6'6 softie to fibreglass board question

[Big H]

You need to get a less buoyant board because you can't sit on your current one? That's a new one.

Not a new one at all mate. Plenty of children have this problem. I find this confusing how two people have commented on this....Its a minor issue.

Please, back on the topic. I am open to any advice.

I didn't comment because it was a kooky thing to say....smaller, narrower boards are less stable and those are the ones that will flip you off......bigger, wider, more buoyant equals more stable....if you can't sit on the board you have it is 100% you and not the board as that is more than enough to provide a stable platform for sitting on your bum......going smaller will magnify the problem.....small problem though, you just need practice and surf more.

[waikikikichan]

The fact that a group of adults (apparently) on the internet can't understand why an approx. 75kg man cannot sit 'up right' on a 60l shortboard is the perplexing issue.

First, I hope you understand that all these great MEN ( and some Ladies ) on this forum are trying to genuinely HELP YOU. You asked for their advice, and they gave it to you. It may not be the advice you were expecting or wanted to hear, but it is what it is.

I too agree, since in all my years of teaching, I've never come across a beginner who complained a board was to floaty or stable.

[waikikikichan]

You need to get a less buoyant board because you can't sit on your current one? That's a new one.

Not a new one at all mate. Plenty of children have this problem. I find this confusing how two people have commented on this....Its a minor issue.

How many children are 178 cm. and weigh 78 kg. ? I sit fine ( and turn ) on my 9'0" 70+ liter board and I'm 157 cm. and 55kg.

I think the point about kids having a hard time sitting is that their small legs can't straddle the width of the deck. Then end up doing the Splits. I remember when Carissa Moore started learning to surf in Waikiki, her finger tips couldn't reach into the water. After ending the wave, her father rode in to her and pulled her back out.

[waikikikichan]

(board tries to shoot away also)

can't understand why an approx. 75kg man cannot sit 'up right' on a 60l shortboard

When i try to fix surfing problems, I always say to look two steps back. You trying to throw money at the problem, when ( as other have said ) the problems lies with you.
1) If the boards shoots out, you're sitting in the wrong part of the board. Does the board shoot out the back ? Or the does the board shoot out the front ? On a longboard, the sweet spot / balance point is a lot bigger than on a shortboard. ( but shortboards are cooler, especially hypto kryptos , but not if your upside down )
2) Sitting "upright" is good for posture but not good for surfing, you sorta need to hunch over a bit. I think you might be too stiff. You got to move with the motion of the ocean. Let the hips sway.
3) If you're flipping over and can't sit on the board, you may be trying too hard to "hold on". Lot of beginner grab or hooked the board with their legs. DON'T DO THAT. Just let your legs loosely drape down. When you hook the bottom , the rocking gyrations keep increasing until finally flip over. Learn to relax.

[kook_lover]

The fact that a group of adults (apparently) on the internet can't understand why an approx. 75kg man cannot sit 'up right' on a 60l shortboard is the perplexing issue.

First, I hope you understand that all these great MEN ( and some Ladies ) on this forum are trying to genuinely HELP YOU. You asked for their advice, and they gave it to you. It may not be the advice you were expecting or wanted to hear, but it is what it is.

First of all thanks for chiming in. I mean no disrespect and am more than grateful for any input or suggestions from any forum member.

2) Sitting "upright" is good for posture but not good for surfing, you sorta need to hunch over a bit. I think you might be too stiff. You got to move with the motion of the ocean. Let the hips sway.

Thanks for this. This has not been my approach at all. I am not flipping over or falling off my board. It is just hard to sit on because it doesn't really submerge at all. Kind of feels like sitting on a canoe. It shoots forward occasionally when I am turning around in the line up.

Finally - I am hiring 3 boards this weekend. 6'6 shortboard (fat, low rocker, around 45 l) a 6'10 mid length (really fat nose, pin tail, 48l) and a 7'8 Mini mal/ Funboard shape(over 60L) Will revert with findings if anyone is interested.

..(or if anyone is making similar transition from a short foamie to fibreglass board as an adult.)

Cheers

[oldmansurfer]

My guess would be you will like the funboard/minimal. We are always interested in what people do to try to resolve whatever surfing issues they have. Surfing is definitely not one size fits all.

[saltydog]

Since you are a physics person... think about a very simple example of a block floeating on water. Buoyancy is relative to the volume and the density of displacement. If you look at a per square cm of upward force, smaller surface area has more force toward you on top than larger one. By the same token, when you place an object on the block now you get to think about the downward force per square cm applied. In addition to that there is torque involved as you move the object toward the edge of the block away from the center of gravity. Adding them all up and you have a recipe for a tippy high volume short board.

Foam surfboards tend to sit on top of the water like a wine cork compared to hard boards which glides more fluidly. Try the 3 boards you’ve mentioned and see how things go. I too think you’d have most fun on the 7’8 mini mal. Let us know how it’s turned out.

