Midlength build advice

I am planning on building myself a hollow wood board for my 20th birthday, and I’m thinking of building something in the 7-8 foot range, but would like to go as short as I can. I am 6’4 and 235 pounds, and the board I usually ride is a 10’6 noserider. I know that wood floats better than foam, but if any of you are a similar size or have experience with boards this size any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

Hello and welcome to Swaylocks!  Always room for another board builder here.  I'm not sure wood floats better than foam, but there are lots of surfboards here in the size range you specify.  Have you looked at Quiver? (click on "Quiver" in the upper right hand of the page). 

Since you are bigger than most guys, and ride a bigger board than most of us here, you probably want a board thats a little different, I'm guessing.  Like, more volume - i.e. thicker, wider? 

Maybe you could give some more info on your surfing ability, experience, the type of waves you'll be riding, the type of boards you've ridden in that size range, what has worked well for you, what shapes you like or don't like, etc. etc.  Any pics of your boards or yourself surfing etc. would help.

I’m not a very experienced surfer- I’ve been surfing for about three years. I would hopefully use this on larger waves, but in reality I will probably never surf anything much larger than head high or with a whole lot of juice. I only have experience personally with single fins. thanks for the advice, huck

OK, we still don't know much about the shapes you prefer, or why you're considering that size range.  But there's lots of good info here.  Check out this thread

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/mini-simmons-and-long-simmons-what-about-between-simmons

and this one

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/shortened-noserider-opinions-and-input

and this one

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/big-guy-looking-to-go-shorter-wider-my-new-daily-driver-would-appreciate-any-advice-comments-

and let us know if anything strikes your fancy.

tiblet

go and try someones board that is shorter than your daily driver, I think you said you were on a 10.6

big big big difference, you may consider ,,at your weight and lack of experiance to stay in the same or close to length you are comfortable with.

maybe go with a sportier shape such as a fun gun outline or a longboard with some speed charactureistics designed in it, such as a pulled in nose tri or quad fins and some concaves through the fins, hard down rails and such.

just my 2cnts

oh! wood is heavier than foam,,,, period