Help me choose a board

[tmiddled]

Hey all,

Just hoping for some advice on what board to go for.
I'd say I'm an intermediate - advanced surfer. I'm 31 and I've surfed since I was about 15 (grew up in Sydney). I would say I can handle most waves, but am not necessarily a good surfer. I can ride pretty well enough, small reos, cutbacks, but I don't do airs, or massive snaps/reo's or anything.

I surf quick-ish point breaks with quite critical take offs, but also a lot of beach breaks, so looking for something that is quick enough down the line, but also good for turning, reos and cutbacks. I will use it in probably 3-6 ft surf. I rarely surf when it is small/junky, and bigger than 6ft I'll usually take out my mini-gun.

I've always bought second hand boards, just cheap ones from gum tree, but am considering getting a new one (or a rarely used second hand board).
I'm leaning towards a JS Monsta, all the reviews seem really good. Hoping for some other advice too if anyone has an opinion.

Also, what size should I go for? I'm pretty stocky, 82kg @ 5'9

I don't know much about boards. My current go-to board is 6'2......., and pintail. It goes quick down the line, but I don't like the way it turns. I have had a couple of Webbers that I really liked. The last one was 6'0, 18 1/2, 2 3/16, squash or square tail or something. I really liked how that turned, but I don't think it had enough volume for me, struggled to get on waves but once I was on it was fun.

[steve shearer]

pick any modern shortboard and start there. They are all designed for that kind of surf and that kind of surfing.
JS Monsta looks fine.
Make sure it has enough volume to catch waves.

[carvin marvin]

Yes definitely more volume needed.
You mentioned you rode a Webber 6' by 18 1/2'' by 2 3/16'', if you look at the volume numbers on the JS monsta site the board closest in size is 5' 10'' by 18 1/2'' by 2 3/16'' and has a volume of 24 litres.
So we need to know how much more volume a 2'' longer board is, my guestimate is 1'' equals 1/2 litre.
So the volume of the Webber board you tried would be 25 litres.
Now the question is how much more volume do you require.
My recommendation would be at least 6 litres more, which is a 25% increase in volume (24 litres divided by 6 litres = 1/4)
Looking at the volume table there is a 6' 3'' by 19 1/4'' by 2 1/2'' with a volume of 31.1 litres, that is the preferred board for one of their team riders who weighs 86 kgs.
http://www.jsindustries.com/AU/Surfboards/monsta-3-1

Remember once you have decided on on a volume number you can then play around with the dimensions, say for example you want to go 3'' shorter which is a decrease of 1 1/2 litres, you can then gain 1 1/2 litres by a slight width or thickness increase, or both.

[Beanpole]

Pintail was probably screwing up your turns.

[steve shearer]

don't get too anal about volume. It can be a helpful ballpark but there are other parameters.

[Natho]

Just be careful if you are putting yourself as 'advanced' in one of those online volume calculators. Hard to say without seeing you surf though.
Plenty of good second hand boards out there. The great thing about second hand or a great deal off the rack is that you are not blowing wads of $$$ if you don't like the board. A custom as an example is often a very expensive way of finding out if a board is right for you or not. Custom is general can be over rated.

To give you an example there is an ex pro in our boardriders group, former world tour surfer. The guy has access to 'customs' from many top name shapers all the time. His preference of late is to walk into a store or shapers factory and just go through the rack to find a board to suit. Reckons he has had some of his best boards ever this way and his strike rate of good boards has increased, esp when trying different boards from different shapers. His current fav board is a stock board straight out of the rack.
The JS Monster is just one of many good brand named 'marketing' boards out there. They look pretty good though and would be one of my picks out of the JS range just by looking at one.

[BA]

I bought a JS Monsta3 a coupla months back off the rack. Very happy with it. One of the best boards I've ever owned.

[tmiddled]

Thanks guys, I will probably go with something between 28-30 Litres. I've put on weight due to gym lately, I'll probably drop back to a stable 80 kg long term.

