Am I ready for a new board? And if so, what kind??

[Thibb]

Some of you will recognize me and my questions by now: I've been here for the best part of a year and have been surfing whenever I could. I surf a 7'4'' minimal and have gotten to the point where I feel safe paddling out in just about anything and can catch most waves (dumpers are still a problem). I guess I make 80-90% of my pop-ups and when up I can bottom turn, be it somewhat slowly. I can get back up the face and stay in trim, while turning up and down the face at will. In short, I feel confident doing what I am doing and I want to move on.

The big question is: where do I go now? I'm not a big fan of what fish boards look like and I get told they are too loose. I like shortboards and am intrigued by their speed and agility but often read the learning curve for those boards is really steep. Also, I'm a big guy at 80 kilos and almost 190 cm. A hybrid seems like a fair compromise, but those boards still look pretty hard to duckdive, which I would love to learn.

Finally, I surf a beach that is busy as hell and cannot afford to practice my cutback by falling off 25 waves. When I am up and see that I can claim the wave, I have to make the most of it. The next opportunity may be half an hour away, hence I have never practiced stuff like cutbacks. I do however know that I am -theoretically- capable of them as I have had to change direction mid-wave to avoid the guy coming my way from the other side of the wave.

In short (again): I kind of know what I am doing, but I really don't. I am in purgatory: stuck between newbie hell and surfer heaven!! The minimal is starting to feel like it is holding me back after about a year of surfing 3-4 times a week. Where can I go next???

[pkbum]

THen don't surf that beach with the shortboard. Try to find another spot and practice it there. If you're limited to that beach, then good luck and try not to fall

[drowningbitbybit]

I kind of know what I am doing, but I really don't.

Sounds like you need a new board!

A biggish shortboard Im thinking. Im about your size, and I sometimes struggle to duckdive my 6'10, but have no problem with my 6'4 so maybe something between those two? You're taller than me, so you might struggle with less than 6'4 (I do), so maybe 6'8 with a proper shortboard shape but keeping a bit of volume to give you a helping hand with the paddling.

Also depends on what kinda waves your surfing?

Where are you surfing? Are you the same Thibb that loiters on RealSurf?

[Thibb]

I very well may be, I lurk on just about every surfing forum known to man. You see, as a bit of a sports fanatic (I will spare you the list of sports I have participated in, to some unnamed degree of success) I have found one big difference between surfing and just about every other sport in the world.

In most sports, showing up for practice is the best way to make friends. Friends who will then gradually teach and counsel you. In surfing, showing up is the number one way to make enemies. Enemies who will stare you down and outpaddle you at every opportunity they get. That's why I rely on the goodness of you internet-using surfers to prevent me from killing myself (or apparently worse, embarrassing myself in the eyes of my fellow beachbreak cruising (non-)mates).

But we're getting sidetracked here. I swear: earlier today I was holding a 6'8'' shortboard in a local pawn shop and I felt so tempted. Luckily, the intimidating thought of my frowning better half crossed my mind before I reached my wallet and I decided to come back here and plead for advice. Should I???

[drowningbitbybit]

Should I???

Of course

Well, depends - you need a board with a fair bit of volume I reckon. So if its reasonably wide and fairly thick (for a shortboard) then go for it.

Other halves, pah!

[mrc]

6 10 fatboy flyer did the same thing myself a few years back

[rich r]

I loved my 6-8 Lost Mayhem for years.

It's a wider, thicker shortboard. No problems duck diving it (I'm 6-1, 175lbs).

[garbarrage]

you're a bit better than me by the sound of it.... and i manage pretty well on a hybrid 7'. i'm 6ft and weigh a little more (90kg)... fairly sure i could get to grips with a 6'8"...
might feel a bit weird for a bit... but someone who surfs as much as you do should have it sussed in a couple of weeks... go for it...

[crepuscular]

really depending on the sort of waves you are getting... fish isn't really suited for waves 4ft+

that's why i got a fish for small days, and a semi fish for bigger waves (got a shortboard sitting in my room, looking to sell it when the aussie summer arrives)

[Thibb]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement, guys. The cash is burning a hole in my pocket! Crepuscular, why do you not use the shortboard?

[crepuscular]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement, guys. The cash is burning a hole in my pocket! Crepuscular, why do you not use the shortboard?

because it's too big for me, a surftech TL2 6'4, couldn't duckdive with it even i put on 5kg :S

i used it when i transitioned from hybrid to shortboard, which was really good for that purpose...

but i prefer shorter boards... my semi-fish quad is only 6'0, and i'm still regretting not going for the tri 5'11 one

i always wanted a 5'6 fish, but last month i found an almost new 5'8 fish with tail pad and leash for AU$190 @ a private sale, which was a total bargain i just could not resist... because pretty much i'm paying just a bit over AU$100 for the fish

[sebastiansurfer]

i think you should go for it considering your wide varity of sports athleticisim and agility

i started on a 6'4 n im like 5'7
n it was only a tad more difficult than longboarding

[Thibb]

I sometimes struggle to duckdive my 6'10, but have no problem with my 6'4 so maybe something between those two? You're taller than me, so you might struggle with less than 6'4 (I do), so maybe 6'8 with a proper shortboard shape but keeping a bit of volume to give you a helping hand with the paddling.

I bought a 6'8'' fish, but not one of those really wide ones, it's kinda closer to a shortboard shape (I think) and has a thruster fin set-up. I guess that makes it a hybrid? The guy in the surfshop was pretty strongly warning me that life would be hell if I went straight to a shortboard, so I weaseled out.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy. Went out today (almost no waves) and managed to get up a few times. I guess waves with a little more power would definitely have helped, so I'm hoping to do better as the swell picks up. A few other observations: I still can't duckdive, so it has to be my technique (or lack thereof). Paddling is harder now but not by a ridiculous amount. The board needs more push into a wave than the minimal: I got left behind getting up as the wave passed below me several times. A tailpad feels weird, I am surprised every time my foot lands on it.

Ah, the joy of looking like a total fool falling off one to two foot waves as 60 year old men on mals around me joyfully rode to the beach...

[billie_morini]

Q. "...if so, what kind??"
A. "An ironing board."