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[devonsurf]

Hi,

Im 25, 6' 2 and weigh 13.5 stone (85kg). Surf in devon and cornwall mostly so rarely anything big except for european holidays. I started surfing when I was 8 and surfed a lot until my teens, surfing short boards mostly. Late teens and uni years stopped surfing so much and sold my short board and started long boarding which I got okay at. Getting back into more regular surfing the last few months again and have decided I'd like to get back into short boarding.

I'm unsure on what shape and now even what size to go for. I was thinking about a 6' 4" x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2. How does this sound. As I'm fairly big I then started to think maybe I should go for more of a fat board, like a fish or rocket sort of shape, to make paddling a bit easier. What are people's thoughts on size/shape of board I should go for? I wonder should I go longer, or stay shorter but maybe thicker and fatter? ahhh

[jaffa1949]

Since you are up and about again consider increasing the volume in both the width and go a little more to 3" in thickness see if the board has a little more volume under your chest to help the paddling. The move is away from narrow boards except in speciality areas and the the rails and plane shape is being more accommodating of the older bigger surfer. See if you can try something in that area and see how it goes , the lay out the $$$$$s.

[esonscar]

Hey . . . 6' 4" x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2 is bang on if you are willing to stick to using it until advanced (might take years to achieve this by the way) . Irrespective this size will be totally useable in all surf . . . so go with it. . Ask a local shaper to confirm (this) my post . . . they know your breaks.
Your weight does not say if that is muscle or fat . . . but no matter . . . the board dimensions you cite will be an awesome board for many years to come (square tail tri fin thruster should be the shape, with moderate rocker). So go get your custom (I make carbons to suit) to your spec and go for it !

[IB_Surfer]

I'm 14.4 stone and surf that size, but I surf 2 - 3 times a week religiously for the past 15 years and already passed my transition years. I wider/thicker template is a good idea. I use a fish for small days and big mushy ones, like high tide at a reef break. But for a new direction, google the Xanadu Rocky and the Rusty Dward as examples, but you don't have to be brand consious and am only using those to give you an idea to the template I'm recommending