Decision about purchasing a new board

[odedshankar]

Hi Guys,

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum, that's my intro post:
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=36666

A that is my current quiver:
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=15393&p=224833#p224833

I'm 42 yo, 5'6 and currently 83kg.
I've started surfing 7 months ago, 1-3 times a week mainly in rainbow Bay/coolangatta QLD.
Initially I looked like a dead fish in the water, and started to replace boards and experiment until I found my go to board NSP 10'0 Endless PU, I love this board which is 10, 23-3/4, 3.5, 96 ltr board with a generous rocker for a log -https://www.nspsurfboards.com/product/pu-endless/
At the beginning I was catching white water and small unbroken waves and now I feel very comfortable with 2-5 foot waves and my wave count is quite high if the lineup is not super crowded. I can trim and glide with ease using my favorite board and starting to turn and move on the wave, so using this board I progressed a lot in the past few months. Given it's size this board is very lively, responsive and I love it's feel, speed, and endless glide. I don't have much experience but this board is the best I ever ridden, pure joy for me. I experimented a lot in the recent months and bought and sell many boards borderline with addiction tried all of those in my quiver not enough times probably, but didn't find any real joy I must say, I can surf on all of them, but not enjoying as much as my go to board so always finding myself going back to it. Although it's great I was thinking to get something with same floatation and easy paddling capability but one that is supposed to be more manoeuvrable, was looking at purchasing the Walden mega magic in 9'6 or 9'0, but dam these boards are not cheap, and after all I spent in the past 6 months on boards, my wife is about to give me the funny look again haha, although I do plan to sell few of the boards I purchased. My question is, from your experience, do you think that a mega magic will be different from my 10'0 endless nsp board? and worth spending? or should be quite similar and better to stick with my magic board and keep on improving my basic skills with it?

During the past week I tried the Modern Blackbird 9'1 which supposed to have 78 ltr but doesn't feel like it. It's harder paddling with it and when I catch waves they are very short rides and the board feels unbalanced and very light, do you think the mega magic would be closer to my big boy gliding wise, with more ability to move?

Would love hearing your opinions.
At the moment I surf only points, either rainbow/greenmount or the pass at Byron.

Thanks

[dtc]

Seems like your primary aim with the new board to get something more manoeuvrable. So slightly narrower, maybe a bit shorter, narrower nose perhaps

I’m not sure the Walden will give you that - it’s shorter but still pretty wide (the 9’ is 24 wide and 4 thick!). Sure a 9ft will be different, and probably a bit easier to turn, but it wont be hugely different. They are nice boards and super easy to catch waves and very forgiving, but definitely expensive and I just don’t see that they are all that different to your current board

You could look at the Torq range (don/xl or just the longboard), but they are epoxy like the blackbird and you might find them a bit too light as well.

Sounds like you would prefer a traditional fibreglass board with the extra weight, in which case (other than hunting up a second hand - which is the best option - or coughing up for a McTavish), maybe think of getting something custom made? You should be able to find someone good for about $1,000 if not cheaper. Of course second hand will be many $100 cheaper

Don’t worry about your skill level if you get a custom - you don’t need to be good to get a board made for you.

Given you have your existing board, you could even look for something around 8’6 or even 8’ if you wanted. These shorter boards definitely won’t glide like a 10’; it’s always going to be a trade off between glide (longer the better) and manoeuvrability (shorter is generally ‘better’ - although of course you can still turn on a longboard)

So... I don’t think the Walden will be sufficiently different from your current board in the way that you want your next board to be different. Something more akin to the blackbird will offer that difference - if you like the heavier boards then get a fibreglass one rather than epoxy

Having said all that....there isn’t really any downside to staying on your current board. You are catching waves, having fun, improving - what more do you want from your surfing?

