I’ll clarify, garage shape, it was not shaped by me, but I picked it up for dirt cheap… I haven’t quite taken the leap myself into trying to shape… but I think about it alot
sorry if I confused
if you go shaping route try to get to know a local shaper who will give pointers and let you use a bay if hes got the room… will save you a lot of frustration… this would be my method if and when…
good luck in whatever you choose and let us know what board you pick up, if you do
All good points and it is true, a lot of it is preference. That being said, I’ll throw in my 2 cents.
I would suggest a retro twin fin. If you get one with a really wide tail and big 'ol keel fins, the board will have tremendous drive and won’t be too loose where you’re spinning out on your bottom turn. These boards have a lot of foam which makes wave catching really easy but they’re short enough to still maneuver in the pocket. Because they’re not potato chip thin, you’ll stop marking unnecessary movements and learn to flow with the wave. I used to wail and flail on my shortboard and then I got a fish similar to this one. I learned to work with the wave and instead of trying to crack the lip on a flat section, I learned to pump past that weak section and wait for the end closeout. I can definitely say that my style has improved 300% (proof is in video) and I actually wait for what the wave gives me. For instance, I’ll actually look for the reform section and stay way behind the wave…then as I see it start to wall up I start pumping, racing down the line before I smack the end section. Previously, I would pump like a chump and try to hit sections that weren’t there. By the time the wave reformed I was way outta position and my ride was done. When you learn to ride the fish well you’ll notice that your shortboarding will be that much better. Retro is cool!
I agree with pato, a 6’4 Rounded Pin would suit you well. Thats a big board by preformance standards for someone your size. (I would use it as a step-up and Im 5’9 160) Surfing on a bigger board smoothes out your style. It also builds power in your surfing, if you can throw nice cutbacks on a 6’4 SB then you’ll throw HUGE ones on a 5’10.
You should just focus on moving forward and dealing with whats infront of you. Learn to read waves well. Learn what do do in diffrent sections. Dont hit the lip where there isnt one, etc
Rounded pin all the way, considering the desire for surfing some bigger stuff.
As for thrusters vs. single, I vote for single for getting your style on…unless you want to work on your thruster style…in which case you might go for thrusters.
As for length, screw it, keep it shortish. I’m in the 200lb and semi-cripple crowd, so I ride them big, but if I was 150lbs and healthy, I’d be ripping it up. For me, I’m content ripping in slow motion on giant planks.
Oh, and a longboard doesn’t necessarily cure the stink bug. Greg Noll was the master of the stink bug, but then again he was riding really big waves on a really large board and a nasty swim to shore and making it look easy and stylish.
Thanks for the input, I finished my shaping bay today, and I’m ordering my blanks tomorrow. I’ve been contemplating a round pin 6’3 single and POSSIBLY a 6’1 thruster , both modern thruster templates, the single with a little less rocker. I’m damn excited.
I’m having trouble finding a suitable template for the single I want to shape, does anyone have a round pin 6’1 - 6’3" CI MSF/MSFG2 template laying 'round? I’d greatly appreciate it dudes.
i could send you this template on paper…6’3 i believe
you could easily handle a longer board. I’m also 150lbs 6’ tall. I love this 80s Brian Bulkley thruster. It’s only 19 wide, but it has nice foil and bitching deep double concave through the fins and out the back. Its about 2 5/8 thick. But heres the deal, I too was stink buggin it. 2 things will get rid of this, besides lots more surfing. One it too not stink bug. That is make a concious effort to keep your feet closer together in that sweet spot, and stand up straight, I’ve seen some guys at the slot who keep their feet barely a foot apart. The other is to fade a bit more, bury your rail on bottom turn deeper and hit the lip harder, keep a higher line. You will then have more speed and not feel like you are laggin behind the breaking wave.
As for longer length keep in mind that you are tall you should have a board proportionate to your height, your legs are longer so your stride is longer. you can get a lot of "performance" out of a 6 8 to 7 0. secondly if your built like me, your upper body needs strengthening and or a little extra paddle float. If the waves are small, get a fish. Cheers<div class="bb-quote">Quote:<blockquote class="bb-quote-body"></blockquote></div>