Why is it hard to buy a longboard 11'+ in Northern Cali?

[totalgeek]

I've been trying for weeks now to buy a longboard in the San Francisco, CA area. Some background - I'm a very late in life beginner and only started surfing. I'm heavy not Jimbo Pelligrine heavy but up there. I started learning on a foamy board and still have problems catching green waves but I figure if I can get a my own long board I can learn faster.

I don't know what volume will float me and most of my local shops don't rent anything past a 9'6". One has an 11 footer but it doesn't have the dimensions I want looking at WIDTH: 25" and thickness of 3.75+ (maybe a 4).

All the shops that have websites and email addresses why don't they respond? Why is it hard to find a longboard in Northern California? Walking in I get sales people that laugh "haha 11 foot longboard? No one rides those anymore this 8' will float you" uh I don't think so if the measurements are smaller than the foamy I rent. I want to learn I want to be out there burning weight off my fat ass. When you say send me an email and don't respond for days or weeks why even ask me to send an email or why have a website?

It's getting so frustrating I'm thinking of just calling it quits and finding something else to burn the fat but surfing is transcendental. I enjoy being on the wave, for the times I do catch it, I'm just amazed at the lack of response I get from shops, shapers, and private party on craigslist. Why does it take days to find out if your distributor has a board in stock? Are they not using an inventory management system, is it all old school (pen & paper)?

I just want to surf and have a board that will float me.I don't want to be laughed at when looking for a longboard, and I dislike being dismissed or having no one respond. Is this typical of the Northern California longboard buying scene? For all you guys that are surfing. I envy you.

[oldmansurfer]

I don't know but you can probably find a surfboard maker near you who has an online order process and get one made to whatever specifications you want but it may be expensive or not.... I would look in the phonebook for surfboard sellers near you and check to see if they have online ordering. One of the things they have here in Hawaii is surfboard swap meets. They happen regularly and they probably have them in San Fran check it out try googling San Francisco Surfboard swap meet if you want a used one

[jaffa1949]

Global surf industries make a 10'6" and an 11' in their NSP. Range, but I suggest you fess up and maybe tell us your weight and height and maybe we can help more!

Do yourself a favor don't listen to light weight muppets in surf shops, they will tell you anything, largely clueless about surfing with length !

[totalgeek]

Thanks all. I was looking at the NSP 11' but here is the problem. I went to two shops both *distributors* told me they don't have it in stock and it's expensive to update a website. I work on a large website and real time inventory isn't expensive. One shop said "I called my rep and he said the site is wrong they will get back to me in a couple days to see if they have boards in their East coast plant." What? Why a couple days? I want to give you money, their website says it's in stock. When I did livechat with GSI they said 'ya they're in stock'. I want to build a rapport with a local shop as my skill is growing and I want to have that connection.

I may goto a shaper but even getting them to respond to inquiries has been hard. It just seems that everyone is laid back and not in a rush to respond. Ya I'm rushed I want to keep the momentum going. It's been awesome to stand up on some of the waves and that's a feel I want to keep going. I'm hoping with better equipment I can stand up on more waves.

I'm about 5'9" and between 275-285 and the reason I'm looking for a long board. I find the 9'6" sometimes torques, hard to stay on when paddling, foamy boards. But the epoxy I have rented worked fine however they don't have anything 10'+ to rent. One of my hesitations is I can't rent a board and try it to see if it fits and all surfboard sales here, including private party, are final.

[jaffa1949]

You could also look at the Surftech range theyare offering on their American site a number of 10ft models epoxy, so floaters.

Robert August , Hobie also offers a range of boards both epoxy and in PU in the 10ft range Have a look at this site Jacobs Surfboards http://www.hapjacobssurf.com/html/mainSurfboards.html models up to 10'8" ?
Hopefully the sites are valid I dislike old outdated sites. 10ft could be workable for you but it is a risk to buy without try, So of the better small SUPs could come into play , but I won't advise you on that!
The Tom Wegener model looks a goer
Keep hunting , tip don't let onshore troubles effect your surfing

[dtc]

Another board is the walden mega magic. Only goes to 9ft6 but is very wide(24.5!) and thick (4'); or the plain magic which goes over 11 ft Also a GSI board so maybe the same problems; but there must be online stores in the USA? Even I little old Australia we can order boards over the net (actually the walden on line store has a 10 ft board in stock)

Forget building a rapport with a store. There are some really good ones but lots just have kids who work for a few years and leave. Build a rapport witha shaper when you decide to go down that route

[totalgeek]

Thanks guys. I'm going to keep moving forward and try to get a board. Yes, I was frustrated just because don't have a website or email as a form of contact and not respond. Or don't tell me after I call "this sounds good, send me your dimensions and what you are looking to do by email and I will get back to you" and not get back. Those board tips look good.

As I said I wanted a shop because if the board came to me disassembled or if their was a flaw, since I'm a total noob, I figure a shop person would have been able to identify it immediately and setup the board correctly. Plus I could deal with the shop to send back warranty repairs or replacements.

Maybe I just bite the bullet and talk to a shaper. I just wanted to have more skill than I have now so I can tell them what I want. But since most of the ones I've tried to reach out to in Pacifica, CA and Santa Cruz, CA haven't returned calls or emails I feel that route is out the window. I'm going to keep plugging along and I promise if I can't find a store or shaper I will just order a board online.

