What to look for in a big board for good waves?

[Tudeo]

It took me some time but finally I bought myself a longboard yesterday, it's an old well used Redz, a local shaper in Changgu. It's 9'2" x 22 1/4 x 3", the nose is 17" and the tail 15", 2 plus 1 fin system and a narrow square tail. It has a relaxed rocker line (for my longboard inexperienced eyes) the entry rocker is quite flat but it has a pronounced tail rocker in the last 1/4 of length so starting well before the fins. It has some weight to it about 8.3kg with fins and leash. I picked it up cheap to get some longboard experience and to learn what I want exactly.

After doing some stress tests in the house I took it out for a sunset surf at a crazy crowded Batu Bolong with a MSW prediction of 5-8ft faces. The guy I bought it from, an inexperienced surfer who also bought the board 2nd hand, never surfed it over 5.5ft..

My first impression while paddling was a bit worried about the nose of the board so close to the water, made me worry about pearling on takeoff. There was a lot of wind chop, that made it hard to get a good impression of paddling speed, but it got me outside much quicker than my shorter boards.

I had to get used catching waves, missed a lot in the beginning, I learned I needed a bit more steep face and not agle too much. But how about the pearling then?

Well, when I took off on more critical waves, still about 10 meters outside of the shortboarders, I was surprised by it's performance. Paddling for the wave, the moment I felt the lift and then the push of the wave, the nose lifted instantly and made for a pearl safe drop. It must be the magic of the tail rocker I think. It seems a best of two worlds: a flat entry rocker to get into the wave and a good tail rocker to lift the nose in the drop.

My first ride was a head high Left that felt, ehrm, easy, and gave me a long ride. But the feeling was a bit disappointing, like not feeling the wave. The thought crossed my mind: "ah yes, I remember this feeling from my earlier longboard rentals some years ago", long but unexciting rides.. Still I thought it's good enough to go out a bit more also in choppy conditions, just to keep fit. When I got dropped in on the inside still going left (normal when surfing Batu Bolong ) I just turned right stepped to the front third end and rode the inside right, a luxury a shortboard doesn't offer. (well my Addvance 606 can do this too sometimes..)

After that Batu Bolong left I paddled in the rip to Oldmans to go for a nice lower tide right, and there the magic struck. I got an almost 1.5 overhead right with a beautiful wall and a makeable section and it felt great. I was pumping up and down getting plenty of speed to make the section, and the board responded so intuitive I forgot all about it, it was just me and the wave. (actually on a more philosophical note I'm convinced there's no 'me' in that moment it's just ultimate reality, being one) What helped a lot for that was that it was a set wave far enough outside of the crowd so there was nobody paddling in my way, seldom for Oldmans. Stoked!

I just hope the board will stay in one piece long enough, at closer pre surf inspection in the house I found some cracks on the bottom laminate about in the middle of the board at 90 degrees of the length, like the laminate cracked a bit from bending too much. What worries me is a bit of dark area in the stringer at that spot. I guess there's a bit of water getting to the stringer, creating a bit of a weak spot I'm afraid. But in the house I put the board in a diagonal position resting the tail high and did some serious stress testing pushing the middle of the board and bending it. It didn't break so it is still strong enough to give me more of those fine waves I hope.

[BoMan]

Paddling for the wave, the moment I felt the lift and then the push of the wave, the nose lifted instantly and made for a pearl safe drop. It must be the magic of the tail rocker I think. It seems a best of two worlds: a flat entry rocker to get into the wave and a good tail rocker to lift the nose in the drop.

Surf Science agrees with you and raises the issue of board speed.

Tail kick also makes it easier to drop into waves without pearling because the upwards lift of the tail isn’t forcing the nose downwards as much as a straight tail rocker would....While a board with more tail rocker will offer increased control, this design will slow the board down.

http://www.surfscience.com/topics/surfboard-anatomy/rocker/different-rocker-shapes

What do you think?

[dtc]

I know when I got a board made I told the shaper it was mostly for steeper beach breaks and I wanted some more rocker; he told me he would increase the tail rocker. I was a bit but he explained it as the surf science guys did. Plus, on a shorter board, it also means you can raise the nose a bit more without bogging the tail through body weight changes.

That said, lack of nose rocker does come into play when you scream down a wave and start to set up for a 'beautiful' bottom turn, only to find the nose digs straight into the flat water at the base of the wave and you nose plant. So you do have to surf a flat rocker board a bit different

[Tudeo]

Surf Science agrees with you and raises the issue of board speed.
What do you think?

Good article thanks for the link!

I think that's correct, it's always a tradeoff where you gain something and lose something. In the case of increased tail rocker you gain the more pearl safe drop and increased control and turning ability while riding the face but you lose some speed. But in bigger waves say from shoulder high until 1.5+ overhead, for that I bought this board, there's enough speed to be found and a bit more control feels very nice and relaxing then.

Also the width of this board is 22 1/4 that's relatively narrow, that also seems to be good for bigger waves:

A more narrow and straight longboard will usually be faster and work better in bigger waves

And:

As a rule of thumb, more rocker equals a slower but looser board. Less rocker (flatter) will result in a faster board that’s tougher to turn. Longboards with more rocker are generally designed for bigger surf, while boards with less rocker work well in smaller surf. So for those surfers who want their board to be versatile, it’s best not to go to either extreme when it comes to rocker.

http://www.swimoutlet.com/guides/how-to ... or-surfing

I was looking for a board easier to paddle than my already high volume (48l) Addvance 6'6", and good in bigger waves. There's plenty bigger waves here these months, it took me a couple of sessions to feel a bit more comfortable in them. First time I went out with big waves I felt paralysed looking at those mountain sized walls coming towards me.

