I need help finding a good SO CAL shaper, and design pointers

General Discussion
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             I am ready to accept and follow advice. I have learned to surf the hard way, Now I am ready for all the help I can get. I am at the stage where some basic understandings are settling into my 36 year old brain.  For example, nothing compares to raw years of experience in all conditions and locations. I do not have this experience. I have about 9 months of intense surfing practice (5 days a week average). I have minimal basic skills such as: I know before paddling out at a new break if I have no business there. I can blend in to the lineup and find my proper pecking order at new breaks without fuss. I have long endurance and strength in paddling. Not much finesse though, so tight take offs at point breaks leave me as a buoy when its crowded. I am comfortable in waves up to double overhead IF it is my home break, which is notoriosly slow and mushy. If the waves are fast and hollow, I stay away from anything over 5 foot measured front of face. If the bottom is shallow or rocky, I don’t mess with fast/ hollow stuff at all. I can generally catch 80% of what I paddle for right or left if there is some juice flowing.

               I have obvious weakness, starting with lack of experience. I cannot pull off a decent top turn right or left. I can do it, sometimes, no snap in my top turn though. I have a tendency to trim and go blank. I am trying to get into the “constantly turning rail to rail at all times”

               I ride an epoxy walden magic model 3. This board suits me very well. I can take off very late compared to all of the other boards i I have owned or ridden, including shortboards and fish. I can also catch waves early. It feels like cheating using it. I can walk up and down it, although I have not made a full nose ride yet. It fills me with confidance, even in plunging hollow closeout beachbreak. It is telepathic for me.

               The reason I am asking advice is I need an additional board, and suggestions on moving past the sloppy top turn. What I am looking for in a board is something that gives me every possible advantage. I need something that paddles well when catching waves making up for my typical poor positioning and being the guy that didn’t grow up surfing these breaks around here. Duck diving is not that important. I am used to finding seams, and getting out back is my stronger area so if extra foam volume is called for, that is fine.  I need a board that looks and behaves more like a short board. I do not want to step forward towards the nose on this one. Some breaks here are the kind where showing up with a long board is simply unacceptable, and I want to be able to surf them also. So I guess it at least needs to have a pointy front end. I need to develop rail turning. I do not want fish style surfing, I want vertical, turning for speed, surfing in waves with power. If the waves are junky, I will just use the walden. I also want to develop my ability to take off as late as possible, and still succeed. ultimately all I want is tube rides. Air and hard lip stuff is all very secondary. I am too old for that stuff.  So I am looking for a transitional old/big guy shortboardish  kinda thing. I don’t want to buy any more used boards because I am tired of finding out another board is not for me and screwing around with selling it. So, time to get one shaped. The only shaper I am aware of around here is Kennedy I am fine with using them if they are well thought of around this forum.  So suggestions on good reputation shapers in LA or Ventura, and of course, help with the top turn, and getting vertical, rather than always standing upright would be tremendously helpfull.

At this point, I am leaning towards a board in the realm of 7 or 7 1/2 foot long, 21 or 22 inches wide, 2 3/4 inches thick. A wide point around mid way, thruster fin set up, maybe 5 boxes, so I can try quad, lots of tail rocker for late take offs and steeper waves, overall rocker aimed at turning and pumping for speed. And some miracle shape that gives stability, because I am really not very good at surfing…Am I on the right track here? I am 185 pounds before wetsuit, 6 foot tall.  have lurked on this forum a lot, I know you guys know your stuff. This is why I am here. Thank you in advance for any help!

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How long of a list do you want? Between LA and Ventura there are at least 50 top notch shapers with years of experiance.  A good board suited to your style of surfing may help but as the old saying goes it's the Indian not the Arrow.

3

If you are nearby the Kennedy's shop, then you can't go wrong. Glen has been shaping for close to 50 years and still surfs double to triple overhead waves, here and Australia (wozzyland). Go in and talk to Glen (not his son) and let him know how and where you surf. Types of waves etc. Give him as much info as you can and ask his advice on shapes and collaborate. He is just one of MANY like artz says. If you don't agree with Glen seek someone else out. I can assure you, he's a straight shooter. There are PLENTY of choices.

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Glen Kennedy is the real deal, and I am proud to have him as my friend.  When it comes down to who deserves more recognition GK is at the top of the short list, not taking anything away from anyone else, especially ACE.

