When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

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When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby Blackvans1234 » Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:26 am

I’ve recently made a ton of progress in my surfing. I go out 2-3 times a day about 6 days/week. I am surfing anywhere from 1-5 ft waves (depending on the day, the average is 2 feet I’d say)

I wonder when I need to consider either a different board, either a fun board (mini tanker?), or a “proper” longboard, or something of that variety
I learned (paddling, pop up, some trimming) on a 9’2 epoxy surfing a beachbreak in south Florida, I’ve been living in Hawaii for about 5 weeks so now I’m surfing reef breaks and loving the consistency of the surf

These days I lm focused on paddling less (being more efficient with my energy since I’m surfing all day), bottom and top turns, proper kickouts, staying in the pocket and out of the flats, avoiding close outs if possible and the occasional cannonball when the time is right. ;)

I am 5’9 and about 185lbs (down from nearly 200)
To summarize, there’s a few things I want to know:

When should I consider a different board?
When will I be ready for a different board?
Is the wavestorm holding me back at all?
I’m under the impression that short boards are faster than longboards? - is this accurate or does it just seem that way because they’re doing many more turns in a smaller space?



I’ve also noticed that different breaks can be totally different from one another, in regards to wave speed, steepness if the face, likelyhood to close out, etc.

I want to get video of me surfing soon,I’m hoping a buddy of mine can be my personal photographer!

Please give me some insight on where to go from here! Tnx!
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby dtc » Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:54 am

The issue isn’t so much ‘when to upgrade’ but ‘when to change to X board’

So if you want to go from an 8ft wavestorm to an 8 or 9ft longboard, then go for it. You are ‘ready’ at any time you feel you want to change boards. These boards are suitable for people at your skill level just as much (or maybe even more) than a wavestorm

If you want to go for a shorter board, however, then you have to understand and weigh up the disadvantages. Something under 7ft may be a poor choice, for example.

I’m firmly in what are possibly incompatible camps: there is significant benefit in staying with and really learning the ins and outs of one board. But I’m also of the view that when you feel like you want a different board, then go for it - so long as you make a sensible choice. If you don’t like your current board or you want to try something different, it will just nag at you every time

As to whether short boards are faster - no and yes. No if you just stand on it; yes if you really pump it (which you can do more than on a longer board). Shorter boards can make sharper turns because they are shorter (and weigh less)

Summary - for sure, buy a new board. Just make a sensible choice and you have nothing to lose
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby waikikikichan » Wed Jun 27, 2018 12:24 pm

I used to surf Waikiki everyday, ( but now I'm in Japan ). You're lucky you are in the birth place of surfing. The advice you are asking for might get different answer depending on where the the surfer surfs.

1) So what break are you surfing at in Hawaii ? At Waikiki ? If so, Queens, Canoes, Pops or Publics ?
2) Are you going to school at the University of Hawaii ?
3) What surf shops do you visit.
4) Where did you get your Wavestorm ? At Costco or from Craigslist ?
5) What other sports do you play ?
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby Blackvans1234 » Wed Jun 27, 2018 12:35 pm

waikikikichan wrote:I used to surf Waikiki everyday, ( but now I'm in Japan ). You're lucky you are in the birth place of surfing. The advice you are asking for might get different answer depending on where the the surfer surfs.

1) So what break are you surfing at in Hawaii ? At Waikiki ? If so, Queens, Canoes, Pops or Publics ?
2) Are you going to school at the University of Hawaii ?
3) What surf shops do you visit.
4) Where did you get your Wavestorm ? At Costco or from Craigslist ?
5) What other sports do you play ?



Hey!
I'm in Maui, currently on the west side. I surf at Breakwall and at the harbor. I feel blessed to be here. The sad part in Lahaina is that there really are no "decent" (meaning has more than 5-8 boards) surf shops, as it is a tourist destination. I've been out of college for about 5 years now, taking a break from my career and i'm on the pursuit of happiness. I got my wavestorm from Costco. I used to compete locally (in Florida) in badminton. Unfortunately on Maui theres a place about 1 hour away where they play, but my car is in storage on the mainland. (and the level of competition is quite different here).
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby Blackvans1234 » Wed Jun 27, 2018 12:44 pm

dtc wrote:The issue isn’t so much ‘when to upgrade’ but ‘when to change to X board’

So if you want to go from an 8ft wavestorm to an 8 or 9ft longboard, then go for it. You are ‘ready’ at any time you feel you want to change boards. These boards are suitable for people at your skill level just as much (or maybe even more) than a wavestorm

If you want to go for a shorter board, however, then you have to understand and weigh up the disadvantages. Something under 7ft may be a poor choice, for example.

I’m firmly in what are possibly incompatible camps: there is significant benefit in staying with and really learning the ins and outs of one board. But I’m also of the view that when you feel like you want a different board, then go for it - so long as you make a sensible choice. If you don’t like your current board or you want to try something different, it will just nag at you every time

As to whether short boards are faster - no and yes. No if you just stand on it; yes if you really pump it (which you can do more than on a longer board). Shorter boards can make sharper turns because they are shorter (and weigh less)

Summary - for sure, buy a new board. Just make a sensible choice and you have nothing to lose



Thanks for the reply!
I didn't type it out in my initial post because A) I was on mobile and B) my post was a bit long anyway but I guess ill mention it here.

