Best board for small to medium surf

[Lusi]

I have been ridding a 7'3'' minimal, I’m 6ft high and weight 154pd, still a intermediate/beginner surfer. I'm looking for a board to ride all year from summer to winter, here the waves are between 1ft - 5/6ft, the board emery the stump 6'4'' really got my attention with nice volume and shape, but i'm worried about how will behave in waves a bit higher. Whats your experience with hybrid fish boards or small wave ones in steeper waves? Should i get a small/medium wave board or a high volume shortboard with a bit more rocker?

[Big H]

For an all a rounder for what you're talking about I recently got a hybrid shortboard....dimensions are 6'4"x 20 1/2" x 2 3/4"....board goes great, catches waves easy and has functioned well in shoulder high to overhead so far....I'm still not very good, but this board is easier than others that I have getting into waves, fat and steep. I have a fishy kind of board that has a flatter rocker and while on fatter waves it is great I have more trouble with it, have to be more careful and precise in timing and positioning on steeper waves because of the really flat rocker which is why I'm selling it now that I found this board.

[billie_morini]

Wow, Big H, fabulous looking board! I bet you surf better than you stated above.

[oldmansurfer]

Is there something wrong with your 7'3" minimal? I think the board to pick for small to medium surf depends on your capabilities and what you want to do. I learned to surf steep waves with a 9'6 long board that had decent tail rocker but not much nose rocker. It worked well in waves from ankle high to double overhead high. Then I got a board that was 8' and had both nose rocker and tail rocker and recently got a 7'6" board that had no tail rocker and not much nose rocker and they all worked well in steep bigger waves. But for smaller waves the smaller board was better. I can surf my 8' board in small steep waves and big steep waves. The longboard works in all sizes too but is more difficult to do the type of maneuvers I like to do.

[Lusi]

@oldmansurfer just want something faster and more manoeuvrable, that can be fun in small and fat waves and also good in the steep ones. Maybe a hybrid shortboard with some rocker and good volume.

[Big H]

That board I listed has 37L...I see more and more around here (hybrid shortboards) in a variety of brands....

[Big H]

I have a 33L board that I used to like....was a real wave catcher....until I got this new one....I like this one so much better....the extra volume just makes it easier to ride and still can duck dive it easily on days / breaks where it is necessary....I posted the 33L board on the buy and sell and have three people looking at it now ....will have it sold by the weekend.

What I like best about the new board is that when catching a wave I feel like I just have to paddle then dive headfirst down the slope...usually it's one strong paddle with each hand then a double handed push when I "dive"....that and the extra volume and length means rides that are longer than on the other board....and I can top turn when I'm popping up much faster / better than on longer boards and am making faster waves now than I could before UNLESS I managed to get in really early with a longer board. I am going to have to improve ALOT to outgrow this board if I ever do....Good times!

[Lusi]

@thanks Big H i will look for a high volume shortboard maybe like yours, with some medium rocker so i still can surf with speed the small waves