Best longboard (all around)

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Best longboard (all around)

Postby bluesnowcone » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:42 pm

Hi,
iv got an 8'4 but i want to move up a few sizes and get a longboard, but i dont want to lose the ability to do sharp/big turns but i still want to be abel to noesride ( when i learn), can anyone send me in the right direction and tell me a few makes of longboards wich are what im looking for if you know what i mean?
Cheers
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Postby jonny » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:58 pm

McTavish Fireball will hit the spot
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Postby grub » Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:04 pm

bluesnowcone2000 wrote:...i want to move up a few sizes and get a longboard...

Its good to finally see someone on here wanting to go up in size rather than down... Many people believe you "need" to progress to a smaller board once learning to stand; it isn't true! It is purely just a "want" to conform to current surfboard norms. Within the last ten years there has been a strong shift or regression back to longboards as many people both old and young takeup, recomence or switch styles of surfing. I like your choice, Good luck! and let us know by posting (back on this thread) how you are getting on.

For your first longboard, I would look for something around the 9 foot range with a three fin setup and 60/40 rails... I would not go anything to traditional yet. Take note of Jonny's advice, I don't know much about the McTavish Fireball but he knows what he is talking about...

jonny wrote:McTavish Fireball will hit the spot


Jonny: I think I read somewhere that you ordered a board from south coast longboards down in VIC. AUSTRALIA; how does it go?
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Postby bluesnowcone » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:12 pm

cheers, thats been a great help, and im 14 and i short board but its begining to anoy me, iv had a go on a few peoples longboards and iv fallen in love with the sport so iv decided to buy one, iv got £500 so im gunu save up the rest and probably get the fireball if you say its as good as you say it is.
Cheers for all your help, and if you know of a fireball going cheep in south coast england way pm me please, thanks
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Postby jonny » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:20 pm

we have a couple of demo Fireballs in the shop that you are welcome to come and try for a weekend. They you can really get a feel for one.

We get second hand ones coming up now and then too which be in your budget.

Grub - I've been the UK agent for SC for a few years now. Great boards. Nice and heavy and plenty of resin tint and glass in there.
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Postby Brent » Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:25 pm

I dunno about some of the comments above about bigger & longer boards; currently in www.swaylocks.com there is a good thread in the general forum started about a week ago about paddle volume and surfing, how some guys find going to bigger, longer & higher volumed boards destructive to their surfing...written by (it seems) some fairly experienced and older shapers.

I'm not trying to start an argument here, but I found the thread somewhat eye-opening and it made me think. It is worth a read guys.

Cheers, B
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Postby libby » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:18 pm

I'm getting sick of this :(
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Postby grub » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:29 pm

Brent wrote:I dunno about some of the comments above about bigger & longer boards; currently in www.swaylocks.com there is a good thread in the general forum started about a week ago about paddle volume and surfing, how some guys find going to bigger, longer & higher volumed boards destructive to their surfing...

Correct me if I am wrong but this thread is primarily aimed at the benefits and limitations of reduced flotation with a particular focus on FUNBOARDS when compared to SHORTBOARDS… The question of this thread was what LONGBOARD would people suggest for young 14 year old bluesnowcone2000.

It has always been my view that funboards lack all the benefits of both long and short. This has just reinforced my views on their lack of ability in terms of paddling and ride performance. What funboards do have going for them is stability when compared to shortboards although not the case when compared to longboards; this is a major aspect for a beginner when obtaining their first board. Another swinging factor for a beginner is that they are generally cheaper then a true longboard and relatively equivalent in price to that of a shortboard.

Nothing negative there that relates to the longboard, I have taken out a couple of interesting sections that sort of do focus on longboards; if you are interested in the topic do have a read, there is some pretty interesting stuff in there:

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=260433;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;guest=4224236

PlusOneShaper wrote:… Basically, boards seem to paddle well when they are very floaty or, they are a bit sinky. Also, boards with certain waterlines in the mid-float range paddle horribly, like they are taking weather to helm or something…
J.Troy wrote:…The only time I can feel the thickness or lack of is in the thick soup where the airated water magnifies the lack of float…
iam2sam wrote:…I had a 9'6" once that had all-around down rails, medium-to-high tail rocker, and little nose rocker. I absolutely loved riding that board. It paddled pretty well in ideal conditions, too… …there is the fatigue factor - the relative ease of duck diving a short board vs. paddling a long board through the soup and constantly accelerating it back to speed could easily make a big difference by the end of a long session, especially for an older surfer…
oneula wrote:…i guess that's why most "funboards" end up not really being all that fun in the long run…
Benny1 wrote:…I've said for years that the worst-paddling boards are mid-size. You paddle a 10' board with glide - momentum, smooth strokes, speed. You don't paddle a sinker, you swim it… …Too big to swim (and dive), too small to glide. No thanks…
Nels wrote:…You have a bunch of folks on longboards who can out paddle mid-range sizes, and shortboards who can duckdive anything... …sometimes this size board just winds up out "out of place" in contemporary lineups...too short to compete with longboard peaks and too long to safely bang rails in shorter environments…
waaahoo wrote:…Condition specific for wave, rider, and board combination. I think sometimes the problem with a fuller volume board is that even tho you have what seems to be enough speed you are floating on top of the wave instead of being caught in the wave and carried forward with it…
TomBloke wrote:…A heavy 12' hunk of timber enables you to roll under the wave, which is just as effective as duckdiving a shortboard. Also, a heavy longboard is able to use its weight to swing into late no paddle drops, unlike superlight foam longboards. Heavy longboards can be low volume or high volume. . . it's the weight that counts. Heavy longboards also accelerate faster when taking off…

