GSI v local NSW shaper

[DoctorZMC]

Hi,

Im a very enthusiastic kook looking to get into the surf. And my question is what board to buy.
(Grew up 10km from the beach my whole life, love the water, just never ever got around to picking up a board)

I spent the week on waikiki last week and had a couple of lessons on a foamy and loved every second of it. Ive decided i want to buy a board and get into the water ASAP and as much as possible.

Ive spent the last 7 days of my life reading everything on the topic of beginner boards ect and i realise that given my intention to be in the water so much that I would quickly outgrow a foamy which basically leaves one of the GSI popouts or going to some shaper here in NSW, Australia

So, about me:
22yrs old, 95kg and about 195cm tall
Moderate fitness. Plan on being in the water aprox 3 times per week
I live in Newcastle Australia but will also surf on the northern beaches of Sydney occasionally.
I care more about the fun than looking cool (i.e. wavecount is a hell of a lot more important to me than riding some paper thin shortboard) but would like to eventually learn to ride shorter boards.

Now the GSI board that looks most appropriate for me is the Modern Blackbird
(http://www.surfindustries.com/surfboard ... ckbird.php) which closes in on $1000 dollars.
Given the level of investment for a factory mass-produced board I'd rather support Aussie businesses who are making great boards if they can come in for a similar price point.

That being said, im unsure of what a 8-9ft mal would cost me from a sydney/newcastle shaper but it appears based on what DJB surfboards put on their website (http://djbsurfboards.com.au/surfboards/) that i would also be paying around the same price. I don't know anything about DJB so im not sure if they are any good but i liked the look of their site and referenced them since they published price ranges (which isn't common).

Can anyone recommend a decent shaper in Sydney/Newcaslte who could make me decent board or is the Modern Blackbird the way to go?

NB: I understand that buying a secondhand board may be a better option pricewise but i prefer to know everything about what i own and seeing someone else's dings on my board would annoy me more than anything.

[dtc]

First up, welcome. I understand your thing about second hand boards, but have a think again as:

a. possibly (unlikely) you may not enjoy surfing or other things get in the way and you don't use it much;
b. more likely, after a year or so you decide you want to move to a shorter board (7ft ish) and then you never surf your longboard again (or is that just me?)
c. dings happen, you don't care after a while. Its like a new car - for 6 months every scratch drives you insane, after 12 months you don't even wash it (or is that just me as well?) (actually, car scratches never worried me, good thing given my wife's driving ability..)(she doesn't read this forum, fortunately )

A good option is to find a few shapers with good reputations and then hang around gumtree or ebay or the second hand part of surf shops and see if you can snag a board from them. The obvious longboard shaper is McTavish but there are others of course (my first board was a Skipp, from Wollongong, and they are really good). But at beginner level, to be honest, a solid longboard will generally be a solid longboard, even without the name.

If dings worry you, perhaps look at an epoxy board. A cheap brand that a lot of people on here really like is Torq, which you can now get at Natural Necessity - their 9ft for $650 (plus postage I guess). I have never checked one out in the flesh, but from what others say its really well made and would be perfect as a first board. I reckon have a good look at this as first option. By all accounts its as good as the GSI stuff (and a trip to surf around Kiama is always worth it and saves the postage). A more expensive option is a Walden mega magic.

If you want a shaper recommendation (and, yes, shapers are generally pretty much the same price as a quality off the rack board), Grant Miller is a fantastic shaper and a fantastic guy, specialises in boards for bigger guys, and is based in Mona Vale. So pretty much perfect.. You will want his Powerglide - its not a longboard as such - on his site he lists it as up to 8ft, but he will make them bigger if needed. I have one (7ft4) and its so well made and a great board. He has a website - its a bit hyperbolic but in person he is nothing like that, he is very passionate about getting the right board for you. If he doesnt think he can do it, then he will tell you. The prices are on his site - marginally above the quotes you mentioned but worth it.... (did you get I am a fan...). Give him a call; if he isn't the right person then he will tell you who is.

Of course, the problem with shapers is that it will be 2-3 months from order to board. Can you wait that long?

Anyway, good luck, let us know if/when you have further questions

[jaffa1949]

You can't get two more local shapers in Newcastle Than Mark Richards and Sam Egan. In Merewether and Islington respectively.

