave crusing and would make the smallest waves still viable…..that or similar would be an excellent choice for you at your stage with your limitations I think.

[Lebowski]

Get a longboard. You're a big, heavy guy who only surfs occassionally. Anything less will just lead to frustration.

[swsurf]

Thanks everyone for weighing in.

If I go down the longboard route, what should I look for in terms of board design and dimensions? Interested in specific suggestions too if anyone has any.

[HaoleKook]

Here's my experience: I'm pretty close in weight (88kg) but wanted a board I could fit in my 9'0 storage area, and didn't think I really wanted to surf that long of a board. So I've been trying all kinds of "high volume" boards in the 9'0 range - from off the shelf to complete custom boards.

What I've learned is that there's no replacement for length. If you want to surf 'longboard waves' - or get in waves early and ride them longer, you need enough volume. But if you get that volume from places like width or thickness it will affect the way the board surfs. If I take out a 9'6 or 10' longboard, I can surf like all the other longboarders around me; it's easier (relatively), I can walk around, it holds it's position very well. They just glide really well, something that you sacrifice when going shorter.

I have an 8'6" ~70L board that I thought would be a longboard replacement, but at my stage of surfing I need bigger waves or need to drop in later than I was hoping for. I have no regrets, that's now my sportscar for bigger waves or when I'm back in better shape.

Then I just got a 9'0 ~85L board that I thought would be more like a true longboard, But to get that much volume in 9'0 we had to make it a little thicker and a little wider. So it still doesn't surf like a traditional longboard, it's a bit more skatey, less glidey. Though I'm perfectly happy with that, what I really wanted was a smaller wave board and that's what I got.

The best thing you can do is go to a shaper and get a custom board. If you can afford a new off-the-shelf board, you can afford custom shaped, it's usually only ~$25 more or so, if that. You tell them your size, weight, ability, where you like to surf, and what you want the board to do, and they make exactly that.

Otherwise, the recommendation is to just rent as many boards as you can and find what you like. Everyone has different design features and dimensions they like. Some people like hull shapes like a Walden or a Stewart, some people like longboards that are better for turning and less good at nose riding, some people like pure single fin nose riders, etc. But I guess I'd say start in the 9'6 to 10' range. If you go "too long" you can still ride it, if you go too short you'll hate it.

The other thing, too, is it's easy to get hung up on volume. I did. I saw all the girls and smaller guys on boards sitting on top of the water catching waves super easy, and I read about how float is the best thing for beginners. But then I surfed a board that caught everything despite sitting lower in the water. The reason is that it sat level in the water so it had pretty low drag. Longer boards glide better than shorter boards of equal volume.

Also, check out the book 'Surfing Essentials' it's an easy read but very good, and will help you understand surfboard design features and figure out what kind of shape you might want.