How much should the board change for powerful waves?

General Discussion
1

Sorry to add to the pile of question regarding dimensions of boards, but I have searched the archives and haven’t been able to track done what I’m really after. It seems everyone has there preferences as to what type of boards they surf in any given condition. I’m traveling to indonesia for a month, and it is my first real surf trip (I’m only 19), and to good powerful (warm)waves. I have gotten various opinions on what boards to take, some recommending standard shortboards others saying the bigger the better. So far I plan on taking a chippy 6’3 with lots of rocker , 6’8 semi-gun made for Northern California and possibly a bigger board. The main thing I’m worried about is the rockers of the boards and the overall volume. Being 6’1, 150 lbs I don’t need much board to begin with but most of the boards I have seen for indo have heaps of rocker, and are relatively thin, with more pulled in outlines. These boards seem more suited for the tube, but is the change in board really necessary or just preferance? Any help with suggested dimensions or shape of the boards would be much appreciated.

Soren

2

Howzit Soren?!? I think that in more solid waves, that control is the biggest factor. If your board is more tuned rocker-wise, you’ll be able to turn at higher speeds. Without proper tail rocker, you’re more a passenger on something that’s not too easy to control. I believe that to actually surf faster waves, you need that rocker, to fit in the tighter parts of the wave. More turns and control at high speed= more rippable riding! ( note- I haven’t been down there, but I am here) Aloha…RH

3

i go there all the time and…

FOR ME

…it is essential to have a pulled in tail - you hit that trough really fast at any good spot like g-land or padang padang and you’ve gotta be able to lay it over on the rail quickly and with confidence or you’ll never make the wave - its not so fun going straight into the reef in the white water…

if yer from cali or anywhere not tropic/reef then (at first at least) all the takeoffs feel really late or like freefalls.

I was very sorry with a 14" tail at perfect headhigh speedies once and never again.

My indo boards are 18 3/8" by 11 3/4" in the tail with plenty of tail rocker (3").

That said, plenty of guys ride yer average ~13 1/2" tail thruster squashtails of the usual ~19 1/2" variety…

If it gets really big almost everyone is under-gunned or haired-out - yer average size guy doesn’t need anything bigger than ~7’2" unless you really charge - in which case an 8’0"-8’6" is plenty for huge uluz or kongs.

I think its all about control and confidence, those waves can be really intimidating and one good eat can make you hesitant about repeating the mistake…I like a board that WILL NEVER SPIN OUT.

Hope this helps…

yar.

4

First of all, Indo is crowded with GOOD surfers, and you’ll be surfing for twice the time you surf at home…and get about the same # of waves or LESS.

Paddle and wave catching is important, but most important for any fast wave spot…Kaui, Oahu, Indo, Escondido, is control when you are going 1.7 times faster than your home break. For that, longer, narrower, thinner tail, more rocker, slightly thicker mid point to avoid breaking and to make up for lost paddling when you go narrower at the tail.

You should be fine with 6’3 and 6’9"ers, but my two buds who have gone every spring now for 12 years always bring a high 7’er, to be used about once every two weeks…when it’s needed, nothing else will catch you 5 waves.

You can sit around when it’s small and pitiful, but when it’s epic 1.5 to 2.5 overhead, and everyone in the water has been surfing the 25 of the last 30 days and using 7’6"ers, you ainna wanna be scratching for the shoulders trying to get out of the way.

5

LeeDD makes a good point. I normally surf Lanis with a 6’6"-6’8" but when it gets a little bigger or a little more crowded I like to take out the 7’0" with a little more thickness in the center and slightly fuller rails. I get in and im going down the line while everybody with a 6 something is still scratching to takeoff.

But yeah a little more rocker overall for more powerfull waves (a little extra entry helps for sucking barrelling waves). Me personally I like a little more hip even on my longer boards and since im not surfing backdoor its fine, about 19 in the center and 13 3/4 - 14in in the tail.

