Advice on a new surfboard for a jong

[icelanticskier]

Here's a question for ya. Once you know how to catch waves on the inside, what is the best board for progressing in heavier beach break. In other words, what is the biggest board that a 6'0" 160lbs mortal can duck dive? Turning turtle is a pain in the ass. Are eggs and fun boards the way to go? Does a Walden Magic fit the description?

i'm a big fan of figuring out ideal volume, and having a board with the ideal volume in the ideal places. a lot of folks just assume that a bigger board is better for smaller waves. nope. having spent a lot of time over the years on longer boards and very short boards, i find that for the way i surf a small board in small waves is a much more fun experience overall. i always surfed longboards off the tail so a 9 footer to me was always a board with 3+ feet of deck that i never really wanted or needed.

i surf a ton of beach break and really only do the point thing when the beaches are a pita to deal with all of the moving water on much bigger days.

my last one board quiver was a lost blunt 6'0"x 20.25 x2.5 with a straighter outline and a rounded tail with 5 fin setup. for the conditions that i mostly surf, knee to a bit o head the board was great, but way too much volume. i could duck dive it, but getting the board into the water properly while carving turns with all of that volume didn't allow me to drive the board the way i wanted to on more solid days.

i then dropped about 10% volume (i weighh 165lb) to my 5'9"x 19.5x 2.38 lost rocket with 5 fin, and man o man, what a fucking difference! duck dives way easy in the most critical impact zones, catches waves with no effort in knee and up, and allows for all of that drive i was missing with the blunt. the smaller size also means that it fits way better in smaller waves faces allowing me to get vertical and carve in the most critical parts of the waves where a longer board would get very limiting. eggs and fun boards are fun, but small high performance boards are just so much more fun in so many situations, even when conditions get solid.

catching waves on smaller boards is easy once you get used to taking off later. then it's just sticking that tail down in the water, popping forward with a couple of strokes and yer in, even in gutless junk. you certainly can't just hop up and glide on the little sticks tho like on a log. it's all about getting up quick and getting that 1st strong pump going as soon as yer feet hit the deck. so much fun!

the rocket, check it out. http://www.lostenterprises.com/surfb...ils/the-rocket

rog

[Piggity]

Here's a question for ya. Once you know how to catch waves on the inside, what is the best board for progressing in heavier beach break. In other words, what is the biggest board that a 6'0" 160lbs mortal can duck dive? Turning turtle is a pain in the ass. Are eggs and fun boards the way to go? Does a Walden Magic fit the description?

Heavy Beach break = 6'8" step up board with a Rounded pin (for me anyway). Majority of the guys out there can't duck dive an egg/funboard over 7'0", it's pretty difficult, especially at a heavy beach break.

7'0" mini-gun isn't so bad to duck dive (Unless you're 5'7" 155lbs) but the other shapes have too much foam.

It's tricky but the key to duck diving bigger boards is, in addition to good duck diving technique, is to get all your weight on the front of the board and push down to sink the nose as the wave is starting to break in front of you. By upfront I mean my knees are mid board and my head is up at the nose when I'm duck diving my funboard. Once the wave rolls over you, extend your arms so your weight is further back on the board and then step on the tail and start pulling the board back up to the surface. It's easy for the water to catch the nose and still try to drive your board to the bottom, fight it and pull up as hard as possible. At 215lbs I can bury the nose on my 8'0" funboard (lots of foam) and duck dive head high plus waves. If you mis-time the duck dive then you need to bear hug your board and hold on for the rinse cycle, no room for sloppy technique while duck diving bigger boards.



Lot of guys don't like this board but my buddy has one and I've seen him nose ride his 6'4". I think these are between 5'8"-6'6", can easily be duck dived yet have the float of a long board. You can easily stick 5 off the front and someone with skills can realistically hang 10 off of a 6'4" board. Walden Compact Disc

[Breakwater]

Being a douche here - buy a board that works for you and your weight. Don't listen to dumbasses like the above

On this one I'll stand as 1 of the 10 doutches that think you are not being a doutche.


Even though I am one of the "above dumbasses"

[couloirman]

Thanks guys.

