Picking new shortboard intermediate surfer

[confidentialmind]

Dear everyone,

I am an intermediate surfer surfing now every day in the Atlantic ocean since 5 months ago. I am 189 cms and 86 kilos. At the moment I have a 6.6 38 litres board with no rocker which is supposed to be a board to learn how to used shortboard. To be precise it is a 6 6 x 20' 3/4 x 2' 5/8 38 litres.

I do manage to do some duckdiving in waves up to a meter even if my technique is still not very good. Whenever the surf is rougher than that it is a total disaster. I am aware that my technique should get better but still the board does feel very buoyant in slightly bigger surf. It was actually sold to me when I was a beginner and was told it was for pretty small conditions.

Now I did some surfboard research and I found a board I like which has less width and a nose which is more pointy it looks slimmer and less "fatty" plus it does have some rocker. It comes in all kind of sizes but I have identified 3 possibilities.

- 6' 6 x 20 1/4 x 2 5/8 36.61 l
-6,4 x 20 1/8 x 2 5/8 35,46 l
- 6,4 x 20 1/8 x 2 3/8 35 50 l

The surf shop person thinks I should stick to a 6.6 and that I would feel a difference already when duckdiving since the board is slimmer and it has less volume. I wonder what difference would it make if I go down to 6.4. It seems to me a bit of of a waste of money to buy another board which is so similar to what I have.

Many thanks for your opinion

Best,

G

[Lebowski]

Are you buying a new board just to help you duckdive more easily? It's not a very good reason....

[confidentialmind]

Many thanks for your reply. I do go on bigger waves now I felt it might justify a proper board to keep progressing. But well yes duckdiving is an issue and 38 litres seems to be a bit above what I might need. I was wondering if it can make it easier to learn how to duckdive taking away some liters and maybe a bit of length.

The point is also that now I surf every day it wasn't like this before.

G

[waikikikichan]

I am 159 cm. and 57 kg. and can duck dive my molded-epoxy 6'4" with 40.2 liters volume. You CAN duck dive your 6'6" if you use the proper technique.

Question: Are you using your KNEE or the ball of your FOOT to push the end/kick of the tail pad down ?

[confidentialmind]

Foot. I am sure I can but still learning curve seem pretty steep.

[waikikikichan]

I am sure I can but still learning curve seem pretty steep.

And you made that learning curve that much harder by starting on too small of a board too early. But surfing only just 5 months and you already at the intermediate level, that is pretty amazing. I would say stick it out on that 6'6" until summer is over, and then think about sizing down once winter and a few more months of experience go by.

[confidentialmind]

In fairness I have been surfing almost 5 years but before it was only a few months per year now it is everyday since I moved to the ocean to pursue my passion. But yes I have been very consistent and I have been doing a lot of extra exercising on the side. Many thanks for your advice. I remain with the doubt if it is going to be another 6.6 or if I can get a 6.4. I suppose in a few months a 6.4 of that volume should be ok.

[IB_Surfer]

I'm a little shorter but weigh the same, but have been riding 30 years. My go-to shortboard is 6'5 x 19 3/4 x 2 5/8, but I could go smaller, I just won't. My 6'2 which I take out once in a while is way more responsive, but as I got older I learned to appreciate a board that I can catch a dozen waves (my 6'5) with as opposed to one that I catch a half dozen.

Anyway, this size is my magic size, I think you can go thinner than you think, and a little narrower will help in hollow waves.