Down Sizing

[cyoung215]

Used to surf a couple times in the summer when I was a kid on my families 10' longboard and was always able to catch on pretty well. Now I'm looking to get back into it and wondering what board would suit me. I'm 6'1 180lbs and looking at a 7ft x 22.5in x 3in funboard. Will I be able to stand up on this pretty easily and eventually maneuver it once I start getting into it?

[waikikikichan]

Used to surf a couple times in the summer when I was a kid on my families 10' longboard and was always able to catch on pretty well. Now I'm looking to get back into it and wondering what board would suit me. I'm 6'1 180lbs and looking at a 7ft x 22.5in x 3in funboard. Will I be able to stand up on this pretty easily and eventually maneuver it once I start getting into it?

Will you be able to stand up on it pretty easily ? - NO. Difference standing up on a 10 footer and a 8 footer is huge. 7 foot even worse.

Will you eventually maneuver it ? - open ended question. Of course eventually, but be better if you stepped down gradually.

If you're not athletic and a poor paddler, try getting a board 3 feet over your head. More athletic and good at board sports and paddling, start around 2 feet over your head. 7 foot is going to be too hard, but better a board than no board.

[Big H]

For what it is worth....I am a new surfer of one year....I live in Bali however and surf nearly every day....I am almost exactly your height and build, extremely athletic (nearly signed a pro contract for soccer in my teens) and have JUST gotten to the point that I can RIDE a board like the one you mentioned....by ride I mean work with the wave, not just stand up, go straight and get guillotined in the back of the legs by whitewater.....I used a 9'3" board for the first 8 months of my journey then started trying smaller and bigger....I now ride a 9'6" as my main board and have others that I'm trying to learn, but if I want to RIDE at this point, I still go no smaller than 7'6".....the conditions I ride in are not the easiest, waves can be pretty big and fast, currents, long paddle outs to the break (2-300m) then constant paddling to keep position....I have really good paddle fitness, can stay out on a reef for two or three hours, have grown my ocean knowledge from my oceanographic/marine biology and marine archaeology student/ dive master and instructor/lifeguard background to a more pronounced level and I STILL am not much of a surfer as compared to the Aussie geezers that trade stories from the last 20-30 years down at the local beach watering hole.....

Go bigger if you can, bottom line. Surf schools here are full of those who insist they are intermediates who ride 6'something boards and can't angle, or bust a couple of turns before bogging out.....the lineup yesterday was head high to overhead, plenty of power, but I noticed that there were two really skinny Indonesians having success on their shortboards, myself and about three other larger Indonesians on 7'+ fat fun boards getting waves, and the rest of the soup on their shortboards just getting passed over set by set because for whatever reason they couldn't catch a wave.....surfing is more fun than sitting IMO.....

[jaffa1949]

I STILL am not much of a surfer as compared to the Aussie geezers that trade stories from the last 20-30 years down at the local beach watering hole.....

Remember the first geezer rule "the older I am the better I was!"
although some of the geezers have been good all the way through aging!
Also known as "Bintang Bullsh"

[Big H]

Hahahahaha....no doubt....


....however the other day a phone got passed around of one of the 40sometings who'd just gotten back from a week in G-land...down the line shot of him pitted in a double overhead barrel with a big grin like he was trimming on a 2 ft beachie.....respect to the geezers, even if the stories just keep getting better.....

[oldmansurfer]

some old guys can shred. Check out this video around the 3 minute mark his dad is the bald headed overweight guy. https://vimeo.com/65290081

[cyoung215]

So I found a couple other boards, will I notice the difference between a 7'10 and a 8'2?

[waikikikichan]

If you gather 10 different 7'10"s, each one will ride different. You could find a 7'10" that paddles better than a 8'2". and might find a 8'2" that easier to turn than a 7'10". Again you can not only take 1 dimension into account, you have to consider the total package. Can you post a photo of each board so we can give or opinion ?

[waikikikichan]

some old guys can shred. Check out this video around the 3 minute mark his dad is the bald headed overweight guy.

That bald overweight guy is former ASP pro Kaipo Jaquias. His son Kaimana also shreds.

[cyoung215]

Couldn't figure out how to attach the pictures but here are the two links if you'd take a look! http://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/5116154932.html
https://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/5139432630.html Thanks!

[dtc]

The 8-2 is a better shape, but having 3 plug in fins rather than a centre fin box is getting a little sketchy at that length (ie you often want a longer centre fin for a board of that length eg see this one http://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/5133102953.html - also a good choice). However, you probably can buy a larger plug in centre fin if you want, but it wont be 8inches. The fins do seem to be placed quite a long way back - some of the others might have a view on this. Otherwise no issues

The other board isn't terrible, but I don't think its a better board in terms of your skill level.

this one looks good http://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/5139735982.html (although not epoxy I think)

Trust me that once you are in the water, the board that looks enormous on land will look much smaller. You will appreciate every inch

[waikikikichan]

Dimensions : 9'0" x 23" wide x 17 3/4" nose x 14 1/2" tail x 3" thick square tail longboard.

Skill level: Beginner/Novice/Intermediate/Advanced
Approx. Ages: 8 and Up
Approx. Weight: Any weight up to 235 lbs.
Surf Conditions: Ankle to 7ft.+

Damn !! That guy is really throwing out a wide net.

[Big H]

He should be in advertising.....around here people advertise second boards that are anything bigger than a 6'4" as being perfect for a beginner.

My girls love the 9''6" and even ride together sometimes.....they are 6 and 7....I should let this guy know he can broaden his scope.....

[cyoung215]

So something 9ft and above with a longer center fun would be a better suit? Thanks for the help!

[Big H]

I'm new to surfing...13months in at this point...I live in Bali and have a choice of breaks, one is always working so I surf nearly every day. That said, I'm on a 9'6" primarily because I still feel that I have a lot to learn and learning in the big board is easiest for me.....a big board won't limit you....what it will do is allow you to progress faster as you will get many more waves, be on them longer and get that face time which is the only way to develop and grow your feels.
Bigger the better at this point.

[dtc]

Dimensions : 9'0" x 23" wide x 17 3/4" nose x 14 1/2" tail x 3" thick square tail longboard.

Skill level: Beginner/Novice/Intermediate/Advanced
Approx. Ages: 8 and Up
Approx. Weight: Any weight up to 235 lbs.
Surf Conditions: Ankle to 7ft.+

Damn !! That guy is really throwing out a wide net.

huh, I think that is straight from the manufacturers website

So something 9ft and above with a longer center fun would be a better suit? Thanks for the help!

Once you get a long board (I would say longer than 8ft and maybe even slightly shorter) you need more fin area. Longer centre fins provide that additional area but without creating 'tracking' (ie hard to turn) that will occur if you made the outside fins bigger as well. Plus a fin box (rather than fixed plug area) means you can move the centre fin back and forth, which affects the handling characteristics of the board. And you can even go single fin if you like.

So that's just what you will get when you buy a 9ft board ie that is how they are made; its just a function of the length.

And, yes, I think a 9ft board will be a good choice. I wouldn't go too far above that (eg maybe up to 9-3 - although I guess 9-6) and you can go below that a bit (eg 8-6 or maybe even a tad shorter). Around 22 inches wide (can be 21.5 - 23.5) and I suggest 2 5/8 - 3 1/4 thick. Although pretty much if you get a 9ft board, it will probably be the right width and thickness (there are big wave boards - guns - that are 9ft long but they are 17 or 18 inches wide; avoid those at all costs. But if the board has a rounded nose and is 22+ inches wide, that's the type you want)