As bluesnowcone2000 is currently ridding an 8’4” funboard I guess the information kind of relates to why he should ditch his current board and progress to a longer or shorter board... He might like to note that being only 14 years of age he is probably much smaller in the sense of height and weight to those posting responses on swaylock. Taking this into account and thinking that a 9’ board for 6’ person would generally be accepted by all as a reasonable ratio to be classified as the starting range for a longboard (not taking into account shape etc.). He is currently riding and 8’4” funboard, if it is classed as a minimal any height below 5’7” (166m) will yield approximately the same result. If he is say 5’7” and has been ridding his friends 9’1” (I am guessing) longboard, it is approximately the same ratio as me (6’) ridding a 9’9”.

Try to go for a traditionally glassed board rather than an epoxy popout… Epoxy popouts are light and stiff … regardless of all the marketing hype, light longboards don’t perform half as good as a glassed board. The extra weight makes all the difference when paddling out and gliding along the face of a wave. Definantly being a young chap go for a three fin setup and nothing with 50/50 rails to improve manoeuvrability. Remember to continually try different boards, both long and short, they all perform differently. Gaining experience with boards of different size and shape increases your awareness of what you really want to experience and how you can experience it better.
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Postby bluesnowcone » Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:52 pm

Cheers for all the help, where abouts is your shop jonny and whats the name, also has it got a web site?
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Postby jonny » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:53 pm

you enter that too!!! :D
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Postby bluesnowcone » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:29 pm

sweet, i go down that way quite abit, i'll definetely enter that comp, is that the wave length with rat pack on the front and a guy with a white and red board getting air? Also i see that your selling a bear 9'1 nose rider 2nd hand and it sais that it would suit someone who wants more manoeuvrability from their nose rider, would that suit my needs or is their no point looking further into that?
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Postby jonny » Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:33 am

nah - the Bear is a bit of a dog to be honest.
Supposed to be a noserider but it has BUCKETS of rocker in their, it's too short and chunky too. Will be a pig to paddle too.
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Postby bluesnowcone » Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:35 am

kk
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Postby Laguna » Fri Mar 31, 2006 10:08 am

The fireball looks like a killer board. I have a mini mal and a funboard (go easy on me). I love my funboard and find it a good balanced board for everything. However I do love longboards. This thread has made me want a longboard more now lol.
I have been thinking of selling my mini mal and saving up for a nice longboard. I had so much fun on a longboard in my first surfing lesson, so im completely behind people wanting to move up to longboards!

As for the discussion on swaylocks, I find that iinteresting. I was told from books and everyone that a mid length board such as a funboard will perform like a shortboard and paddle like a longboard. I do find paddling hard though :?
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Postby bluesnowcone » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:59 pm

hey jonny, does the mc tavish fireball come with fins, leash and board bag, of am i gunu have to save up £820 instead of £750?
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Postby jonny » Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:57 am

Comes with hand made glass side FCS fins and an 8" hand made McTavish centre fin.

Does not come with bag and leash but we'll take care of you don't worry!
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Postby Roy Stewart » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:35 am

Noseriding boards (even 'high perf' ones) sacrifice so much speed and control that they are never good all rounders. A good all round board must have a sweet spot, and noseriding boards do not have a sweet spot by definition since they are designed to have the turning and trimming positions in separate places.

Just the raw truth gentlemen, without sugar

8)

[img]http:www.olosurfer.com/AP3.jpg[/img]

[img]http:www.olosurfer.com/12footer.jpg[/img]

[img]http:www.olosurfer.com/AP1.jpg[/img]
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Postby grub » Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:47 am

RoyStewart wrote:...A good all round board must have a sweet spot, and noseriding boards do not have a sweet spot by definition since they are designed to have the turning and trimming positions in separate places...

Roy, most people would know that mal's as opposed to your olo's are not the same thing and consequently aren't ridden the same.

It really comes back to what you want and what you’re after... I do feel the pleaser of creating your own hand built olo, built by you for you is something special. Build one and ride it knowing that you built it, sure, but personally I don't think I would choose to buy one; sitting back ridding an olo off the tail, squat here and there maybe your cuppa but not mine... it looks as though you really enjoy them so keep it up :wink: For me the mal or as you would probably call it "the modern longboard" is what tickles my fancy. I don't see any down fall in having the trim position set around the 3/4 mark... gives you a reason to move, keep them coming Roy I enjoy watching your clips.
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Postby Roy Stewart » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:31 pm

All ok I suppose if your main aim is to go slowly while pulling silly poses.

Seriously, noseriding boards are always slow and unwieldy, I would rather move fast down the line than fast up and down the board while going slow.

:idea:
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