Short board Advice - I need some independent advice

[Spring2016]

Hi, male, early 40s weighing in at around 97kg/213lbs; I have a few years long boarding under my belt, and a year or so short boarding on a 6'10 Firewire Addvance.

I want to purchase a new board for the Winter (UK). I have done a lot of research and chatted to some shapers and some very helpful people in my local surf shops, but I would some 'independent advice'. A lot of the advice I have had is skewed towards getting a sale out of me.

I enjoy riding my 6'10 Addvance, it is stable (22 5/8 W) , easy to paddle (3 1/16 T) but I cannot take it out in big surf as it is a nightmare to duckdive. I can turtle roll for a while but it is not ideal.

I want to be able to go out in 4-6ft (max) waves (beach breaks) this winter (UK) and have some fun. No 360s, aerials, just carving along some big winter waves and enjoying myself. I only have beach breaks to surf, a lot of which work of known sandbanks that can produce sudden, pitching waves that require almost vertical take offs.


Requirements

Ability to duck dive easily (20 times a session)
Lots of Nose and Tail rocker (Late drop ins and steep take offs)
Width (stability)
Thickness (ease of paddling)
Preference towards Epoxy boards

If I was good at surfing, younger, weighed a lot less and had a lot of time on my hands, it would be easy to recommend a 5'10 x 19 1/4 x 2 3/8, but I am not. I am use to boards around 22. 1/2 to 23 wide (longboard), and 3 or 3 1/16 wide.

So, I need to manage the drop in dimensions. Helpfully, I know my Addvance is around 57 litres. I am looking at a drop to around 45 litres, with dimensions around 6'6 x 22 x 2 3/4.

The boards I have researched are :

Hypto Krypto 6'6 x 21 1/2 x 3 (45.5 Litres)
Pukas 69 6'6 x 21 3/4 x 2 /15/16 (45 Litres)
Firewire Spitfire 6'6 x 21 1/4 x 2 7/8 (45 Litres)
Maluku Fish 6'9 x 22 1/2 x 2 13/16 (45.25 Litres)
CIS Pod Mod 6'6 x 22 1/4 x 2 13/16 (45.5 Litres)

Could you add any boards to list? Which board would you choose? Any other advice?

Many thanks

[drowningbitbybit]

If you're looking at boards that are 22"+ wide and around 6'6 long, then the off-the-rack boards are going to be quite fishy and have a low rocker, which aren't going to be suitable for jacking beach breaks.
The Pod, for example, is a brilliant board for fat 3ft days, but hopeless (for an average surfer at least) on steep fast waves. Also, if duckdiving is a concern, then a pointy nosed board is a lot easier to duck that a wide-nosed board even if they have the same volume.

I'd recommend something that was a similar length to your current board, but a touch narrower and thinner- down to 21" and 3" if you think you can handle it. Search "bigboy" or "fatboy" shortboard and see what's out there.

But, as you're asking for something quite specific, I'd be getting a custom board shaped. Compared to some of those top-end off-the-rack boards you've listed, a custom won't cost a great deal (if any) more, and then you can get a board that's perfect for you and your waves

[dtc]

Keep in mind that you are after a duck diveable board but...you are also trying to have something wide and thick and easy to paddle. So two incompatible requirements with two different outcomes in terms of board design. The first requires low volume, the second higher volume. Then add your wish for more rocker (harder to paddle) and I dont think you are going to get anything which satisfies all of your requirements.

The ideal is the board with the volume you can just duck dive to the depth you wish - so it maximises paddling ability while still allowing duck diving. Having said that, the Addvance has a heap of volume so anything 40-45L will have a very noticeable difference.

I dont know what volume that is - 45L might still be too much, particularly if you dont have existing duck diving skills (the bigger the board the harder to duck dive - hence the more skill you need - which you cant develop by trying to duck dive a big board...). At your weight you probably can duck dive 45L but if at all possible see if you can demo a board of that size and figure out if its feasible or not.

If you find it hard to get under, then you will have to drop a bit.

I agree with DBB that you can probably go narrower - 21 inches isnt too bad in terms of stability. You may also be able to go thinner and just accept its going to be harder to paddle. At the end of the day you need to chose between getting tired going out through the white water or getting tired paddling out back. Maybe it just means shorter sessions, but that still better than not being able to get out back.

Finally, keep in mind that you are talking about boards for bigger days. As such, the small wave boards (like many of the ones you have listed) are not necessary - the wave will give you the power. So you could look at something like the DHD Monster or even a 7S superfish (or a mccoy nugget if you wanted something a bit different - although personally I'm not a fan in big waves)

That probably didnt really help or add anything to DBBs post above; however it is a tricky requirement

[Tudeo]

You could also consider a smaller Addvance like the 6'6" @48l. As you know it doesn't have a lot of rocker but it has a nice nose flip and a relatively narrow tail to handle the bigger waves.
It would be a drop of 9 liters in volume it could be the, just duckdivable, board dtc is talking about.
Then you could work on your technique for handling steeper drops with a low rockered board.

