Custom shape or stock board

[bajoman]

Reposting this discussion since topic changed:
I've been longboarding for 3 years and recently broke my first board. I decided to go with a local shaper (Natures Shapes) for my next board but not sure if I should grab a stock board that suited me or have them make one up for me. I'm not sure if I know (or have enough knowledge/experience) of exactly what I want.
I'm basing my specs on my old board (an NSP 9'2 x 22 7/8 x 3 3/16), the handful of boards I've rented in Costa Rica (favorite was a poly 9'0 x 22 1/2 x 3) and what my idol Wingnut rides (W2 9'0 x 22 x 3, square tail, domed deck) but he's about 10lbs lighter than me. I want an all-arounder that performs but will also nose ride (always working on getting more of that into my repertoire!) I like a fairly flat board that paddles fast and that I can really feel the trim spot on (some boards I rode in CR didn't seem to be as sensitive to trim adjustments). And I surf East Coast US (generally smaller, low to mid-power waves when there's a hurricane swell).

Nature Shapes had two stock boards at 9'0 x 22 3/4 x 2 3/4, one epoxy glassed with a square tail and one poly with a double stringer and a diamond tail (much heavier). Fairly flat-rockered with nose concave and flat through the middle with double concave out the back. The shop guy talked me into sticking with epoxy glassed (for lightness, durability, longevity, living in an apartment, surfing crowded breaks, etc) which for that amount of money and for staying with what I'm used to seemed to make sense (I know that's a big argument brewing there). The only things that were outside of my parameters were the width by a quarter inch, and that they were set up as 2+1. Do I want that little extra width for noseriding work? And will I ever use those sidebite boxes or is it better to have smooth hips? (Once I converted my old board to single fin I never went back). So should I go with this board for my second board or should I wait and have them make me one when I figure out what exactly I want (don't know how I will accomplish that yet) ?
Thanks for your input- it's coming down to the wire this week (all though I still have my 7'3 Superfish to get me by through this next swell!)

[bajoman]

Checked the measurements of my favorite rental in Costa Rica and it was actually 9'0 x 22 x 2 7/8. A lot different in width than I stated above and further from the stock board's specs. What will be the difference?

[jaffa1949]

Bajo if you want go custom or stock, either is an acceptable option so it is really down to the boards themselves.
These are my thoughts and they may help, IMO epoxy Expanded Polystyrene foam are very bouyant ( corky)
They are great for throwing around on the wave like short boards. = progressive school.
I find the drawback for me is I have keep drive on them at all stages of what I am doing on the wave or the white water can just pop me off the board.
BTW not all EPS and epoxy boards are strong some are just shonky pop outs.

You can get a custom built PU polyurethane and normal glassing but you can order it heavier and there are some epoxies that can used too. Not all shapers can do it.

Now if a stock board fits the criteria you have set for yourself , buy it! That's OK too.
If you think you know your surfing well enough then a custom could be the go.

If you want nose riding to be a little easier a heavier board as you need to engage the back of the board in the breaking wave to support you on the nose.
Single finning it is fine but get a fin box for the centre fin rather than plugs and get plugs for side bites.
Get volume in thickness as that will give a different but useful flotation for paddling and riding smallness.

See if you can get a secondhand board from the shaper to try, secondhand stock board or an old custom that has been traded in, you might not even have to o to anew board if one of those fits.

Hope that helps

[bajoman]

Thanks Jaffa. I wasn't clear on the distinction- all boards I'm considering were hand shaped by Mike Becker at Natures Shapes, but the "stock" boards were the ones he already had in the store. He said he could build me another if either of those didn't suit me. And the epoxy is not a popout but a hand-shaped board just like the poly, only he glassed it with epoxy.
So I guess I'm dickering with the details but it comes down to these points:
1. Do I want the little extra width of the board he has (22 3/4) or should I go custom to 22 or 22 1/2 ?
2. Do I want the plugs for sidebites (with a single box) on the board he has or do I go custom and just get a single box with smooth hips (no plugs)?
3. The epoxy vs. poly is a hard one for me. Old board was epoxy (allbeit a popout) and I loved it. Surfed polys in Costa Rica and was surprised that it wasn't as big a difference as I thought it would be, although those conditions were always perfect, glassy and with nice offshore winds, so maybe I didn't have the setting to really feel the difference.

[esonscar]

Oooh - tricky one this . . . . first of all make sure you can sit on the board in the lineup - in all reality a wide board becomes unbearable and you'll hate it. I have a 23 inch wide crab island I ride for a laugh on windless one foot days, and a 19 inch wide biarritz custom gun I can sit on, control and use in any hell hole of wind and wave fury. Any board has to fit you, don't compromise because it will destroy your surfing verve wether you are a good surfer or not.
[ I'll build you your custom board if you wish- based on my gun, single fin, ladder stringers, heavy glass, vert-reos and nose riding and a lot more besides proven - Yo! . . . I want to go out right now! ]
Up for it maybe ?
I also build boards in robust and true carbonfibre - go see pocketboard.co.uk as an example.

[jaffa1949]

Thanks Jaffa. I wasn't clear on the distinction- all boards I'm considering were hand shaped by Mike Becker at Natures Shapes, but the "stock" boards were the ones he already had in the store. He said he could build me another if either of those didn't suit me. And the epoxy is not a popout but a hand-shaped board just like the poly, only he glassed it with epoxy.
So I guess I'm dickering with the details but it comes down to these points:
1. Do I want the little extra width of the board he has (22 3/4) or should I go custom to 22 or 22 1/2 ?
2. Do I want the plugs for sidebites (with a single box) on the board he has or do I go custom and just get a single box with smooth hips (no plugs)?
3. The epoxy vs. poly is a hard one for me. Old board was epoxy (allbeit a popout) and I loved it. Surfed polys in Costa Rica and was surprised that it wasn't as big a difference as I thought it would be, although those conditions were always perfect, glassy and with nice offshore winds, so maybe I didn't have the setting to really feel the difference.

Bajo I went to their website, the board look good, my recommendation, 22 1/2 would be max, go the side bites because if you need them they are there to put fins in.
If you have the dollars you could go the epoxy for,durability, especially since a 22 would about right.
A little,thickness and talk about the rocker both tail and nose for what you want, shapers love educating their buyers.
Shop salespeople often don't care.