girl's first "real" shortboard...

[midnatt]

Hi everyone

I've always been on the save side with my boards, scared of going too small too fast. But I feel a growing unsatisfaction when it comes to maneuvers. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure whether it's a lack of knowledge/skill or if the board makes it harder to progress.

I've been surfing for four years, BUT I'm landlocked quite a bit, so it might be comparable to two years, maximum. On the other hand, I've spent quite some time with nearly perfect waves and I got some great coaching.

I rarely miss take offs any more, I work on my carving turns / cutbacks on a regular basis. A girls thing, I guess, is, that I get scared once it gets seriously overhead or messy/unpredictable. I'm pretty okay with paddling strength, I keep swimming or paddling the lake as long as I'm landlocked. So overall I'd say I'm intermediate, but this is an extremely broad term.

I'm 170cm/57kg or 5'7"/125lbs. My current board is 6'4" with 34l of volume, shortboard kind of shape. And it's HARD to turn this thing quickly. It's got so much float, that I don't really get the pressure on my back foot. I know it's possible, if I shuffle a great deal (about 1ft) back+forth on my board. I know, this would be a good habit. Yet it's so hard to learn. I imagine it would be easier on a smaller board.

I'm thinking about 5'10" and 25 to 27l after testing a few boards (yet none of them with those measurements). But still not sure about rocker, concave and tail shape, to be honest. How should I figure this out? And... is there a kind of board at all, that may surf nicely in beatiful Indo reef waves as well as Costa Rican and European beach breaks? I've already got options for really small/mushy waves, but everything "medium" to "pretty big" would need to be covered... And, just to say it, I'm sorry, I don't like fish

Thanks for any ideas that come to mind

[oldmansurfer]

Those who surf really shortboards say that is a big difference. I don't know because I am surfing a 7'6" board and I don't have trouble turning it. I guess boards depend on your skill and the waves you are riding. One way to approach this is to use a shaper to create a board specific for you. I think a rounded pintail thruster with a single concave and some rocker should be a good all around board but you could ask the shaper. I am currently surfing a board with very little rocker and it seems a great all around board for waves less than double overhead but rocker allows your board to conform to a curving wave so theoretically it will help on steep drops but maybe that depends on your skill taking a steep drop. I have no problems with my rockerless board. There are others here that will probably have more useful things to say. sorry I know not much help

[waikikikichan]

I'm sorry, I don't like fish.

Could you clarify ? You don't like eating fish or don't like to surf on a Fish shape ( twin fin deep swallow tail ) surfboard ?

Because if you don't like Fish surfboards, then that means you can't surf rail to rail. Fishes like to be on rail all the time, they're not very going riding flat. You're going to have to put your back foot weight over the fin(s). Getting a shorter board to lessen the amount you have to scoot back is NOT the answer. Do you have a tail pad on your 6'4" ?

[midnatt]

@oldmansurfer: I already have contacted my shaper, but unfortunately he's absent for a while and I really like to collect a few opinions to make up my own mind. So thank you for yours!
I've surfed my present "big" shortboard with medium rocker and I feel pretty okay with it. The steep drops are fine with it, whereas they definitely start to feel incomfortable with my boyfriends fish.

@wakikichan: lol, sorry, fish shape ^^ specifically this fish in 5'9", my boyfriends board. It's more kind of a personal preference, I guess... I'm able to surf it, but a) I don't like too much how it feels in steep waves compared to my "shortboard" (this one in 6'4"). b) And I don't like to do cutbacks very much. It's really hard to specify. It feels like i don't have enough weight to get enough pressure on my backfoot and get the board moving around quickly. It's actually easier with my longer board - i suppose it's got to do with its narrower tail and my weight (?). (Because, interestingly, I can carve the fish backhand a lot better if I shuffle my frontfoot off the stringer...)

I do have a tailpad on my 6'4" and I do try to get my foot over the fins (how else should I carve fast turns?). It just seems a long way to walk back. If I only put my back foot further back, I'll end up with very widely spread feet. The fact that the board has a wide forward half probably adds to the problem, because the sweet spot of the front foot to make speed is pretty far forward.

