Good second board? There's a catch

[nickyb]

Hi all,

so I have an 8 ft, el nino soft top cruiser, I can get up, go across and my turning is progressing, but I'm starting to get the urge to get something else.

I'm 5'11 and 195lbs (I am trying to get down to at least 180 though)

Now ordinarily I would just go for a mal - or I was looking at the 7S fish, but there's a catch.

I live, and mainly surf, in Bondi. Half of the beach is soft board only - the other half is ram packed of a mixture of out of control back packers and angry locals who dislike being dropped in on/run over (fair enough).

So I'm not overly keen on getting a fibre glass board that I can't use at the quieter end of the beach, but I want something with more manoeverability. There's also a sale on where I can pick upa soft, 6'6 fish for $210 (it's $360 normally).

Any suggestions or should I just go down the south end and slug it out with everyone else?

[drowningbitbybit]

Yup, a softboard could be useful in the eastern 'burbs. I sometimes think about getting one so I can surf 'tama in summer. But... if you want to progress then forget about a soft board. They're useful to have so you can surf anywhere (or for surfing the shoredump), but as you've already got your soft-top, then it's time to get a "real" board

It'll be winter soon and the backpackers will go home

[dtc]

What are the restrictions in Bondi - that is, what is a 'soft board'? There are some softboards that are essentially PU (traditional) or most commonly EPS (epoxy) boards with a rubber (or whatever it is they use) top; then there are foam boards with a hard bottom and then there are the boards that are more or less very big bodyboards - foam all the way through.

Some of the ones in the first category arent bad boards, although they tend to be heavier than a PU only board due to their covering. The other problem can be their thick rails which makes turning harder and usually they come with soft fins (another problem with 'all foam' is that the fins wobble because there is no solid base). The other categories of boards really arent much good apart from the first few lessons.

So the surftech softops have a EPS core so are quite solid, but from memory weigh a ton (they may have changed). Land and sea and the el nino get good reviews as more 'normal' type surfboards and, as you have an el nino, you will know what they are like (I presume these are allowed at Sth Bondi).

A smaller board will be more manouverable just because its smaller. Thus as long as its a good quality 'softboard', that could be the answer in your case - perhaps not 'purist' or perfect, but if it helps you enjoy surfing then thats better than a custom made board that you can't enjoy.

Your other option is to rent (or 'trial') a normal board - say an 8ft one that is similar to your current board - and see whether it feels better. Because I guarantee that at some stage in your surfing career you are going to want a non-softtop, the question is whether you get it now or in 12 months time. I'm with DrowningBbyB here - it could be the answer now but it wont be the final answer.

Plus anyone who surfs at Bondi has to just accept its going to by full of poor surfers; if they dont like it then they can go to the northern beaches. At least you will know the rules and how to be safe and wont be one of the problems (I'm assuming...)

For what its worth, I was looking at the 7S Fish and the Firewire Addvance, which are fairly similar boards - however ended up going with a custom built 'mini mal'. It did cost about $300 more than the 7S ($100 more than the FW) - but I got to pick the colours! Its not finished yet but the spray job will knock your socks off...as the board flies toward your face after I fall off yet again.

[nickyb]

ooh I'm torn now - thanks for the advice guys - I've also looked the 7s fish does look like a pretty decent option and they come in big sizes.

And point taken on the already having a softboard, ah choices.

As for the whole surfing at Bondi issue, it's mainly the volume of people in the water plus it can be really aggro at the south end that puts me off, but up north it's (usually - see other post) pretty chilled out, not to mention extremely convenient. Plus my gf hates surfing, so my time on the northern beaches is pretty limited.