Have many of you found that you like going a fair amount larger than the “norm” on your standard type thrusters? The reason I ask is my last 6’6 shortboard came to it’s end last week and I needed a fall board pronto. I found a used squash tailed thruster this morning that felt great under my arm - 7’0-20-2 3/4 This is a good 6 inches longer than my norm. I’m 38 at 6’2- 195ish with a 4/3 wetsuit surfing northern California BTW. I have been happy with my surfing, but have been wondering if might benifit from a little more paddle power as fall is coming, even if it means a tiny lose of performance. I won’t be able to take it out till tomorrow so I wont know till then what it surfs like, but I am curious what you all have experienced (positive & negative) with going longer.
I recomend
a shorter
longboard.
the sacrifice of paddlling power gives you more performance.
but then anything shorter than your last board
is short and any thing longer than your last board is long.
But the real deal breaker is the width and thickness.
altho lift components in bottom contour
can make a longer board be more articulate.
…ambrose…
nothing better than an articulated
shape to make for dreamy performance.
i like my short boards smaller than usual, im 66 and enjoy a standard hpsb at 60-6`4
Depends what you're used to. I like midlength and longboards, but i also have a 5'8'' eggy thing. I think if i made a shortboard, the longer rail line of a 6'10'' or 7' er would probably work better for me. I like driving off all that extra rail
Thanks for the feedback guys. I’ve always liked the feel of a shorter board in clean, small surf. When the surf gets a little bigger and/or more choppy I’ve never really been able to make a sub 6’6 (talking more of a standard shortboard shape- not egg,fish ect.) work to my liking. My favorite so far has been a 6’8-20.5-2.6 which I wished I never sold. Anyway, maybe this will be taking it to far the other way. This will be an experiment.
If it feels good, it probably is good…
Consider the average pro - 5’8 x #155 or so, early to mid 20’s, surfs 6 hours a day, and is by elimination the best of the best. Average non-contest board probably a 6’0 or so.
You’re 6" taller, 50# heavier, older and not a pro…so why not try a bigger board. Maybe take off a little earlier, little deeper, get a few more waves, rail some righteous turns…multi-board quivers are FUN!!!
I’m around your size, tad lighter, couple decades older, when fall comes and the west swells start stacking, I jump on a 7’8 x 21 that puts a huge grin on my face…
Great post lcc. I like that perspective. Thanks!
All through the 90’s and into the 2000’s I rode 6’6"s X 19"s and 6’8"s as my standard shortboards. Back then I weighed 175lbs and then up to 200lbs plus as my metabolism slowed down and lifting weights finally allowed me to put on some more muscle. (6’1" tall)
Just lately gone as short as 5’6" on a mini-simmons.
Now the next short board started by Dave today (Feral Dave- Diverse surfboards and fellow Swaylockian) is going to be 6’4" X 21" X 2&7/8" (guesstimate on the thickness here) as he’s going to make it 42 litres.
The Dynocore Broad bean shape I demoed was 6’2" X 21" X 2&3/4" (38.5 litres) and was floating me at second lowest rib with the board level.
Here’s a link so you can see the planshape. Much more planing area in it than the pointy nose shortboards I used to ride.
Thing is I find this shape so easy to turn and fast off the mark especially running quad fins. (M5 in front with Stretch template front fins in the rear)
http://store.diversesurf.com.au/categories/Surfboards/Fun-Boards/Broad-Bean/
I feel more comfortable with the board floating inbetween lowest rib and belly button.
This level of floatation will give me good paddling buoyancy while not being too corky for doing a lot of duckdiving in beachbreaks.
This is in Dave’s Dynocore technology which is in eps with his new combinations of glasses which are a secret (like Coils).
http://store.diversesurf.com.au/categories/Dynocore%E2%84%A2/
If the waves are a decent size at my local point I like riding a 7t which is 7’ X 21" X 3" with either a set of bonzer sides and 6.5" centre fin or a set of Sunny Garcia sides and an M5 centre as a thruster set up.
This is poly glassed in 6+6 on the deck and 6 bottom and a resin tint so it’s got some heft which is great for momentum but it’s a chore to duckdive lots of waves in punchy beachbreaks and so the shorter, lighter board is the better all round choice.
Certainly the turning arc of the shorter board is great for when you’re in sync but sometimes the longer board hits the spot too.
