Looking to purchase my first Longboard.

General Discussion
1

I currently own the following:

6’6" Spectrum Fish

6’3" Flyer II

6’3" Single fin I made myself

7’5" (no clue), tri fin fun board.

I would like to purchase a longboard.

Im 150 - 155 lbs, 5’7" typically a weekend surfer, due to living 1.5 hours from the beach.

I’d like to know what length, width, thickness, shape, you think would suit me best.

I’d like the board to paddle well and to be an all around board. Nose riding performance would be nice if my skill level can catch up to it.

I’d say my skill level is pretty average.

I was thinking about the Stewart Hydro Hull, 9’0

Any other boards come to mind?

I appriciate your thoughts and help.

Thanks

K.

2

Harbour Banana

Harbour San-O

Robert August What I Ride

3

If you’re looking at the Stewart Hydrohull, you might also want to look at the Walden Magic. Here’s a discussion of its characteristics on the jamlongboarding site:

http://jamlongboarding.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=2303&forum_id=1&highlight=walden

4

Thanks for the imput.

I’ll be honest. The only reason Im looking at Stewart is because its probably on e of the most popular companies

The Hydro Hull seems like an all round board based on there description.

I’ll take a look at the Waldens.

Im not so much worried about the brand as I am having the correct board for my size.

Thanks again.

5

Soulstice made some good suggestions. Excellent longboards but both of these boards will be a big step up from what you’re used to. They’ll handle well as all around longboards. You have to know what you’re after in a longboard.

When I went from shortboard to longboard, I wound up with a Stewart performance shape. It’s a great board, really fast down the line, turns quick and generally lots of fun. However, I cannot get on the nose. I can get about a foot from the nose with both feet but that’s it. Then again I weight 220 lbs. and the board is 9’ and 2-5/8" thick. That’s where my 10’ Banana comes in.

It’s a basically a compromise when picking a longboard. If you go for the shorter thinner performance shapes, it will be an easier transition in terms for what you’re used to and you’ll pull more radical tail riding manuvers, but it won’t take you as far into the longboard style of surfing, i.e. walking the board, cross stepping, nose riding, drop knee turns, etc. It’s a whole other set of skills that are fun to work on.

Harbour is a great place to start. Rich Harbour makes good boards and his site provides lots of information about how boards work and how to pick the right one for you.

http://www.harboursurfshop.com/

Good luck.

6
Quote:

Harbour Banana

i hate that board my uncle as one. for a long single fin board it can turn ok in my opinion. but i think of the board as a giant funboard, can’t noseride and can’t turn radically

7

from the Harbour website…

…can’t noseride, eh? sure it’s the board and not the rider??

8

“longboard style of surfing, i.e. walking the board, cross stepping, nose riding, drop knee turns, etc. It’s a whole other set of skills that are fun to work on.”

This is exactly what Im looking to do.

Maybe a layed back turn or two but everything mentioned above is my goal.

Any further recommendations…???

You guys have been great.

9

Yater Spoon if you can find one. I was about to get one just before this whole black Monday thing. Now i’ll have to make my own.

10
Quote:

“longboard style of surfing, i.e. walking the board, cross stepping, nose riding, drop knee turns, etc. It’s a whole other set of skills that are fun to work on.”

This is exactly what Im looking to do.

Maybe a layed back turn or two but everything mentioned above is my goal.

Any further recommendations…???

You guys have been great.

if that’s what you want, then i HIGHLY recommend the Robert August “What I Ride” at 9’0"-9’4". it’s available as a 2+1, but i’d encourage you to get it as strictly a singlefin. this is the board that i really smoothed out my cross-stepping and noseriding on. in fact, when i first got this board a few years back, i was considering, and actually leaning toward getting a Stewart Colin McPhillips Performance Noserider. in retrospect, i am SOOOO glad i got the August. it definitely gave me the direction that made me the surfer i am today.

11

Go with a Harbour. They are good. Plus you can visit their website harboursurfboards.com and ask advice and get help to select your board.

Someone mentioned the banana model and it wasn’t good for them, but ironically that is one of the more popular models in Harbour’s line.

Every harbour owner I’ve personally talked to has loved their boards. Now they are in EPS / epoxy!!

