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Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:34 am
by Squidlips
Stuck which board to get now…

Help!!

Im so out the loop with current shapes and technologies since Ive had a forced break from surfing that Im totally stuck as to what board to get next.

If I list what boards Ive ridden and what I liked about them do you reckon you could recommend the next shape to go to? Please.

Me: 95 kilos, Age 36, Surfing 18 years.

1) 7’ nev thruster. Liked: turned, pretty loose, reliable, nice volume through to nose, paddled well but found myself surfing dregs in crowded line ups.
2) 6’6” beachbeat swallow tail fish, very loose, fast, could make very high lines in wave face. Disliked: Hard to compete for waves in a crowded line up.
3) 9’ 1” fluid juice mal. Liked: good all round square tailed Mal. Single fin – liked the way the single fin made the board feel and behave in a bowly part of a wave.
4) 10’ Mal, thruster set up. Went good but too long.
5) 9’ 1” Mal, with a G5 thruster fin set up. Liked the volume but the fin set up made the board “not loose”. So great for big days if you needed to gun down the line but if you wanted to hit the lip on smaller days it took a lot of effort.
6) 9” 1 napapa mal. Diamond tail, triple concave, medium main fin with G5 sides, super loose and quite flicky for a mal. Disliked: could of done with a bit more volume in front 1/3rd to middle of board.

Where I want to take my surfing now:

I want a smaller board. I miss cheeky turns but I prefer to catch a heap of waves each session.

Id prefer to have a board with heaps of volume, with a large flicky single fin.

Would like it to be able to handle surf up to 5 ft.

Ive seen a few retro 70’s single fins around but the tails seem too narrow about 2/3rds way towards the tail. I can imagine these boards bogging down on flatish sections?

Ive seen a 7s superfish for sale, 8’ big fishtail twinny, epoxy construction. Looks like a fun shape but not sure how these retro fish plan shapes work as for down the line surfing and turning.

I also like the look of the super floaty mccoy shortboards ive seen around. Heaps of volume and the boards seem to surf well.

So after Ive written this, Ive basically realised Im a BIG fan of the single fin and want something fat, loose and shortish.

Does such a board exist?

Cheers!!

Squids.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:36 am
by steve shearer
Where do you surf?
What kinds of waves?

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:40 am
by Squidlips
Torquay, JanJuc, Possos, 13th, Winki. (VIC)

mostly beachies (as there closest) :D

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:44 am
by steve shearer
You could go way shorter with a McCoy single-fin.

Anything like a DVS all-rounder, Mctavish Sumo or Carver or something like that would fit the bill.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:01 am
by Grooter
I would have thought if you miss doing cheeky turns as you put it, a single fin may not be the answer because they don't seem to do hard-rail turns all that well at all in the smaller stuff. I've noticed that with my 8'6". It's great in the small stuff but it needs more of a finer touch to avoid bogging it. Bigger stuff and there's less to worry about

Just my $0.02 anyway.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:34 am
by Squidlips
steve shearer wrote:You could go way shorter with a McCoy single-fin.
Thanks Steve, yeah I reckon a Mccoy Single fin would tick all the boxes.

What length do you reckon?

Ive seen a guy surfing a 6' (2" there abouts) Mccoy and that was going splendidly.

Seeing Ive mostly ridden Mals Im a bit worried about loosing 3' of board!!

In my head Im thinking 7' but will go shorter if it has a huge volume!!

*edit* just checked the Mctav Sumo - LOVE the shape!! Also like the Mctav Bluebird (single fin) :D

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:38 am
by steve shearer
6'6" to 7'0" would suit most of the Pointbreaks where a longer rail line would be an easier transition from the mal.

That would be hard to duckdive at 13th though.

Geoff rides an 8'0"single fin and rips on it.

Shoot him an email and ask him what he thinks.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:49 am
by crabmeat thompson
6'2" MR Twin fin. Flat bottom, volume out to the rails.

Something like a 6'2" x 20 x 2 1/2 would get your stoke back into surfing. Pump and drive, turns, rail to rail top to bottom, foam climbs etc ...

I had one that was a gem up until 5 feet. After that I'd put a 3rd stabiliser fin in, but I still thought it was skittish due to the lack of length and wide point.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:56 am
by steve shearer
I think thats too much of a quantum leap for a bloke whose been mostly surfing and enjoying mals.......twinnies are almost the polar opposite of that and unless you've got the rotation of a twinny covered ( I hate 'em) it's a bridge too far.

