new short board for big...old...guy...

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old grom
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new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by old grom » Mon Jun 09, 2014 7:21 pm

Yes that old chestnut... I have been on the beefy short board quest for many years and have tried most of the genre. 47 and 95KG, average old bugger surfer, finding I need some paddle help but dont want to go to long in board length.

Just sold a McCoy Nugget 6'10" which gave me many years of service - great board but two issues 1) super back foot oriented and when you have your back foot over the fins the turn is incredible...but if you miss this they dont turn well and I am a bit front footed. 2) not good in small - gutless - fat waves (and lots of my surfing is unfortunatly in this shite stuff). Well I now have a decent deposit :-)(

I have been surfing a small mid length 7'2" x 22 x 3" thruster with wide point forward.. love this if its solid, and love the paddle volume, but at 7'2 I find it a bit long and cannot snap turn it. I miss the ability to do quick turns on small steep beachies.

I also have a great 6"8 x 22 x 2 7/8 duranbah wombat that was my favourite but now unless its small and uncrowded I just find it a little hard to keep the paddle up - especially if I am surfing in crowds. Just need a little bit more..

I think I am after about 50 l volume in my next board...paddle is very important...This board will be a "go to board" for 2-5 ft.

I love the look of the Mahem lost boards - especially the domesticated series like the new RV - but their top end is 6'2 ish and the start to get to 23 inch plus in width. So if I had one made at 6'10" I dont know if the shape would translate...

Also considering the firewire Addvance 6'10...

Or a custom...about 6'10 x 22 1/2 x 3 1/8 (ish)

I think that this is the greatest challege for shapers is boards for guys who like short boards but age - injury - loss of fittness - and weight - mean that they need extra help...but its a fine line between a great board and a boat in this style...

Cuttle I know you were a fan of the scorpion... do you still rate this?

Any thoughts of suggestions appreciated

Cheers Old Grom

'

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Beanpole » Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:09 pm

Tell me about it.
The grail.
Mctavish produces the goods if you can go the price or get a good deal.
I've got a range of boards from 6'6" up and his mid lengths give me more confidence particularly on take offs than anything else.

With most of the rest the take off has to be considered carefully if its crowded.
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Cuttlefish
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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Cuttlefish » Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:42 am

2-5'?
I'm (generally) not going to surf the same board at 2' as I will at 5'.
The scorpion isn't a "shortboard" but it's still a favourite.
The 6'10" addvance will be a handful in 5' beachbreaks due to it's 56 litres.
Points no problem. Local guy our size has a 6'10" and surfs it at the points at that size and is right into the set waves early.
Drop down to the 6'6" Addvance and the beachbreaks are more manageable with the epoxies extra float and duckdiving.
That's the part that can wear you out.
If you're really keen on the 50 litre mark then as a "one board quiver" shortboard for 2-5' then this...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Surfboard-Fi ... 3f374440c1
But I wouldn't ride that much foam. I I had to I'd rather ride the 6'6" at about 45 litres maximum.
Remember my 6'2" potatonator that you found skittish? I changed it to a 6'4" at 47 litres. Hated it. was ok in small stuff but lost the feel I had in 3-4' waves that I loved riding the 6'2" in.
When the litreage is spread out more over the longer board the extra foam in the epoxies isn't as critical (still very important) as when you have the same amount of foam in short stubbies like sweet potatoes a foot shorter and you start waves pass under you as you paddle for them on a corky blob.
Like I said though I'm not into a one board quiver as I want dedicated beachbreak govellers which we spend a lot of time on.
A high tide, fat walls goveller and a low tide, punchier walled groveller.
Once it hits 5' (real 5') and it's not just closing out, then I'm on my good wave beachbreak shortboard.
Nowadays though I'm looking at a 6'4"-6'6" version of my Woosley vquad as a carver for beachbreaks.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

old grom
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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by old grom » Tue Jun 10, 2014 9:40 am

Thanks guys...I think my 2-5 ft was my third stubbie talking last night... I have a couple of boards I pull out when it is 4 ft and above (ie well overhead) - including a very solid a 7'2 gunned up McCoy nugget that never lets me down.