[Big H]

This was listed today in the local buy and sell:
SURFBOARD 6.8 / 21 / 2(7/8) (40 litres)

If you went a little longer and a little thicker you're right there in terms of your volume target.....personally if you want to ride waves like what you are talking about, this would probably be really good for you and your size as is @ 40L. The shape is going to handle the conditions you are looking at better than the boards you listed and while there is more rocker, the design is foam forward under the chest so paddling will be about as easy as you can get on a board of that kind of design.

[Spring2016]

Thank you for all the replies. Good advice from all. There is a local shaper that produces the Fat Boy Flyer local to me:

http://www.beachbeatsurfboards.co.uk/su ... boy-flyer/

So cheers Drowningbitbybit, I will look into that.

DTC : "two incompatible requirements with two different outcomes in terms of board design" . I know, I want that magic board. Unfortunately, you're right: a board that is easy to paddle with, will be a nightmare to duck dive. I will have to start getting use to narrower boards so I a step down to 21/21.5 will have to happen soon. I will look up 7S superfish , I see quite a few being sold on ebay and facebook.

Tuedo, thanks for the advice. I did consider a shorter Addvance, but decided my limit should be 48 litres and that addvance just goes over this.

Big H. Thanks for the link and photo. I was led to believe that I needed a board around 6'6 and 45 litres or below to be able to duck dive it efficiently. What I am gathering is that I could get a 7'2 board that is say 20' wide and 43 litres, that would be easier to duck dive than the 6'6 above.

It is confusing. Last year I went to my local shaper for advice and got two boards that did not work out. One snapped in half and the other was not really what I asked for and a nightmare to surf. This year I went to my local surf shops who advised me to get the boards listed in my original post. Each local surf shop trying to persuade me to go with whichever brands their shop was the dealer for (Firewire.Pukas etc). Finally, and I do appreciate your advice, the members here have suggested boards and shapes I had not considered, but your reasoning does make a lot of sense.

I would like to pick up a few second hand boards so I could get a feel but not many come onto the market at a reasonable price and they don't come on that often. That is why I am preparing to bite the bullet and by new, just so I can get a board. I was in a similar position last year, and by the time my board was chosen, ordered and delivered it was nearly the end of summer.

My plan is to order the board this week. I will start looking at the boards you guys suggested. Appreciate the advice, and do jump in if you have any more advice.

[drowningbitbybit]

There is a local shaper that produces the Fat Boy Flyer local to me:
http://www.beachbeatsurfboards.co.uk/su ... boy-flyer/

Back in the days that I used to surf in the UK, my first real custom was a 7'4 fatboy flyer similar to that - must've come in at over 50 L, but was a cracking board for UK beach breaks.
I like the look of that board in the link. Maybe you'd want to go a touch wider to 21" and thicker to the best part of 3" and then you'd be at about 45 L for a 6'8, which would be perfect...

... and duckdiveable!

[waikikikichan]

It is confusing. Last year I went to my local shaper for advice and got two boards that did not work out. One snapped in half and the other was not really what I asked for and a nightmare to surf.

That is why I am preparing to bite the bullet and by new, just so I can get a board. I was in a similar position last year, and by the time my board was chosen, ordered and delivered it was nearly the end of summer.

My plan is to order the board this week.

That's why I recommend you buy off the rack a already finished board. You can feel the rails and the heft. ( plus it is already well cured ) It is very rare that a custom board comes out exactly how you envisioned. Plus that "3-4 week turnaround", is usually much longer in the busy summer months ( or if there's surf ). I usually figure 2-3 months for a custom board.

Here's a NSP 6'6" x 21 1/2" x 3" 51.9L Hybrid that fits your needs that is strong and at a fair price. If that's too big, the 6'4" which I own, has 43.5L and I'm 5'2" 120lbs. and can duck dive that easily.

[Spring2016]

Thanks waikikikichan. I will check that out in the morning. My experience of shapers has been pretty poor. At least if I get a branded board this time it will have a decent second hand value, or trade value.

Although my last locally shaped board was done by a local hero shaper, its second hand value outside of my local break was pretty much 0.

[oldenglish]

Just get the 6'6 advance. I weigh 170-185 and could dive it fine. It should get you in early enough that you don't have to worry about super steep drops. Never really had issues pearling on mine. If your asking questions about boards like this and not ready for rockered out short boards, then I doubt your surfing waves that require excessive rocker as well.

[Big H]

Or excessive duck diving for that matter.