And as a noob it's hard for me to talk to a store or online assistance. I don't know what easy or floatable for me is. I know I can make a 9'6" gnaraloo and NSP work, but I don't know if it's optimum or efficient for my skill range. Everytime I goto a shop or talk to someone they say "What an 11'? Nah this 9'6" or 10' will float you" and I'm thinking really because the measurements are smaller than what I use now so I think that has less volume. I just wish there was a place that rented boards that they sold. How as a new surfer with nothing in my quiver am I supposed to figure out what works for me? Plus I could be an outlier as in I being a fat ass am a smaller market then a majority of surfers so why cater to me? *sigh* I just want to keep learning and surfing.

Would it be prudent to goto a shaper now and just say "Hey I'm a beginner this is my height and weight. I want a longboard that will float me and easy to catch waves on?" Is that enough info to get a board that will last a year or two?

[oldmansurfer]

The longer the board the more expensive it is. For a while it was because availability of blanks due to Clark Foam shutting down. I think long boards were being used as blanks to make shorter boards or at least I thought so. I think if you can talk to a shaper then you can get a better idea what you need. The shapers I have known were very knowledgeable about how big of a board you need for your size and also related to your current state of health and fitness and skill.

[gd6]

Don't let a few less-than-helpful people prevent you from doing something you enjoy. I'm sure you'll find someone who can help you get a 10ft+ board that is wide and thick.

There is a local shaper in socal who specializes in longboards up to 11' and says he ships worldwide . No online ordering but just reassuring you that you will be able to find someone who will help you find what your looking for if you keep calling around. It may seem like its become a big hassle at this point, but it really sounds like surfing could become an amazing part of your life as it has for many of us here, so don't give up your search!

http://www.purefunlongboards.com/Order% ... Guide.html

[totalgeek]

Thanks guys. Everyone that responded you are the embodiment of the type of surfers I've met on the beach, willing to give advice, friendly, and willing to lend you a board after only have met you for 10 minutes. I vow to keep looking until I find a board. I will be in the water and I don't care what it takes.

[dtc]

There is no 'magic' board that will be 'perfect' for you - there are just boards that will be good and boards that will be less good (and some that will be hopeless). You are on the right track; a long thick board. Whether 9ft6 or 11ft will make a huge difference I'm not sure - there is a difference and the longer the more stable, but on the other hand the longer the harder to control in the water (eg getting out through the white water), the less suitable for steep waves (that long nose) etc. All boards are a trade off with something else.

Putting it another way, the boards you are looking at will not make or break your skill development - all of them will be fine. It wont be the board holding you back or causing you to spend hours falling off or nose diving or being pummelled by the white water or ... all the other things that every learner surfer has gone through (and would like to have blamed his/her board for). The differences between the boards you have (correctly) chosen to consider probably wont be very noticeable to you for quite some time; until your skills are much better.

I'm pretty sure that if a 9ft6 floats you well enough, then most boards of that length or longer will be perfectly fine, especially if you get a thick ones

Setting up a board is somewhere between very basic and incredibly complex...but for most of us its very basic. Stick the fins in, attach the leg rope, wax and go. There is a bit of playing around with fin position but the concept is simple (assuming a 3 fin set up, the further back the centre fin the more stable but the harder to turn). And thats it, onto the water. So no real need for a relationship with a surf shop.

Probably one thing to think about is your fins - you are likely to want larger than normal fins. Once you have decided on the board and know the fin system (there are only 2 - FCS and Futures, but they each have their own fins designs), pop back and we can suggest (although if the board comes with fins, that may well be perfectly fine).

[totalgeek]

Thanks, dtc, that's my problem I don't know whether my skill is being hampered. Sometime when I hit the beach surfers tell me "You need a longer board look at 11-12' it will accelerate your learning much easier to catch waves" but I have no confidence whether its my board or if I'm just going through the learning phase. And that is what holds me back. I can't seem to rent anything pass a 9'6" foamy around here. I want a nice thick board to try but the only way I can demo one is by buying it and at that point sales are final.

[dtc]

I guess all I can say is:

1. even with a 'less perfect' board, you can still learn. It will take longer, but eventually you will succeed.

2. you arent going to get better spending time deciding what board to buy...

If you are getting frustrated, just buy off the gsi online store

http://www.surfindustries.com/shop/us/

GSI arent 'top of the range' but they are solidly built, popular and perfectly good beginner to intermediate boards. Not incredibly cheap on the other hand (a shaper may in fact be cheaper). Or hang out on craigslist etc - you know what you want, buy second hand, if it doesnt work out then you can onsell

[seantyr]

Dude, I hear you!

I am having Louis Martin of Maui Tropics custom make me a long board for $800.00
Here is Brian #(808) 281-9900 his shaper. Call hI'm up and he will style you out with whatever you want. He is making me an 11 footer right now that's 10'.8" x 23 x 3 7/8 that's pretty much what you want. I highly don't recommend 25 inches wide unless you are like over 300 lbs.

Call him up and he can have you any board you want, including paint job and all clear coat polished. Shipping might cost you $175.00 by aloha air freight or Hawaiian or some place, but they can figure that out for you.

Tell you what, get your custom board from Maui and go rub it in the nones of all those eccentric wave snobs. They will be so jealous when they see your board, they will be speachless. Not to mention you will be catching all the waves way before they even have a chance on their little gay as 8 footers.

Goodluck man!
Tyr

[jaffa1949]

Quite an old post , I wonder how he got on, if he didn't yourpost could help,