So the seach is more for a board that can handle 2 - 4 , and especially well the average shoulder to head high beachies that are my 75% surf diet.

I guess if you want to pump up the volume in a 6'10 package its a big ask.

Yup..it is the holy grail for so many of us old groms..

Cuttle - how does your Scorpian go in the typical beachies we have surfed together... you know the crap waves I am forced to make my daily diet inbetween the odd golden day :-D-:

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by surfywurfy » Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:08 am

6/6x22x3 mCoy pot belly....lighter glass job.....the nose rocker is similar to a fish..balanced outline that will run thru the less curvy wave faces..out performs the all rounder model in knee high to chest high....fin box for centre fin then you can tune it for the weak days with a GL size and have a normal thruster for the days that have some grunt....add some quad plugs/boxes for an even faster sensation.

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by tootr » Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:27 am

May I suggest get in touch with Ron Goddard at Coffs. he does the volume/performance tradeoff very well and is a true custom shaper.

I have three of his boards and they are all excellent.

http://www.goddardsurfboards.com.au

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by ctd » Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:43 am

old grom wrote:I think that this is the greatest challege for shapers is boards for guys who like short boards but age - injury - loss of fittness - and weight - mean that they need extra help...but its a fine line between a great board and a boat in this style...'

I know I have said this before, but Grant Miller ( http://www.grantmillersurfboards.com.au/) is a shaper who basically specialises in these kind of boards.

His F-skate is at least superficially pretty close to the addvance but not any more expensive, so if the addvance is on your radar at least take a squizz (he isnt a fan of the addvance however: http://www.grantmillersurfboards.com.au ... als/vskate and look at the testimonial dated 07/08/2013)

If you do contact Grant, dont discuss volume as the first thing! (see his front page). In any case, his boards are very well made. Not saying they are better than the others mentioned but you are exactly the person he makes boards for. He is a really nice guy - passionate on certain things (which you may or may not agree with) but he wants to do what is right for you.

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Cuttlefish » Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:47 am

What about you borrow the Scorpion?
The 6'6" I alluded to is being shaped as we speak (so to speak).
You may want to have a look at it too.
6'6" X 21&1/2" X 2&7/8".
Ronnie Goddards boards look great.
Also we can't have an old guys board conversation without throwing Grant Miller in as well.
:-D-:
too funny about to post and it notifies me that another post has been added.
Grant gets another mention.
I will say that I've ridden a big F-skate and it is a different animal to an Addvance.
Talking about that testimonial the guy in question ended up with a v-skate?
Same as this one except 3&1/4 vs 3&1/8"...http://www.mcsurf.com.au/products/mille ... nd-/2140/1
8' V-skate and Addvance 6'10 even more difference inbetween them.
A longboarder stepping down is going to have very different expectations to a shortboarder stepping up the dims.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Cuttlefish » Tue Jun 10, 2014 4:03 pm

The 6'6" is shaped (5 hours after ordering it, 5 hours!!) and will be glassed on Thursday and sanded & polished early next week. Ready for pick up by the end of the week. Not a bad turnaround.
I'm frothing!
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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by unclethirsty » Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:45 pm

Young Grom, I can that because I'm 62yo & 100kg. recently got one of Grant Millers SUBX, 7'x 231/8 x 31/8 Single/quad options, absolutely love it, thing paddles extremely well & I can still throw it around.

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Beanpole » Tue Jun 10, 2014 6:23 pm

[quote="old grom"] I have a couple of boards I pull out when it is 4 ft and above (ie well overhead)

[quote]

So that's about 15ft faces then?
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old grom
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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by old grom » Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:27 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions and thoughts, its great to get new info and slants of the challenge of a high volume shorty...even if I need this as Im getting bloody older...

