board advice

Hi Swaylockers…I’ve benefited from much of your collective insight and advice for my last couple of board purchases and so now have another question to pose: I’ve been surfing for 25+ yrs but at 45 yrs old am having considerable difficulty getting into waves mostly when when in head high plus and punchy beachbreak. I know I could get more waves with my 8’ mini-mal but still lend towards shortboard surfing on a more regular basis. My question is this…with all other things being equal to get the optimal combination of high wave count and shortboard-style surfing is it wiser to go with a larger shortboard or a smaller-funshape board for the conditions mentioned? Am sort of wondering 6’10" Rusty Thumbtail vs. 6’ 6" CI M13. Any help much appreciated.

Hi dsc163,

For me nothing beats a performance shortboard in good waves, your weight, height, skill and level of fitness will determine the size of board you should get. Try to borrow a few boards and see which ones you like.

There are quite a few guys in their fifties in this town who still ride performance shortboards.

Water time is the bigg secret to keeping up with the wave count of a teenager.

regards

Daren

What board(s) are you riding now? What are the specific characteristics of the waves you want this board for? Are you riding shapes that worked for you 15 years and 20 lbs ago? How would you rate your physical condition? What do you like about your current boards? What would you like different other than the ability to catch more waves? Is down the line speed more important or ease of turning?

I’m 49, and way slower and heavier than I used to be. I’m now 190 lbs instead of the 145 lbs of my teen years. My Shortboards keep getting longer and beefier. It just makes life easier. I can’t even pretend to be able to outpaddle a pack of wave-hungry kids when I’m on a potato chip thruster. If it’s a crowded beachbreak, I’d personally opt for a big-boy thruster, a fish, or something with a retro vibe (more volume). I’ve been spending a lot of time on my 9’2" longboard. I catch about a thousand waves an hour on that thing.

Hi Kendall / Darren…thanks for the response. I currently have three boards…an 8’ Tim Nolte mini-mal looking thruster setup that I ride in the small stuff and always have a blast cause I too can catch “a thousand waves an hour on that thing”, …also have a 6’6" (X 20" X 2.75") flyer that I try to ride in head-high to overhead +, and a 6’ 4" ( X 21" X 3") Pure Fun retro-rocket thing for 3’ 4’ days. I know all of these boards have a huge amount of float for my 6’ X 185 lb frame but I still have trouble catching getting into any of the meatier stuff early enough to claim the wave or make the drop. As Daren suspected my water time is and will never be what it used to, as I’m two hours from the beach…I get up at 0400 about once a week on average and get a few hours in before I have to return to responsibilities back home. As such I’ve got a lot invested in every excursion and wave catching is now top priority…the 8 footer is the currently the only one I know I can count on to pick up a huge amount of waves and what I’m looking for now is a board that bridges the gap between whatever design feature that’s allowing me to do that with the 8 footer but allow some of the shorter boards’ performance once I’m on it for head-high and bigger days… hence the question about any comparisons between the Thumbtail and M13 (rounded pin) for the characteristics I’m seeking. I envision eventually surfing the Tim Nolte is just about everything up to head-high and the new one in everything else.

Hope this helps clarify and draw more advice…thanks in advance to all.

You sound like your talking about me! I’m 43, don’t get in the water as much as I’d like to, I’m still 185lbs, though, and I prefer shortboards when the waves are good. What I’ve done, and many others have done, is add some volume… a bit thicker, a bit wider, but not much longer. I’m still riding 6’0s, 6’2s, 6’4s… but they’re 21 inches wide and 2.5 thick. They paddle easier, catch waves easier, and what they lack in performance is cancelled out by what I now lack in performance!

That being said, I like the M13 for a more of an all-arounder. A bit wider nose, a bit longer, can still handle bigger waves, and can still stroke into some weaker surf. The Thumbnail seems to like better surf, and won’t give you an advantage if your slowing down in terms of your physical ability.

I know where you’re coming from, brother. The spirit is keeps pusing you forward, but the body keeps loosing ground.

Does seem like we’re living parallel lives NJ! Agree with all and have been leaning in the M13 direction for same reasons mentioned. Anyone out there riding or ridden the M13 or other similar attest to it’s performance and wave -count capabilities? Would it work for same in the 6’8"/6’9"/6’10" range? Is a 6’8" M13 a big enough jump from a 6’6" Flyer to make a dent in wave catching ability for steeper, faster stuff?

Check the width and volume. That’s what’s gonna give you more paddle power, moreso than length. Compare thickness, not just in the middle, but along the rails and how far the volume carries out into the nose and, even more importantly, the tail.

I’ve never groped them side-by-side, but that would be ideal. You might also consider going tuflite/EPS. They seem to me to catch waves a little easier, all other things being equal. I know the M13 is available in tuflite, but I’m not sure what sizes.

Will do NJ…thanks for your time and advice. CI site says M13 works well in knee to dbl ovhd…sounds perfect for a go-to travel board, but anyone riding one know whether this is true or not…can a single design actually perform “well” in all of those conditions?