thanks Mike! Yep, I agree on the fitness thing. Been really working on that, lost about 15 lbs., getting firmer, working on my stamina (running, walking). No access to a pool, 'tho, wish I did, love swimming, always have. Enjoyed hearing your experience, glad to know you're still out there!
mcding is in your area
he has blanks for cheep
go with a 10 ft blank
cut a 9.6 board with 18 nose 23 width and 14 or 15 tail (square)
use the rocker in the blank
It will work great cause YOU made it
Hi Huck -
One tip might be to simply try as many as you can and get a feel for what is workable for you. You can't really try too many but at some point you gotta pull the plug and shape it. I was looking at some boards in Ventura last week and measured a couple of nice looking tails that were 17"+/-.
With boosted tail rocker, adequate outline curve and a tuned 2+1 fin system you should be able to turn a good longboard on a dime.
[quote="$1"]
http://www.stewartsurfboards.com/surfboards/2009/86808
this would work well
[/quote]
man, those are some awesome boards on that website! spendy too! The clydesdale looks to be thick and high volume, but doesn't really have a traditional longboard shape. Looks like an awesome board to ride - wonder what the rocker looks like. Nice board - bet it would work well!
Like I said Huck...we're friends...3 and 23 are Magic.....work around those numbers.
You're shop's too small does not work for me. How you lock your truck is a non-issue.
No more excuses. If you have to shape and glass in the Back Yard there's nothing wrong with that. Your first long board needs to be Foam. Between 9' and 9'6". Two plus one fin set up. Forget about all this "old school stuff" , that can come later.....
Right now you are your own worst enemy.....Study those blank catalogs....Buy a blank....
When you buy a blank the rocker is all ready there...it's dialed in....I add "kick" in the tail to fit my style. The reason we see so many Walden / Stewart / Becker generic longboards out in the line up is because they work! .......And they work in all conditions...Look at those boards,feel them, study the lines with your hands and eyes.........
Don't go off of what I'm riding. My long board Does Not have nose concave. I can nose ride it. My longboard does not have D rails. My long board has only one fin.....and a rounded pin tail
Foam and a nice wood tail block. Learn to ride a generic longboard first...expand out from there.
Ray
I’m still wondering why you’re having trouble with your wave count on a 7’6"? Can you post some pics and dimensions of that board? Might help the rest of us clue in to where it’s letting you down.
what with the limited number of days u can get in the water, the 23 years out of the game, your age and size, i can see where trying to amass a wave count or get any fun out of a shorter board is just self defeating. i'm older than u, shorter and about 170 lbs. you can get in great shape working out, jogging, and swimming, but u still won't be in surfing shape. you gotta go surf and u gotta get waves to get in surfing shape.
if u are self limiting to an 8' board, so be it. then make it a HOG of an 8 ' board.
it would be better to make it 9 x 18 x 23.5 x 15 x 3+ thick. if u are still stuck on surfing a board u can lock in your truck then use the same dimensions for the eight footer but go thicker.
main thing is: get more waves. go find a place with mediocre waves, minimal people, and get that HOG out there for 3 or 4 hours and get 25 or 30 waves under your belt each session.
Lots of good stuff here, I'm trying to rework my thinking, so I appreciate everyone's patience in learning me. Only been back to surfing a few months now, and trying to accelerate my re-learning curve LOL! This site is awesome!
I'm not really limiting myself to 8' per se, just stating my logic for that figure, and admitting it is NOT based on longboard surfing experience. Will gladly go longer if it gets me where I want to be. It appears I've gotta give a 9'er (or plus) a go! I pm'ed gdaddy aboat his 9'10", will see how that goes, maybe something there. Mcding has also called and offered me a LB blank, and some free shaping advice.
My 7'6" is a great board, I love it, paddles well, catches waves well. My frustration with it last time out was mainly due to realy junky windblown surf, and the real longboard guys were getting more waves, but some shortboards were too but they were taking off right at the peak, not down the line a bit like me.
paulcannon had some good comments in the recently resurrected Indo thread that I thought helped my put my issues in perspective. Here's some quotes:
paulcannon: the key here is a non dominant surfer or surfer in too small board is double disadvantaged
because its unlikely he will get a spot in the rotation on the peak
that means scraps down the line
that means even later takeoffs
paulcannon: once you blow a few drops your confidence goes
and your not so pushy in the rotation
then its all over
So like I said, my battle is mental as much as physical and equipment related. Part of my problem is adjusting to the crowded conditions that didn't exist back in my day. We had crowds, but not as bad, and I used to paddle into the gang and get a few waves and have fun. Now, I feel more reticent, so I hang below the pack, trying to pick up leftovers when they blow one, usually later takeoffs, and lots of wait time, getting cold and frustrated just sitting and sitting. On a packed day I might sit over an hour for one wave.