Wetsuit question:

If Im planning on surfing all winter in RI no matter what the weather (within reason), is a 6/5/4 the safest bet? Im looking at the Rip Curl Flash Bomb and it seems nice but I wonder if the 6/5/4 is overkill. I thought maybe if I get a 6/5/4 it will be my go to suit through March, and a 4/3 will be the ticket in spring up until summer. Am I off base here or is this pretty much standard if Im willing to shell out the cash for two suits right away? Will a 6/5/4 be way too warm most of the winter except on the coldest of days? Better off just going with Rog's suggestion of a 5/4/3 for winter? As for wetsuits, I dont care about cost I just want the best-- that seems like the most important area not to cheap out on to me.


Board decision: Looks like Ill be riding my buddies 7' egg for a month or so and seeing what happens. So far, I really like the looks of the Lost Plank, Channel Islands Biscuit, or maybe a Bessell Magic Carpet. Lots of foam, and what seems like a good in between before short boards.

[ill-advised strategy]

Well, there are lots of great surfers here so probably do what they say. I'm 2 1/2 years into surfing, I surf a lot. I'm in terrible physical shape except for my paddling arms. I'm 6'4" 270 lbs. I go out in places that are mostly uncrowded and have mostly mushy waves. I really, really like my 12 foot, 26" wide surftech munoz. It's a "cheater" board, nobody will ever think you're cool on it...especially in the parking lot. People think it's a SUP. etc etc etc.

At the same time, I can knee paddle it a mile in like 30 minutes and not even be fatigued at all. I can catch tiny waves and easily beat sections. I can catch big fast closeout waves really early, get a ride, then kick out the back when people are getting pounded on the inside. It's a magic board that makes everything really easy and I don't really want anything else.

It's the skiing equivalent of being a gaper on fat skis and flailing around tracking out all the pow. I know that...I surf alone a lot, or with a handful of other people in the water and I'm respectful of etiquette. I don't go to the faster, more crowded shortboarders' wave in my area, even though the guy who sold me my board used to take it there. I spent a lot of time surfing without a leash to try to learn to keep control of the board so I'm not ditching 12 feet of epoxy at somebody....that sort of thing.

My goals in surfing are probably a lot less performance-oriented than most people who post here. I'm really, really happy if I can get a long ride in the pocket or a floater or a nose ride. I will likely never do snaps or get barreled in fast hollow waves or go for airs. I'm pretty happy getting in early and cruising up and down the face.
I'd rather deal with being a gaper in the parking lot, surf my huge board, get a lot of waves and be in the water a long time without tiring out than try to unsuccessfully emulate surfers who are 15 years younger, 100 lbs lighter, lifelong surfers and far, far technically superior to me.

Maybe it's a Washington thing, I don't know, but so many people show up at these places I surf looking so hardcore with this nice equipment and all geared up with the van loaded and everything...and then they can't catch a wave in the water with their shortboards. All the local people I surf with here ride big, big boards and get a lot of waves. It's only been the rare occasion that some really badass shortboarder will show up and know wtf he's doing on these little waves...it's awesome to watch but really rare here. I don't know about other places because I've never surfed anywhere else, I guess that will tell you what JONG advice this is from a JONG. I think the point is, I really didn't enjoy struggling on shorter boards, and if I had followed the conventional wisdom instead of just finding the biggest board I could find I wouldn't be out there for 5 hours getting long rides, I'd be out there for 2 hours flailing.

Anyway, it's something to think about, fwiw.

[Ottime]

kook!








but excellent advice. ride something that is fun. And fwiw, i always found the boys showing up at the break with 'tude kind of funny. you'd never get that thing down the cliff at my favorite spot, but if you did, you'd be welcome in the water. everyone would be polite and wait to see if you got pitched over the falls.

but i think the point to take away, is surfing is supposed to be fun. otherwise, why do it?

