What’s up everybody. I’ve been a shortboard rider for years and I live in Jersey. As some of you may know, the surf in summer is far from shortboard approved, unless storms roll through which happens very infrequently. I want to get in the water daily and I know in order to do so, I need a longboard. I have no idea how to go about finding the right board, so it was suggested to join Swaylocks and throw out my issue to some seasoned vets who could potentially help me out. Any advice would be great. I know I want a cruiser, not so much a performance board. I’m 5’11, 190 lbs, so on the beefier side. I went to my local surf shop and they suggested to look up brands, but that didn’t really help as I don’t know anything about longboards. Where do I start?
longboards are long
Hi ryanjohn -
Longboards come in a variety of designs ranging from ‘high performance’ to retro to nose riding specials.
Stick with a name brand and go with a more or less ‘standard’ model. If things don’t work out you’ll likely take less of a financial beating when it comes time to sell or trade-in.
For a guy your size a board around 9’6" X 23" X 3" might be a place to start(?)
Bing, Harbour, Takayama, Yater, Hobie, Becker, etc all offer some nice longboard designs that can often be found at larger retail surf shops. Don’t be surprised to see price tags around 1200+ bucks for colored resin work with gloss and polish.
I’d say there is some truth to the saying you get what you pay for.
If you can’t find something you like back there, check some shops out west. ‘Icons of Surf’ and several others offer a wide selection and can ship anywhere.
Consider contacting Jim Phillips. He has first hand knowledge of the East Coast waves, and what works best in them. Oh, and don’t forget, he’s a master shaper. Just a suggestion.
Where are you in NJ? Talk to the guys that long board at your local beach and see what they like and why. I like glide, paddle-ability, and ease of turning and the ability to nose ride. Yater Spoon fits that bill for now.
If you have been tiding the typical short board I would like to suggest you also look into getting a well designed fish as well as a Longboard. Fish can fly in small weak waves when a short board is having hard time planing. As For Longboard look around for good used board. Lots of them are coming up for sale on Craigslist. If you are close to LBI check out south side surf and paddle in Beach Haven.
If you have been tiding the typical short board I would like to suggest you also look into getting a well designed fish as well as a Longboard. Fish can fly in small weak waves when a short board is having hard time planing. As For Longboard look around for good used board. Lots of them are coming up for sale on Craigslist. If you are close to LBI check out south side surf and paddle in Beach Haven.