I know it was said go to less crowded spots and just catch a bunch of waves, yeah but usually the good spots are the only place that are working at all. And I guess I tend to want to surf spots I know, since I surf alone and just getting back into it I like the comfort of a beach / wave / bottom condition that I'm familiar with. So its C-st. stables pitas rincon, my old spots. But man the crowds!
I know I bit off too much too soon, and paddled into some powerful surf and got hammered when I first got back to surfing and was still learning my new limitations, and that also has made me hesitant now in the lineup. But doggone it I'm gonna get past this mental / physical / equipment block and get me some decent waves, I'm determined! If I had the money and time, which I don't, I'd go to Shaun Ward's surf clinic guys and get me a proper tuneup and coaching. Back in the day surfing surfing and more surfing was my clinic, but I don't have that option at present, living several hours away from the ocean.
So thanks to all who have shared their insights here, I like internet because the kook who is just irritating everyone out in the water (me) gets an equal chance to speak out here and get heard by and helped by guys who probably wouldn't give me a second look in the lineup.
Thanks again to all here.
enjoying this thread; just wanted to say that your eyesight may very well be a major factor in wave catching; at your weight (175) your 7'6 should be picking up lots of waves, I've seen the photos of it, the mermaid board yes? I'm younger than some on this bb, 40 yrs old, weigh 230 lbs, 6 ft tall, surfing 2x+ per week, standard issue married/working guy raising 2 daughters (God help me)...have yet to make the jump back into an 'exercise program' but have the best intentions of buying a weight bench in the near future for my garage...anyway, I wear glasses but only for reading, but thought it might be a good suggestion to mention this lazer corrective eye surgery (I know very pricey, and kind of a radical move but all my friends that have gone through with it have perfect vision and cannot say enough about it)..I'm sure it has crossed your mind, no new revelation here... and I know the economy crunch in a very personal way, have been in mortgage biz my entire working career and have suffered greatly to say the least...but just happy to be working
enough on that..
just thought I'd mention I'm riding an Eberly longboard that I recently purchased retail otr and have really been enjoying it
9’1 x 23 x 3.125; nose 18.75, tail 15 (poly)
rounded square tail
2+1 fin setup (I prefer the extra bite of the 2+1 setup and do surf it as single fin when I want)
(magical numbers 23 and 3 which I knew nothing about at the purchase, or before reading this thread, I just went for dims that were slightly wider and thicker than my normal dims to beef it up a bit)
pictures here:
http://forum.surfermag.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB4&Number=1740929&fpart=&PHPSESSID=
just took this out on Fri/Sat in very small surf, true east coast knee to waist (at best) and have had a blast on it, connecting these tiny little lines from outside to inside...this brings me to "the way the board wants to be surfed" that another poster mentioned above, so true...it amazes me this board does for me at my weight what it does but there is a definite manipulation of the board going on under my feet and where I place my feet on the deck...I am somewhat unaware of this other than knowing its happening, auto pilot stuff... the basics really, move up towards nose to quicken the pace, move back to swing the board around... but I find myself crouching, knees completely bent, with my feet side by side about 12 inches or so from the nose when manipulating these tiny lines from outside to inside... and the board just glides thru the flatter spots and reconnects... ok I'll be quiet now.
anyway, others on here have way more knowledge than I, I am not a builder, just a rider and admirer of the builders and their machines...but just wanted you to know that an 8-9 footer (imo) at your weight could certainly accomplish being a wave hog, but your eyesight might be more to blame than you think, try disposable lenses someone else recommends, take the 7'6 out with the lenses in and see how your session goes, this would certainly be the quickest and cheapest way to see improvement in your wave count per session
now if I had and easy suggestion for you getting more water time, I'd be happy to provide it, but you got me there, nothing but $$ comes to mind...
always enjoy your posts Huck.
Warren
well - there’s always the good old 8 foot egg. An under-rated shape in my opinion. You don’t HAVE to ride a longboard…
I guess Keith's post and the topics of our phone conversation regarding size paramenters are confirmed. I aggree with Keith that the Egg is underrated. When I think of the most fun I ever had on a board under 9'0 ; I always think of the Eggs I owned down in PB during the '70's. Smooth, easy to paddle, forgiving rail, round tail. Otherwise over 9'0 there have been some good dims tossed about in the above posts by others. Alot of guys are reluctant to give up their boyhood mentality of "shortboard only". Those that do get on a longboard and make it a goal to surf one like it should be surfed usually never look back. Yes occasionally they get their Fish, Twin or Big Gut Thruster outta the quiver and after a frustrationg hour or so in the water are asking themselves: Why didn't I bring my longboard? Like I said on the phone a well shaped longboard puts the fun back into it. At our age brudda the fun is the only thing it's about.
thanks warren, that 9'1" eberly is a beautiful board!
as far as the eye thing - yeah, I know you're right. Nothing like sitting for an hour waiting for a chance, and when a set wave comes that the pack misses, I get caught inside because I'm sitting patiently and can't see the thing is already feathering until its coming down right on top of me! I used to wear contacts when I surfed years ago, but got some bad chemical burns with the cleaner that I neglected to neutralize one time, so I've avoided them since, as my eyes are much more sensitive as a result. Funny thing - once in Hawaii I lost my lens on a bad wipeout. Then one day about 2 months later I had something in my eye and rubbed it and the lens came out! - It had been behind my eye the whole time!
