going smaller

[vdeub]

this is my second year of surfing, i went from the long board to a 7'' fun board. I can take good 5-6' waves if they are clean ... i find my fun board hard to duck dive (i pick the nose, but cannot go really deep), and i ve got the feeling it stops me to go out in bigger days head to head+3 at my beach break. i am 5'8'' for 170p. Should i go smaller or try to get better in paddling/duck dive before ?
If yes, what kind a board should i use as a next step ?
I ve got an old 6'9'' x 18'', looks really narrow to me (got pictures if it could help) - last time i tried it - 6 months or so, it was a nightmare .. maybe i need to try again or to find another board as a transition ? any advice ?
thanks

[essex sucks]

lol u left out your skill level what can u do at the mo

moving down to a smaller board will take some time to get used too no matter what just need to make sure u have the right board for the surf u are surfing

[isaluteyou]

wouldnt mind taking a spin on that board in DOH waves recon it would be pretty fun Practise makes perfect

[Pornstar]

I recently went from a 7 hybrid funboard to a 6'3'' narrower and thinner than usual flyer 2.
I had problems paddling the board for no longer than 10 minutes.
I get less tired cause duckdiving and handling the board in the water is way easier. Keeping in mind that i surf at a very tiring beachbreak.

I can catch steeper hollower waves easier. Also hunting down the peaks is easier on this board. As also sprinting to catch a fast breaking wave.

I'm still trying to find the balance point 'cause i have onl got the wave for 2 weeks but i can ride down the wave easily and turn. I ride much more fun lines on this board so the overall experience is way better.

I explained all this so that you know that what you want to do is doable.
I wouldnt recomend going down just an inch.
Get a totally diferent board and keep thefunboard for pointbreaks or small gutless waves.
Keep in mind that my 6'3 eventhough is pretty thin and narrow hold a lot of volume with its fullrails and deck.

Hope this helps.

[vdeub]

my skills ... well, i can take the wave and ride it in both directiona , cannot really do a bottom turn or a steep turn , more like going down and up. i struggle on my outside, but can cut it ok on my inside .. i do not really know the "steps"/ reference move to really judge my skills ... i begin to pump the wave and fell better in balance overall... still falling on steep waves or "walls" ...


thanks for the advice, i think i will try again tomorrow, they forecast 5-7f ...

How this board looks like ? hyper performance or pretty mellow for a short board ?

[vdeub]

Btw, i am surfing Ocean Beach in San Francisco ... if anyone knows the spot ...

[parrysurf]

Btw, i am surfing Ocean Beach in San Francisco ... if anyone knows the spot ...

Cold, big and powerful....I know the spot.

[jon.biarritz]

I think it depends also on your fitness level, skill level and how often you're in the water. By and large I agree with Pornstar. Just try it.

[regforte]

Btw, i am surfing Ocean Beach in San Francisco ... if anyone knows the spot ...

I know of what you speak... I live on Great Hwy. It does take a while to get the spot worked out.

At a place like OB, with it's 1/4 mile paddle outs, endless walls of concrete whitewater, etc, you have the "too small to paddle well, too big to duck dive" problem.

On small days it doesn't matter, you can use any board you want. On sizable days I either use something that paddles well, 9 ft or bit bigger, or something 6 ft or below that I can duck dive extremely well.

During the big winter swells I exclusively ride big, gunny boards. Speed and guile, turtle rolls, and the occaisional bail out do the trick. There are some awesome surfers here who can consistantly ride the DOH+ waves on smaller boards but I'm not one of them.

I should add, you're not alone in feeling challenged by the conditions. I can't count the number of people who have come for a visit and tried the paddle out, only to swear off OB for life. Many of them very experienced.

[drowningbitbybit]

endless walls of concrete whitewater.

Excellent phrase, well put

[vdeub]

In a sense, this is reassuring... on the other way, i would like to have a way to surf this spot ... i am not on e Great Highway, but very close in the upper streets

I tried with this board yesterday, much more easy to duck dive, still quite difficult to paddle out ... Balance was another thing .... asked at a local surf shop, looks like this board is not too bad to try at this point ... looks like i need perseverance and commitment ....