Can I blame for the waves.. for once?

[benjl]

Hey guys!

So it's been a few weeks since i've come back from Bali and I've found myself not being able to do anything I could do on the waves there!
The holiday was booked before I started surfing so it wasn't a surfing holiday but i did get 3 days in a row on Kuta beach.
Despite all the negative things i'd heard about the beach it was amazing when I checked it out- all three days were 3-4ft + out back and super clean conditions! I was gobsmacked. In the year i've been surfing there's only been about 2-3 days in total that were like that over here.

What shocked me the most was this- I rented a beaten up 7'6 minimal which is a lot bigger than I normal ride (6'2 shortboard). Within two waves I was out back, had the board dialed in and catching everything that came my way. Then I managed to catch an endless front hand wave that I just kept riding on the face for probably 20-30seconds. I ahve recently struggled to surf on my front hand but somehow on this foreign, beaten up, big board I was instantaneously able to turn all over the wave absolutely in control and surf like i've neve felt before.
About 5 minutes later I managed to catch another identically good wave but this time on my backhand and once again I was trimming and turning all over the wave, I was able to walk up and down the board while still on the face and nearly even get a hang 5 happening.
I even came close to a mini-barrel where I could surf right up close to the lip of the wave as it curled and run my hand along it as I surfed.

I was gob-smacked, absolutely gob-smacked. These were undoubtably the best and longest waves i'd ever caught and yet this surfing skill had come out of me hat i didn't know I had and furthermore without even thinking!
How was I able to turn this board so well when I had sucked at turning something this long even when I owned a 7'6 earlier this year. The other thing is that I have never liked the feel of rounded-pin tails but yet this 7'6 had one of those too.
Even when I took the new 6'2 that I brought in Kuta out the next day I able to carve up some waves (although it was a little smaller and didn't quite the same length of rides).

Since coming back to NZ and surfing my local areas I have just been frustrated, soo frustrated of the wave quality and not being able to surf anything like I could on the waves in Kuta.
So i've come to the conclusion that either rounded-pin tails actually suit my surfing style more than squash or that it is the wave?

Have any of you found that before?

Cheers

[oldmansurfer]

I surf a rounded pin tail board. You know there is so much that goes into what makes a board work. Size and outline are probably overall less significant than rails and rocker but they all contribute to how it works. I have a book on board design which I will be reading after I finish the book on Fred Van Dyke so maybe I will have something (more informed) to say after that LOL. Maybe I like pin tails because I used to surf a diamond tail or a pin tail before but it seems narrow tails on bigger boards allow you to turn them better. I haven't ever tried the variety of modern short boards where it seems the tails are narrow enough without having to shave them down from the normal contour of the board.

[oldmansurfer]

On the other hand it could be the waves but hard to think New Zealand would have waves much different from other islands

[jaffa1949]

Ok Benjl, better waves mean if you can surf you can surf better!
Where in the land of Waikikamukau do you surf?
There are some classic breaks but some daggy breaks too.
You might just have discovered why Indonesia is a surf Mecca !
Save your rupiah and go back!

[drowningbitbybit]

So i've come to the conclusion that either rounded-pin tails actually suit my surfing style more than squash or that it is the wave?

Waves.

[dtc]

maybe you are just more suited at this stage to a mid length... I know you rushed into a shortboard for various reasons, but longer boards are easier to surf. I very much doubt a pin tail is going to make that much difference when you are comparing a 6ft2 shortboard and a 7ft6 minimal, there are so many other more major issues.

Of course, if you arent on a 30 second wave then you arent on a 30 second wave...

[benjl]

@ Jaffa- I haven't heard waikikamukau in a while! haha. I live in Auckland central so normally surf at Muriwai as it's the closest beach with consistent swell (still 45min drive away). It's been pretty big and knarly all through the winter with the odd cleaner and smaller day. I prefer the east coast but everyone knows how inconsistent it is and now I've changed my job I can't take off a whole day just to go surfing like I used to be able to. it's also about 1.5hrs drive each way.
I would also LOVE to go back to Bali and save up that rupiah! Still can't belive i got my whole surfboard package for like $430. Should've brought two!

@ DTC- yeah i was the first time i've actually had myself thinking that a board of around those dimensions might be the way to go. The only problem is that because i'm light and the surf is usually decent size and not clean where I go, every time I go on a board over 6'6 or with volume over 38L I just get smashed around. I think if I surfed conditions like those days on Kuta beach the majority fo the time then I would stick with a 7'6 or even long board.

I went out yesterday at Muriwai on my new 6'2 Bali board and although the conditions were pretty swirly and big, I did get a couple of faces that the board came alive again in. Made a couple of good turns on those waves which gave me back the stoke! That board loves the open faces