I hate to do this but I am at my wits end. I am going to ask for advice on what type of board to shape next. I’ve done a bunch now, but its time to start dialing in what I really need.
I surf east coast (NJ) beach breaks. Some say it’s all or nothing (maxing or flat), but I classify the conditions I most regularly surf as knee to chest high and clean.
Basically, every board I’ve shaped so far has been a success, but lacks an “all-around” factor. Now I know that there is no ONE board, but it sucks when you physically CAN’T make a wave due to the equipment you are on. That’s why I want your opinion on what makes a good board for knee to chest high+ waves. Bear in mind its all beach break, so there is occasional need for “the jersey hop”, or pumping.
Right now, I can get by, 12 months a year with a 6’2" hi-perf thruster and a 5’6" tri ‘fish’ that I shaped. Both have limitations. The 6’2": it bogs on small waves. The 5’6": flat rocker makes it nearly impossible to make hollow waves. this board simply will not turn “in the pocket”.
I’ve considered a more traditional twin fish, a lost rocket-type shape, a dumpster diver type, and even a mini-mal. I think I just need more foam and more rocker. You see, I like to do hard turns off the bottom but I’m really not a shredder and I don’t do any spectacular lip moves. I want paddle power, and I want a little bit of built-in speed, but I want to be able to bury a rail. I’m a front-footed guy, I need some foam up front. Even more that all that, I want to be able to do a turn mid-face. Short, corky boards just don’t let me do that.
I hope none of you get pissed that I posted this. I’d appreciate any insight. Thanks very much.
How ‘bout blowing up your HPB…6’6" to 7’, add about an inch in width (all over), take some rocker out of the nose. Add some foam to the nose, dome the deck so you have about 3 inches of thickness but keep the rails where you normally like them. Move the wide spot around to suit.
What part of Jersey??? If you surf Bayhead I’m gonna recommed something completely different than if you surf Ocean City where I’m from.
I’ve been having an absolute blast on a 3" thick wide flat retro quad with heavy concave and the fins pushed forward. I can’t imagine a better board for the soft sectioning waves we ride here in South Jersey most of the time. It flies down the line. It connects soft sections easily and floats easily over crumbling lips. This same board would be no fun at all in Bayhead’s sand sucking beachbreaks.
Since I built this thing I’ve hardly ridden a longboard. No need to. This board is fun in even the weakest of surf.
If you are looking for an off the rack board for weak NJ surf I am really impressed with the Bing Puck and Dharma models. It probably doesn’t get any better than this for the average guy in our surf. Just don’t tell the hoards because these things are way too easy to catch waves with. Its like cheating…
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**Puck**
**Dharma**
**Dimensions**
Standard lengths: 5’2” to 6’6”
Nose: 18 ¾”
Width: 21 ½” to 23”
Tail: 18 3/8”
Thickness: 2 ½” to 3”
Standard lengths: 5’2” to 6’6”
Nose: 17 ¼”
Width: 20 1/2” to 21 5/8”
Tail: 17 ¼” to 17 ½”
Thickness: 2” to 2 ¾”
**Shape/**
Design
Performance Simmons outline
S-deck = flatter rocker, more glide
Displacement hull bottom = smoother glide and forward projection
S-rail (turned up in the nose, turned down in the tail) = efficient water displacement
Available with a flat or double concave tail
Quad setup = more drive and speed
Simmons “inspired” outline
Concave deck with beveled rails = keeps the volume down in the center making the board more sensitive
Turned down rails = more drive and sensitivity
Very slightly rolled bottom to a vee = transitions from rail to rail quicker
Blunt swallow tail = makes the board snappier on the turns
Turns in a tighter radius than the Puck
**Weight**
6+4oz top, 6oz bottom
Typical: color pigment, gloss/polish
Heavier
4+6oz deck patch top, 4oz bottom
Typical: clear, sanded finish
Lighter
**Conditions**
Ankle blown out slop to shoulder high barrels
Waist high mush to overhead barrels
**Skill Level**
More stable
Easier to transition from a longboard down to a shorter board
Average to advanced surfers
More skatey
Good transition for shortboarders going to a bigger board
Divebomb, I’m also a Jersey shaper/surfer and based on your other two boards, I’m guessing you are 160 lbs or so? Need to know your height/weight. In any case, I have a 3 board Jersey quiver (Monmouth county). You got 1 and 3 covered (mush and good), so you need a 2 (average waist-head high). I prefer a Roberts white diamond type shape as my #2. I’m 185 lbs and the one I shaped is 6’0" x 20 1/4" x 2 1/2" with a 14" nose and a 15" tail. Nose rocker about 4.5" and tail rocker about 2.25". Single concave through the fins with vee out the tail. Based on your height/weight I’d scale from there. My guess is a 5’10" x 20" would be a good start. Use the 6’0" R blank, which you can get from Greenlight.
Bought the Hayden Shred sled (5’8"x19"x2 1/4") quad about 2 months ago (eps and future/fiber flex construction)–I’m 5’10" @ 165lbs. I have ridden it in everything from weak wooden jetty to monmouth county peelers…I found it has a really wide range and could be what you are looking for…check out the hayden site for more info. Made my own (on right in pic below) works well enough…but like the Hayden EPS version a bit better…rails are full and has a pretty subtle entry rocker with just enough flip in the nose (nt., pic)…I’m really stoked on it right now. Lmk if you’d like a template.
Based on your other two boards I would recommend a 5’10 stretch quad type of board to fill the gap. This will work really good in head high barrels too which I know you get a lot of!
Ok so I think I went through the same period in my surfing, age, experience, weight, fitness etc…doldrums…went straight to longboards and Bam! Surfing was fun again! Had I only knew I would’ve done it years earlier.
Having accomplished that I decided that I would try some shortboard shapes both modern and classic…but…I would do what no shaper I was talking to would do for me. Thus I started making my own boards…thicker…wider…longer versions of the many designs I had ridden over the last 4 decades…and guess what surfing is still fun…matter of fact it’s more fun because I’m not trying to catch waves on some ridiculously short, thin, narrow board…because that’s what everyone else is doing.
Oh yeah and that whole “hopping” thing…thats proof that a board is too small, narrow, and thin for the conditions. I laugh my ass off whenever I see all these people Hop, Hop, Hopping…and more…hopping…then I just glide…big smile…
That is the exact path I took before I built the board pictured on the previous page. Since discovering how fun wide, thick boards are I’ve barely touched my longboards.
Not saying your boards should be this big…but for me they’re not…I’m 6’4" and 240 lbs. I believe they are more properly proportioned to my size, age etc…they float…they paddle…more importantly they SURF!!!