[Breakwater]

If Im planning on surfing all winter in RI no matter what the weather (within reason), is a 6/5/4 the safest bet? Im looking at the Rip Curl Flash Bomb and it seems nice but I wonder if the 6/5/4 is overkill. I thought maybe if I get a 6/5/4 it will be my go to suit through March, and a 4/3 will be the ticket in spring up until summer. Am I off base here or is this pretty much standard if Im willing to shell out the cash for two suits right away? Will a 6/5/4 be way too warm most of the winter except on the coldest of days? Better off just going with Rog's suggestion of a 5/4/3 for winter? As for wetsuits, I dont care about cost I just want the best-- that seems like the most important area not to cheap out on to me.

I draw the line at a high-quality 5/4 (xcel infinity drylock right now)

If I can't get comfortable in a 5/4 during the cold-spells, then screw it, I should have gone snowboarding that day instead. Where's the fun in wearing an armor-clad suit to go surfing.


By the way, You should care about cost.
You can get an Infinity Drylock for $250 on Department of Goods, if they still have your size.
http://www.departmentofgoods.com/xce...it-w-hood-mens
Santa is bringing me one of the last ML's, as I just blew up my old infinity drylock.

I can also get you a Mint Chris Birch 5-8 Twin keel for $250.

You can give that extra $500 in your budget to me for finding these things for you if you really don't care.

[BirdRock]

Drylocks are the bomb. I got a 4/3 this winter and it's killer.

[Dose.]

You are in New England.....There is no overkill or 'too warm' in a suit for the winter.

In Rhody you will probably end up with a 6/5/4, 4/3, 3/2, shortie and trunks. Start saving!

[Piggity]

^true but more rubber ='s less paddle power and less paddle power sometimes ='s getting pitched and getting pitched sometimes ='s your suit getting flushed with freezing water which definitely ='s you being colder.

I know I'm reaching on this one but there is a fine balance between warmth and paddle power.

5/4, hood, boots, gloves and a huge thermos of hot water waiting in the car. Plus, you can always layer another vest on top of your 5/4 to increase the rubber on super cold days.

Sometimes the coldest part about surfing New England in the winter is post surf and taking your suit off in 15 degree temps with 0 degree wind chill, I'll never forget the gumby fingers I got trying to take my suit off.

[Hugh Conway]

Like sex, the least rubber you can get away with is the best solution.

[Breakwater]

Like sex, the least rubber you can get away with is the best solution.

Well played, Sir.

[Breakwater]

Thanks guys.

Wetsuit question:

If Im planning on surfing all winter in RI no matter what the weather (within reason), is a 6/5/4 the safest bet? Im looking at the Rip Curl Flash Bomb and it seems nice but I wonder if the 6/5/4 is overkill. I thought maybe if I get a 6/5/4 it will be my go to suit through March, and a 4/3 will be the ticket in spring up until summer. Am I off base here or is this pretty much standard if Im willing to shell out the cash for two suits right away? Will a 6/5/4 be way too warm most of the winter except on the coldest of days? Better off just going with Rog's suggestion of a 5/4/3 for winter? As for wetsuits, I dont care about cost I just want the best-- that seems like the most important area not to cheap out on to me.


Board decision: Looks like Ill be riding my buddies 7' egg for a month or so and seeing what happens. So far, I really like the looks of the Lost Plank, Channel Islands Biscuit, or maybe a Bessell Magic Carpet. Lots of foam, and what seems like a good in between before short boards.

So,
we want to know

After all this, Have you pooped on any equipment yet?

[My Pet Powder Goat]

pooped???

don't poop in your wetsuit

[icelanticskier]

ya, whatchoogonnado coolieman?

been thinking more about that plank for you. it wouldn't be a bad choice the more i think about it. i surfed it from barely knee to solid chest just to see how it handled. sooooooo easy to catch waves on it and very stable. think i rode a 5'10" and i'm (now) 170lb. it would def get you that shorter board feel but still have all of the foam you'll need. plus, it'll fit right inside yer car

amazing what the new board designs will do these days. surfed wednesday, many folks were saying best day of the whole year. i'd agree. overhead to quite a bit overhead, clean and just a few of us out at linkys. the rocks, across the cove was a crowded mess. paddled out on the 5'9" rocket to see what else it could do. set up thruster for better hold, the thing was so fun in those conditions. the other guys were on performance shortboards in the 6'2" or bigger range. i just sat a bit inside of the others to get on the waves a bit later, usually when the lip was about to pitch and the rocket was great. so stable on take off at 19.5" wide and such nice glide for getting across some of the flatter sections. you gotta get to nh. such an amazing variety of breaks for a 13 mile coastline. blows my mind really.

water still warm.

waiting.........................

blogrog

[couloirman]

Havent been around much this week, been off the grid mostly building ukes in my familys barn while on vacation.