Surfy...I am a big McCoy fan, I have had 5 in the last 10 years..including over a year on a 6'8" Zot.. I have never surfed a Belly...and never say never...but while I still have 2 McCoys for solid days (semi gun and nugget gun) I find them a bit heavy in the smaller stuff or if its a bit shitty. Despite that my willpower to resist these great shapes could break at any time...a lightly glassed pot belly you say 8) ... and I could find myself back on the blower to the godfather of volume -Geoff :-D-:

Goddard boards..never heard of them but my god its board pawn..love the style...options.. options

When I started looking for a new high volume shorty...Miller was the second site I went to (could not help myself sneaking a peak at McCoys to see if he had finally relented and launched a quad..).

I was so taken with the SUBX I was close to pulling the trigger...this sounds perfect...esp in a quad...but at $1000 for a 6'10..plus $150ish to get it up here...it seems a bit pricey...or am I just old and out of touch...shite maybe I should just buy one...so confused...do they go that well...highly tempted...now if I just moved to southern NSW...Im confused...I think Ill take my tablets now...

Cuttle...cannot wait for a reveiw of your 6'6" VQUAD beachie special...$800 ish...local shaper....top of my temptation list but maybe in a 6'10 :-D-: ...unless its a dog of course...you get it in one week you say...lets go for a surf and I can drool over your quiver again.

Beany..sorry if I confused you - I should never use the "2-4 foot range description", always gets me in trouble as someone says "3 foot you mean a 10 foot face...and I reply no I mean overhead"

... to the guys I surf with they know I mean double the face and add a bit (2 ft= 4-5 ft face; 4ft = 8-10 ft face); but I know the hawians, ship sterns bluff regulars, and the uber cool say 4 ft and mean a 15 ft face.

I should have just said - "faces from about shoulder high up to 2 or 3 foot over head"- the internationaly understood measurement...how much is going to slam you if you stuff up.

Now about that SUBX...any reviews out there..

old grom
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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by old grom » Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:47 pm

Mr Finch...I have been glued to the JD page...that is addictive...only 235 pages of board pawn to go...

How does your Tomo style board go? looks insane..

How does JD manage a bit more volume..

truley amazing stuff

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by mrpotato » Wed Jun 11, 2014 10:44 am

Hi old grom,

I've been searching for something similar for years and finally found perfect combo for me....ended up with Simon Anderson 6'10" TOE model (custom order only) for the smaller days or really full days and a 6'10" Outer Islands Smart board for when it starts getting bigger.

I've also owned Grant Millers in the past which suit as well but I found these two boards suited me better and I felt more comfortable than any other boards I've ridden. The quality of the Outer Island is amazing.

Hope you find that special board.

Cheers
Mr P

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Beerfan » Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:04 pm

old grom wrote:Mr Finch...I have been glued to the JD page...that is addictive...only 235 pages of board pawn to go...

How does your Tomo style board go? looks insane..

How does JD manage a bit more volume..

truley amazing stuff
I've got a keel fish from JD. It's 5'9" x 21 1/2" x 2 3/4" so not skinny. It goes insane. It was first JD and I'd come off a bigger, poly heavily glassed keel fish. I could go smaller but it's not corky or too floaty at all. I've now got another JD and about the only boards that could tempt me away would be an Outerislands or a campbell bros bonzer.

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Cuttlefish » Wed Jun 11, 2014 5:33 pm

Here's Uncle thirsty's thread he started on the Seabreeze longboard forum...http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Surf ... BX/?page=1
To get as much performance as possible in the shape for Old grom's size/age and need to duckdive beachbreaks it would pay not to oversize it I reckon.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Beanpole » Wed Jun 11, 2014 10:43 pm

Pity that pool table is not in use.
Interesting collection of masks.
Put your big boy pants on
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Re: new short board for big...old...guy...

Post by Cuttlefish » Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:51 am

Here's a clip with Rasta on a NPJ 2+1 that shows fairly well how I envisage my new 6'6" will surf (minus the freakish Rasta skill) but mine will have a little more nose and tail rocker which should help it fit in the pocket better.
Only a rat can win the rat race.

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