I wanna get a new board and am unsure what to go for. I am aging (35) and not as fit as I once was but am not ready to give up altogether and get a longboard.
What designs do people recommend that are:
- easy to paddle, duck dive and get on waves
- forgiving. i.e. not so high performance that you need to be a pro to ride well. Is also forgiving if I'm unfit
- performs well in surf up to 6ft
- still maneuverable. I'm not planning on just cruising so I still want something that will carve well.
help choosing a new surfboard
Moderators: jimmy, collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, Shari, Forum Moderators
joeblow's new board
do yourself a favour and grab a MILLER v-skate. go for a 6' 8". i think some stockists carry demo's so you can try before you buy. beach without sand at north avalon does if that's local. good luck,enjoy the waves,don't get talked into getting anything too small.
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michael perry
aging shortboarders
35, aging? Forget it, I'm 46 and still riding a 6'2" swallow and it flew in the Maldives in soild 8' waves. Trick is to keep the thickness through out the board, especially in the tail, it helps with the paddling and is very responsive, as well as forgiving, once you are up and riding. I've heard good things of Millers, but at over 20 inches they're a bit wide for my liking as I'm a small guy. If you've got a bit of weight probably a good way to go. Finally, you gotta stay fit mate, no board is that magical it can compensate for being unfit. Good luck
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baliboy
Mate i know the feeling... i've yo yo'ed from micro thin skatey boards that pros have cast off to a custom 6'8" plank... but the plank got me catchin heaps of waves again and since then i've just kept getting new sticks that are a bit thinner and shorter than the previous but have still enough volume to keep me afloat... just keep surfin and remember Occ is about 35 and only won the world title a bit ago
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streetdaddy
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how tall are ya? how much do you weigh? I'm 6'4" and 108kg, surfed reasonably chunky 6'6"s for the last 5 years. However I actually find it a bit stiff. Recently bumped into a shaper who i get a few boards from and he gave me a ride of his 6'4' which I though would be way to small for me, but it went like a rocket! More emphasis on tail area was his call and I'm inclined to agree after having the best surf I've had for yonks on his little board... I'm getting one
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the kalakau kid
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Putting aside the fitness factor which grows more important and harder to hang on to as you head north from 30! ..... Unless you are surfing 2 hours+ most days ( and who is? Really.) I reckon you need to actively train to keep fit & flexible as you get older but we are not here to give lectures on fitness...
I am on the large side ( 100 kg, 6'2") and have a great small wave board shaped by Rex Marechal which might be what you are after. Its 21 wide with a flat deck and lowered rocker. flyers to help bring the tail size in and break up the width of the planshape and a swallow tail. The flat deck is important as it allows volume of foam without becoming too thick under your feet. When the surf gets good I just put in carbon fins to stiffen it up and it rides easily to what i call 4ft +.
let me know if you need more info - there are plenty of ideas for boards that will suit your purpose i think.
I am on the large side ( 100 kg, 6'2") and have a great small wave board shaped by Rex Marechal which might be what you are after. Its 21 wide with a flat deck and lowered rocker. flyers to help bring the tail size in and break up the width of the planshape and a swallow tail. The flat deck is important as it allows volume of foam without becoming too thick under your feet. When the surf gets good I just put in carbon fins to stiffen it up and it rides easily to what i call 4ft +.
let me know if you need more info - there are plenty of ideas for boards that will suit your purpose i think.
thanks for all the replies.
I'm about 5'8" & 75kg.
My current board is on the old side (~10 yrs old) cause I dropped surfing for a few years. Its 6'2" x 18 1/2 x 2 5/16.
It has a square tail. It may have had a double concave but if so it was very slight. Hard to tell now cause its been bashed around a bit.
It still goes OK but it would be nice to get a board that helped me get on to waves a little easier. I reckon anything that would help me be up on a wave with enough speed just a little earlier than I am now would make a big difference to how much I get out of a wave. Of course you're all right in that there is no substitute for getting fitter, but any help from the technology is a good thing in my book.
OK now for the really stupid questions:
- what is a lowered rocker and what does it do for you?
- by flat deck I take it you mean flat from rail to rail?
- is there any downside to a flat deck?
- what does a swallow tail do?
- can you tell me more about the carbon fins?
- is it a good idea to have a few different sets of fins for different conditions? If so whats a good combination?
I'm about 5'8" & 75kg.
My current board is on the old side (~10 yrs old) cause I dropped surfing for a few years. Its 6'2" x 18 1/2 x 2 5/16.