My first month on Maui I got to rent a bunch of different boards. Initially a 9' epoxy (what i'm familiar with), then a 10' for 2 sessions, back to the 9'. Then one day I swapped boards for about 20 minutes with a friend who had a 7'6 and DANG, it felt quite short LMAO. I dont think I had too much trouble with it. After that, I tried a 8' NSP longboard and fell in love with it's relative maneuverability (vs the 9 and 10'), and I ended up using that for probably 10-15 sessions. Then I bought the wavestorm.
One of the guys at the rental place claims he knows a shaper that'll hook me up with a board on the cheap - like 200$. I kinda believe that it is to good to be true, however if not, then I will talk to him and get his advice. I am also on the craigslist hunt, and even (Sit down if you're standing) considering buying a board or two from epoxy board manufacturers in china.
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby RinkyDink » Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:00 pm

I think the ideal setup for a surfer is to have a lot of boards to choose from every time they go out surfing. I have a lot of surfboards that range from a 9'6" single fin (epoxy sandwich construction) to a Wavestorm thruster to a twin fin fishy board 7'2" to a 6'4" thruster (PU) and few others I need to sell. I have one board I tend to surf more than the others. However, the one constant in my quiver is my longboard. When I get into a rut on my usual board, I switch to my longboard and things become clear again. My longboard is like a laboratory for me; it's the board I return to to work things out. I've been riding it for the last month and so many things I'm doing wrong show up for me on that board. Another reason I love riding my longboard is because it's such a fast paddler. I find it really helpful for dialing in wave reading skills because it's so easy to position myself with it, the exception being getting it turned around quickly. Nevertheless, I'm ready to go back to my mini-mal because I'm looking for sharper maneuverability again. Anyway, I would suggest you get a board similar to the one you tried and liked, but keep your eyes peeled for a good, affordable longboard on Craigslist. When things aren't working for you on a shorter boards, taking out a longboard is a great way to change things up and get a different perspective on your surfing.
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby dtc » Thu Jun 28, 2018 3:08 am

Blackvans1234 wrote:One of the guys at the rental place claims he knows a shaper that'll hook me up with a board on the cheap - like 200$. I kinda believe that it is to good to be true, however if not, then I will talk to him and get his advice. I am also on the craigslist hunt, and even (Sit down if you're standing) considering buying a board or two from epoxy board manufacturers in china.


Probably the other question I should have asked is 'what is your ultimate aim' ie do you want to
- be a long boarder
- be a shortboarder
- be an all rounder who can surf long or shorter depending on the day

Many people start off wanting to be the second, but most people end up wanting to be the third. And shorter might mean 5'6 or might mean 6'10.

In any case, given how frequently you are surfing, and given that like all surfers you will end up buying, trying and maybe keeping multiple boards, I think something around a mid 7ft funboard type shape probably will be a good choice, although I dont know the breaks you are surfing at. So this is purely a 'skill level and board to try something new' advice, not a 'that board is a good choice for your break'. Hopefully wkk will chime in on that. But there would be nothing wrong with getting an 8ft or 9ft longboard and surfing that - you will notice the difference from the wavestorm even if the length is similar.

I was talking to a guy recently about the cheaper chinese boards, he works in a business that imports a lot of them. He said that the designs of the boards were really good BUT the quality control at the factories wasnt that good. So you would get boards that were high quality, matched the design and well made, and then the next board would have problems. Even though most (all?) are shaped by CNC machine, they still need people to finish shape them, route fin boxes / install fins, glass them etc, usually by someone who has never surfed.

So they are definitely an option and I am not against anyone buying them, but keep in mind that they may not be a board that lasts for 20 years (whereas my longboard is 20 years old). That said, a badly made custom board wont last 20 years either. As an interim board and as a try out board, absolutely they fill a market gap.

Note that there are plenty of manufacturers who make their boards overseas but have good to excellent QC eg Firewire. But they do charge more
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby Blackvans1234 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:26 pm

Ultimately I would like to be an all around rider, but I like the maneuverability of shorter boards. On the wavestorm I’m trying to learn both styles (progressive surfing - turns and carving) and traditional long boarding style (noseridig and smooth style). The style I practice is usually determined by the waves that day.

The Chinese boards with cost over $300 to ship to me, plus the 200 or so dollars to buy the board. Basically they’re out of the question.

We’ve got a good swell here today with some head high sets so I might rent a shorter board (fish or fun board)to see what it’s all about
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby jaffa1949 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:27 pm

I'll say it once again, the shortness of a board does not make it more manoeuvrable, it is the skill of the rider that makes the manoeuvre.
Watch Julian Wilson currently leading world tour, he can put a 9ft board through turns we only dream about.

Get good on a long board then go down :lol:
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Re: When to upgrade from the wavestorm?

Postby Blackvans1234 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:20 pm

jaffa1949 wrote:I'll say it once again, the shortness of a board does not make it more manoeuvrable, it is the skill of the rider that makes the manoeuvre.
Watch Julian Wilson currently leading world tour, he can put a 9ft board through turns we only dream about.

Get good on a long board then go down :lol:


I agree with you! I just was surfing at a fairly crowded spot and a pro surfer (sonny Garcia sp?) was there. I was inside and got to see him do a sweet snap of some sort on a longboard.
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