I’m a 56 yr old, 185 lb, good phys condition, 35 year(of 42 total)short boarder, who is plagued with progressive osteo-arthritis of the neck and shoulders. Performance level is highly competent. I need some input on a mid-size type, 8’ or so, for use in 4-6+ sectiony, textured beach breaks, that will give me the paddle ease I now need, with the responsive performance I’m accustomed to. I’ve tried several makes and shapes of longboards and do not care for the lack of performance. Thanks…
I’m a 56 yr old, 185 lb, good phys condition, 35 year(of 42 total)short > boarder, who is plagued with progressive osteo-arthritis of the neck and > shoulders. Performance level is highly competent. I need some input on a > mid-size type, 8’ or so, for use in 4-6+ sectiony, textured beach breaks, > that will give me the paddle ease I now need, with the responsive > performance I’m accustomed to. I’ve tried several makes and shapes of > longboards and do not care for the lack of performance. Thanks… …maybe more of a fun gun,or what Rusty calls his desert island,might suit you better.Herb
If you’ve been surfing that long you should remember the first shortboards of 1968… 8’ long with 1 1/2" of V. Just keep scaling your shortboards up… Fatter, wider, longer, more V… You can hire a couple guys to carry them 
Noodle is on the right track. If you are used to & like riding short boards just scale up the designs that you already like. I am 55 & have been riding styrofoam epoxy boards ( not pop outs) which have alot more float with out much added volumn. I am more into longboards, but I am now moving back to shorter versions because they are more versitle in the range of surf I am now riding. When the knees & ankles finally go I will probbly be out on a bellyboard or a matt still trying to get a few. Not so over the hill, Ray
Interesting that this question came up. I’m 53 and have (last year) got the surfing bug again (more so now with the kids doing there own thing, I’m more on my own now). I got healthier, stronger, and much better wind (breath deeper and hold it longer). I’m 5’3", 148lbs (lost 12lbs), run a mile and a half twice a week, mild workout, and watch what I eat for lunch (that’s the key because lunches were fast foods and junk). I also surf about 2 to 3 times a week. I started out on a 9’2" tri fin narrow tail (14") and wide nose (18"), vee in the tail and concave nose. I got it used. I worked with this board and had a blast for about 3 months, surfing Doheny, San Onofre, and Huntington. Really got myself into the board. I just recently graduated to a hybrid shape, from Bruce Jones, 8’2’, and have been loving life. I got it just before labor day, and rode some pretty nice waves with faster sections, allowing for turning and cut backs, etc. This shape is very similar to the Rusty, it moves. I hope to keep riding it and maybe not have to go back to the longboard for awhile, I know the older I get the slower I’ll be, I do have the sore muscles and bones, healing takes longer too. Not something to look forward to. Enjoy youth while you have it. Surf on.
BBA, I’m about 5’6" & 170lbs, I’ll be 60 in a month and a half so I guess I have a few of the qualification necessary to advise. I have Freeline Design custom board that’s 8’0"x17"x21.25"x15.5"x3" rounded pin 4.25" nose rocker, 2" tail rocker. The board is very fast and fun to surf with various fin set ups. I can send you more details on it if you interested. Something like this might be a good place to start. With more narrow the nose this size board duck dives quite well and is more managable in bigger surf but the way it is the ample nose and tail width makescatching waves is pretty easy and doesn’t seem to slow it up at all. Good Surfin’, Rich
If you’ve been surfing that long you should remember the first shortboards > of 1968… 8’ long with 1 1/2" of V. Just keep scaling your > shortboards up… Fatter, wider, longer, more V…>>> You can hire a couple guys to carry them
Tried this with a borrowed 7-10 Stewart Big Guy that required about the same paddleing effort as shorter boards due to the “hippy” shape. What I’m not familiar with are the newer hybrids, fun guns, eggs and “performance” fun shapes. It’s worth noting that my first “short” board was a (August) 1967, 7’6" Carl Ekstrom, best described as similar in outline to the fun gun shapes I’ve seen recently in the shops.
