Trying to find out more info on good foam surfboards that are high volume and relatively wide to be used for river surfing.
So far, the Catch Surf 6'6 Fish is on my radar. (6'6X22 wideX3" thick)
Any others I should be looking at?
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Trying to find out more info on good foam surfboards that are high volume and relatively wide to be used for river surfing.
So far, the Catch Surf 6'6 Fish is on my radar. (6'6X22 wideX3" thick)
Any others I should be looking at?
Did you get/try one? I'm actually thinking of getting a Softech Torpedo (5'4") or Rocket Attack (4'8") for kneeboarding the powerless east coast junk surf we often get. Couldn't really figure out which way to go...Quote:
Originally Posted by bovine
Held the Torpedo at a shop last night, SUPER think with a shitload of volume. They say it doesn't turn with the energy/response of a regular board, but I suck anyways, so who cares?
No-haven't gotten one. I've seen a few guys really struggle using "wide" foamies and conventional surf boards at the local kayak play park. When I surf, I want to make fast carves on a wave for minutes-not seconds.
I'm looking at another kind of board made by a company called Tuf Riverboards- based out of Minnesota. The guy shapes boards for surfing on Lake Superior and on Rivers. They're supposed to be way burlier than Badfish-slightly heavier, and the designs look good- also pretty affordable.
Looking at a quad fin board that's 6'X26" X 3" thick- looks fast enough to surf most any Colorado park and play river wave and faster turning than a conventional river surfing sup-which is what I currently have with my River Surfer 6'11.
I run a website about river surfing and have tackled this question a time or two. Here is a collection of the gear-related posts.
I'm looking at pulling the trigger on another glass board. These ones are made by a shaper in Minnesota. They have a lot of different kinds of boards and will do most any custom job.
My experience is with the Badfish River Surfer 6'11. The thing is 30" wide and 5" thick.
The board I'm trying to decide on would be around 6'4 or maybe closer to 6' and 24-25" wide X 3,1/2" thick. I've looked at tons of river surfing vids to see what size river surfboards people are using and its all over the gamut. A lot of guys are on small boards, but are also surfing super fast waves in places like Bend and Missoula...
I don't want to go too small for fear of not having a board that will surf any wave from big and fast to small and slow. I prefer to surf on fast waves that I can carve fast turns on.
Any advice on board size? I'm using 200#s wet and will be using the board all around Colorado.
I asked the same question about a year ago, and the answer I got was "there is no board that is suited to surf all the waves you want to surf." I was skeptical about that answer at first, but after 100+ days surfing around Colorado, I've found it to be the case. My current quiver includes the following:
4'9" Cut down Taquito
5'2" Boardworks Flying Pig
6' Cut down Taquito
6'2" 90s era big wave gun
6'2" CBC Fish softie
7' Taquito
7' Glide Lochsa Paddleboard
I also had a 5'2" Scott Burke Fish that I sold, but enjoyed.
The boards I use the most often are the 5'2" Flying Pig on River Run, and the 6' Taquito on mushier lower-flow waves.
The biggest issue with the board-size to wave-size relationship is that on river waves you have a steeper pocket at the bottom of the wave. The incoming water has a positive ramp angle, as opposed to the essentially flat ramp angle of an ocean wave, so you need a combination of less length and more rocker on any sort of green wave. You can get away with a longboard on real mushy waves (and may need a longboard, depending on the wave), but they'll pearl on a steeper green wave because the wave will lift your tail and drive your nose under.
I know a couple of people who like the Tuf boards, but there are some local options worth checking out, like Colorado Surf Supply. More info on hard board shapers here.
If you're in Montrose, like your profile suggests, you may want to let your "home" wave dictate a fair amount of your chosen shape. I don't know the Montrose park enough to get any more specific than what I've written above, but if you want to PM me I can put you in touch with some guys who surf out there a fair bit and can probably make some suggestions. But the short version is, a one-board quiver for everything in Colorado isn't really a thing that exists.
I guess I should add, if I had to have just one board, it would probably be in the ballpark of what you're describing. I get a lot of use out of my 6' Taquito. I'm in Denver and surf River Run Park a lot though, and a 6'+ board will not work well on that wave at all though. If anything, you may want to downsize a touch (sticking closer to 6') and use your riversurfer for mushier waves.
Great info and thanks- I sent you a PM.
Did you pull the trigger? I did on the 6' catch surf fish - havn't used it yet. I was hunting around for an answer to the same question and decided it was the shortest with the most volume to float for the mushier side of things while hopefully still being able to carve on a steeper wave. We will see.
I ride a 5'4" torpedo which has an ungodly amount of foam (can barely duckdive it in bigger surf) in a short pack age, I run it as a twin in the ocean and it's surprisingly fun and super fast. Really flat rocker though so I dont know if it's be optimal for river waves. But if you could get similar volume with more rocker I feel that's be a killer option
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Yeah, I've seen the Torpedo out on some waves, but you're right, the lack of rocker can be a liability.
would love to hop on a wavestorm and post up on a river wave if that's possible.
Ask Riversurf - be nice tho, or he will send his people after you.. :eek: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...96-Surfing-Mag
Bumping this instead of a new thread.
I gather that there's not a one-board quiver but....
If I lived in the central CO area, and wanted to be able to surf the new Eagle park, Glenwood, Salida and BV and maybe anything that forms in Summit co what would be a decent board to start on? Or at least what qualities would I look for. I've been checking out badfish and maybe the "Wavo" or the "ISK8" would be something worth trying? I'm 200 lbs 6'2" and total beginner, with some SUP and surf experience but never been good at either.
I'm definitely looking to demo a few boards first and see what sticks. Checking out CKS in BV and a shop in Avon.
Nice, thanks. Checked those out. You seem pretty psyched on the Wavestorm Taquito but I can only find it in an 8'. Like the pricepoint on that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cravenmorhead
There are solutions to that issue.
That could definitely be an option. However, I'm probably going to demo a few first to see what kind of shape/size I might like. Or if I hate river surfing and just want to stick with paddle boarding the rivers. Could go either way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cravenmorhead
Damn that is a big quiver. I have fewer boards for ocean surfing 2-20' surf.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cravenmorhead
Curious about the CBC. I have their 5'8" Sushi. I bought it for my kid to paddle around, get pushed into small surf, etc. I've ridden it twice, and, well, it can trim, but it really does not want to hold a carve.
Seeing it on your list makes me wonder if you own it just because it is soft and can handle getting banged up on rocks. Or, does it surf well in river waves?
My review of the fish. Basically, it's a fine river board, particularly for the price. Nice to not have to care much about banging it up on rocks, and it has more volume than a lot of fiberglass boards of the same length, which is a plus for river surfing - no salt, and generally mushier waves. It's inability to hold a carve isn't as much of a liability for river surfing, since it's rare to have a wave that you can really carve across the face on. There are certainly waves like Bend where you'll want to be able to carve hard, and it's not the board for those waves, but those are relatively few and far between.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cravenmorhead
I can’t even believe this post wasn’t a rickroll.
Anyway, I also have a pretty good write-up of my river surfing gear here