6

indo really doesnt have that much push , but if your from cali , then it does …

but agreed , at 150lb , your definatly gonna have to pull the tail in …

the main thing with indo is down the line speed on plenty of waves …

so you need speed , plus a board that holds in at speed , you need hold on take offs , because of the late drop feeling as was mentioned …

at your weight , i would run a gun at 6’-8" x 18 x 2 1/4 with low volume rails for easy penatration at speed , 13 1/4 tail with the pin pulled in tight for hold at high speed , dont run to much tail rocker ,thatll slow you to much for indo , fine in hawaii where you need to bleed off speed to get back to the power zone , but indo is go go go , so not to rockered … get the turning back and the pocket control from outline curve , low volume rail and tail and looser fin sets …

run your bottom edge a little softer into the tail , that will help hug the face better on the late drops and hold a higher line in the barrels , if you run to much edge , you run the risk of slipping off the face as you connect on the late drops and sliding into the path of a pitching lip …

the idea of using reduced tail area combined with flatter rocker in the tail , is the flat rocker allows you to keep up speed , but if you do want to hit the brakes , for the stall snap under the lip into the barrel style move , you can jab that tight pin in to slow it down , without it getting slipperey on any extra tail area at speed …

plus the extra curve in the outline through the rear 1/3 , will still give it good top to bottom to help compensate for the flatter rocker …

i just whipped up an outline below as a guide ,could go as low as 13 in the tail …

lots of other little things , but theres some basics for indo for your size …

regards

BERT

530×707 59.7 KB

7

Thank you all for the responses, very helpful. I’m excited to go to indo to get some good waves and maybe give me a better understanding of how all the design elements come together, especially in some good fast waves. Again all the comments were topnotch and beyond what I had hoped for. Thanks,

Soren

8

Bert,

Could you answer the same dimension question/scenario for a guy 210lbs. 6’4"…oahu instead of indo?

Thanks

HB

9

asuming you want the equivilent style of board but for your size …

something in the range of 7’-2" x 19 3/8 x 2 1/2 …

because the waves will have power and speed , but not the long racing walls of indo , its not as important to build maximum speed into the board …

your dealing with juice , thick and ugly sections , and a few bumps , so control becomes more of an issue than speed …

even tho i normally recomend a bigger fin for bigger guys , in your case the extra speed and power means you can get away with normal size looking fins , but you will need a controling influence , so youve got a few options in that sort of power …

you either run a tighter pin and slightly flatten the tail , or run a fraction more tail rocker and leave the tail area looking normal …

you need your tail to create hold , either from the tighter pin, you can load in hard , or from the tail lift sucking the tail down at speed …

its no problem in juice to actually build in features that slow the board down …

hawaii is very similar to our southwest for size and power , an interesting observation is that the boards that work well down there , dont really work that well in other spots …

my tendancy would be to run standard area with the tail lift , when you get waves that are very stop /starty , the type that have thick heavy sections and then you fly out onto flat spots , the super tight pins that hold the power will tend to lose the drive off the back foot if you take them out to wide on the flat spots …

so the above dimensions are ball park , with a 13 1/4 to 1/2 tail and roughly 10 3/4 nose …around 2 1/2 to 3/4 tail rocker and 6 in the nose …

these dimensions for you should cover juicy solid 3 to 6 foot waves , minimum head high with power plus up to a little over double head …

if its head high and soft grab your regular small wave board …

this is just a general guide style clean curve …

once you ride it , you can tune the next one for more vert and pocket , or more carve and open face , but this is a start …

theres a stack of other variables , but this size and dimensions will get you close …

regards

BERT

458×760 47.9 KB

10

Thanks Bert,

I’ll give it a whirl!

well…off to the garage.

thanks again,

HB

11

Don’t know if it’s just a name thing for you or if you really live here in Ewa Beach like CMP and I but I have a 7’2" Terry Chung that looks just like what you and Bert are talking about if you want to take some measurements.

I bought it from the brudda at Tropical Rush as soon as it when on sale.

It used to be displayed behind the counter on the wall if you’ve been there…

I always coveted it never knew it was by Terry…

Just loved the Kauai Boys logo and the mokihana green spray

Anyway if was made for Titus Kinimaka’s older(?) brother Alekai (the enforcer) who’s pretty hefty himself if you’ve ever seen a pic of him…

A very sweet board for any good sized wave here or on Kauai…

Terry knows what he’s doing… Right Kokua?

Let me know…

12

i have to know what program that is and where i can buy/download it. im so tired of drawing my templates on graphing paper. it never comes out as exact when i do it. so if you can tell me where i could get it i would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks