by asilomarsurfer » Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:22 pm
Rickdean,
With regards to the tail, it isn't cut and dry. Medina (I know, not everybody's favorite surfer) rides a swallow tail, even in the bigger stuff. Depends how you like your boards to feel. This is just my opinion, but CI boards are designed for SoCal surf, they are all ghost-shaped, and the quality isn't that great. It's basically 100 extra for 3 hexagons. Don't succumb to their allure! There are better brands out there. Are you from Australia, you say? JS and DHD build great boards for waves with juice. What is your price point?
Jaffa, talking to a local shaper is always the best course of action. But, it can take forever. Maybe they have a better work ethic in HI but at least round here (and their are a lot of shapers in the Santa Cruz area) it's about 4-5 weeks, minimum. It depends on how long you want to stay there, Rickdean.
I would say, get a good stock board from a serious brand, and then fly Air Hawaii because there are no board fees! If you fly non stop there is.
Have fun in HI, and be careful! I wouldn't be so worried about the waves as much as the punch in the face you will get if you snake someone accidentally. Zero aloha spirit on Oahu.