Surfing Waves

Surfing for about 7 months now, have insanely progressed the last 3 months on a 8'6 board. Have been going 4 times a week and a 3 weeks surf camp. Can go down the line and starting to do small turns.

i will keep surfing 8'6 for at least a few months to completely perfect everything before I buy a new board. I have been looking at some smaller boards however. Ive rented hardboards, but didnt enjoy the experience of a 9' longboard as much as I enjoyed a high volume 7'8 minimal when renting. We have mostly choppy windswell 3-5ft with maximum period 8 seconds in the North Sea (Netherlands) so I need volume.

Board 1; 7'6'' - 23 1/2'' - 3 3/4'' - 79 ltr: https://shop.surfindustries.com/us/wp-c ... agic-2.jpg

Board 2: 7'4" - 22" - 3 3/4'' - 72 ltr: https://shop.surfindustries.com/us/wp-c ... ide-x2.jpg

Board 2 looks way more like a longboard/egg and more manoeuvrability due to less width but board 1 has more volume. At which one of these 2 should I be looking? Any big differences or are they almost similar?
Would appreciate any advice!

ps: i am not planning on doing away with the 8'6 board, the smaller board is something new to start experimenting/discovering smaller boards that still have enough float/width/thickness.

Raysn29 wrote:Surfing for about 7 months now, have insanely progressed the last 3 months on a 8'6 board. Have been going 4 times a week and a 3 weeks surf camp. Can go down the line and starting to do small turns.

i will keep surfing 8'6 for at least a few months to completely perfect everything before I buy a new board. I have been looking at some smaller boards however. Ive rented hardboards, but didnt enjoy the experience of a 9' longboard as much as I enjoyed a high volume 7'8 minimal when renting. We have mostly choppy windswell 3-5ft with maximum period 8 seconds in the North Sea (Netherlands) so I need volume.

Contrary to the dogma that dominates this forum, I think you got the right idea, especially since you've already tested the board out in the surf you want to use it in. Trust your own judgment when things feel right to you. If I were surfing in the North Sea and dealing with lots of windswell, I'd go for more volume as well as a shorter board length. Although I've never surfed there, I suspect a longboard might be too cumbersome in short period, peaky, choppy surf. I don't want to give you advice on particular boards because I don't have enough experience in those kinds of conditions or boards. Good luck.

RinkyDink wrote:

Raysn29 wrote:Surfing for about 7 months now, have insanely progressed the last 3 months on a 8'6 board. Have been going 4 times a week and a 3 weeks surf camp. Can go down the line and starting to do small turns.

i will keep surfing 8'6 for at least a few months to completely perfect everything before I buy a new board. I have been looking at some smaller boards however. Ive rented hardboards, but didnt enjoy the experience of a 9' longboard as much as I enjoyed a high volume 7'8 minimal when renting. We have mostly choppy windswell 3-5ft with maximum period 8 seconds in the North Sea (Netherlands) so I need volume.

Contrary to the dogma that dominates this forum, I think you got the right idea, especially since you've already tested the board out in the surf you want to use it in. Trust your own judgment when things feel right to you. If I were surfing in the North Sea and dealing with lots of windswell, I'd go for more volume as well as a shorter board length. Although I've never surfed there, I suspect a longboard might be too cumbersome in short period, peaky, choppy surf. I don't want to give you advice on particular boards because I don't have enough experience in those kinds of conditions or boards. Good luck.

waves start at 1:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YrbVm_ ... gs=pl%2Cwn

The conditions are 50% of the time like this or steeper/messier, the other 50% very soft mushy waves good for longboarding. My reasoning was with a 7'4 shape and volume like that, i would be able to surf and practice in both conditions, and if the waves are really soft I can take out the 8'6. My medium to long turn goal is to make smooth carves just wide enough for those waves. Good idea overall?

Also the 7'4 is duckdivable when using the duck dive slice

RinkyDink wrote:Contrary to the dogma that dominates this forum, I think you got the right idea, especially since you've already tested the board out in the surf you want to use it in. T

I dont think anyone says anything against going from an 8'6 to a 7'4. Its when people want to start on a 6'4 or go 8'6 to 6'6 that comments are made

I would go with the walden, the curved outline actually helps to make it more manoeuvrable than the double wide. Sure its wider so not perfect, but on the waves in that video going rail to rail on a wide board wont be too hard, because the waves are fairly flat and mushy. the narrower nose will make paddling through the chop much much easier than a rounded nose.