Tried this with a borrowed 7-10 Stewart Big Guy that required about the > same paddleing effort as shorter boards due to the “hippy” > shape. What I’m not familiar with are the newer hybrids, fun guns, eggs > and “performance” fun shapes.>>> It’s worth noting that my first “short” board was a (August) > 1967, 7’6" Carl Ekstrom, best described as similar in outline to the > fun gun shapes I’ve seen recently in the shops. I’m no expert, but lots of experts would agree here. It was probably something besides width which caused your borrowed board to paddle slow. It was more likely a radical fin setup. Nothing against Stu’s shape. Such a board could turn like a mutha and cover you up so tight you’d need headlights. I’m not far (at all) behind you. If you’re like me, you’ll discover there’s not as much to unridden shapes as you once thought. The grass always seem greener on the other side of the fence. After building and riding, and rebuilding and reriding, I’ve found more difference in fin setup than any outline shape. The idea for us oldsters is to keep those side bites small, 3", and toe each one in only 1/8" back to front. Check those Stuart fins and I think you’ll see. Better still, leave off the side fins. But ride the outline you like.
I did and am going through the same thing. If you are used to riding a 6’8" to 7’2" or so, going to 8’ is a huge jump. You’ll have to walk all around the thing to trim and turn, nothing like what you’re used to. I found that lowering the nose and tail rocker and hiding as much thickness throughout the board can do as much as adding 6" of length. You’ll end up with a board that is much easier to paddle and surfs closer to what you’re used to. My 7’4"X2and 7/8" thick thruster paddles better than my old 8’egg… Newbs
I’m a 56 yr old, 185 lb, good phys condition, 35 year(of 42 total)short > boarder, who is plagued with progressive osteo-arthritis of the neck and > shoulders. Performance level is highly competent. I need some input on a > mid-size type, 8’ or so, for use in 4-6+ sectiony, textured beach breaks, > that will give me the paddle ease I now need, with the responsive > performance I’m accustomed to. I’ve tried several makes and shapes of > longboards and do not care for the lack of performance. Thanks… IMHO an 8 foot board is not going to give you the performance you want. If you are used to riding and performing on a current era “shortboard,” 5’6" - 6’4" anything different will be, well, different, and probably disappointing. Seeing as how I’m an old guy too, with all the features including osteo-arthritis but a twenty-something mind here’s what I’m riding: 6’2"X 15 X 21 X 16 X 2 9/16. Wide fish tail, twinzer, moderate rocker. The board is glassed light (I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember the specs) and no gloss (sanded) finish. It works well in small, sectiony beach break (Manressa Beach near Santa Cruz) and is fun to ride. You can see that the board is a little fat re width and thickness. This extra volume compensates for my geriatric infirmities. The overall width and volume allows me to catch enough waves to have fun, and maintain the feel of a shortboard, without paying for it all too badly the day after. (That and a steady diet of Arthrotec 75.) As mentioned above, I generally ride it at uncrowded beach break. If I go into town (4-8’ clean swell and pumping) where there are more crowds, I’ll surf my longboard or my 7’2" pintail (up to about double overhead and then Daddy gets out of the water…this is supposed to be fun…not excessively hazardous!). Afterall one has to be something of a realist, and that means thinking about an “equalizer” as one advances in age! If the surf is just good, and it’s crowded, it’s very difficult for this 55 year old body to compete with the youth movement on a short board. I’ve got pics of the 6’2" if your interested. Hope you find what you’re looking for but the hunt, research and experimentation will be fun too! nib PS - The 6’2" is the third iteration of this design. I started my journey down-sizing on a 6"10" then a 6"5" and now the 6’2". I’m pretty sure I’ve hit rock bottom with this one.
I’m a 56 yr old, 185 lb, good phys condition, 35 year(of 42 total)short > boarder, who is plagued with progressive osteo-arthritis of the neck and > shoulders. Performance level is highly competent. I need some input on a > mid-size type, 8’ or so, for use in 4-6+ sectiony, textured beach breaks, > that will give me the paddle ease I now need, with the responsive > performance I’m accustomed to. I’ve tried several makes and shapes of > longboards and do not care for the lack of performance. Thanks… Thanks to all for the input…good info and points to ponder.