A few years back (ok, many years back) before we all had “quivers”, Surfer ran an article about what a board would look like if you only had one.
I’m wondering what I would take with me on a long trip where I could only take one board. It wouldn’t be a longboard, and it wouldn’t be 6’2", and it wouldnt be a fish. I have them all, but none of them are the “OneBoard”. Maybe a 7’4 round pin? Your thoughts?
8’0" RPT Pintail 11 x 19 1/2 x 12 x 2 7/8. Surf it in anything from ankle to cajones. Bring extra fins GPR, G-7000, G-3000.
Of course there is a “oneboard”…
It’s the one your mind is willing to settle for, since you can’t carry your whole quiver everywhere you go.
It’s the one your finances can afford…to own, to bring, to carry to shore, to leave on the shore while you go out…
It’s the one that works for the waves you best like to surf…
It’s the one that sorta works for stuff you don’t care to surf…
It’s the one your mind allows as your “image” of surfing…
It’s the one you can travel with, considering your mode of travel…
For me, it’s the 7’6" x 19.75" x 2.65 flat decked, thick railed thruster with a small diamond tail…
At the peak of my surfing prime (1969-75) my “one board quiver” was 7’ 10" X 21" to a 7" hard squaretail. With that board I could ride 2’-3’ LJ Shores on one day, jump on a plane to Hawaii the next day and ride Sunset at 12’-15’ ( Hawaiian). That particular design really had a wide range of capability. My weight at that time, 170-175#.
Back to your situation. A board as you describe, would seem to be fine. Big enough to catch waves easily, and small enough to allow a lot of maneuvers in smaller waves. Go for it.
Can this be more wierd?
3 different answers basically recommending about the same sized board!
Of course, not exactly the same, as our weights are different.
I’m 145 lbs. If I were bigger, I’d choose a bigger board. If I were smaller, I’d go smaller…
yes, weird. I thought I’d be ridiculed for anything over 7 ft.
An around 7-6. Hmmm.
Gotta consider, what size and kind of waves is your favorite?
If surfing knee to chest is your utopia, better consider a 5’6" x 22 fish for your ONE board…
And those Mavericks guys, limited to ONE board, would almost always choose a 10’ gun…
For me, it’s this. 7-6 (13.75 x 20.5 x 13.75 x 3)
Took it on a month long trip and it worked out from waist high and mushy to pretty dern big (for me). I might narrow and thin it down overall if I had it to do over again.
Have fun!
Of course there is a “oneboard”…
It’s the one your mind is willing to settle for, since you can’t carry your whole quiver everywhere you go.
It’s the one your finances can afford…to own, to bring, to carry to shore, to leave on the shore while you go out…
It’s the one that works for the waves you best like to surf…
It’s the one that sorta works for stuff you don’t care to surf…
It’s the one your mind allows as your “image” of surfing…
It’s the one you can travel with, considering your mode of travel…
LeeD-
That is THE best post ever…
So is that why I have five surfboards between 6’8" and 8’, not happy with any of them, except the two Bics in the middle?
LeeDD: the Bics work (maybe) because most of surfing is about the average, not the extraordinary. We all have seen, if not made, boards for perfect days, perfect waves. But as many a contest surfer will tell you, contests (and most of the waves most of us actually surf) are often run in crap. And you still gotta, at least, go out and do what you do.
Cars, the same way. Most of us would be well served by a '67 Bug, or Datsun 510; but many of us demand AC, PS, PB, ABS, traction control, self-leveling, and all the other modern hi-tech crap that comes with it. I just spent most of my day under a friend’s '57 Tbird, and it has enough issues, believe me, without all the other stuff. We also (for a little change of pace) did the front brakes on an '03 Caddy, and changed the fuel pump on an '88 450 SEL. I reek of gas, after a scrub AND shower. Brake fluid tastes like shit. But there’s no surft to speak of, even the Country’s near flat, and 150 pros and wannabees are out there waiting for the Excel, or whatever damn contest is coming up next.
I love my 10’7 from the cliffs to big close out Plasket creek, reefs to beach break.