It has a square tail. It may have had a double concave but if so it was very slight. Hard to tell now cause its been bashed around a bit.
It still goes OK but it would be nice to get a board that helped me get on to waves a little easier. I reckon anything that would help me be up on a wave with enough speed just a little earlier than I am now would make a big difference to how much I get out of a wave. Of course you're all right in that there is no substitute for getting fitter, but any help from the technology is a good thing in my book.
OK now for the really stupid questions:
- what is a lowered rocker and what does it do for you?
- by flat deck I take it you mean flat from rail to rail?
- is there any downside to a flat deck?
- what does a swallow tail do?
- can you tell me more about the carbon fins?
- is it a good idea to have a few different sets of fins for different conditions? If so whats a good combination?
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the kalakau kid
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- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2004 10:39 am
- Location: treeline
jb,
now taking into account that I am not a shaper, i will attempt to explain the concepts below as i understand. Welcome comment from the masseswho may be better informed....
* lowered rocker means that the board has a flatter, smoother bottom curve from tip to tail with the nose less turned-up than std boards. This does affect the arc the board will make in the water ( ie longer, wider turns) but more importantly it means that the board planes on the water earlier when paddling and so helps you catch waves more easily. It is usually used in combination with the wide point and a max volume of foam supporting the surfer under their chest as they paddle.
* Flat deck does mean rail to rail and this means that you can have more volume across the board without the bouncy, bubble effect of a domed deck. This means that you can have a thinner board ( as the volume of fpoam is out on the rails, not on the stringer) but the rails will be fuller. Not a good feature if you love low or knife-like rails. It also means that the board glides though turns a little more as the fatter rails tend to float & not grab water. Used by hot surfers like Brad Gerlach and others from time to time - as well as gumbies lke me.
*Swallow tail function - looser than round tail, not as direct as a square. Seems to function well with a board that has flyers on the rails ( being there to help the width of the tail come in more quickly). Someone else can probably add more info than this....
* I use FCS Al Merricks for small (1-3 foot) surf and change to either SunnyGarcia or GYU-X fins when the surf has some juice. My board maxes out at about heavy four feet and I switch to a rounded pintail. The carbon fins extend tht boards range by stiffening up the tail, adding hold as the waves have more power. The plastics flex more and start to give out as the waves get hollower/better. Remember, I am heavy, this board has a wide tail and sharp rails through the back, all of which in combination do not deal with abundance of power too well.
* WHat fins for conditions? Up to you. Try a shop that has an FCS test centre and you should be able to borrow a few different sets. I find that stiffer fins are better as the waves gain power and that big fins are not always needed on big boards. There is probably a PhD in fin theories waiting to be written so I will not outline my ignorance any further. It probably is rocket science but i reckon you will learn most from just riding a few and working our what suits you.
Hope this is helpful - post back if you want more info or i have not made a point clearly.
aloha,
tkk
now taking into account that I am not a shaper, i will attempt to explain the concepts below as i understand. Welcome comment from the masseswho may be better informed....
* lowered rocker means that the board has a flatter, smoother bottom curve from tip to tail with the nose less turned-up than std boards. This does affect the arc the board will make in the water ( ie longer, wider turns) but more importantly it means that the board planes on the water earlier when paddling and so helps you catch waves more easily. It is usually used in combination with the wide point and a max volume of foam supporting the surfer under their chest as they paddle.
* Flat deck does mean rail to rail and this means that you can have more volume across the board without the bouncy, bubble effect of a domed deck. This means that you can have a thinner board ( as the volume of fpoam is out on the rails, not on the stringer) but the rails will be fuller. Not a good feature if you love low or knife-like rails. It also means that the board glides though turns a little more as the fatter rails tend to float & not grab water. Used by hot surfers like Brad Gerlach and others from time to time - as well as gumbies lke me.
*Swallow tail function - looser than round tail, not as direct as a square. Seems to function well with a board that has flyers on the rails ( being there to help the width of the tail come in more quickly). Someone else can probably add more info than this....
* I use FCS Al Merricks for small (1-3 foot) surf and change to either SunnyGarcia or GYU-X fins when the surf has some juice. My board maxes out at about heavy four feet and I switch to a rounded pintail. The carbon fins extend tht boards range by stiffening up the tail, adding hold as the waves have more power. The plastics flex more and start to give out as the waves get hollower/better. Remember, I am heavy, this board has a wide tail and sharp rails through the back, all of which in combination do not deal with abundance of power too well.
