board lenght/shape

[prepare]

I ride a 6'8 and find in smaller waves, like 1-3' its very hard to do anything other then try to hold my line and go left or right. would having a shorter board help?.

bascially i think im getting to the stage where i want a slightly more maneuverable board. I can take off pretty well there days, probably up to 5' as long as its not to hollow and im starting to do a few bigger turns on my forehand.

what should i be looking for? i guess im wanting to end up surfing more aggressivly rather then just riding the wave.

[Hawkeye]

It's not just about board length. It very much depends on the bottom contour - rocker/concave etc

I'm 6'1", 80kg, and ride a 6-4 rounded squaretail with a fairly pronounced concave. It's great fun up to about 3', but it's not a great paddler and starts to get a bit slow on the paddle-in above that, especially if it's full, onshore, or sucky.

I have a 6'8" rounded pin for when it's 4-6', and find that it's great for getting into the waves early, but it's a bit stiff and/or the tail sinks unless the waves are hollow/fast. It has more curve due to its length, but less nose and tail lift. Great for big roundhouse cutties, but a bit slow on the response when I want to whack lips.

I'm seriously thinking about trading them both for a 6'8" rounded square with a small-wave bottom curve at about 2 1/2" or 2 5/8' thick. The extra area will mean I maintain the paddle-ability of my rounded pin, but the increased tail lift should mean I get the ability to whack lips of my shorter board.

Whatever you do, don't go too small on the floatation. You'll just end up frustrated because you can't catch waves.

Final question: where are you putting your back foot? It should be right between the fins. Any further forward and ANY board will probably be too stiff.

[prepare]

thanks guys.

im 5'7 and 70kg so not a big guy. My board seems fairly narrow and has a pretty long pointy nose compared to alot of boards i see guys riding.

the last two days ive been out in 4-5' surf and I felt really at home on my board and i was picking up waves easily and taking some pretty decent drops and making sections i thought i couldnt.

so maybe i should be looking at getting something between 6'0 and 6'4 ?

I try to get my backfoot around the fins but then sometimes i feel I need to move forward a fair bit to get speed then back again if i want to do a turn. watching guys surf there feet seem to be glued to 1 spot which made me think my board was a little big.

[Freestyler]

I'm about same height/weight and ride a 6'2" up to 6' waves, 6'6" in 6'-8' and a 7' in 8' and above. Knock 4" off your 6'8", thats a lot less board in length and volume, but make sure you keep thickness throughout (especially in the tail), maybe even slightly increase, which will help paddling and give you bouyancy in small waves with flat sections. But like the other guys said bottom contours etc make a big difference also. If you like the way your 6'8" rides in the right size waves then just stick to the same shape & bottom and match board length with wave height. You could also stick in smaller fins in your 6'8", they will loosen it up heaps, but like earlier reply said 6'8" is a big board in small waves.

[buzzy]

I wouldn't think it would make an enormous difference to be honest. I'm about 15 kgs up on you (85kg) & ride a 6'6" most of the time and have no drama with that at all. I ride up to a 6'10" and could almost as easily ride it in smaller waves except the 6'6"'s I ride have more surface area/volume that the 6'10". In other words, the 4 inch length difference means not all that much.

[prepare]

What do you guys think about this board.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... otohosting

caught my eye because its in wollongong. looks about the size i want.

[Y? sk8label]

im 5'7 and 70kg so not a big guy. My board seems fairly narrow and has a pretty long pointy nose compared to alot of boards i see guys riding.

whoa,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you need a lot smaller board than 6"8, you should try more like a 5"10-5"11...............i'm 5"7 and ride a hayden shapes 5"10 17 3/4 2 1/4. A board thats just a few inches above your height performs best! You don't want to much nose sticking out when paddling as it usually nosedives and bogs when turning.............. A smaller lighter board fit to your height and weight performs much better! Also when you get a new board tell the shaper your wieght and height and he'll make it to your perfect size.............

[buzzy]

If he's going shrter it mightn't be the best idea to drop 10 inches in one shot. After all, he can't turn his 6'8", which is hardly a boat.

I'd suggest trying a 6'4" or so if you decide to drop a length. And/or find a surf shop such as Jacksons or Dripping Wet that allow you to demo boards first, try out a few lengths and work out what suits you.

I'd prefer to have too much foam than too little, and I'm sure most would agree. In other words, it's better to go too long than too short.