I have probably decided on a 6' plank for the same reasons you say Rog, although I can get a used 6'4" CI Pod for $375 that is tempting me a bit. Lots of foam, and the price is certainly right. Would be a nice board to have around to let non surfer friends give it a go on as well once I outgrow it. My new 6/5/4 flash bomb will be at my house any day now so Im needing to make up my mind fast. Cant wait to get in the water this week. Hope we get some good waves.....

[icelanticskier]

Havent been around much this week, been off the grid mostly building ukes in my familys barn while on vacation.

nice, ya i've been taking a major intertoobz breather. been nice. waiting for winter to stick, if it will. may just skip it altogether so long as the surf keeps rolling in. may be looking at our 1st week of no waist high or better surf in 46 weeks! winter def brings loooooong flat spells fer sure. been one helluva year tho.

I have probably decided on a 6' plank for the same reasons you say Rog, although I can get a used 6'4" CI Pod for $375 that is tempting me a bit. Lots of foam, and the price is certainly right. Would be a nice board to have around to let non surfer friends give it a go on as well once I outgrow it. My new 6/5/4 flash bomb will be at my house any day now so Im needing to make up my mind fast. Cant wait to get in the water this week. Hope we get some good waves.....

that pod is def a different animal than the plank. the biscuit would be more similar. the pod is a great all rounder from what i hear tho, but may be a bit tougher to catch waves and learn on, but you're an athelete and fit, so..........

6/5/4 f-bomb will be toasty! a good jan through march suit.

some stoke from wednesday. was a good year end swell. http://www.ralphspic.com/newsletter.html

rog

[Breakwater]

Havent been around much this week, been off the grid mostly building ukes in my familys barn while on vacation.

I have probably decided on a 6' plank for the same reasons you say Rog, although I can get a used 6'4" CI Pod for $375 that is tempting me a bit. Lots of foam, and the price is certainly right. Would be a nice board to have around to let non surfer friends give it a go on as well once I outgrow it. My new 6/5/4 flash bomb will be at my house any day now so Im needing to make up my mind fast. Cant wait to get in the water this week. Hope we get some good waves.....

There's like, alot of words there.
Does all that mean you bought a wetsuit
and a surfboard.

[Long duc dong]

I'm going to echo what many have said here.

I would go with a funboard/egg type shape, 7-8 feet, maybe 21 wide, with 2.75-3.25 width.

I know you want to progress, but surfing has a very slow learning curve. You want something that helps you catch as many waves as possible. The nice thing about these boards. is that they are useful even when you get better. When you have added a shortboard to your quiver, you can still use one of these on the tiny days. I learned on a 7'6" funboard, and got lots of use out of it, even when I switched to a shortboard.

I would caution against going too low on the volume. As many have already said, it takes a long time to progress, and going too small will kill that porgression. I learned to surf in college, and I saw numerous people try, and give up. The people I saw who tried to learn on small boards didn't make it. You really will stunt your growth if you go too small. I did at one point, and eventually went back to the bigger board. When I did go back to a smaller board, I went to a board with a lot of volume, a fish type board.

I should add that I have your type of build. I'm stocky, but do lots of weight lifting, so not fat. With our type of build, you will always need a board with lots of volume.

I will also echo what Hugh Conway said above: You will never be a ripper, starting at this age. I know it's tough to hear, but it's the truth. That is not meant to discourage you, as surfing is really fun, even if you are mediocre. Starting at college age, I will always be somewhat stiff. The guys who are really fluid, are the ones who started young.