[oldmansurfer]

I think less rocker adds more speed which makes up for the shorter length. A longer board has more glide but so does a flatter board with less rocker. Anyway if you have a shaper then definitely need to talk to him/her and perhaps let them decide what you should get.

[Lebowski]

At your weight you could probably go a bit smaller, but don't go to 25L from 34L. That's a big drop.

However, you should be able to turn well on your current board, and some of the things you say make me think that the problem is your skill level rather than the board.

You say you don't like to cutback. A surfer that doesn't cutback is a poor surfer (unless you're only surfing very fast, down the line waves). Perhaps the problem is that you are trying to carve on a section of the wave that is too flat, and you don't have enough speed.

[midnatt]

Misunderstanding... I love to cutback, just on my boyfriends rather extreme fish shape not so much compared to my board.

On my board it feels kind of clumsy if i don't walk back fast enough

Still waiting for the shaper...

[drowningbitbybit]

specifically this fish in 5'9", my boyfriends board. It's more kind of a personal preference, I guess... I'm able to surf it, but a) I don't like too much how it feels in steep waves compared to my "shortboard"

That's quite a fishy fish!
A 'proper' fish like that will feel horrible on steep waves, and will need to be worked on the rails once it's on the wave to keep it moving on smaller stuff. However, there's a wide range between a proper fish and a proper shortboard, and something 'a bit fishy' can work well in the right conditions, so don't necessarily write off all "fishes".

However, reading between the lines, you want a board that's loose on the flats but has solid hold on the steeper sections, and also you want a board that's short enough that once your feet are in position, that's where they stay (more or less, anyway).

That's how I surf

I'm 6' and 85kg, and my go-to board is 6'2 x 20 1/2 x 2 3/4, about 32 L, with the volume under the chest and a fairly narrow swallow tail (NOT a fish tail), a medium rocker, and fairly standard rails. Oh, and it's a thruster.
Loosely based on the Al Merrick Pod, but a bit more pointy, it works on small to medium/large stuff and is surprisingly forgiving.

If you were to scale that down to around the 6' and 30 L mark, you might be onto a winner.

Due to a shoulder injury, I currently need a bit more volume than 32 L, and so I'm about to get a fleshed-out volume of the same board made because I love it so much (...but that's another thread...)

[midnatt]

Thanks, this sounds interesting.

Yeah, it's true, the tail of that fish board is incredibly wide (boyfriend's shape is even somewhat wider than the one in the link...) and I actually really should give the "normal" swallow tails a try, you're right.

And I think you got it right as well with what I'd like to surf with the board - that's about what I'm looking for. I tend to share too much details and thoughts and kind of fog it all up

But... If I would surf 6'/30l, this is still a lot of volume compared to my weight (and size) - that's what I think/fear... "Fear" because it's still quite some money to invest into a new board and I'd therefore love to go to the upper end of the scale of what's possible for me. I mean, I still have my present board as a backup. And: Last year, I did a drop from 46 to 34 litres and it wasn't a problem at all. So why not going down another 9l? It's so much more about taking off in the critical part of the wave... (And paddle strength of course!) - but to be honest, I'm (obviously) not entirely sure about this.

I'd definitely like to have a somewhat wider forward half and not too much rocker.

[drowningbitbybit]

If I would surf 6'/30l, this is still a lot of volume compared to my weight (and size) - that's what I think/fear...
I'd therefore love to go to the upper end of the scale of what's possible for me.... 46 to 34 litres and it wasn't a problem at all. So why not going down another 9l?

30 L for someone your size isn't a huge amount, particularly not for someone who isn't surfing daily.

The difference between a 46 L board and a 34 L board is a big jump... but its still going from a high-volume board to a fairly high-volume board... going from 34 L to 25 L is a whole different ballgame

I think you'd be making a classic rookie error - the classic rookie error, in fact - by dropping too much to 25 L. From what you've described, the level you're at doesn't require a super-skinny board. You'd be better off with something a bit more forgiving. You could likely get away with 28 L, but the goal isn't to ride the smallest volume board!

