Upgrading my wavestorm

[Zealex]

LOL when I read the topic "upgrading my wavestorm" I thought I would be reading about someone that upgraded fins or painted their board LOL, I need to stop having high expectations for something funny

Relevant
http://perfect-storm-fins.myshopify.com ... storm-fins

[Zealex]

I will look at some of the bigger boards on CL, but most tend to be way out of my price range.

Definitely do not want too hinder my learning but wouldn't go to a shorter board have to make me focus more on my balance, paddling and overall ability?

[dtc]

The problem with surfing is that you can't sort of succeed. You either catch the wave or you don't. You stand up or you don't. Unless you get over that threshold you aren't going to improve. A shorter board makes getting to that stage harder. If you make it too hard then you just can't get to the point of actually surfing. So why do it? Focusing really hard doesn't, unfortunately, help.

[Zealex]

The problem with surfing is that you can't sort of succeed. You either catch the wave or you don't. You stand up or you don't. Unless you get over that threshold you aren't going to improve. A shorter board makes getting to that stage harder. If you make it too hard then you just can't get to the point of actually surfing. So why do it? Focusing really hard doesn't, unfortunately, help.

Understandable, but I am able to catch waves fine and turn as well. I understand it would be harder to "drop down" but I would have to do that eventually. I feel I'm past the very basics and now need to experiment and see what else is out there. That's how I feel at least, not really sure what else I can do with my wavestorm...been thinking of trying to learn how to nose ride on it tho lol. I can imagine that'd take time and not sure if the board is even long enough for that (the leash tangles like crazy..).

[BaNZ]

I would strongly recommend that you rent one. You can easily rent all sort of different sizes for the day.

Or you could wait until I get there and you can try my board out!

[Zealex]

I would strongly recommend that you rent one. You can easily rent all sort of different sizes for the day.

Or you could wait until I get there and you can try my board out!

I would but the time I go to the beach all the rental shops are closed ..

That, and the time's I'm there during the day....so many people renting there's no circulation!

The only other experience I have with a shorter board is using my friends 7'5" board .. paddled fine on it but couldn't watch waves but that was before I got my wavestorm and properly learned how to surf so idk if that counts. He's away upstate so I wouldn't be able to try his board for a while to see how I feel :/

[jaffa1949]

You are arguing with a lot of zeal for the 7'6" , you don't need to convince us!
Buy it the proof of where you are in the surfing food chain will be evident, it is unlikely our suggestions as to suitability will convince you,and we could be wrong. ( unlikely , we have seen it before).

Happy to eat hat if it happens!

[BaNZ]

I was like that when I went down a size or several size. I recall that must have been over 2 years ago when Uncle Jaffa and everyone else told me not to be stupid. But I didn't listen and went ahead and bought a board that after two years, I still can't surf it.

It's like learning how to ride a bike, you think you could do everything. Then you take off the handlebars and you can't even ride it anymore.

[oldgrom22]

I say go to the beach earlier and get to the rental shop before all the "good" boards are taken. You said $ was an issue in you getting a longboard, why waste $ on a board you're not ready for or might not like. Don't be in a rush, rent first and see how you get on before you commit to buy. You don't have a whole lot of experience on different boards so it'll be a good lesson for you as well. For some laughs, towards the end of the rental period, ask them to switch you out to a shortboard and see how that feels

[Zealex]

I can stop by the surf shop and ask what boards they rent out at their surf shack at the beach I visit. It's 40 for the day IIRC so I guess that's fair. I'm assuming they'd have a 8' and 7'6" to try out.

Not intending to rush but I've read and talked to some people who dropped down from a 8ft to a 7'6" or started on a 7'6" no problem so I didn't really see the big deal in wanting to try and continue practicing on it. The guy at my surfshop said a 7'6" wouldn't be a bad place for me to start and I know he has a decent surfing background so I took that advice seriously. I just feel I've "outgrown" the wavestorm, so I want a new surfboard so I don't plateau but I like to ask questions so I know I'm on the right path ...

