hey guys, been lurking for a while… need some advice
Looking for a new board for surfing the gulf coast (spi)
Right now I ride a 7’8" x 24" wide x 3 1/4" thick funboard that is falling apart and needs to be replaced. I got it used and it might be around 15-20 years old, I’ve been using it for 3.
I’d like to get something that I can start some nose riding on. I took my shortboard out yesterday and couldnt paddle into much, went back to the truck and had a ball cruising the great spi conditions we had yesterday : ). I’m 5’ 8", 145-150 lbs and about to turn 20. I like to sit a bit outside in the lineup so I avoid getting stuck inside and can catch them early, so paddling power is something I am looking to keep. I think I want to go a bit skinnier, 22" or 23" wide and get something with a bit more “performance” tail shape… Also been wanting to try a quad setup. I’m going back to lubbock for the semester in a week, so I’m considering using that time to shape my own board if I cant muster one for my birthday.
So does an 8’-8’ 6" x 22.5" x ~3" thick sound about right? What kind of nose shape/thickness would yall recommend? Any reason to not go quad fin?
Don’t get too much rocker.I have surfed the gulf and like some beaches here on east side it’s a mellow easy breaking wave.Now I’m much bigger and older that you but I have found that by minimizing the rocker a little it helps with the glide especially on mushy waves with flat spots. Quad fin longboards are more for turning than for noseriding.
My advice is to get several boards, learn to surf them.I surf an egg with a flex fin, old school twin keel fish, speeddialer, and a 10’ battleship.
My vote is no on the quad and yes on a single. Here's my reasoning...
for a good noseride, you want to have the tail of the board to "sit" in the water. The rail fins have cant which will give you lift back there, which you would not necesarily want when nose riding. also, it seems to me that the rail fins would preventthe water passing under your board from sucking over your rails. a single with round rails would work best. Depending on your skill level, an 8' board might not cut it for some good noserides. I'd go longer, but that's just me. Also, The single fin should be big in order to hold you into waves.
a high performance lightweight longboard should be an easy transition for you. suggest the usblanks 9’5hp blank in red foam with 6 bottom/6 deck. maybe a 4 patch. should come out about 16 lbs. 23 x 20 x 17.5 x 9’0. keep the nose rocker and shape in some extra rocker (or order a blank with extra rocker) in the last 2 feet or so of the tail. i like a slight (3/16) concave in the nose and channels under the sidebites out the tail. 2 plus 1 set up with the sidebites quite a bit further forward than conventionally seen. lots of opinions to be had regarding all of this. i like 50/50 rails in the nose, soft rounded down rails in the middle and raise the rails in the rear to 70/30 to facilitate noseriding. my current board has wide hips into a pintail. been riding it about 6 months now and very pleased.