Once again, I can't stress enough to be careful of going to low in volume. It will really stunt your growth.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

I'm going to echo what many have said here.

I would go with a funboard/egg type shape, 7-8 feet, maybe 21 wide, with 2.75-3.25 width.

I know you want to progress, but surfing has a very slow learning curve. You want something that helps you catch as many waves as possible. The nice thing about these boards. is that they are useful even when you get better. When you have added a shortboard to your quiver, you can still use one of these on the tiny days. I learned on a 7'6" funboard, and got lots of use out of it, even when I switched to a shortboard.

I would caution against going too low on the volume. As many have already said, it takes a long time to progress, and going too small will kill that porgression. I learned to surf in college, and I saw numerous people try, and give up. The people I saw who tried to learn on small boards didn't make it. You really will stunt your growth if you go too small. I did at one point, and eventually went back to the bigger board. When I did go back to a smaller board, I went to a board with a lot of volume, a fish type board.

I should add that I have your type of build. I'm stocky, but do lots of weight lifting, so not fat. With our type of build, you will always need a board with lots of volume.

I will also echo what Hugh Conway said above: You will never be a ripper, starting at this age. I know it's tough to hear, but it's the truth. That is not meant to discourage you, as surfing is really fun, even if you are mediocre. Starting at college age, I will always be somewhat stiff. The guys who are really fluid, are the ones who started young.

Once again, I can't stress enough to be careful of going to low in volume. It will really stunt your growth.

This^^^ do yourself a favor and check your ego on the beach. A short board, even one with a lot of foam, will delay an already slow learning curve. If you're set on a shortboard because you think a LB is for newbz or old guys, then you're not doing yourself any favors and are approaching this from the wrong place. even worst then a LB in a line-up is some dude with a brand new SB that paddles out and sits in the line-up and never even catches any waves, see it all to often.

You're going to suck for at least a couple years, accept it, embrace it, surf it.

[couloirman]

Came to my senses and backed out of the plank at the last minute. Ordered up one of these Eric Arakawa funboards. I'd rather support a smaller company that does thing by hand, than one that outsources mass produced boards made in some factory out of a mold.

I know Ill suck for a long while and Im cool with that, but man you guys are debbie downers. I guarantee you that some rippers started once they had some hair on their chest. Most of us wont ever rip, sure, but nothing is impossible.

[Piggity]

Arakawa is one of the top shapers, IMO. I guess his company could be considered small but he is not considered 'small' as far as shapers go. One of my all time fav boards was an HIC shaped by Arakawa. Get enough foam and this is a great choice, not cheap, but he shapes great boards

[couloirman]

not cheap, but he shapes great boards

Actually, the total cost, including shipping from Hawaii still saved me $160 over what a brand new Lost or Channel Island board from the local surf shop would have cost me.

[Breakwater]

Actually, the total cost, including shipping from Hawaii still saved me $160 over what a brand new Lost or Channel Island board from the local surf shop would have cost me.

Great!
So now you have a Surfboard, And A Wetsuit!


I was wondering what kind of board you would end up with!
I mean, considering you asked for advice on suits, and not a single person reccomended that you should buy 6 mil suit to start (but ended up with one) i was really curious where the surfboard debauchery would start.

By the way,
in the future if you get the inclination to support those smaller companies that do their work by hand, instead of the big Burton-owned corporate boards (of which I own one, and it fucken charges).....
your local Mom & pop shapers are:

Dave Levy. LSD
http://www.levysurfdesigns.com/

Kevin Cunningham, Spaire:
http://spiraresurfboards.com/


I'm not sure what state those two are in, but I understand it's a place called Rhode Island?

[couloirman]

^^^Is someone recovering from a nice new bikini wax? Try aloe.

You are correct, I didnt get the size suit that was recommended on here because I found a 30% off deal for the 654 flash bomb and went for it after getting advice from a salesman in the store. That is my winter suit now, and when spring comes I will get something lighter. And thanks for the links to those local shapers, I didnt find them when I was searching. I wasnt saying mass produced boards are bad man, just saying I wanted something a bit different and like supporting americans. Im sure your board rips as you say.