Aside from the “getting old” part… I’d say I’d want my board to ride good when the waves are good. So that would be about a 6’6 round tail HPSB.
That’s the advice I give people who can only afford one board. When it’s good, you’re set. When the waves suck, you just deal with it… you’re really not missing much anyway.
Since I live in the most consistent, uncrowded, right hand point breaks galore surf paradise on the planet as a regular footer, I have to agree. All I need is a board for when the waves are good, and that can handle a bit of side offshore chop on a fast hollow wave. Hench the semi-gun that will put my head on cloud 9.
I keep a few boards in Mexico that are fine in small to head high waves±… …but on those occasions when it got bigger, I was struggling. I needed a stand-up board that would be similar to my Oahu north shore board(9-3 Paul Gross) pictured below under the arm of me mate Davo.
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I have some 8-8 mini guns but wanted more paddling power to deal with tired arms and heavy currents etc. Mark Andreini had made one of these for a friend and after I saw it I knew it was what I wanted…It is Mark’s version of a Diffenderfer Semi-gun. It is 9-6 and I recently got to put it to the test in solid waves up to double overhead…and it did the job…makes steep drops and flys down the line.
Mark provided the fin…I think it is 8 inches or maybe 8 1/2…not sure of brand but it is not a “flex fin”
Yea, the Andreini now lives permantly in Mex and I dont know the dims…Just looked at the PG and it is as I thought…9-3 by 21 1/2 by 3 1/2 thick…A quick measurement at tail…13 3/4 and nose 14 3/4…
A 9’ High Performance Longboard made for Hawaiian waves. The guys here ride them in everything from waist high to triple overhead. They can do anything anyone does with a 6’ board, but they catch way more waves because they paddle much better.
My personal favorite would be something about 8’ and more like a semi-gun or slightly wider semi. I still prefer shorter boards, but at 50+ my 9-4 HPLB may get used again.