[Big H]

7 ft and 9 ft side by side....7 ft is like half the size.....you can't use your toes to pop up on a 7ft and has a third less volume. You will not outgrow a longboard....IMO one should stay in everyone's quiver....last time I rode that longboard it was 1.5OH (9-10 ft faces)....you WON'T plateau or outgrow it.....

You also won't learn if you can't catch a wave.....personal experience was that on a longboard I went from 2-5 waves in a two hour sash, sometimes none to 25+ waves a sesh....then I went to a 7'6" and was back to 2-5, sometimes none. The things you need to learn now are not necessarily riding the wave as much as reading waves, learning where to be, timing while catching, streamlining and making your pop up faster without looking down while looking down the wave, how to be clever getting out back even on a big board, and paddle fitness....always paddle fitness....spend the needed time on a bigger board (200hours give or take) working on these things, learn how to get up and get down the line left or right ALL the time in good conditions, then again in onshore, windy or otherwise crap conditions....build your posture while paddling, refine the paddling technique you have.....all of this will serve as a foundation and is MUCH easier to build that on a bigger board without giving away anything.

When I was starting out I was convinced as well that what was holding me up was that my board was too big to get out back through waves.....if I could just get a board small enough to get out back I said to myself.....long story short, I got a smaller board and duck dived my way out back only to not catch a single wave in two weeks.....yes two weeks.....I went back to my bigger board and found that after I put the time in doing the things that I said above, after I got good at catching and going down the line on waves waist high my paddling had improved.....and my ocean reading had improved....I figured out how to time my way out back between waves and sets.....was able to paddle out and keep my hair dry on days I previously couldn't even get out back.

I was out the other day and a surf instructor on an 8 ft foamie hit the lip going nearly vertical.......you need to get off the foamie and on a board with real fins....but ATM it is not the board holding you back. Go too small too fast and it will be the board holding you back.

[Big H]

Longboards will not hold you back....

[Big H]

Killing it on a wavestrom....

[Zealex]

One reason why I want a more maneuverable board, is that I'm genuinely afraid I'll hit someone with my longboard. During the weekends especially, the beach is flooded with surfers and there's no etiquette, no lineup...it's a literal free for all of everyone catches the waves together and tries not to crash. I've witnessed people dropping in other's waves and crashing into each other and some people running other people over lol. I try to stay on the side away from everyone but even then there's still some people nearby who will paddle in front of you when you're getting ready to catch a wave. I first surfed in California on spring break and it was a different environment...wasn't scared of killing anyone or getting hit cause everyone respected each other's space and the lineup. Boards hurt man..

With that being said, I wouldn't be opposed to a LB. Gonna run to my local surf shop see what they offer to rent, looking to play with a ~9', ~8' and ~7' and maybe a shortboard for fun and see what feels most comfortable. Seems like a good idea?

[jaffa1949]

Zealex...... Try a number of boards, that way you can see, etiquette ,missing in the surf means problems, but still the manoeuvrability depends on you. You are considerate of others ...... Good ...... But sometimes assertiveness is necessary!
Seems like a few forumites are over your way , take time to surf together and swap boards and ideas. Mutual support and new friends

[Zealex]

Haven't had a chance to rent a board, didn't go to the beach while the shop was open cause terrible waves

BUT...I found this longboard selling for 375. It's 9'3" ... Stumbled across it and just had to ask if it was worthwhile or not.

http://images.craigslist.org/01313_iZqx ... 00x450.jpg

[waikikikichan]

i'd like something shorter and thinner so I could learn to carve more

Then a Single Fin triple stringer Pin tail is NOT what you want. Pin tails can carve but its more a drawn out finesse / graceful kind of carve. Not the slashing type of turn I think you want to do. BUT if you can learn to slow down, put you feet in the right spot, use the rail, and load/release the single fin, you will be a much better surfer later. It won't be easy though.