I've had a look, a 'near new' second hand board on gumtree seems to go for around $400-500, whereas off the rack at the shops near me (Manly) for the same make (JS, DHD etc.) go for over $800. I can't justify spending almost double the price if it has only been used a handful times.

Anyone had any success on bargaining for off the rack boards?

Cheers,

[Natho]

Yep for sure.I got a brand new Maurice Cole about a year ago off the rack for 450 and the guy even threw in a cover to get it back to Sydney on the plane. The board turned out to be one of the most insane boards I've ever had.I honestly think the guy was off his head on drugs. His reason was that at 5'8 it was going to be hard to sell.
After three surfs some kook went over the falls and took out the fin box and put a big dent in the bottom. I nearly cried but it still goes insane.if I had paid full price I would still be balling my eyes out.
Got a brand new Simon 6 months ago for 500 off the rack in Manly with a tail pad. But if I tell you where the bloke will probably kill me.

[carvin marvin]

. Here are 2 more volume perspectives comparing the volume you have decided on to what the pros ride and what the Firewire volume calculator recommends.
You 82 kgs 28 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .34 litres per kg
82 kgs 30 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .365 litres per kg
The volumes that the pros ride from the JS monsta site
Ace 76 kgs 26.4 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .34 litres per kg
Dusty 80 kgs 26.4 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .33 litres per kg
JP 83 kgs 27.6 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .33 litres per kg
JW 79 kgs 27.6 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .35 litres per kg
Owen 86 kgs 31.1 litres = a buoyancy to weight ratio of .36 litres per kg

This shows that you have chosen a volume the same as what the pros ride.

Putting your numbers into the Firewire volume calculator and calling you intermediate to advanced and the suggested volume in weak waves is 32 to 37 litres or(.39 litres/kg)to (.45 litres /kg) and in good waves the suggested volume is 30 to 34 litres or (.36 litres/kg) to (.41 litres/kg).

This shows that you have chosen a volume below what Firewire recommends.

The lower the buoyancy to weight ratio number the more fast reacting you need to be as a surfer to keep up the momentum.
The higher the buoyancy to weight ratio number means faster straight line glide speed because the board planes higher in the water.

[steve shearer]

The higher the buoyancy to weight ratio number means faster straight line glide speed because the board planes higher in the water.

Not really. You're confusing buoyancy with planing lift. It'll paddle better.

[Beanpole]

Dick Harvey talks about planing speed and compression speed on his site. Makes sense to me. Still down to rails and rocker.
Re: pintails not turning well. If you wanted to make a generalisation a pintail is more about hold than turning. Generally a wider rail has to turn easier. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong.

[Hatchnam]

Pintails feel like they cover more ground throughout their turns using a longer total rail line, though pivot very tight and acute on the spot between rail to rail transfers.

[Elmako]

Carvin, you say 28 litres ?

Parko weights the same as you (2kgs give or take) and uses the same volume around 28 litres... an intermediate / semi-advanced surfer as you describe yourself could benefit from a 32 or so litre board. Foam is your friend, more waves and ability to move around the lineup on weekends much more efficiently.

Just saying...

good luck

J

[Mr Percival]

...

[Beanpole]

Pintails feel like they cover more ground throughout their turns using a longer total rail line, though pivot very tight and acute on the spot between rail to rail transfers.

Takes longer to turn then unless you do a pivot?

[Nick Carroll]

beany a better way of thinking about it:

boards turn off curves, wherever those curves happen to be.

they run off flats and lift off reverse curves (ie concaves).

if there is curve in the outline, the board will turn off that curve when weight is applied to it. Where's there's a straight spot, it'll hold a line off it.

Opposing all this is the wave itself, a curve in the board can be placed in opposition to a curve in the wave and find a straight line as a result. (You'll see this when people are getting barrelled.)

In fact shorter pintails can be way looser than squares or swallows thanks to all the outline curve, see KS's little boards as examples.

[Hatchnam]

/\ true regarding to small rounded pins. Even those little takayama scorpions are loose as hell.