So I may try the soft contacts again. I did see someone offering surfing glasses online, which I have been considering giving a try, but that seems a little sketchy to me.
Thanks Lowell for everything and I agree on the fun, will talk more about that LB blank, definitely interested. OK Keith, I'm gonna shape that blank I won into an egg (7' because that's what the blank will accomodate) just for the practise, in fact I've already begun, but I want to make a longboard like Warren's Eberly LOL!!!
Someone else mentioned the 3 foot rule (board length 3' over height), like you said, which puts the board at 8'7" or plus.
"Boyhood mentality", "big gut thruster" - boy Lowell, you sure have a tactful way with words buddy, LOL.
Huck, why didn't you drop me a line when you were in the Palisades? I have a 9'8" single fin log you're welcome to ride anytime you're in the neighborhood. You've gotten plenty of great advice here, but my two cents are that if you're going to get a longboard, get a 9'0" or bigger. Shorter than that and, at least to me, they're in this nether region where they don't really do anything well.
My favorite longboards for years have been the Becker UFO series. I've had a 9'6" single and a 9'2 2+1 and ridden a 9'4". They catch waves great and easily, even on steeper takeoffs, turn wonderfully, and will noseride decently. I like the log (which is a Becker San-O) for First Point Malibu. It's the perfect board for that spot. Gets in early, loose enough from the tail, and basically a "moving sidewalk".
Ride as many as you can before comitting to a shape, IMO.
Good luck!
Dominic
[quote="$1"]
Huck, why didn't you drop me a line when you were in the Palisades? I have a 9'8" single fin log you're welcome to ride anytime you're in the neighborhood. You've gotten plenty of great advice here, but my two cents are that if you're going to get a longboard, get a 9'0" or bigger. Shorter than that and, at least to me, they're in this nether region where they don't really do anything well.
My favorite longboards for years have been the Becker UFO series. I've had a 9'6" single and a 9'2 2+1 and ridden a 9'4". They catch waves great and easily, even on steeper takeoffs, turn wonderfully, and will noseride decently. I like the log (which is a Becker San-O) for First Point Malibu. It's the perfect board for that spot. Gets in early, loose enough from the tail, and basically a "moving sidewalk".
Ride as many as you can before comitting to a shape, IMO. Good luck! Dominic
[/quote]
Looks like I'll be doing more work for this client - I'll let you know, maybe we could get together for a surf. I'm never committed to a shape, even the boards I own are just one step in the journey LOL! I dropped into Zuma Jay's the other day, to check out some shapes. He's got a few I'd love to try out! Reasonably priced under $600, but still out of my budget for the time being.
Another possibility, try some other waves. You are hitting all the primo socal points, where no quarter is given. Once someone sees you blow a takeoff, they will go on you every time. Why not hit up some beach breaks to get your wave count back up. Yeah, you won’t get 100 yard rights, but you get to get back into the swing of how to take off on a wave, which is really all muscle memory and timing, right? Then, once you are back up to speed, hit up the points for some long rides.
Good point, casapobre. I think I'm headed to your house (hahaha), maybe we could hit some beach breaks together?
[quote="$1"]
Another possibility, try some other waves. You are hitting all the primo socal points, where no quarter is given. Once someone sees you blow a takeoff, they will go on you every time. Why not hit up some beach breaks to get your wave count back up. Yeah, you won't get 100 yard rights, but you get to get back into the swing of how to take off on a wave, which is really all muscle memory and timing, right? Then, once you are back up to speed, hit up the points for some long rides.
[/quote]
Good advice. I surfed the beachies exclusively for a month or two after starting my return to smaller boards and it helped immensely.
[quote="$1"]
...makes it tough to judge waves when all I see is a blur LOL. .. [/quote]
I agree with that statement! I'm hopeless without contact lenses. I use Acuvue by Johnson and Johnson - 1-day disposables. When I wipe out I close my eyes. If I need to look around to see the surface I half open my eyes and this works very well. Occassionally it looks like I have lost a lense, but after a few careful blinks sight is restored. I lost only one or two lenses last year and its not a big deal when that happens.
.