BOARD SELECTION HELP

[windguy]

Hey Riders,

Hope you can help me figure out my next board. I'm really struggling on my own. It seems difficult to figure out a good transition board without having the knowledge to do so. Every board is so different the choices seem endless.

I've been riding for three years on an epoxy noserider shaped log 9-2 x 22.5 x 3.38. The board is heavy but stable. It's been a good platform for learning. My take offs are pretty consistent and I want to start to get more movement in my riding. My biggest complaint is that the board is just plain slow and if I'm on a steeper wave or have drifted into a beach break area the take off gets a little challenging. Plus I'd like a bit shorter board for easier transport. I like the epoxy for its durability. I want a board that will give me a good wave count for small size waves so ease of paddling is important but also more flexibility to improve my riding skills.

I ride mostly a point break wave waist to chest high. I'm 6'-2" (188cm) and 160lbs (73kgs) and somewhat agile. My primary sport is windsurfing and I took up surfing for non windy days and to help improve my wave riding skills.

Is it better to get a higher performance longboard in the 8-0 to 9-0 range or move to a more hybrid funboard shape or one of the boards like the 7S Super Fish that I see a lot of chatter about in some of the forums?

If I were to get something like the 7S, they offer a 7-3 at 53L and an 8-0 at 66.9L. How do I know which board would be the better choice and provide enough floatation and easy of paddling? The weight charts shown for each size board seem geared more for experienced riders and not novices. Moving from a 9-2 to a 7-3 seems like a big jump although some of these funboards are wide and thick offering more float.

Sorry for the long post.
Thanks in advance for the help!

[dtc]

I went through this a little while ago and know exactly where you are coming from - I was on a 9ft1 (not as thick as yours!) and wanted something shorter. I tossed up for a while between a hybrid (the Firewire Addvance), a big 'fish' (the 7S, same as you are looking at) and a 'mini mal' shape.

In the end a well respected shaper moved to just near me and I went and got one of his custom made boards, which is a minimal shape (round nose) with a fairly narrow tail - 7ft4 x 22 1/2 x 2 5/8 (or something like that). Anyway, it was a really good choice because its still a high volume board and stable and an easy paddler (although there is a noticeable difference from the LB). I actually think I could have gone a few inches shorter - you soon dont notice too much the loss of the 2ft length. It also has quite a flat rocker, which is important.

However, because I dont live at the coast I did go for that board in part because it was easier to surf than some of the alternatives. If I lived on the coast and surfed more often, I reckon I would have gone for a hybrid or 7S style fish (which, really, is a hybrid shape with a swallow tail - its almost the same as the Addvance in its outline. Note that I'm just using the Addvance as an example because I was looking at it - there are a fair few other boards of similar style). These hybrids are probably a bit harder to surf than a mini-mal, a bit less stable and you need a bit more paddle fitness, but probably a bit higher performance. Because you are in the water more often, the transition time will be less and you will be able to maintain better paddling fitness (and you are probably younger and less decrepit than me!).

The only caveat I place is that if you are surfing point breaks, then often the minimal/LB shape is actually preferable, because the waves are thicker and the LB shape catches them more easily and eariler, and gives you longer rides - of course, this depends on your actual wave. But for beach breaks, the other shapes may be 'better', although it may not make that much difference.

So, out of all that, I think something around 7ft2 - 7ft6 is perfectly doable if you are comfortable on your LB. The board should be 'high' volume (so wide and thick) and with a fairly flat rocker - dont go too high performance too quickly. You can always get another board in a few years...

Which particular board shape you go for is probably down to your preference, what boards are available to you, how much you want to spend and how often you surf. If you wanted the 7S, its a good choice - definitely the 7ft3 as the 8ft doesnt offer much that you cant get from your LB (particularly at your weight). If you want the easiest transition, then a minimal shape will do that; but some mini-mals are not much performance wise so you will have to understand what you are buying. The Walden boards get good raps, but I havent surfed one (the mega magic at 7ft2 is certainly high volume!). As I said, the Addvance was the other one I was looking at (possibly more expensive) and its also a good choice (or other boards like it).