Mark
I suspect a pretty good sized NE swell is running for DH, Sandy’s, RabIsland, and all those breaks I don’t know on the E shore…
Here in SF, it’s a NNW swell running in the 10 range, so should be well overhead at E shore spots.
Not that the Bics work any better, just for the price they work pretty darn well.
On either end, neither my Rusty 7’er or my Plumeria 8’ really work a whole lot better, unless it’s DOH, of course.
I had a one board quiver from 1997 to 2001. Money’s tight and back then I did not make my own boards.
7’6" egg with rounded pin. Not sure the other deminsions. Good all round board. Glass on fins made a cool hum when the waves got past head high !
Yes
Yeowee. That is beautiful, but I can see why you couldn’t put those colors on the deck. Unless you could keep sunglasses on in the water. (maybe that is a new thread subject)
Funny, though. There is a strong bias to around 7-6 and a round pin. I wouldn’t have thought that there would be that much agreement here. We should be careful not to try to stretch our general agreement to area of fins. Or rails. Or rocker. Or materials. Or fin boxes.
yes, weird. I thought I’d be ridiculed for anything over 7 ft.
An around 7-6. Hmmm.
You will only be ridiculed by the individuals who have never traveled to the islands and surfed bigger waves. If you ever get a chance to watch Sunset on a 8-15 hawaiian plus day, or even better get a chance to surf it at about 6-8ft Hawaiian, you’ll notice that there are not many boards under 9ft, there will be a few at about 8’6". tThe boards just look like there smaller, and guys are power surfing them too. The go to pro board for that type of day is about 7’4". There’s so much water moving around that you just get eat’en alive with less board. Now take Pipeline, on that same size day you’ll notice that a lot of guys are surfing 8ft pipe cleaners, something like 8ft x 10 x 18 x 9 3/4 x 2 5/8. You won’t find many 6’4" trifins.
Power waves are a whole different deal, big boards start to handle like small boards. My story: I just finished a 7’9" for the islands, worked beautifully there, strong positive feel, lot’s of confidence building nose rocker. Took the board out Saturday here in San Diego, nice 2-3 ft overhead waves, super clean etc. Board surfed slightly slow, still very piviotal, but just slightly slow.The shape is totally set up for more of a Hawaiian or Blacks Beach type wave. More juice. I’ve got an identical one that just flys here in SD. So moral to my little story 1) Don’t be shy of a bigger board in the South Pacific. 2) Identical outlines, completely different rides. 3) The guys that laugh at over 7’+ ft boards are the guys that really have never gone surfing in strong 2x overhead surf.
Usually when your surfing becomes more powerful, and your surfing matures. It will become crystal clear when you need a bigger board.
-Jay
Boards designed for the break and conditions is my call…
But I think a well designed 9’0" or 9’6" could be ridden just about anywhere as proven by Bonga and the boys here in Hawaii. A classic triple stringered volan glassed Brewer styled pulled in nose rounded pin slightly vee’d bottom single could handle alot of conditions.
Personally, the closest I’m come to the magic “Oneboard” was a HaleNalu Aleutian Juice 7’0" diamond tailed Stubb-Vector by Dave Parmenter that I sold to Sidestreet… Paddled well, nose rode well, carved well and handled juice with bigger, stiffer fins. Definitely a well designed “travel board” although I don’t know how well it would’ve handled big Pipe or Sunset but if you can get in early you can handle quite a few places. I think this is why Sam George was so hot about them a decade or so ago. Definitely not the “funboards” I’ve had over the years way more high performnace oriented.
If I had my options I’d approach either Brewer/Hynson/August for an all around travel board. They’ve been there done that…
Bottomline is that it probably won’t be unreal at anything just decent at just about everything which is what you should expect.
I’d like to think my magic 7’6" x 19.75 would be just perfect for 6-9’ Sunset, Pipe, Kahuku, or Jockos… as well as any good day at OBSF, Salmon, or BodegaHeads…
Thanks Greg !
BTW that’s 12 feet of balsa under the colourful bottom