as a big guy - 230lbs, 6’22 - i struggle to ride anything shorter than a 6 10. is there anyone out there who can answer the question - “All else being equal - will a lighter board catch waves more easily than a heavier one?”. is there anyone out there around my weight who rides much smaller boards than me - how do you do it - are they thicker or what?
I don’t ride short boards, but I think you are doing great if you can ride one as short as you are. Tell me again why would you want to ride one any shorter? As far as the weight go, I don’t think a lighter board catches wave any easier.
I always thought a heavier board gathered more momentum quicker than a lighter one, try it with a 60’s longboard and a modern 4/6oz glass longboard and you will see
Well - it’s just that a shorter board = better turning ability. I ve no illusions ever that i’ll surf like kelly slater, but I like to push my limits.
From what I have read in the “Surfing Essentials” book, it is more the displacement of foam or the lack thereof that will have a profound impact on your wave catching ability. In other words, the more foam, the easier it will be to get into them. You can ride a shorter board, but you will probably want to have it shaped with a bit more volume along the stringer and have the rails tapered thinner for more maneuverability. If you are interested in reading more about surfboard building “theory”, follow the link below to get the “Surfing Essentials” book. See ya out there! http://www.foamez.com/cf/catalog.cfm?cat=4&subCat=15
a little xtra weight will get you in easier-momentum!(especially in hard offshore winds)
I ride VERY light boards. My feeling has always been that if the board is light, you can ride it a few inches longer, the manuverability is still there, and you gain in paddle. I once had a guy ask me, “why would you want a 6’8” that rides like a 6’2"?" My answer was, “why would you want a 6’2” that rides like a 6’8"?" Lighter weight equals better manuverability. Also, shortboard surfing doesn’t stop at 6’10". My advise is don’t tie yourself to a number. I weigh about 200 and my shortboard, for good surf, is usually around 7’6"X 3 inches thick and 21 inches wide. That’s a lot of volume and yet the board weighs just 8 lbs. Probably turns about like your 6’10" but I’ll bet it paddles better. I personally like sitting out with the longboard guys and then turning like a shortboard guy after catching the wave.
So what’s yer take on the expoxy boards? For example, does the strength to weight ratio of expoxy allow for a thinner board of the same length as poly? PS -(Going out on a limb here based on the name only). In the day, Greg Loehr, Rick Rassmussen, and Jeff Crawford, were the first to get Florida surf, and it’s surfers some long over due respect from the other arenas. More good surf to ya.
You can go about 1/8th of an inch thinner with similar float when using EPS foam. Buoyancy is a bit better. In using EPS you can make some really light boards which is what I usually ride. With epoxy on Clark you also save significant weight which also gives better flotation. Also we offer two resins with two different flex patterns, which allows shapers to make a thin board stiffer or a thick board more flexible. Understanding and controlling flex is going to be the next frontier in high performance surfboards. Strength to weight ratio is improved using epoxy no matter what the core. The choice of using a high impact resin or a high modulus resin just further opens design parameters. Better resin clarity and elimination of VOC’s are nice side advantages as well.