There is also Slimes surf shop a central coast originally.

If you want to go as far as the Central Coast , I would recommend Gary Loveridge of Wizstix surfboards, he shaped all my boards when I lived there. He designed the the original 7S for bigger guys. I always liked his boards and only distance stops me from buying more.
He is at Long Jetty!

[DoctorZMC]

First up, welcome. I understand your thing about second hand boards, but have a think again as:

a. possibly (unlikely) you may not enjoy surfing or other things get in the way and you don't use it much;
b. more likely, after a year or so you decide you want to move to a shorter board (7ft ish) and then you never surf your longboard again (or is that just me?)
c. dings happen, you don't care after a while. Its like a new car - for 6 months every scratch drives you insane, after 12 months you don't even wash it (or is that just me as well?) (actually, car scratches never worried me, good thing given my wife's driving ability..)(she doesn't read this forum, fortunately )

a) unlikely, i regret not starting sooner, its something ive always wanted to do
b) not sure, i wont know until i try. but im not the sort of guy that would sell a board.
c) sure, but its more that i prefer to know where the dings (and repair jobs) came from

If dings worry you, perhaps look at an epoxy board. A cheap brand that a lot of people on here really like is Torq, which you can now get at Natural Necessity - their 9ft for $650 (plus postage I guess). I have never checked one out in the flesh, but from what others say its really well made and would be perfect as a first board. I reckon have a good look at this as first option. By all accounts its as good as the GSI stuff (and a trip to surf around Kiama is always worth it and saves the postage). A more expensive option is a Walden mega magic.

Thanks for the recommendation, lll have a look into it but dings ect are part of the sport, not a massive worry - i just like to know where they came from (same with the scratches on my phone screen)

If you want a shaper recommendation (and, yes, shapers are generally pretty much the same price as a quality off the rack board), Grant Miller is a fantastic shaper and a fantastic guy, specialises in boards for bigger guys, and is based in Mona Vale. So pretty much perfect.. You will want his Powerglide - its not a longboard as such - on his site he lists it as up to 8ft, but he will make them bigger if needed. I have one (7ft4) and its so well made and a great board. He has a website - its a bit hyperbolic but in person he is nothing like that, he is very passionate about getting the right board for you. If he doesnt think he can do it, then he will tell you. The prices are on his site - marginally above the quotes you mentioned but worth it.... (did you get I am a fan...). Give him a call; if he isn't the right person then he will tell you who is.

Of course, the problem with shapers is that it will be 2-3 months from order to board. Can you wait that long?

Anyway, good luck, let us know if/when you have further questions

I just did a quick skim of this guys site - looks pretty much what i'm after. Ill definitely give him some consideration.
2-3 months actually isnt an issue because I am (unfortunately) getting on a plane on saturday to singapore for a few months for work and will get back when it starts to get warm again.

[DoctorZMC]

You can't get two more local shapers in Newcastle Than Mark Richards and Sam Egan. In Merewether and Islington respectively.

There is also Slimes surf shop a central coast originally.

If you want to go as far as the Central Coast , I would recommend Gary Loveridge of Wizstix surfboards, he shaped all my boards when I lived there. He designed the the original 7S for bigger guys. I always liked his boards and only distance stops me from buying more.
He is at Long Jetty!

The Superfish was one of the boards i was thinking "maybe i could push it" im really suprised that it was created so close to home.
Ive heard good things about slimes, i might pop in there and see what they have to say (especially since they carry MR's boards).

[dtc]

Yeah, MR is a gfreat choice as well - I've long been tempted by a few of his 'retro' series (Puffer fish, flying saucer etc).

Any of these guys will make you a good board. And you get to have a custom spray job, which is the best part...

[waikikikichan]

Get a 2nd hand board or a molded epoxy like a Torq or NSP first. You can beat it up and make mistakes ( like bumping in the stairwell or dropping it at the shower ) and not be so frustrated on those. If you get a custom board with a cool paint job, you'll be too scared to surf around others. If you can't be at the peak with the pack, then you be in a worse position and get in more trouble ( and likely more dings ). After you realize how to care for your board and learn to ride better, Then get that new board.

[DoctorZMC]

I hadn't heard about Torq until i asked this question. Maybe thats the way to go...
And save my cash for this time next year.