That said . . .

Jim Phillips shapes a sick longboard, I think they are the best I’ve seen in person.

12
Quote:

Any further recommendations…???

Well, I guess one of the other questions is what kind waves you’ll be in most of the time. For instance the San’O has a pretty wide tail which helps get the back end up in mushy waves, which helps you get going downhill sooner. Your waves may be steeper and you don’t need that feature. Keep asking around. Maybe try some other bulletin boards also to see what you get there. Harbour has a good board. If you go in prepared info like age, size, skill, surf frequency, surfing objectives, type of waves surfed, you’ll get more specific answers. Soulstice did a good job of putting their board selector in his post above. I’d caution you not to go too “retro”. Those flat rockers and round rails could cause “surfshock” for a shortboarder. Besides there are many excellent modern shapes that noseride and turn really well. But hey, the older shapes will really force you to learn the moves. My very first longboard, which I hardly rode, was an early 60s G&S that was 10’2" with 50/50 rails, a keel fin, and weighed about 40 lbs. It was sort of fun on small days as a novelty, but I wouldn’t want it to be my only longboard. Turning was a pain, it slipped down the face, very unresponsive, but man, once I got that thing moving is was like a freight train.

13

Hunt Customs. Greg is on this site occassionally. He makes absolutely beautiful longboards. I have a 10’2" New Dimension he made me, it noserides my 220 lb fat ass like a dream. It’s a fun board that glides like no other. Even took it out in some 4’ beachbreak barrels one day (an accident really) but ended up loving the holding power of the big board/big huge fin combo. I dont however recommend it as an everyday beachbreak board.

huntcustoms.com

14

Thanks to everyone who has replyed. I also appriciate the Huntsurfbards link, I Surf in New Jersey, shipping costs would be rediculous.

Ryan you bring up a good point about wave types. Surfing in New Jersey Means steep waves, more times than not. Thanks for the advice on the tails. Speaking of tails, 2 of the Harbour surfboards mentioned below note the pintail setup, would these tails not be desired in mushy conditions?

Reading all of the descriptions below, I’ve become more and more unsure what would be best. I’ll have to continue and finish this discussion with a surf shop and cash. Im siked for a longboard already!!!

I know a guy in NJ that shapes/ builds beautiful hollow longboards from exotic timbers from central America. At this stage in the game I don’t deserve to ride suck a beauty nor can I afford a $1800 Longboard.

ROBERT AUGUST

“What I Ride” utilizes a 60/40 rail configuration which, in combination with a nifty tear drop concave conveniently placed under the 18" wide nose, greatly enhances your style of nose riding

HABOUR SURFBOARDS

RAPIER NEW!

This pin tail has the float and paddling of the Banana, and as much stability on the nose as the San-O. It has the wonderful connectivity of turn to cut back that the pin tail delivers. Not all pin tails are alike, as the outline preceding the tail curve has been carefully crafted to minimize drive loss that is typical of so many other pintail boards. The Rapier has our typical rail design that is low and soft in the middle to low in the tail area. And the nose has our famous channels.

HABOUR SURFBOARDS

H3 NEW!

A high performance 2+1 design that is a bit wider than our other high performance boards, this board has the turn connectivity that one expects from a pin tail, with plenty of drive out of the turn. The H3 will handle a wide range of surf size and quality with little loss of performance no matter what quality wave you surf in. Other boards may have a slight edge in one specified situation but this is the high performance board you take to the beach 95% of the time. Nose rides, turns, and speed ­ it has it all. And the nose has our famous channels.

WALDEN SURFBOARDS

The Magic Model is designed with a concave nose flowing to the middle of the board that transitions into double concave hulls extending to the tail with a moderate “V”. Rails are hard in the rear and soften to the nose to maintain responsiveness in all conditions. Although the rails tend to be harder than most other longboards, the unique bottom curve and beveled rails keep them from catching like most other hard rail boards.

15

Coming from shortboards, I’d recommend a so-called “high performance” longboard. 2+1 fin set up and jam the center fin as far forward as you can get away with. That way it’ll be loose like you’re used to on shortboards.