Another option is the torq chanco - lower volume but I think you will be fine, the video waves arent tiny tiny; I've surfed waves like that fine on my shorter boards (6'10) and they are easy to catch. You just have to work a little harder on the face to keep the speed up

https://www.torq-surfboards.com/chancho.html

Alternatively, boards with big tails work really well in weaker waves. The fat/big tail lets the waves give a big push and good drive, but you have a relatively smaller nose to allow easier turning. The firewire dominator, for example, could be an option. Or a mccoy nugget type board

I really like the usefulness of the Walden, and dtc's other suggestion are good.

Just so you know none of the people who advise have a dogma on boards just a knowledge of what works in what conditions and is balanced by the enquirer's ability.
They often read back through the threads and some like Oldie have surfed where the enquirer surfs, so home based recommendations.

The old hands also get to read the complaints of how various boards have failed to meet expectations or limits to their performance.

Finally it comes down to one thing, getting the board you might be right under your feet on your wave, there is where reality lies, not in any sales pitch.

dtc wrote:

RinkyDink wrote:Contrary to the dogma that dominates this forum, I think you got the right idea, especially since you've already tested the board out in the surf you want to use it in. T

I dont think anyone says anything against going from an 8'6 to a 7'4. Its when people want to start on a 6'4 or go 8'6 to 6'6 that comments are made

I would go with the walden, the curved outline actually helps to make it more manoeuvrable than the double wide. Sure its wider so not perfect, but on the waves in that video going rail to rail on a wide board wont be too hard, because the waves are fairly flat and mushy. the narrower nose will make paddling through the chop much much easier than a rounded nose.

Another option is the torq chanco - lower volume but I think you will be fine, the video waves arent tiny tiny; I've surfed waves like that fine on my shorter boards (6'10) and they are easy to catch. You just have to work a little harder on the face to keep the speed up

https://www.torq-surfboards.com/chancho.html

Alternatively, boards with big tails work really well in weaker waves. The fat/big tail lets the waves give a big push and good drive, but you have a relatively smaller nose to allow easier turning. The firewire dominator, for example, could be an option. Or a mccoy nugget type board

thanks for the advice, would the 7'6 89 liter have somewhat of a glide, or would i be needing to make a lot of manoeuvres to gain speed you think? thats my only worry with the walden, it not having glide like the other longboard shaped 7'4 has.

The walden comes in 2 options,

6'10'' 23 1/2'' 3 1/2'' 60.8 ltr
and
7'6'' 23 1/2'' 3 3/4'' 79 ltr

should i go for the 7'6 if I want to progress my learning curve faster and have some glide too/ some manoeuvres or would the 6'10 60 liter also suffice?

Dont get too messed up the 7'6" would be better, glide comes with length and curve, you are thinking in one dimension , perhaps two ( volume) things to consider, the board does not turn. Nor does it glide, these are things that you do, like using the gears in a car and steering .
The 7'6" will do everything you are currently capable of and what you will learn to do on it well into your future!
It is a board you can progress well on and take to better surfs. It is slightly wider but the profile of the shape is in my opinion a better board!
Just so I can answer more clearly , what do you think glide is and what gives a board glide?
Cheers for anyone learning in the North Sea

jaffa1949 wrote:Dont get too messed up the 7'6" would be better, glide comes with length and curve, you are thinking in one dimension , perhaps two ( volume) things to consider, the board does not turn. Nor does it glide, these are things that you do, like using the gears in a car and steering .
The 7'6" will do everything you are currently capable of and what you will learn to do on it well into your future!
It is a board you can progress well on and take to better surfs. It is slightly wider but the profile of the shape is in my opinion a better board!
Just so I can answer more clearly , what do you think glide is and what gives a board glide?
Cheers for anyone learning in the North Sea

Awesome!
I was doubting if the 7'6 mini magic would be worth the extra @200 over the modern 7'4 mini longboard, but by your estimate it is worth it to fork out the extra cash right?

