CI Dagger

[saltyseadog]

Has anybody ridden one of these? What are your thoughts?

Looking at getting one as an all rounder as I've been told it works well in anything from ankle to 6ft.

[ajohnsen]

Oh Saltyseadog, your first post and you're left dangling for the whole week. Don't worry, they're a bunch of cnuts on here.

So, to your question - no idea, but let me just say, I acknowledge you.

[spork]

not all of us are cnuts, some of are Rsoles. Buy The Motorboat too roundtail, great small wave fun.

[saltyseadog]

Thanks @ajohnsen for not leaving me hanging.

@ spork I looked at the Motorboat Too but felt the Dagger was a better all rounder.I haven't got the $$$ to build a massive quiver so looking for a board that can compliment my Mal, so basically want something that is good to ride from knee to overhead.

[alakaboo]

SSD.
Firstly, good username, that is a start.
If you really want to generate responses, you need to do a couple of things:
1. tell us about yourself - height, weight, ability, what waves you surf, what board you surf, what you want the board to do.
2. tell us about the board. - include a link or images if possible. e.g., this video has an in-depth review of the board. The guy is a tosser, but it tells you a lot of what you will probably get from us.
3. thirdly, and most importantly, you have to insult somebody to generate discussion. Ideally you would cast aspersions on a famous shaper, or just take aim at a regular poster. Insulting Subarus is also a good place to start, as is suggesting that Tony Abbott is the best thing to happen to this country since the White Australia policy.

So, some actual responses.

Most people on here don't have a lot of time for CI surfboards, that is possibly a blindspot as they do make some good boards, but also likely a symptom of the fact that most have been surfing for a while and know what they want, and have existing relationships with shapers. CI boards are mass produced, and that seems to lead to some quality control issues.

I think some of their boards are fun, but the ones I have ridden have been stupidly or poorly glassed for minimum weight. Great if you have a business based on repeat sales, bad if you can only afford a couple of boards. I put my foot through the deck of one on the 4th wave, and that was just on a bottom turn not a shorebreak floater.
I would never buy one on that basis.

The shape is similar to a board that I ride in average (small) waves, i.e. 2-4 foot. Either side of that range is okay, but I'd prefer to be on something else.
I like flat decks, but not everyone does.
Flat decks hold a lot of volume, so don't go too long. Regardless of the rails. Tailor Knox is a big guy who surfs with power and a lot of technique. He could turn a sand-pumping dredge.

No idea about the other boards in the range.

[Natho]

I think Boo has touched on it. CI boards suck salty dogs balls.
Well bit of generalisation but some do. Here are a few things that turn some of us people off CI boards (boo has already touched on some) :

- Mass produced so glass and sanding quality varies greatly. I had one CI board a few years ago where one rail was different to the other due to very poor finishing or lack of. They are pumped out by machine off a computer file (no problems there) but then finished by whoever is available at the time in 5 seconds flat it seems (probably some kid after school for all I know). Everybody and anybody seems to be glassing them all around the traps just so they can keep up with the volume. I know of 3 different glassers in Sydney all pumping out CI boards alone. I guess that is what happens when a brand becomes so big.

- CI is very much built on marketing (no problems there as such). Part of this means that they need to keep coming out wih new models with some of the most stupid names in the business. Some pros are paid good money to ride a new model or stamp their signature on the board. Even if they have ridden the board for 5 minutes and moved onto something else. See CI are well aware that the avergae punter is very influenced by board models and who is supposedly riding them. Hats off to them and credit where credit is due, CI have been very successful in building a global surfboard brand.

-Al Merrick has limited involvment in the business these days but has basically sold the rights to use his name. Many of the boards are basically 'replicas' of the boards that once were. Have a look at some of the pros actual boards shaped by Al v that board model off the rack. There is plenty of difference.

Some of the designs and models in the range are just plain gimmicky and ugly, designed to fit some marketing category trend at the time (have a look at the Sperm Whale as an example, bwahahaha). If you can see through all this then you may find a model that works for you. That's the good thing. They have such a big range there should be something for everyone. The trick is weeding out the crap.

All this said I have it from a good source that CI boards in Australia have in fact improved in quality on say 2 or 3 years ago. I think they had to.

[Natho]

To be fair I should also add that I know plenty of guys who are stoked with their CI boards. I just personally have had bad experiences with quality of product.

[saltyseadog]

Hey @alakaboo thanks for the feedback. I'm 5'9, 80kg's and have been surfing for 12 months. Currently riding a 7'6 Mal and looking to move onto my first shortboard. Probably only surf ankle to 4ft at the moment due to ability, but looking for a board that will progress with me as $$$ are an issue. Ability wise I get to my feet every time and can put in a bottom turn. Working on generating speed and a top turn but finding it hard on a 7'6.

I was recommended the CI Dagger as it has hidden volume so would paddle easily, plus its shape would work in anything from ankle to head high. Being a snowboarder and only just getting into surfing I don't know that much about board construction, hence asking for some advice. I've heard the glass jobs were average but was thinking about getting the CI Standard rather than Ultra Light if I did go for one.

On that info, any recommendations for boards I should have a look at?

@Natho thanks for your feedback too. So what you're saying is find a board construction/shape that I like and then head to a local shaper and have a chat with them? Won't a custom from a local shaper be $$$$? If you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

[alakaboo]

Where are you?

A custom would likely be about the same as the list price of a new CI.

Get a secondhand board first.

Check the For Sale section on here, if you are in Sydney. Just check the date, some of the ads are from years ago.

[Natho]

A custom is probably over rated for someone at your stage. If I was you I would go down the second hand path. That way if you don't like it, sell it and try something else.

[saltyseadog]

@alakaboo I'm in Victoria and mainly surf the Peninsula.

@Natho thanks. I'll start having a look at a few second hand models.

[ctd]

CI Dagger new = $810; Grant Miller 7ft Waterskate custom made = $820 (plus $50-100 transport as he is in NSW). But the Miller comes with fins which the CI might not, so its pretty much line ball.

I reckon read Grant Miller's website and maybe look for a board like his Waterskate (or, of course, an actual 2nd hand Waterskate or even splash out and get a new one). Not saying by any means that he is the only shaper around, but he does make good boards that are designed for us more sizeable types. Anyway, it will give you some ideas as to what you might want to look for, whether that involves buying something off the rack or second hand. There are a few off the rack boards that arent too dissimilar to the waterskate.

I'm probably about the same skill level as you (and the same weight) and I probably would hesitate to go too much below 6ft10 at this stage. But you may learn much quicker than me, of course.

Oh, a lot of people suggest the 7S 'superfish' as a second board (ie post mal) for people progressing. I've never surfed one, but they seem to be popular and so I'm guessing there will be second hand ones around.

[OddaP]

I rode a Flyer II @ a demo day and it wasa great board, although tellingly it sported an enormous pressure ding on the deck near the nose after 1 surf. Soft as. My mate caved in his rail on a newish CI recently with no idea how it happened. So my impression is that quality is suss

To the Dagger, nice looking board, another mate had 1, loved it. Might be a tad advanced after riding a 7'6 though? Unless you size up a bit.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Mate of mine rides a Motoboat and is having a great time on it. It looks like a lively small wave board when I looked over it.

I still believe theres nothing better than having a good talk to a shaper about what you want and having something made for you (rather than a surfboard rack). Not sure what the prices are recently but Mark Pridmore of MORE Surfboards on this forum would probably be able to get you a custom board freighted to you under $800 too. Worth having a chat with him at least.