[Tudeo]

The fact that a group of adults (apparently) on the internet can't understand why an approx. 75kg man cannot sit 'up right' on a 60l shortboard is the perplexing issue.

I think they just never experienced it. I have a lot of different boards and with my Firewire Addvance 6'6 (48L) still have problems sitting stable..
It's the concentrated upward force from a shorter high volumed board that makes it an unstable seat, and very uncool to try stabilize by kicking legs in a dead quiet lineup
It takes some getting used to but if u sit more forward so ur body sinks deeper and the tail rises above surface, it gets more stable. At least for my 77kg on the 48L 6'6. Downside is u need more time, to move ur weight back, to turn when ur wave appears.
Also if ur looking for an alternative in 6'6, check out the Addvance, it's great!

[kook_lover]

Since you are a physics person... think about a very simple example of a block floeating on water. Buoyancy is relative to the volume and the density of displacement. If you look at a per square cm of upward force, smaller surface area has more force toward you on top than larger one. By the same token, when you place an object on the block now you get to think about the downward force per square cm applied. In addition to that there is torque involved as you move the object toward the edge of the block away from the center of gravity. Adding them all up and you have a recipe for a tippy high volume short board.

Foam surfboards tend to sit on top of the water like a wine cork compared to hard boards which glides more fluidly. Try the 3 boards you’ve mentioned and see how things go. I too think you’d have most fun on the 7’8 mini mal. Let us know how it’s turned out.

That's a great albeit simplified example. Sometimes I am over analytical and have a hard time applying principles in the 'real world'.

Many thanks for sharing.

Will report back on Monday with how the 3 boards went.

[kook_lover]

The fact that a group of adults (apparently) on the internet can't understand why an approx. 75kg man cannot sit 'up right' on a 60l shortboard is the perplexing issue.

I think they just never experienced it. I have a lot of different boards and with my Firewire Addvance 6'6 (48L) still have problems sitting stable..
It's the concentrated upward force from a shorter high volumed board that makes it an unstable seat, and very uncool to try stabilize by kicking legs in a dead quiet lineup
It takes some getting used to but if u sit more forward so ur body sinks deeper and the tail rises above surface, it gets more stable. At least for my 77kg on the 48L 6'6. Downside is u need more time, to move ur weight back, to turn when ur wave appears.
Also if ur looking for an alternative in 6'6, check out the Addvance, it's great!

Many thanks for commenting.

I was in a shop today and saw and Addvance in TimberTek construction. Those boards look unreal. Mind you it was for sale for $1000 AUD which is quite steep (for me anyway). I love the look personally and the 6'8 or maybe 7'0 they had for sale would be right up my alley but alas I felt the price was too high.

I am glad someone else has had first hand experience with this issue.

If you read my original post I will be reporting back on Monday with how 3 different demo/hire boards went.

Thanks for your suggestions. I will keep these in mind over the weekend. I feel 48L may be better suited for me as I progress anyway. I can imagine you (almost identical weight as me) would have similar issues on a 60L board.

Thanks again,

[Tudeo]

I was in a shop today and saw and Addvance in TimberTek construction. Those boards look unreal. Mind you it was for sale for $1000 AUD which is quite steep (for me anyway). I love the look personally and the 6'8 or maybe 7'0 they had for sale would be right up my alley but alas I felt the price was too high.

Better try find a cheap 2nd hand board, if that's possible. A cheap Add would be great offcourse But keep in mind the (6'6) Add is not a beginners board, it's for more experienced surfers who need some extra paddling power. Old guys like me..
Because the only downside off my Add (the smallest they sell at 6'6) is that it feels bulky and hard to handle in headhigh+, I'm a bit sceptical for the bigger sizes. But in small surf it's fine, I guess.

[dtc]

Yeah, don’t be ‘sucked in’ by the volume of the addvance - it’s an intermediate board for someone who needs more volume for age/timing not to compensate for lack of skill

Hit up gumtree instead. Get an addvance (or a similar board) for your 30th birthday

[oldmansurfer]

The fact that a group of adults (apparently) on the internet can't understand why an approx. 75kg man cannot sit 'up right' on a 60l shortboard is the perplexing issue.

I think they just never experienced it.

I have experienced it but my thinking is compared to surfing sitting on a board is so easy of a skill to master. I surf corky boards, none of them sink down when I sit on them. I have a 7 foot board and a 7'6" board that are unstable compared to my eight foot board. My eight foot board was so unstable compared to my 9'6" longboard I bought a bigger board (that I now no longer use). It requires much less effort or skill to sit on a board. It just requires paying attention to where you are on the board and how you are sitting. It's so easy to do compared to other skills in surfing.

[kook_lover]

Drum roll..

Ok to all that have been following this thread I will let you know how my long weekend went with three different boards.

First of all, the volume and dims I mentioned earlier were off.