Then when you get used to a longboard, you can go to the traditional noserider single fin. I think at first it may be too much of a shock.

16

Hey nivek:

Here’s my two cents…

I own or have owned almost all the boards mentioned here as well as surfed and presently surf my own longboards. A longboard will vary as much as a shortsingle/thruster/fish in they way they surf.

A couple of my thoughts:

I have one of the last clark foam Hydrohulls on the racks in my garage. It is a 9’5" and works great in Cali waves up to about a foot overhead. It is a board that pumps down the line similar to a shortboard and cuts back without the dropknee. It also does el rollos well and without the side fins with a 9" center fin noserides ok in small waves. I am taking really good care of it since Bill shaped it himself (no computer) a month before Black Monday.

I used to have a August board and for a single fin it rode really well. I have surfed with Bob in Costa Rica and seen him drop into some bombs on his and crank big old bottom turns… it is a modern style singlefin that is good for all-around new/old style surfing.

I have owned a lot of Harbours in my time and my wife will not ride anything else (including mine). The San’ O is a great board for mushy surf. Cutbacks need to be drop knee however to bring it around. It has a great glide and should be ridden in the 9’2" to 9’5" range for your weight. Remember that Rich’s table on board sizes is just for starters. If you are young and a really strong paddler, go shorter by a few inches. I also own an original Banana (1964) and have had a new Banana and both surf somewhat the same and are classic old school boards with 50/50 rails so you ride lower down the wave face. Rich makes some great boards (he’s basically retired now) and you could pick almost any one and not go wrong.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that you will probably end up with a longboard quiver to go with your shorties! Most of the boards that have been mentioned here should be suitable to your waves. They aren’t as steep as you might think and you will be dropping in on the outside anyway! Consider the size of the crowd as well as the shape you are in when you consider length. If you are surfing crowds you need to go a little longer to get enough waves to satisfy! If you are in light crowds or shortboard company, go shorter…

I hope this helps you pick one!

17

IMO if you want to nose ride get a long, thick, heavy LOG with a big single fin with plenty of surface area. 9’6" or better. If learning to noseride is a proirity, anything else will be wasted on you. That’s my personal experience anyway.

2+1 perfermance style boards just don’t tip ride as well, and you seem to have enough stuff in the quiver you can turn.

18

If you want to noseride, go for a noserider. You have enough performance oriented boards in your quiver. If you got the money go for a tyler or maybe a bing, cooperfish, Takayama etc. Better still make your own. A good heavy noserider has a specific formula and any half decent shaper will make a reasonable example if you clue yourself up on the specifications available here.

19

nivek,

If you can find one to check out - look for a "Minchinton " model from Robert August, shaped by Mike Minchinton (Note: I don’t mean the Minchinton “Saber” model).

From the looks of your quiver, this would be a nice alternative - I think. But I’m partial - I have 2.

It doesn’t have a wide “noserider” nose and flat nose rocker - not something to go for on your first longboard.

Has a reasonable tail rocker - looser for first lngbd.

2 + 1 fins - options, options, options for first lngbd.

Nice overall shape and rails and worth checking out if you can find one. An older used one - they were slightly different and glassed lighter - would be a score. I bought one off the rack years ago and ordered one new last year and actually prefer the lighter older one in some conditions (bigger) but, love them both.

Also, you could get to Virginia Beach pretty easily from Jersey. Why don’t you check out one of Swaylock’s favorite sons at Austin Surfboards. He could dial in any shape you could want and also give you one of the most spectacular glass jobs on any coast. www.austinsurfboards.com

Pete

20

From the Robert August website…

Quote:

This design features down rails, crisp vee in the tail and tri fins for snappy rail to rail manuevers in juicier, hollow surf.

Style: Rip, Tear & Lacerate

Dimensions: 16" nose x 22" wide x 13.5" tail

…doesn’t sound like the board you’re looking for.

for a board off the racks, i can’t suggest a better board than the What I Ride (it’s perhaps been the greatest, most versatile board i’ve ever owned…and really taught me how to smoothly walk my way to the tip and stick it for a long LONG time).

although, if Virginia Beach isn’t too far a hike, i’d DEFINITELY give austin a call. awesome guy. awesome boards. 'nuff said.