Surfing Waves

Looking for advice on a new board.

I'm 6'4" 180 pounds, surfing for 5 years, 50-60 times/year, currently own a 7S superfish 6'8" and have a lot of fun on it, especially this past year. Surf all sorts of conditions but have not surfed anything more than couple feet or so overhead and really have no desire to be out in bigger waves. I'm Looking for something with a bit more performance but still catches waves nice and easy like what I have now. Was thinking of the following boards:

6'6" 7S superfish (same as what I own but shorter)
6'6" Rusty Piranha
6'6" Channel Islands M13

Any comments on these boards would be most appreciated. I think the Rusty is similar in shape but more rocker, and the m13 is narrower and has a pintail. Was also thinking of the 6'8" rusty if it's that means anything.

I'm 42 and with starting this sport so late in life, have no misconceptions about becoming a high performance surfer. Just looking for something that's a little more fun. I'm not able to go vertical or rip cutbacks at this point, but comfortable catching waves, going down the line and changing direction.

Thanks!

I have used all three, the 7s and the rusty will be about the same, the M13 feels a little more slugish but holds better in big surf.

Between the 7S and the Rusty I prefer the rusty, the tail is brought in a little more, more lively than the 7s.

Thanks, good feedback. Yeah I just found out about the M13 at the local shop here, and just like you they suggested against it if I wanted something higher performing in the waves I surf. They did mention the Channel Island Flyer... and recommended a 6'6" or 6'8". I checked this out and it looks pretty good. Squash tail, more rocker than the 7S and comparatively less volume, but still some thickness. If you (or anyone) have any thoughts on this board and size it would be most appreciated.

Cheers,
T.

I have a 6'8 step up and love it, but I don't use it in small waves. The flyer is a great board, but again, with more rocker it is meant for good surfer in good/bigger conditions. I would stick with the rusty, flatter rocker means easier paddling and higher wave count.

But, let me not hog this thread, lets see what others think...

I have had a few flyers, and I love them. They are very high performance in the smaller sizes. I find they work well in small waves as well as med sized surf. They have a fuller tail outline, which helps get the board on top of the water quickly and also helps them to work well in smaller mushy waves. They also go down the line really fast and when you pump them they have another gear (super fast boards). I have noticed that when they get longer they add a lot more thickness to the boards. This could be a good thing if you want more floatation and paddling, but you do lose some of the performance. I would recommend trying one out and see how you do. Hopefully you can borrow or demo one.

Thought I'd follow-up with where my decision went in the end. Firstly thanks for the feedback everyone --- much appreciated --- I tend to over-research these things (my wife thinks so anyway) so I'm always thankful for straight-up good advice like I got here. Having said that, the tough part of getting a new board is being able to try it before buying. Dropping $700+ on a board and not knowing if it's going to work out is a risky move. Following that line of thought then, after having a decent time trying out a demo a couple times, I picked up a 6-6 Rusty Piranha at one of the local shops. There weren't any demos in the other boards I mentioned here (flyer, 6-6 superfish, M-13), but I'm pretty happy with the Rusty at this point. Got the epoxy and run it as a quad with FCS M5s up front and M3s in the back. At this point I've tried it in waist high mush to shoulder-high crumbly wedges to head high dumpers. Here's my quick review:

No surprise that the Rusty is noticeably smaller than the 6-8 I own. This is great for getting out and ease of handling in the line-up (eg. quickly turning and going on a wave). Less volume is the most obvious in the nose, which is great cause I can finally duck dive properly --- something I could never do on my 6-8. Similar to the 6-8 superfish, it paddles well which was pleasant surprise. And while it doesn't catch waves as easily as my 6-8, it's still pretty easy to get into them - probably due to the low entry rocker and volume under the torso. Relative to what I've surfed it definitely turns more easily and feels looser, but also a little skate-like (fine by me). Long and the short of it is that it's a super fun board and I'm a happy owner. Can't wait to get on it in some warm water without neoprene.

Till then cheers to winter waves!

Swimmy Tim wrote: and run it as a quad with FCS M5s up front and M3s in the back.

And while it doesn't catch waves as easily as my 6-8, it's still pretty easy to get into them - probably due to the low entry rocker and volume under the torso. Relative to what I've surfed it definitely turns more easily and feels looser, but also a little skate-like (fine by me).

Glad you liked it, it's a great all purpose board, good choice.

So, do you want a trick to catch waves as easily as your old boardd? Simple, you have M3's (centers?) on the back, I set up my quad with GX centers instead. You get W-A-Y more glide, but you loose a little hold, the smaller size backs reduce drag but the fronts still have plenty of hold. Try it, just remember to put back the M3's in big surf.

Good luck, enjoy the new stick