Also keeping position is much more difficult because there can be so much water moving around. You think you're safe on the shoulder next the channel but then find out too late your in the middle of the impact zone

So a board with better paddling speed is a big benefit. I feel good about this board, and the price My only concern is if it can take a beating and wont break in heavy white water. Today is 2x OH+ (MSW) with 18 sec period, hmmm.. I think I just go for a look and bring the board in case it looks doable.

To be honest that size scares me. But the crowds will be so reduced, what is so seldom this time of year, on my favorite wave..

[Tudeo]

That said, lack of nose rocker does come into play when you scream down a wave and start to set up for a 'beautiful' bottom turn, only to find the nose digs straight into the flat water at the base of the wave and you nose plant. So you do have to surf a flat rocker board a bit different

Learned that lesson the hard way first time I took the Addvance 606 into steeper overhead waves. Gave me a slight whiplash for a week to better remember the lesson.

[oldmansurfer]

If you learn to surf the board without rocker on steep waves then avoiding pearling will be a piece of cake on all boards. The thing about riding different boards is if you find something difficult with one board so then surf another board, then you may not learn how to deal with those conditions on the first board. It may be that once you learn to avoid pearling on the board with no rocker then you will enjoy it more on steeper waves, but if you just pick another board for steep waves you won't learn.

[Big H]

If you learn to surf the board without rocker on steep waves then avoiding pearling will be a piece of cake on all boards. The thing about riding different boards is if you find something difficult with one board so then surf another board, then you may not learn how to deal with those conditions on the first board. It may be that once you learn to avoid pearling on the board with no rocker then you will enjoy it more on steeper waves, but if you just pick another board for steep waves you won't learn.

I'd say yes and no to that......overwhelming yes to using equipment ill suited to a task but finding out how to make it work via ruthless trial and error will undoubtedly make you better at whatever skill that concerns.....learning to ride wheelies down the block on a huffy 10 speed for instance.....not everyone has the time for that though, and for many being thoroughly skilled is not the goal but rather just looking for becoming adequately competent.....right tool for the job can help to achieve that quicker.

[oldmansurfer]

It isn't a mater of the board being ill suited but of the surfer being ill suited to use that board in those conditions

[Tudeo]

If you learn to surf the board without rocker on steep waves then avoiding pearling will be a piece of cake on all boards. The thing about riding different boards is if you find something difficult with one board so then surf another board, then you may not learn how to deal with those conditions on the first board. It may be that once you learn to avoid pearling on the board with no rocker then you will enjoy it more on steeper waves, but if you just pick another board for steep waves you won't learn.

True.

The wipeout described above took me by total surprise, stupid me surfing steeper waves without thinking
Next time I will take that same board in those conditions (if ever) I will be more prepared for that, putting a bit more weight on the tail I guess. Or first do some less radical turns with weight on the tail to see if that works, before steering it straight down in the flats..

But already I found out a different board can make all the difference, I've 2 old boards around around 35 liters with two very different shapes, a 6'2" hybrid and a 6'10" hpsb, but both with a lot of rocker. I like to experience the differences in the same wave, it gives me the freedom to handle the crowds. Knowing what spot to surf and what conditions to expect and what board to use to have the edge

But I'm in a stage now where I just like to compare boards, I start feeling and understanding the differences. I'm trying to find the optimal shape/volume for the right waves and my current skills. A few years ago I tried this renting different boards but then I lacked basics to understand and even feel the differences, it all felt about the same

[oldmansurfer]

I think it is possible for someone to be familiar with a large amount of boards yet not a master of any of them. Instead of learning to use a board they just use a different one that they think will work better. I suppose that is what many may want to do but I am just pointing out if you want to use a board for waves that in theory it isn't suited for you can still most likely use it but if you switch boards every time you won't learn to use it.

[Tudeo]

Yes, I understand and I agree it's possible to do much, if not everything, using the same maybe non-optimal board just by mastering it.

But if I can make things easier using a better suited board for the occasion I'll gladly do so. But then first I must know what works for what situation.

When I look around in surfshops here there are so many boards and so many different designs, but unfortunately the sales people often talk total BS. So I've been buying some cheap 2nd hand boards with help from Facebook's buy&sell, that works good, if Big H doesn't beat me to it

[Big H]

I'm done for awhile!

I get what you are saying OMS....I have a longboard that I can ride in everything.....as big as I dare to as small as is possible.....I have a firewire dominator that I can't....I don't think too many can; it's got a specific purpose and is designed as such (softer small wave board)....I tried it in steeper pitching surf and got steeply pitched....could I learn to ride it in that? Maybe, maybe not as the tail of the board is super wide and thick; hard to take a bite out of a steeper wave.

I get the "it's the carpenter not the tool" thing, but at the same time, sometimes the tool (groveller or small wave board in Bali high season surf) just isn't suitable at all....living in Hawaii you should understand, there are alot of different kinds of waves and while you don't need 20 boards, quivers exist for a reason especially in a place like here that has waves breaking different kinds of ways every day, east coast, west coast, on and offshore in the same day if you want. I know that you have a board for all seasons, but not everyone approaches surfing the same way.

[BoMan]

The thing about riding different boards is if you find something difficult with one board so then surf another board, then you may not learn how to deal with those conditions on the first board..

I've learned a LOT from this thread. Thank you!

OMS brings up a great point about improving skills. After I get my all around longboard this fall I want to ride it in the 6 foot winter swell as well as the mellow summer stuff....so I will open a new discussion about big board skills for good waves.