Don't go near those bluebirds unless you like going straight and want to bore yourself to tears.

Edit: just checked the new Bluebirds, they loook fun with the wing behind the fin. Prolly a lot of fun on a Winkie/Bells/Possos wall.

Very retro though.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:00 pm
by crabmeat thompson
steve shearer wrote:I think thats too much of a quantum leap for a bloke whose been mostly surfing and enjoying mals.......twinnies are almost the polar opposite of that and unless you've got the rotation of a twinny covered ( I hate 'em) it's a bridge too far.
Yeah, you're probably right.

I was just reading the kind of surfing Squids wants to do, and thought perfect. Didn't really take into account where he's been.

Still, a good twinnie is just about the best board you could own in your quiver, imo ...

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:10 pm
by Grooter
steve shearer wrote:6'6" to 7'0" would suit most of the Pointbreaks where a longer rail line would be an easier transition from the mal.

That would be hard to duckdive at 13th though.

Geoff rides an 8'0"single fin and rips on it.

Shoot him an email and ask him what he thinks.
I reckon 7' should be fine for 13th. I ride my 7' at Gunnamatta all the time which has more power than 13th and duck-diving is not a problem.

How tall are you squiddy? 95 kilos aint exactly light, not saying you're a tub of lard mate but I'm 88 kilos and I wouldn't go much lower than a 6'8" myself. Trying to get enough volume in a shorter board to keep you floating may not be a good idea is what I'm getting at - unless you're seriously fit and can paddle a shorter board with reduced volume

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:13 pm
by kookster
Call Geoff McCoy on 02 6685 3227, explain to him the boards you have and where you want to go, he will steer you right. Sounds perfect for what you're chasing

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:34 pm
by Glamarama
the other mccoy you may want to speak to geoff about is a single fin double ender. not as volumous as the nugget but a splendid smooth ride for a point break. Ive got a 6'6, im 82kg.

the nuggets paddle like a board a foot longer than the first numeral written on the stringer

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:52 pm
by buzzy
Another vote here for a McCoy single fin. Who else does a high volume, shortboard single fin?

Geoff will steer you in the right direction although I personally think he gets carried away with the volume thing. I'd have thought somewhere in a range of 6'8" to 7'0" would do you right. Even with a 6'8" Geoff has his nuggets at around 3' to 3 1/16" thick, so THICK, with the volume carried all the way through the board.

Another possible option is an off the rack Channel Islands single fin, which probably have more modern contours etc.

Lastly, and this is a note for the future rather than now as Grant is still on extended leave, but Grant Miller would do you a great custom board and while he doesn't have a designated single fin "model" I'm sure he'd do you a great custom single fin.

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:00 pm
by Grooter
buzzy wrote:Lastly, and this is a note for the future rather than now as Grant is still on extended leave, but Grant Miller would do you a great custom board and while he doesn't have a designated single fin "model" I'm sure he'd do you a great custom single fin.

+1 for Grant, I reckon if you can wait till he gets back from his sabbatical you should.

I got him to shape me a custom single fin longboard (the 8'6" I've mentioned in the past) Great board, shaped to exactly what I wanted and surfs perfectly in the waves I wanted it for - thick and fat sloping reef breaks. Quality is top notch as well

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:42 pm
by kookster
I recall reading recently Miller may be back on deck soon?

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:41 pm
by mustkillmulloway
jeeze.....bloody subjective question :?

i think your got the long end ya quiver covered

so i say go shorter....a fat 6"6 fish :idea:

or try some new tech... :idea:
:arrow: http://forum.realsurf.com/forum/posting ... 4&p=454609

check tigers blue board build.....something like that be fun for u for sure :idea:

Re: Stuck which board to get now…

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:50 pm
by Cuttlefish
Dick Van Straalen 7'-8' All rounder in carbon fibre with a 2+1 set up. Surf it as a single or with side bites.
Catch a truck load of waves.
Plenty of volume. Tell Dick what you want!
Fast...it'll make your eyes water.
Loose...it'll do the turns.
Here's my 8'er.
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Want something with a more pulled in nose....he'll make you a "reef runner" and can widen the tail and flatten the rocker a tad so it will work well in smaller stuff.
I've had a paddle on Old Grom's McCoy Astron zot 6'8" (single fin) and I don't think it paddled into waves any easier than my 5'6" mini-simmons.