* WHat fins for conditions? Up to you. Try a shop that has an FCS test centre and you should be able to borrow a few different sets. I find that stiffer fins are better as the waves gain power and that big fins are not always needed on big boards. There is probably a PhD in fin theories waiting to be written so I will not outline my ignorance any further. It probably is rocket science but i reckon you will learn most from just riding a few and working our what suits you.
Hope this is helpful - post back if you want more info or i have not made a point clearly.
aloha,
tkk
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dicko
1. less rocker ie less banana from nose to tail. very complicated, whole new topic needed.joeblow wrote:
OK now for the really stupid questions:
- what is a lowered rocker and what does it do for you?
- by flat deck I take it you mean flat from rail to rail?
- is there any downside to a flat deck?
- what does a swallow tail do?
- can you tell me more about the carbon fins?
- is it a good idea to have a few different sets of fins for different conditions? If so whats a good combination?
2. yes
3. less foam if you do want it. more foam relatively in rails.
4. whole new forum needed again. pretty standard tail shape. good for all round surf.
5. lighter, stiffer, more expensive, not worth it unless you're real good.
6. different fins are good to find out what your board needs. some boards need loosening up while others need more drive. once you find the right set stick with it unless you love tinkering. G5 are pretty good for all round surf.
choosing a board
could anyone suggest the best size board for someone 6'6" and about 90kg? i'm riding a 6'7" attamoment but don't like the paddle out on sizy days not enough movement (same for catching em) . . . and just want speed and that my turns don't die in the arse
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RandomSea
Shortboard for JoeBlow
Joeblow, I got this board for my girlfriend, thinking 'great to learn on', but after a few goes on it, have reckoned it might be time to take it over.
It's a 6'2", with a rounded off nose, bit of a concave, a swallow and a pretty even shape. Not sure the entire dimensions, but this thing I've ridden in 1ft slop and been the only one catching waves, and I've done tail-slides on cranking hollow 5ft'ers at Trechery.
Do yourself a favour if your still interested in short boards, and in being able to get into the brew and not surfing as much, and get something with a basic shortboard shape, with some witdth in the nose. So good.
Later
Random Sea
It's a 6'2", with a rounded off nose, bit of a concave, a swallow and a pretty even shape. Not sure the entire dimensions, but this thing I've ridden in 1ft slop and been the only one catching waves, and I've done tail-slides on cranking hollow 5ft'ers at Trechery.
Do yourself a favour if your still interested in short boards, and in being able to get into the brew and not surfing as much, and get something with a basic shortboard shape, with some witdth in the nose. So good.
Later
Random Sea
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the kalakau kid
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billwa -
my simple answer is to ride a longboard witha rounded pintail. or perhaps a 7ft plus big-board as made by numerous companies.
If that does not appeal + you want to stay with short boards I would go to a shaper, preferable one who is a big guy. Simon Anderson for example. Someone like that may be more able to understand what you need.
Also - are you looking for a basic shortboard to use everyday or a board for good/overhead days?
more info needed really.
mahalo
ps - random sea - I agree and have seen some great shortboards that were designed for beginners which were actually pretty good for competent surfers to ride. the whole expanded outline as you describe. The 62 is probably a bit shot for joe blow though ( y'know)
66 - 68 or so could be the go
mahalo bro
my simple answer is to ride a longboard witha rounded pintail. or perhaps a 7ft plus big-board as made by numerous companies.
If that does not appeal + you want to stay with short boards I would go to a shaper, preferable one who is a big guy. Simon Anderson for example. Someone like that may be more able to understand what you need.
Also - are you looking for a basic shortboard to use everyday or a board for good/overhead days?
more info needed really.
mahalo
ps - random sea - I agree and have seen some great shortboards that were designed for beginners which were actually pretty good for competent surfers to ride. the whole expanded outline as you describe. The 62 is probably a bit shot for joe blow though ( y'know)
66 - 68 or so could be the go
mahalo bro
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the kalakau kid
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Re: help choosing a new surfboard
". I am aging (35) and not as fit as I once was"
Hey Joeblow don't let that "I'm getting old" thing get a hold of you. That attitude stuffed up a BIG slice of my life. As long as you're hitting the water you're just another big kid like the rest of us.
Seriously mate, The "getting old" mindset is BAD MOJO for your mind and body.
Hey Joeblow don't let that "I'm getting old" thing get a hold of you. That attitude stuffed up a BIG slice of my life. As long as you're hitting the water you're just another big kid like the rest of us.
Seriously mate, The "getting old" mindset is BAD MOJO for your mind and body.
Good on yez all
Bigpete
Bigpete
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