I see glide as being propelled forward, going with the speed of the wave without having to do extra manoeuvres like pumping/carving to gain speed, even on smaller waves. For a lack of better words, ride the wave to the beach. Is that what glide is?

One more quick question, I see can choose between two different volumes for the mini magic
74 liter or 79 liter

Any reason I would need to choose one over the other?

Great now I know I can answer what believe will help!.
Glide in my world = trim, in any longer board there is a sweet spot forward on the board where when you are going across the face, the board speed matches or only slightly exceeds wave breaking speed.
Minor adjustments to height on the wave face and moving forward and back on a longer board ( the Walden qualifies) acts as accelerator and brake respectively.
Small turns also act as speed enhancer and cutbacks can be used to spill speed and put you back to trim speed if you get out to far on the shoulder.
For choppy North Sea type surf moving back and forward and swinging the board in turns will become a vital and necessary skill, when you get onto good waves you will be surprised how fluid your skills will be!

Did I miss the part where you mentioned how much you weigh? It's a common mistake to over-volume boards (been there!). Volume doesn't necessarily translate to more glide or an easier time catching waves. On the contrary, it can even hinder your ability to catch waves. Think of an inflatable raft with LOTS of volume: it'll sit high in the water as the wind blows you around the surface and the waves roll under you, passing you by.

For example, I had 6'6" simmons that had about as much volume as my 8'0" performance longboard. The longboard had much more glide and caught waves a lot easier. By comparison, my 5'7" fish/groveller with at least 15L less volume also caught waves easier than the big simmons with more volume.

Volume calculators are notoriously problematic for all sorts of reasons. The GSI volume calculator, for example, shows me really high-volume boards (2x my current surfing volume on my daily driver!) probably because it assumes I want what they sell. Personally, I am yet to find a volume calculator that seems to account for all of the variables, including ability, age, weight, desired board type, surfing style, wave type, wetsuit or not, fitness, surfing frequency, etc.

All that to say, don't just base your decision on your perceived need for more volume based on riding that one high volume mini mal you rented. If that worked for you and you liked it, why not stick with it until you're ready for something else? You could probably even offer to buy it from the rental place.

surferbee wrote:Did I miss the part where you mentioned how much you weigh? It's a common mistake to over-volume boards (been there!). Volume doesn't necessarily translate to more glide or an easier time catching waves. On the contrary, it can even hinder your ability to catch waves. Think of an inflatable raft with LOTS of volume: it'll sit high in the water as the wind blows you around the surface and the waves roll under you, passing you by.

For example, I had 6'6" simmons that had about as much volume as my 8'0" performance longboard. The longboard had much more glide and caught waves a lot easier. By comparison, my 5'7" fish/groveller with at least 15L less volume also caught waves easier than the big simmons with more volume.

Volume calculators are notoriously problematic for all sorts of reasons. The GSI volume calculator, for example, shows me really high-volume boards (2x my current surfing volume on my daily driver!) probably because it assumes I want what they sell. Personally, I am yet to find a volume calculator that seems to account for all of the variables, including ability, age, weight, desired board type, surfing style, wave type, wetsuit or not, fitness, surfing frequency, etc.

All that to say, don't just base your decision on your perceived need for more volume based on riding that one high volume mini mal you rented. If that worked for you and you liked it, why not stick with it until you're ready for something else? You could probably even offer to buy it from the rental place.

Very usefull info, you really thought this through i see. I am 6'2 and 175pounds, would you say it would be more wise for me to opt for the 74liter instead of the 79 option?

Honestly I don’t think you will notice the difference between 74 and 79L

I would go with the 74, just because you don’t need 79.

nor 74 really - something 55-60 is fine; not saying 74 is bad, just that there is no benefit in my view to going bigger

I always think the 2nd board is the hardest to choose! First board is a longboard, third board and you have started understanding what you need and want. 2nd board is a bit of a guess.

The boards you are looking at are all 95% right. Don’t agonise over the last 5%. Pick one, surf it and appreciate that any issues you are having are 99% due to your skills (or lack thereof ) and not the board

The walden 74 liter it is!
Thanks everyone a shitton for all the sound advices. Its much appreciated being able to benefit from the knowledge you guys have!

I would take neither.

