I need some help here please. I am especially interested to hear from surfers my size or shapers who have made boards for guys my size. So here goes... My stats (converted for all) , I'm 6'7 (or little under 2 meters) and 115kg (or 253lbs or 17 stone). I've been surfing for 21years and am pretty fit, however I still regard myself an intermediate surfer. I have been plagued by boards and the industry (especially in the 80's) to go smaller, thinner, lighter. That has certainly not worked, as I am a short board rider, the bigger, wider and more buoyant the better. My last small wave short board was 7'4 x 21' x 3', and that was hard work. The short of it is, I picked up one of those mass produced 7S XL Fish (23' x 3 1/4), which is 8'0. I haven’t looked back and surfing better in the last year than the last 10 years.
I now need a Indo semi-gun for surf in the 4-7 foot range (up to 15 foot faces), which I will also ride on the south coast of OZ here in winter on the occasional solid day. At this stage I am contemplating approximate dimensions around 8'4 x 21' x 2 3/4 and pin tail. My question is what dimensions work for you other big guys?? Be great to hear from you.
I’m smaller than you and I use 22" x 3" as the minimum…if I go shorter, I start going a hair wider. (6’1" x 240lb)
Focus the foam in the chest area, but also carry it out through the tail as well…more buoyancy in the tail helps wave count in my experience the key is making sure that you foil your rails in such a way that you can still sink in for a turn.
big jim: those dimensions for your indo gun are more numbers for disaster… also you say your an intermediate surfer… so in indo you ll be lookin for surf in the 4 foot to 6 foot category… possibly 8 foot if not too hollow?? so your gonna need an semi gun… if your riding an 8 foot 23 inch wide 3 inch thick board in your home break, this is what i think you need… get an 8 - 6 minimum to 8- 10 maximum… stay with the 23 inches wide… and beef up to 3 and a quarter thick… get a round tail thats pulled in a little more than the fish… dont pull it in too much… stay with a standard bottom with maybe a tad more v bottom … keep the rocker thru out the board… no flips or flat spots… this should ride juicy 4 footers hence the not so pulled tail, but also the 8 footers hence the roudtail with v bottom… good luck
you sound like a six inch taller version of me. Was riding a 9’1" HP longboard but high performance boards (no matter how long) require high performance waves in my experience. Now embarking on my Bob Simmons quest which has so far bought me down to a 6’10" hacked up former longboard. Width is 23". Even though the foiling throughout the board is about as ideal as a bad case of hemorrhoids I get the feeling my longboarding days are numbered.
So nice to finally start leaving behind the leverage issues that longer boards bring. Most likely selling my 9’1" now and continuing with the 6’10" until I have some more money to build a proper 6’10" to my specs. If all goes according the way I think it will I may be going down to a 6’0" x 23" x 3" after that. But it’s early days.
I just realised, it is’nt specified anywhere on my website…Jim, I’m in Victoria, Orstryyyylia…freight anywhere in Orstryyyylia is easy for mere double digits…
I took a look at your site. Very impressive workmanship! Your ‘‘David’s 6’ 10’’ x 19 1/4’‘, scaled up to 8’ 2’’ x 23’', is what I would recommend for Big Jim.
I’d also kick the thickness up to the 3 1/4, to 3 1/2 inch range, for his weight. Again, my compliments on your work. Quite beautiful.
I have always had a clientele of older, big surfers, too many shapers look to the big guys as being kooks and need and “aircraft carrier” to float them.
2 particular big guys that were repeat customers for years are Wayne Coombs of Mai Tiki in Cocoa Beach, 6’7" and about 300 lbs., a really good surfer and my best pal, Steve “Big Steve” Ouellette, 6’3" and weighing anywhere from 215 to 360 lbs., another great surfer, until his weight turned into a heath problem and ultimately ended his life prematurely.
Not all big surfers are kooks and still can shred, even on “smaller” boards, look at Todd Brailey, stacks’o back in action, the guy has Harley saddle bags on his back and he smacks it, but look for a shorter life span for him too in the years to come, it’s just harder to find overhead days for these guys
Shaped a nice big guy board here on Maui recently. 7x21"x3" Quad with a short center box. Wide squash-tail. Thickness flow was from neck to thigh. Figured I could ride it as a Quad, 2 plus one, single fin, thruster or twin. Was gonna keep it, but before I could make it a used board a samoan guy offered me cash for it. So it’s outta here. They say good shapers can remember stand out boards they have shaped and duplicate them. We’ll see about that. I laid the plan shape down without a template. Just accurate measurements. Well see if my “minds-eye” can remember that outline. Made it out of a fish blank. Lowel
Thanks. I’m touched again. And Bills scale-up suggestion is like, from the Horse’s mouth.
But no word from BigJim yet…
Anyway 'foaf, I’m actually trying to hunt down realistic, non-prohibitive freight prices right now, as I have a couple of enquiries from stateside. Maybe make like the first Haoles in Hawaii and stow-away…
ResinHead…He’s tall…does it all…Did you see all the stuff he’s doing with Eps and stringers and skins ? Test rides too!! …EPS vs Poly testing…ect…ect…ect…
I’m 6’ 4" 225 lbs, This is 8’ 6" X 4" X 24" . I’m extremely happy with the performance here in New Jersey. Tested it in 6’ to 8’ hollow conditions