There you go, longer than your post!

[windguy]

DTC,

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Much appreciated.
Glad you were able to find a nice custom board to fit your needs.

Someone had mentioned the ADDVantage board in another thread so I already had some notes on them. They seem like decent boards from Firewire and are higher volume boards in comparative lengths to the 7S.

7S - 7-3 x 22 x 2 13/16 @ 53L
ADDVangtage - 7-2 x 23 x 3 1/8 @ 61.9L

The 7-6 ADDVantage is attractive because of its shorter length and high volume
7-6 x 23.5 x 3.25" @ 69.6L
Which is similar to the 7S 8-0 8-0 x 23 x3 @ 66.9L
Sure would be nice to be able to try these boards out for a few sessions before buying.

I mostly want one board to do it all. I know that's a tall order.
I would sell my 9-2 long board when I get a smaller replacement.
I'm guessing my long board is 72-76L so I have to decide how much lower I can go yet still be able to pick off lots of waves on smaller days and get that added turning ability. I'll have to start asking other surfers how their swallow tails are working on the local point breaks. Hopefully I'll be able to figure this out before I get too old

Cheers!

[dtc]

At your weight I would probably stick with the 7ft2 Addvance if you were looking at that board; I think the 7ft6 is just too much. Its a bit less volume than your LB but in a much shorter shape, so its much more 'floaty per foot', if that makes sense. You may have already looked, but check out the Firewire forums for some info or specific advice (some may push you to the 6ft10 board, but I think 7ft2 is a big enough jump downwards)

That said, if you are looking at the Addvance or the 7S, you are probably going to be paying about as much as it would cost you to get a custom board anyway. Part of the reason I ended up with a custom is that, in Australia, the custom board (which wasnt the cheapest custom I could get) was the same price as the Addvance and about $100 more than the 7S - and the custom included getting to choose the spray job (which is fun to choose). So don't be afraid of seeing a shaper - seach out one that does mid length boards and not just high performance short boards (look for shapers who have a name making longboards, many of them will make mid length boards as well) - and, anyway, have a chat. The other guys you surf with may have some names for you.

[windguy]

DTC - thanks for the follow up reply.

great suggestion on checking out the Firewire Forum. I haven't seen it yet but will now.
I'm bummed that I missed a demo day that Firewire had last week at a local beach. crap. That would have been exactly what I needed. Hopefully I can catch one in the future.

regarding custom boards, that sounds great and I'm sure there are plenty of shapers in my area, but my preference is towards an epoxy board. I was under the impression that most customs are poly boards, not epoxy. My current epoxy board is really durable. I bet if I stripped off all the wax, which I've never done, this three year old board would look pretty pristine. Most of the poly boards I see at the beach don't seem to hold up very well.

thanks again!

[dtc]

Get the board you are comfortable with - I'm not the person to say 'buy custom/local or else you are destroying puppies' or something similarly tragic. If you can get something suitable off the rack then why wait for a custom from someone you dont know and when you can't see the finished product.

That said, poly boards (and, yes, almost all customs will be poly) can hold up extremely well if well made and well glassed. A lot of shortboards have light glassing to keep the board weight down (maybe a 1x6oz glass or even 1x4oz) - these will have depressions from just standing up and sometimes just from pushing your fingers into them. But they are designed that way, its a trade off to get the feather weight.

However, a well made solid board will have 2x6oz and perhaps another layer across where the rear foot lands in the pop up. My LB, which I bought second hand, was made in the mid 90s and has no foot depressions at all and I doubt I could dent it without using a hammer (and even then I'm not sure). It does weigh a ton, however!

Anyway, good luck with your hunting. I reckon you are going down the right path and have a couple of good options at least. Just bite the bullet and get one, the worst that can happen is you struggle for a little bit.

[windguy]

thanks DTC

you are absolutely right. you can have a custom poly board made to your specs and be very durable. I was thinking the production poly boards are more on the fragile side. I see a lot of polys at the beach and a lot of them look like they've been beat to crap. I think a lot has to do with maintenance and care on an individual basis.

I'll post an update when I make the transition.
thanks for the help!