I think 79l at 7.6 is IMHO overvolumed, too corky.
Waldens X2 finish is awesome, but SLX is light and not that durable
I don't think you need that much volume at your weight.

Look more at shape and rocker. In our our beloved windsell soup something with a slightly wider tail should help, I like the Cancho here more than the GSI boards.

And.. do you know that at the price you are willing to pay, you can get a EPS/Epoxy custom board build for you? If you call Bill Attlee at Escape Surfboards in Cornwall http://escapesurfboards.com/flying-carpet/66-7-10-flying-carpet-red-bottom-tint.html, he can advise you what you need and have it shipped to your door in less than two months.

Raysn29 wrote:waves start at 1:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YrbVm_ ... gs=pl%2Cwn

The conditions are 50% of the time like this or steeper/messier, the other 50% very soft mushy waves good for longboarding. My reasoning was with a 7'4 shape and volume like that, i would be able to surf and practice in both conditions, and if the waves are really soft I can take out the 8'6. My medium to long turn goal is to make smooth carves just wide enough for those waves. Good idea overall?

Also the 7'4 is duckdivable when using the duck dive slice

I recommended a higher volume board (like a fish) because I think if you're a beginner who is going to go short, then the more volume just makes it easier to paddle and get into waves. However, if you're already fit and going on long sessions without too much exhaustion, then choose a volume that gives you more flexibility with respect to your surfing. Choose a board you think you can have the most fun with. For me, I often choose the board that cuts down the fatigue factor because I have more fun that way.

Oldie wrote:I would take neither.

I think 79l at 7.6 is IMHO overvolumed, too corky.
Waldens X2 finish is awesome, but SLX is light and not that durable
I don't think you need that much volume at your weight.

Look more at shape and rocker. In our our beloved windsell soup something with a slightly wider tail should help, I like the Cancho here more than the GSI boards.

And.. do you know that at the price you are willing to pay, you can get a EPS/Epoxy custom board build for you? If you call Bill Attlee at Escape Surfboards in Cornwall http://escapesurfboards.com/flying-carpet/66-7-10-flying-carpet-red-bottom-tint.html, he can advise you what you need and have it shipped to your door in less than two months.

We have some good shapers here in Scheveningen, so I might contact them.
What does corky mean and does it apply to windswell soup? I don't really like the reduced volume 56 liter of the cancho. I need/want something of at least 65liter to be honest, I want easy wave watching and less paddling over performance tbh. Also the Torq is almost as expensive as the walden.

What do you think the biggest issue would be with the walden mini magic in regards to the windswell soup?
And what do you think about the double wide? It has enough volume and a wide tail: https://shop.surfindustries.com/us/surf ... e-wide-xb/

Raysn29 wrote: Very usefull info, you really thought this through i see.

LOL, is that a polite way of saying it was too long of a response to actually read? Ok let me try: Thank you for your intriguing follow-up question regarding corkiness, windswell, and volume. And thanks also for the opportunity to answer it for a second time with the exact same answer that I previously wrote. Are you asking for advice because you actually want it or because you've made up your mind that you "need" a new surfboard and you're looking for justification to buy it? You can spend your money any way you like, but tbh, you've only been surfing 7 months, and although you've "progressed insanely" to the point of "going down the line and doing small turns" (i.e., beginner surfing ), whatever board you pick is going to provide opportunity to grow, as others have said.

surferbee wrote:

Raysn29 wrote: Very usefull info, you really thought this through i see.

LOL, is that a polite way of saying it was too long of a response to actually read? Ok let me try: Thank you for your intriguing follow-up question regarding corkiness, windswell, and volume. And thanks also for the opportunity to answer it for a second time with the exact same answer that I previously wrote. Are you asking for advice because you actually want it or because you've made up your mind that you "need" a new surfboard and you're looking for justification to buy it? You can spend your money any way you like, but tbh, you've only been surfing 7 months, and although you've "progressed insanely" to the point of "going down the line and doing small turns" (i.e., beginner surfing ), whatever board you pick is going to provide opportunity to grow, as others have said.

No need to be harsh friend, i was being genuinely impressed by all the things you factored in and it wasn't sarcasm. My question was also genuine interest on wanting to learn something from your advice, i am not looking for justification, I think at least