Midlengths

[ctd]

Where abouts do you do most of your surfing CTD?

I've also had a 6'2 waterskate squash tail thruster which was a great board. I've left feedback on both boards on Grants website.

Have a chat with Grant and he will sort you out.

I'm going to assume your mini mal is a 7'6 as that's a pretty common size. 6'8 or 6'10 would be a great start. I'll actually make a prediction as say that once you get one of these you'll surf the mini mal far less.

...

there are a few v-skates on the gumtree at the moment. They aren't a bad option in the same size. To my knowledge there's not much difference between waterskates and vskate apart from the narrower plan shape. Pretty much everything else is the same.

Anyway, enough of my diarrhoea...

Good luck.

thanks heaps for this. My minimal is a 7ft4 powerglide made by Grant, which is why I was looking at the waterskate in particular. I actually surf down around Ulladulla mainly, so just near Grant, although he has left for one of his sabbaticals so is off line for 6 months or so.

I have a 6'10 mccoy nugget (shaped by Rodgers) which is ok but I've never quite gelled with it (bought it second hand just to try it out). Its probably my skill levels, since I'm not hitting the limits of the board or anything (I've seen comments re the 'high end' ability, or limitations, of the nugget design). I keep giving it 'one more go' to see if somehow it has started working for me - sometimes I think it has and other days I blame the board entirely ... however, the powerglide is almost a bit too easy to surf - its so stable that it hides a lot of technical flaws which probably get exposed with the shorter/narrower board

Still, a 2 board quiver (actually I have a 9ft covered in dust as well) hardly justifies calling myself a surfer. So why not try something else

I've been looking at the V-skates as well given how many are around for sale.

[JET01]

If you're surfing intermittently then it'll take ages to get used to it. Especially if you're on different boards in the mean time. I hear that "loaded dome" takes some getting used to.
I'd flick the nugget and give grant a call. Or if you don't want to wait. Rabbage does a fat boy model which is suspiciously similar. I'd wait for Grant though. All the Rabbidge boards I've seen have shit glass jobs. Especially on the rails. Probably just bad luck.
Hatchnam has one.

[surfywurfy]

I have a 6'10 mccoy nugget (shaped by Rodgers.....Yes good boards, espescially if you grind the stringer fin off and put some trail quad plugs in.

the standard glass on thrusters are 0k BUT finetuning your fins on these boards make all the difference!

[JET01]

I had a 7'0 powerglide once... didn't like it after the new board stoke wore off.... my 6'8 waterskate paddled better than it.
I know this is a big call, but i feel like the rocker was no good in the front of the board. It felt like it pushed a lot of water when paddled. I got a mate to surf it just to make sure i wasn't imagining things and he said the same thing.

[Slobadan Madicubich]

. I hear that "loaded dome" takes some getting used to.
.

i had a board with a loaded dome & it was different but not that hard to get used to & when i did it was great, will definitely get another one

[Beanpole]

If you're surfing intermittently then it'll take ages to get used to it. Especially if you're on different boards in the mean time. I hear that "loaded dome" takes some getting used to.
I'd flick the nugget and give grant a call. Or if you don't want to wait. Rabbage does a fat boy model which is suspiciously similar. I'd wait for Grant though. All the Rabbidge boards I've seen have shit glass jobs. Especially on the rails. Probably just bad luck.
Hatchnam has one.

Now you mention it...my Rabbidge mal had a crap glass job...had to get a patch in the deck where it sank.

[JET01]

Every one of his fishes with the channels down the rails I've seen. Garbage. Boarderline Accc style shit.

[Beerfan]

Rules out rabbidge then. Hate shitty glass jobs

[Drailed]

What use is a board with a shitty glass job. Idiots.

[Beanpole]

Well you find out don't you. I was saying to some guy out in the surf at Angourie about how good the glass job was on my Fat Bullet. He said " How would you know?"....in a bit of a know it all way. Well, once you've had it for a while it becomes obvious, dickhead. He didn't surf that well either.

[Davros]

I'm storing a mates Rabbidge Fat Boy, pretty standard meat and potatoes bigger guy short board but with a wider nose. Nice subtle concaves with a nice foil etc.. He has punished it over 15 odd years and still in OK condition.

I had a Rabbidge shortboard, it was in great nic when I sold it on. Good all rounder that wasn't too wide and could handle waves over 3 feet easily such were the design of boards not so long ago.

Got to say I'm not sure if I would label him a copy cat shyster and a preference to Miller who it seems appeals to the Hypto/McCoy shortboard rider.

[JET01]

Yeah you're right. I should've chosen my words a little more carefully. I don't necessarily mean he's a copy cat. They both world class shapers in their own right. It wouldn't surprise me if they shared a little knowledge. After all they cater to similar demographics.

[Davros]

He probably had a shit glasser for a while.

Rabbidge more long board than Miller I reckon. His shorties for the most part not as chunky and wide I have found but easy boards to ride no doubt. Meat and potatoes.

[Beanpole]

Rabbidge used to be a contract/ghost shaper wasn't he?
I had a Nat Young square tail that had really similar rails.
That's original Nat.

[JET01]

His channel bottom quads are tasty looking craft. I was just always put off by what I'd seen on the glass front.

[Davros]

Anyway I heard he retired

[Davros]

Rabbidge used to be a contract/ghost shaper wasn't he?
I had a Nat Young square tail that had really similar rails.
That's original Nat.

Must have been a long time ago

[surfywurfy]

Rabbidge used to be a contract/ghost shaper wasn't he?
I had a Nat Young square tail that had really similar rails.
That's original Nat.

Mark was at Hot Buttered a long time ago....