Surfing Waves

I went out surfing this last weekend, and I rented an NSP board. I have been surfing most of hte summer on a massive Bic board, and the 7'6" NSP was way more fun. I could turn on it and it felt really light and easy to paddle by comparison.
When I started asking around about it at the shops, every one was slagging it . Why is this? Nobody has really given me a straight forward answer as to why they aren't good boards. I like the durability of it's construction, since I will be taking my board on a plane at some point. I am also looking at surftech funpurchasing a board, but they are $300 more expensive, and I am having a hard time justifying that purchase.
any info on why I should or shouldn't buy an NSP funboard will be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
Colin

Dunno. I'm very very inexperienced, but I ride a NSP minimal, and it's done me proud... maybe one of the more experienced surfers can give you a good reason to avoid them, but I'm more than happy with mine. Maybe it's strictly a beginners board. Maybe I'm just not fussy

i just bought an nsp board i havent used it yet though. but when i was buying it i was chosing between bic or nsp and i found this: http://www.littlepinkshop.com/shop/buyi ... 45_15.html
if you scroll donw its got a section on nsp boards.
beth x

Never surfed an NSP board, but it is considered not one of the best boards. This is because, like Bic, they're popouts. They're heavier than a lot of custom boards... the rocker line (curvy bit in front) is always the same (more or less flat) and the rails are not well made, among other complaints.

Having said all of this, I have surfed a Bic Mini Mal 7'3" (or 7'4" not sure what the exact size is) and they're not THAT BAD! When you're just beginning, you will never notice the difference in maneouvrability, and you will like to have that extra buoyancy and a flat rocker.

If you surfed it and you liked it, why ask? Just go for it! Also, they always have a good resale value, so when OR IF you do grow out of it (even these days, I borrow a friend's bic mini mal for small days) you can always get some money back!

I don't care what people think! I love my NSP 7'2 and can't imagine ever selling it on or getting rid of it. it's my little baby and it brings me so much happiness.

I agree Thaya, i dont understand why some people have problems with NSP or Bic, its not what you ride its how you ride it...

Im very happy with my 7'3" Bic, i dont expect too much from it, but im still learning anyway....

S Boy wrote:I agree Thaya, i dont understand why some people have problems with NSP or Bic, its not what you ride its how you ride it...

Spot the biker


The thing is - Bics and NSPs are brilliant first boards. But once you've had a custom, they feel horrible! Heavy and not very sophisticated (hmmm, just like me).

thaya wrote:it's my little baby and it brings me so much happiness.

And rides in helicopters

you know some people pay money for that! I'm always on the look out for freebies

and it wasn't actually down to my board...

I'd love to go in one again (but not under the same circumstances obviously!)

The answer is stupid, but, well, here you go;

'Real' surfers always surfed custom boards, or at least boards made by the 'right' surfboard company.

I can't remember which came first - the pop-outs from China, or the epoxy boards, but both got slagged by surfers.

Pop-outs were reviled because a human hand never touched them and they were the China-made die-cast fake Hot Wheels of surf boards.

Epoxy for a number of reasons at first - new technology always 'scares' people, epoxy was heavier, the first epoxy boards were pretty crap, epoxy flew in the face of 'tradition', and BIC and NSP were seen almost alongside the pop-out boards; meant to be mass-market, cheap, undermining the soul of surfing and the secret desire every surfer has of keeping the community small and the breaks unpopulated.

On the second point, BIC and NSP have taken a Hollister mass-market approach to their boards to get them out there. Heavy on the marketing and catering to the 'kook crowd', and the new surfers who haven't been brought up in the culture (for good or bad).

Just as a 'true' surfer would never wear a Hollister shirt, up until a year or so ago, you'd never find one using an NSP or BIC, other than *maybe* to teach someone else how to surf.

so im not a true surfer becuse i surf a NSP longboard

it comes down to your abblity to surf not what you ride, you can slate pop outs and surf techs all you want the thing is technology is advancing and the boards are becoming much better, yes even alot of people that are good surfers say that NSP's arnt that bad to ride and loads really rate the S cores, i have seen a few people ripping on those soloman noseless s'cores, does that make them any less of a surfer than the person riding a custom board? no it doesnt

if you can go out and rip on a bic or an NSP than hats off to you, it doesnt make you any less of a surfer

I didn't say it made you less of a surfer. I'm answering the question on why when going into most any surf shop, you will get the roll-your-eyes-at-the-kook response that was noted by colinmann.77

It will still be awhile, even with the pros riding custom-made NSP's, before NSP or BIC loose their perception as a beginner/kook board.

Hey, I don't make the rules.

BUT I do believe that a custom made board, fiber or epoxy will ride better and perfrom better than anything else. I also believe that for 'off-the-rack boards', the hand-shaped boards, whether fiber or epoxy, typically are better than your stock NSP and BIC. Finally, NSP and BIC boards will almost always be better than a pop-out in quality and durability and typically rideability.

i agree that custom boards will allways be better than a BIC or NSP without a doubt, im geting a custom board pretty soon, thats more suited to my surfing style and allow me to hopfully progress further.

but if you want a board thats gonna catch waves and take a beating and not worry about what others think then really your best geting a NSP or BIC, i know if i brought a custom to start with i would have destroyed it by now

[quote="rich r"]Pop-outs were reviled because a human hand never touched them and they were the China-made die-cast fake Hot Wheels of surf boards.
[quote]

Forget China, the reason why Pop-outs were reviled is because the original 60's pop-outs were heavy boards made in 2 halfs and filled with foam. They weren't temperature stable and had a tendency to pop (split) when left in the sun and had a weak seam along the rails which if damaged could also split the board.

i just purchased an nsp funboard at the beginning of the summer...i think it is a great board to start on and even if ure good nsps r fun...thers no problem with nsps..theyre great boards..dont listen to the other ppl...good luck!

I rented a NSP 6'something and I hated it..The thing just was a bitch to control and it was a log in the water! If you want a board that size, I wouldn't reccomend an NSP, as it wont help you further your skills...if you want a shortboard, bite the bullet and go custom

If it floats, it is a good board, worthy of riding.

Brian wrote:I rented a NSP 6'something and I hated it..The thing just was a bitch to control and it was a log in the water! If you want a board that size, I wouldn't reccomend an NSP, as it wont help you further your skills...if you want a shortboard, bite the bullet and go custom

Yep, seconded.

hi , ive been surfing for two years but just recently got a board , i was reluctant on getting an NSP because of what i heard of them but unfortunately when i went to get the board i wanted it was way too much money .. im only 14 so my limit was around 500$ thats all i saved up . so i asked the guy if there was any boards that were cheaper & he said NSP .. & iwas thinking oh god.. but then i saw this 7'6 NSP & it didnt look bad or anything & it was reletively cheap .. so i bought it & its fine .. its not too heavy & i love it . it doesnt effect how i surf i think i do better on it then i did with my old board .. & a good saying "its not the board its the surfer".
k laterrrr

i ahve a nsp 6 4 it was good at first but know i have gone as far as i can go on it so i brought a custom and i can do so much more on it.
and i am in the prosse of making my own which is fun but hard by the way.

but at the end of the day it does not matter what board u have as long as u have fleshin' fun

mark