Advice for a 3rd board

[Butts]

Just to clarify things a little, I wouldn't consider Gumby an Intermediate surfer.

Gumby your better than that, your just being modest.

Should catchup again soon.

[Hatchnam]

Different Gumby here methinks butts

[Gumby]

Different Gumby here methinks butts

Yes but I'll claim it anyway.

[Nick Carroll]

Gumby here's the deal. A third board's probably not gonna help much. Just having two seems like maybe it's a bit confusing. Chuck number three in and watch your brain spin.

Maybe it seems sensible to hang on to a board you feel comfy with while you experiment with something new, but sensible is the mortal enemy of surf skill development. It's way more to do with commitment. Commitment commitment commitment.

I dare you, sell both your boards and get a 6'1" round pin or something else you've never ridden before and surf it all the time till you get it wired. By the time you've done that, you'll have begun to gain a much broader idea of what your surfing's all about and an instinctive idea of where to go next.

I'd trust your own idea about this next board btw, you thought of those measurements for a reason. But don't dilute the opportunity with backup craft. Commit to the new and roll with it come what may.

[Gumby]

G'day Nick,

Thanks for the post.
I hadn't considered the all or nothing approach to it. It would definitely force the result. Succeed or die trying!
Saying goodbye to my current boards would be very hard though.
Maybe I can just lock them up and throw away the key (but not the bolt cutters).
No doubt with a new board, I'd try to convince myself anyway that the conditions of the day were good enough for that board as I'd be frothing at the mouth to use it.

Cheers

[Hatchnam]

U should just buy a rounded pin anyway. You've mentioned your board skips out in bigger faster steeper stuff. At least as an intermediate u might end up developing a better style by doing so. Smoother, less jagged etc.

Have said it before and will say it again. Break out of your comfort zone and Experiment and try out all sorts of different boards and surf all sorts of different conditions. And soon enough, you'll work out "what works (or doesn't) when and how and why, for u and the mix of conditions. Be a board slut. Do it cheap. Buy and sell stuff on gumtree, eBay etc. Surfing is largely about your awareness and ability to adapt, so u have nothing to lose by mixing it up. At worst, you'll work out what u don't like or doesn't work for you, and then stick to what does ( but knowing "why" ). And at best, u may end up being well rounded.

[andy2476]

iggy misses the brief once again.

there is no reason whatsoever you can't get one board that can not only handle but go very well in all conditions you are comfortable . the idea that one needs a different type of board for conditions every 2 feet is a myth that also happens to be one of the cornerstone ideals of the kookocracy.

what you need is freedom from choice

[steve shearer]

Deffo in the Andy and NC camp here.

No shortcuts to competency, especially via equipment.

Just make sure the board you choose can enable you to catch enough waves.

[BA]

Just make sure the board you choose can enable you to catch enough waves.

Agree. I've got 4 boards, but ride one of em probably 95% of the time. It's just a good allrounder that I'm comfortable on and catch as many waves as I want.
That's all the average surfer needs.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Hatchnam]

No missing the brief. If the dudes unsure about what boards do what and what he needs, and is looking for advice, then he's best of finding out for himself . By exploring, learning, deducing, etc

Yes agreed that there's no need for a different board every 2foot rise in size, as there's plenty of ways u could set yourself up with a 2 board quiver for the east coast of Australia "IF" u have an understanding of boards, and how they perform, and what works for you.

And for every multi board quiver having kook, there'd be equally as many 1 hi perf board kooks out there trying to use it in everything

[Davros]

Hmm... I used to think about different boards for that 2 ft increase/decrease, its true its complete bullshit and ruins your surfing and is one of the great modern surfing marketing myths, reckon a standard board 1-5ft but above that I think you'll need additional length to get into faster moving waves up to 8ft, any bigger and your not intermediate anymore..or your drowning.

I had grovellers for smaller stuff, boards for better waves, boards for bigger waves...complete crap it was and I look back now a bit embarrassed about it , I just ride 2 boards now the standard for 1-5 and a longer one when it gets over 5ft, have done for a while and when my standard breaks I'll get the same board, same dims weight permitting.

[steve shearer]

I've gone the other way and specialised my quiver.

The average hi-perf shortboard goes best in 2-4 ft surf.....and hence that is the most crowded niche available at most surfbreaks.

I like specialising my quiver either side of that line. Having boards that light up in 1-3ft Pointbreak- Bonzer Octafish, Twinzer Dumpling and boards that have superior paddle and dominance in anything over 4-6ft.

Round-tail quads are my standard reference now and the meat and potatoes of the quiver.

Like Legion I usually binge on a board feeling. Right now it's the Bonzer. That thing in waist to head high point runners is orgasmic. It was interesting riding it this morning in the half light. I couldn't see the wave but I could feel from the boards reactions where I was in relation to the wave dynamic and bathymetry fluctuations.

It would be boring as batshit in your average warbly Sydney beachbreak though.

[Davros]

Steve how do you find the round tail quad? always wondered if you would get the tight direction turns sometimes required, but you do surf points alot I think, anyway how do they go in the sandbanks.?

[steve shearer]

I think they are very easy to surf and transition off thrusters....with the McKee set up especially.

But if I was surfing Sydney beachbreak rip bowls I'd probably be riding thrusters.

[andy2476]

This blokes riding a 6' 2" in this photo. I'll wager he rode one type of board when he was learning

[Animal_Chin]

...and ud be acutely aware of the difference in how each perform. and we're talking about concrete here.

Fair dinkum mate. Could you be any lazier with your posts?? "ud"??!!

Make a small fcuking effort and I might give you a teeny fleck of respect.

[Hatchnam]

I'd.take up bubbling long before I gave a fk about what u think, respect, or don't respect. Ur background crackling noise fwiw.

And for any competent surfer, a hi- perf thruster goes well in Sydney beach breaks. A bit more beef, fuller rail, and overall flatter rocker are ideal in addition to the formula due to the "warble factor". Whereas for Up north, bowlier, punchier etc. a more refined board is better.