[odedshankar]

Thanks for your detailed reply dtc.
I agree, I am considering just staying with my current board, as I always enjoying my surfing sessions and that's what it's all about for me at my age. It looks like I'm after the thrill of trying new equipment but I was suspecting that the mega magic wouldn't be that different, but worth asking experienced surfers. In regards to the Blackbird, I actually have the PU version of it, not epoxy, but I don't know, after 3 sessions with it, it doesn't feel right for me, feels very light and unbalanced under my feet, it surely turns much easier, but the rides so much shorter that it bums me, I will give it few more sessions and see how it goes. It feels like it's lightly glassed, and also got few depressions quite easily although it's fairly new. I got few second hand boards in good prices, I got a PU 8'0 7s SuperFish, I tried it only once, and was a bit hard for me to paddle and catch waves going down from a 10'0, but the 2 waves that I catched were good fun although short, it had the glide feeling and I could surely move it around easily. I also got a McTavish 9'6 fireball Evo, that I got quite cheap after it was creased and repaired, tried it few times, was okay, but didn't fell in love with it. When I'm writing now I understand that I need to stop buying boards and try the ones that I bought more often

[Oldie]

I like the Torq Shapes, epecially the new Tec Don. Pretty flat nose rocker, so it should be a good glider, and the XL version in 9.6 has loads of volume. Alternativey, the Longboard in TET CS at 9.6 with 88l. That seems to have much more rocker and is cheaper.

[odedshankar]

Thanks Oldie, the Tec Don does look interesting model for me in the XL based on the specs, thanks for pointing me this way. I'll keep that as an option but hard to find those in my area. Since i have few Longboards already in my quiver i want make the right choice this time, so will love to hear some experiences from surfers that owned or surfed Walden Mega Magic or also this Torq Tec Don XL if someone tried it, or anything else which is super buoyant and floatie but still can move it around if such a beast exists at all.

[waikikikichan]

or anything else which is super buoyant and floatie but still can move it around if such a beast exists at all.

No such beast exists. Surfboards like computers, baseball bats or paint brushes, have no potential on their own without the user.

[odedshankar]

Point made Waikikichan, I should surely improve my skills more than anything else, and I'm super dedicated to that, although I do not completely agree to this statement, as up to now I tried 10 different boards, and one surely was better than the rest for my personal needs and helped me progress a lot in a short time, so some boards are better than others for a specific time in the learning curve. So still looking for inputs from someone who used the Walden mega magic and has some real world input about the board.

[dtc]

Having now read your other post re all the boards you have tried - I don’t think you will find a board much different from the ones you have already tried. The Walden might be different to them but not much different from your current board

FWIW i have surfed a Walden mini magic. It was super stable and very easy to catch waves. Was a bit boring because it’s so wide and stable that it’s hard to do much other than cruise along the face

[odedshankar]

Thanks dtc, really appreciate your input, you helped me form a decision. I will not purchase another board at this stage and will work with what I've got to keep improving my skills which are currently intermediate at best on a longboard. I will keep on enjoying my delight NSP ENDLESS, really love this board, but will plan on having sessions on my others to get out of my comfort zone, will try to go out a bit more on the 7s superFish as it was fun on the only time I used it. You nailed it on your first reply, there is something that I love on the PU heavier boards, the glide and momentum that they are generating. Cheers

[waikikikichan]

What fin are you using on the NSP Endless ? You can totally change the turn in characteristics and how the board flows from rail to rail by changing out the fin. A flexy tip Greenough 4A is always a favorite of mine ( and I've never got bad feedback from my customers )

[odedshankar]

Thanks Waikikichan, may try this fin surely cheaper than getting a new board I started with the standard set up that came with it a 9.75' nylon center fin and 2 side bites, than at some stage removed the side bites and liked it better as it felt more loose on turns. After a while I swapped it with a similar 10' nylon mixed with carbon fin and loved it, and now I have e a 10'0 fiberglass hatchet on it, feels ok but I guess a bit more stiff on turns. At some stage I tried a fin from a local called Java Peacock 10' which I tried only for one session, and it felt quite loose and threw me fee times so I may give it another try, this one looks a bit like the one that you've suggested probably without the flex in it. Thanks for the suggestion, appreciate that, will report back after trying those.

[Dorothy]

Hi, Hope you are doing well.
Though you are 42 yo, 5'6 and currently 83kg. You are able to longboarding. It's all about your patient.
You can try commuting longboard for this stage. I have found best review about commuting longboard here:
Hope this review helpful for you.

Dorothy this site is about Surfing Waves and this post about a long surfboard so your skateboard advertising link has been removed!