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Glen seems to be one of the good guys. He had some of his boards glassed at Necter back in the late 70's. I was doing airbrush work for Necter at that time and did some for Kennedy as well. He called one time to tell me how stoked he was with my work. he didn't have to do that it felt good to get a pat on the back and an atta boy.  We have never met face to face.  

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Okay, Kennedy seems to be a good choice for a shaper in my area, I will follow up with them (Glen apparently is the person I want to work with…). I know there are several shapers in the area, but I see a lot of stuff appearing that looks to be lower grade, especially geared for people who do not know what works (me for example). Quite a lot of fluffy advedrtising such as “unbelievable drive, massive projection off of the turns, revolutionary caternary cut” and other such buzzwords. Most of what I see appears to be discount priced boards meant to sell against regular production manufacturers.  This is why I ask. I am not so much concerned with paying a couple hundred more, but I do not want a board that is not well made, but is well marketed. I also dont want a board from someone riding on reputation and their signature, but the new guy is doing all the shaping in the back, learning how on each board he is rushed to produce so the owner can sign it. I just need something that works well for a beginner to move to a shorter board, and still have fun by a shaper that really knows from years of practice and practical surfing experience what will work.

Also any suggestions on handling days with no swell all up and down the coast as far as I can drive, and handling days I cannot escape work, and the swell shows up in spades? Maybe just quit the goddam job? I know I am just perceiving it this way, but the one day I have a full 12 hour shift during the day seems to be the only day of the week that really gets smacked by size. I guess I am crazy. This explains why I am getting up at 5am every day to get my grin going before the LA crowds get out and shut it all down.  Advice in this area is greatly needed and appreciated.

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[quote="$1"]

Okay, Kennedy seems to be a good choice for a shaper in my area, I will follow up with them (Glen apparently is the person I want to work with...). I know there are several shapers in the area, but I see a lot of stuff appearing that looks to be lower grade, especially geared for people who do not know what works (me for example). Quite a lot of fluffy advedrtising such as "unbelievable drive, massive projection off of the turns, revolutionary caternary cut" and other such buzzwords. Most of what I see appears to be discount priced boards meant to sell against regular production manufacturers.  This is why I ask. I am not so much concerned with paying a couple hundred more, but I do not want a board that is not well made, but is well marketed. I also dont want a board from someone riding on reputation and their signature, but the new guy is doing all the shaping in the back, learning how on each board he is rushed to produce so the owner can sign it. I just need something that works well for a beginner to move to a shorter board, and still have fun by a shaper that really knows from years of practice and practical surfing experience what will work.

Also any suggestions on handling days with no swell all up and down the coast as far as I can drive, and handling days I cannot escape work, and the swell shows up in spades? Maybe just quit the goddam job? I know I am just perceiving it this way, but the one day I have a full 12 hour shift during the day seems to be the only day of the week that really gets smacked by size. I guess I am crazy. This explains why I am getting up at 5am every day to get my grin going before the LA crowds get out and shut it all down.  Advice in this area is greatly needed and appreciated.

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I think ACE (Albert C. Elliot) http://www.acesurfboards.com/ is a good shaper for the type of board you are looking for - he seems to specialize in fun non-mainstream shapes that are easy to surf.  I know he's not in L.A., but if you contact him maybe you could work something out.  A good board is worth going out of the way for.

Keep the job - you won't be buying many custom boards without it!  I know, because my business (remodeling) has been horrible lately, and its rough getting in the water when you have no gas money, can't fix your dings without some resin, etc etc.  Thankfully its picked up a little lately, and I have a job near the beach right now.

I know L.A. surfing can be rough because of the crowd situation, but you have the right approach.  I try to dawn patrol whenever I can, I don't like surfing in crowds, and I don't like too much sun.  But you can't let your frustration take the joy away - be glad you found a fun sport, enjoy the paddle out and the gulls and the seals and the seaweed, and consider a few waves as icing on the cake if you get them.

I am getting older and I was away from surfing for a long time, and I don't live near the beach, so I know frustration.  Sometimes its a month between sessions for me, and then I feel like I'm starting over when I finally get out.  So I try to just appreciate the experience for what it is.  Sometimes I get a few good waves, and then I feel like I won the lottery! 

One of the things that helps keep me sane is building surfboards.

My goal is one day to build a board with unbelievable drive, massive projection off of the turns, and revolutionary caternary cut!

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Yeah but ACE is a swaylocks bro and posts pics of his builds in progress and shares his design rationale / pixie dust secrets with the swaylocks crowd too, so he gets bonus points for that!  (in my book)

=)