Great board. 8’0", 23" wide, 3.12" thick, nice nose rocker. Hawaiian flag on the deck. Extreme easy wave-catcher and turns on a dime, for my 12-year old son (130lbs) but…it doesn’t float me as I thought it would. Someone in here told me I’d be “belly-button dry” but it ain’t so. I’m 230 lbs. So much for a board that’ll double for the two of us. I should say again that it’s a GREAT board for my son.
Going to Waikiki in June. Taking the fun board, maybe our just completed 6’0" fish or…what board size wil float me? I’ve seen 11’ super floaters that are over 4" thick but for traveling I’d like to keep it around 9’ or so. Anything in that category that will float me, easy to paddle, and be an easy wave-catcher? I don’t want to travel with an 11’ tanker!
Actually the exact measurements are 8’1" 23-1/2" wide, 3.12" thick. It’s OK for me. Used a Clark 8’3"R, 3.25 thick but had to skin it. Didn’t have to take too much off the board overall, just followed the shape of the blank, really. Not the best for me, but my son and his friends have a really great board! But in Waikiki, let’s say, my son uses it and that leaves me with his 6’0" fish, which I can’t even use as a bellyboard. So, it’s basically “rent” for me. They have tons of long boards anyway. Or…maybe that gives me an excuse to finally make a board for myself. But one for local breaks (Santa Barbara area) PLUS traveling to Hawaii. I saw some good 9’'ish at Bruce Jones site that were pretty thick. Maybe get a longer thicker blank and cut it down?? I don’t want to re-cut a new tail rocker, so I can’t go too long?
If I wanted something up to 4" thick and around 9’0", could I get a, let’s say, 10’2" or 10’4" and cut down accordingly? Could keep it wide - 24" or 25"? I wonder if 9’0" is still considered a mini-longboard?
Get whatever piece of foam is big enough to do the job!
As you hit over 24", you need to be wideshouldered, tall, or have long arms to paddle the boat. I’m none and neither, and could barely handle 22" wide, with 19" wide about the easiest for sprint paddling…5’11, 155lbs.
But I’ve used guns that were over 4.5" thick, with the tail block well over 2.5", and they worked just fine. Don’t need thin if you have to power or weight to lean it over, to carve a turn. “bobbing” don’t matter if you are in the tube and coming out
The worst thing is paddling out on too small a board, giving you no confidence, paddle ability, or wave catching ability.
Go wide and thick in the back, even if the tail, one foot up, is 3" thick, no biggie…just apply more brute power to your turns.
United Airlines. 9’0" and under, $80 each way. Anything over is $160 each way. Ouch. Makes renting on Waikiki seem like a nice alternative. Yeah, I’m taking the 8’ funboard and the 6’ fish in a double bag, right now. When my son uses the 8’ I’ll just rent a tanker.
Hmm. Hawaiian Air also went up to $80, but no 9’ size limit yet, I don’t think. Renting, hell – at $160 each way, you might as well BUY a board when you get there!
I wrote a nasty letter to Hawaiian Air when their price to take a board went up. Sounds like United deserves no less…