[dtc]

Maybe a bit left field, but what about a 5'6 or 5'7 hypto krypto? Gives you something short, which you want, still fairly wide up front, flatter rocker and still around 30l. I know a few guys who have gone from surfing 6'2 or so short boards to 5'8 or 5'10 Hyptos and reckon it's great.

[midnatt]

Thanks a lot for your help! I haven't done the error yet

I'd actually been thinking about around 27 to 29l by myself, originally. Then the Australian coach I'd had during the last few weeks in Indo (and I consider him to be a great coach) said I should go for this one at 5'10" ( )

And there's all those volume calculators, who tell me that I need around 20 to 23l as an intermediate with this weight. Advanced would be below 20. ( again)

Thirdly, I've surfed a 30l firewire board with ease.

So this is why I have come to the conclusion, 25l is actually on the safe/conservative side after all. NOT to say that this is necessarily a good idea.

I'm starting to think I should try a few boards before I buy a new one. I had hoped the problem would be solvable by thinking and discussing, to have the board ready for my next surftrip, but I'll return to Portugal where the shaper works in fall anyway. Argh, I'm NOT a patient person

[midnatt]

oh, funny - at first sight, the hypto krypto looks a lot like my current shape. which might be an option, too, just a couple of inches smaller...

http://fatumsurfboards.com/product/boards/super-six/

[midnatt]

I'll have a phone call with the shaper today or tomorrow. He said he's got a pretty clear idea in mind, I'm curious. I'll keep you updated if you'd like to?

[Lebowski]

The boards you're being recommended are female pro surfer kinds of sizes and volumes. Steph Gilmore rides around 24L I believe (although she is taller and heavier than you), and some of the lighter women a little less.

We don't know how well you surf, so it's up to you how small you want to go. I would recommend caution though if you've only been surfing for 2 years. It sounds to me like you're trying to go too small too soon.

[dtc]

For sure tell us what the shaper says - will good to hear what someone who actually knows what he is talking about says

[midnatt]

@Lebowski, no they aren't for pros, there's an intermediate factor included in those 25l-recommendations (actually low intermediate/"seasoned surfer") and Steph Gilmore's got around 10kg more than I have. Just saying - not necessarily meaning I absolutely have to have a really small board - at least I hope I've made this clear enough...

Still impatiently waiting for the shaper to call

[IB_Surfer]

Do what my girlfriend did, make up your mind what size more-or-less you want, then go out and buy one that you think it's cute. Yep, and she loves it. No, not making fun, hers is pink, and regardless of the fact that there where better choices she loves her pinky

[midnatt]

LOL I'm definitely not that type. Especially not pink. But hehe, nice story still, love it

Anyway, the shaper called!! And it's acutally kind of funny, because after listening to me (and considering I've bought boards from him since I've started surfing), he ended up suggesting me what my intuition told me from the beginning - it's going to be this board at 5'10" with 28l. We both think it's quite a step and somewhat a challenge - but definitely manageable. And I'll always have my present board to go back to if conditions aren't too good.

I'll get to surf it in July in Costa Rica - looking forward to it soo much

[dtc]

I'm 6' and 85kg, and my go-to board is 6'2 x 20 1/2 x 2 3/4, about 32 L, with the volume under the chest and a fairly narrow swallow tail (NOT a fish tail), a medium rocker, and fairly standard rails. Oh, and it's a thruster.
Loosely based on the Al Merrick Pod, but a bit more pointy, it works on small to medium/large stuff and is surprisingly forgiving.

If you were to scale that down to around the 6' and 30 L mark, you might be onto a winner.

Anyway, the shaper called!! ..., he ended up suggesting me what my intuition told me from the beginning - it's going to be this board at 5'10" with 28l.

'this board' being 5'10" x 18.50" x 2.25" (although I assume slightly tweaked from that to get the extra litres over the stock board) with mid rocker and mid rails and 14.5" tail

DBB should be a shaper adviser