Board 1 - 6'2 a very fat shortboard, I guess you would call it a groveller style board. Fat through the middle and still pretty fat in the tail. 42L
Board 2 - 7'0 Funboard. Really fat nose, pinched in tail. Plenty of foam in the middle. 48L.
Board 3 - 7'6 Funboard/Mini Mal. More tapered throughout, a nice sleek shape. Still fat in the middle, more of an 'egg'. Volume (wasn't marked on board) but my guess would be 50+ at least. Very thick and stable board.

The weekend had really poor surf, mainly due to onshore winds around 15-20MPH. Swell was between 2 and 4 foot but very crumbly. Still plenty of people chasing waves mind you.

Board 1 - It was nice to try out a board this small. Paddling was difficult, not unbearably difficult but I exerted a lot more energy over a short time frame. Very different to my current (old) foamie of around 60L. Wasn't very stable during pop off and I probably caught 2/10 waves I paddled for. So definitely not for me at this stage of surfing. It was nice sitting on something small in the lineup and being able to quickly turn around but what's the point if I caught so few waves. Will remember this board for a few years down the track when I am fitter and more experienced. I also did my first duck dive on this 'fatso'. This board was also quite easy to sit on waiting for waves.

Board 2 - This board paddled really well. I'd say better than my foamie. The nose is so fat on this thing it was a pleasure gliding over waves to get out the back. Approx. 6/7 waves out of 10 I paddled for I caught. Popping up was pretty good, not amazing. As I am used to my very buoyant 6'6 foamie it probably wasn't as stable but the length really helped. When my back foot was placed near the tailpad it was quite skateboard like and very responsive. I managed a few small turns before waves crumbled and sent me straight to shore.

I enjoyed this board quite a lot and felt like I performed much better than I did on the foamie (probably user error but nevertheless). On my last ride in I popped up really early and positioned myself in the middle of the board and this thing absolutely sped, it was a surreal feeling. As the wave inevitably crumbled I jumped back on the board a little and turned and went up the lip before shooting back down. Most enjoyable ride of the weekend by far.

Board 3 - Great and stable to sit on, paddle and pretty much everything else. It paddled over waves differently but in good way (maybe due to foil) but still I didn't have a whole lot of trouble getting out the back (albeit a few dodgy turtle rolls later). Pop up was pretty solid on this thing. Plenty of foot room. Kind of felt as where I popped up was where I had to stay. Of course this is user error. Had some issues trying to avoid people around me on this board. Was less skateboard like and more set and forget (poor analogy). I don't think there was a great difference in the number of waves that I caught compared to number 2. Maybe slightly higher.. Perhaps a clean 7/10 as opposed to more like a 6/10 for number 2. It was harder to spin around on in the line up (marginally) but overall a fun board that I had a few nice rides on. I did like all the foot room and how you can walk around the board a bit more. The best thing about this board was the stability. Once you were up, you were really up and you were moving pretty bloody quick.

So overall I liked board number 2 the most. Perhaps I felt that this board would help me progress a little quicker, I don't really know. I think maybe something between the two may have been ideal.

Either way I bought it (the 7'0) It was $200 cheaper then the 7'6 and same price as the 6'2 (not that I was going to buy that)..

So coming back to my original post on this topic where I was looking at shorter, fatter boards...

Yes they were really cool and fun to sit on something so short, but I believe they require quite a high level of skill to actually use them as they were designed. I will look at one again down the track, but these boards were not for me now (as other users noted...)

Also as a side note, support your local shop! My local let me demo/borrow two of the boards before making my decision. I am a very much an
online shopping kind of guy, trying to hunt rock bottom prices for anything from clothes to white goods, but I really dug talking to someone who knew a hell of a lot more than me about surfing. I'm sure many people have commented this before, but for me it really made the experience a whole lot better.

I hope this post helps someone who is in a similar position, or maybe someone who will go through the transition from short foam board to fibreglass.

P.S fibreglass boards hurt a lot more than foamies try to wipeout backwards and cover your head

Cheers

[dtc]

Thanks for the feedback - I suspect fairly consistent with the advice!

I think you realised this ('user error') but I suspect you were trying to surf the 7'6 like it was a 6'6. there isnt a huge difference, but certainly foot placement and particularly foot movement are more important on larger boards in terms of turning and so forth. But a 7ft board that works for you is, of course, totally a good choice - not everyone wants a longer board anyway. If you can catch waves and stand up, then thats the aim of surfing

What was the board you ended up getting?

[oldmansurfer]

try to fall between the wave and your board that way the wave will move your board away from you. If you fall the other way put your hands over your head

[waikikikichan]

try to wipeout backwards

I would advise against doing that.

[kook_lover]

try to fall between the wave and your board that way the wave will move your board away from you. If you fall the other way put your hands over your head

Thanks, thats kind of what I meant. Im sure ill learn to control wipeouts a bit better in due course.

To the poster above, thanks for your comment. It was from a small surfboard shop in Melbourne and not a known brand. One of their shapes. Will find a link to it later.

Cheers

[Oggy]

Enjoy it mate!