The difference between a 7’0" and a 6’8" is’nt a drastic change. I have a 7’0" x 21" x 2 3/4" Surftech Channel Islands M13 that I really like. I’m 56 yrs. old small in stature, 5’5", 138 lbs. and although it might seem that this board would be way too much board for me, I really like it. It’s an easy board to surf, and the extra volume helps with the wave catching. I’m not saying that you should get this board, but I feel you may like trying something a little bit longer than what you’re used to riding. You won’t really know till you try one. Wish you luck.
I always rode boards a little longer until last winter when I made a board 23" wide and 3" thick. Been having so much fun on this little thing. I realize now I was all wrong riding longer short boards. A short wide and thick board is so much more fun.
Thought I would up date. I’ve taken the longer board out a few times now. All sessions were in semi blown out conditions, today being the most fun- kind of junky, but lined up, head high waves. I definitely like the 7’0 so far. It paddles, catches waves,and pumps really well. Nice to have that extra second to get to my feet and set up my first turn as well. I cant throw it around quite like my old 6’6 yet but I think this is going to be a great fall board, and a good experiment. I took out the measuring tape today and it comes out to 7’0(length)-11.5(nose)-20(wide point)-13(tail)-2& 3/4(thickness) Shaped by Dan Taylor. It has a narrow squash tail and I think it has a single to double concave with a moderate rocker.Question: Does those dims tell you anything? Sound like a general big guy tri?, or more of a step up/semi gun-good wave board?
13" is pretty pulled in for a 7’0 x 20", in the semi range…a 13 3/4"-14" tail would be more in the all around/step-up zone…and being a bigger guy with probably bigger feet as well, you’d easily power up a bit wider tail in that length = more punch and drive, bit looser, plenty of hold in size, so something to keep in mind for the next one…in the meantime, enjoy your ‘new’ ride, and enjoy the hella fun fall surf which should be lighting up NorCal in another 6 weeks or so…
Lcc- Thanks!! I measured the tail with glass on fins so it’s hard to get a real exact number, but even so, after measuring again I think it’s 13.5 at the most. Anyway, your advice sounds good to me. You enjoy the fall surf as well.
Glad to hear you're enjoying your board. I'd try not to let the measurements of your board get to you. The bottom line is that you like the board.
Thanks Foamdust. I can see how being all pedantic about your boards measurements can make you miss the big picture.
Shameless bump on this thread. Just got this, one surf on it so far, but it seems to do exactly what i want. Paddle power plus, but can take a later drop, and is more manouverable than the longboard. 7'6'' x 14n x 21 1/2 x 15t x 3. Single concave all the way. Perfect for between my fish and longboard.
I am 43 years old. 6’1 and 205 pounds. I will be the first to admit that I am a weak paddler mostly due to neck and shoulder problems.
I have been going back to a 6’6 after years of trying longer and longer boards. A few years back I thought my shortboarding days were over. Then I saw a shape over on Quivermag.com that intrigued me. It had the wide point forward, was wide and thick. A light went off in my head and I made a template and shaped the board below. It is 6’6, a little over 23" wide, 3 1/8" thick with a flat rocker and a heavy concave going to a v in the tail. With the flat rocker and concave this board catches waves literally as easy as a longboard. This board is now beat to hell. Its all I rode for the past year. So fun!!! My longboard is gathering dust.
Two weeks ago I was back at it and shaped myself another new board. Picture below. To make this one I traced the template I used for a board for my son onto paper, took it to work and blew up the template on a wide format copier using the Enlargement feature. The result is a 6’6 that is 21 3/4" wide and 2 7/8" thick. Once again I used the combination of flat rocker, concave and thickness to make a board that catches waves very easily. The design is very similar to a Channel Islands Dumpster Diver if you are looking for a board off the rack but I doubt you will find one in a shop in a 6’6 or that has this much volume. I’ve only got a couple of sessions in on this board but I can already tell that I can surf this board in a way I have not been able to surf in at least 5 years. Think of a high performance board that an old broke down fart like me can catch waves on without struggling. The speed that this thing generates is amazing. The cool thing is I am riding 6’6 boards again which is the same length boards I was riding when I was 20.
I should mention that both of the boards in this thread are made from the US Blanks 6’10A.
The board in the middle is the 6’6 and the one on the left is my son’s board that is essentially the same board in a 5’6.
7’6 5 fin, 13.75 x 21.5 x 14.75, 3" down the center, foiled out to medium rails really liking it as a quad in walled up speeders, throw on a nubbie trailer when not so down the line…first quad this 62 year old front footer has really liked…fin set-up pretty much splits the difference between the McKee and ‘on the rails’ set-ups…
Rocker dims?
on the 7’6 5 fin? 5 1/2" N, 2 1/2" T, lite single to lite doubles…