Im 5’8", 150 lbs and Im riding a 6’ 2" Flyer II. I’ve been having a problem getting my foot all the way back on my tail so at times it rides a bit mushy. Aside from learning to move my foot back. Do any of you recommend a short board that would work for the surfer who does’t get his back foot in the right position. I guess Im more of a front foot surfer.
Besides the Flyer II, I also ride a 6’6" fish, 20" wide. Considering its a completely different animal I was able to surf it with ease. Having my foot far back was not an issue.
Im just looking for a faster more manueverable board that works for my setup.
If there is a cure, what design aspects specifically acheive what im looking for?
Or maybe I should just suck it up and learn to move back.
i would go shorter. 5’10. 6’0 at the most for that design and your size. a lot depends on your ability. some of my friends your size would ride that board 5’8 - they are very good surfers.
From what it sounds like to me, you are experiencing a problem similar to what I was experiencing during the earlier stages of my searching for a board type to best suit my approach.
I’ll tell you what worked for me. This might get confusing and might not necessarily work for you, so don’t take my statements as TRUTH; maybe use them as “food for thought”.
It sounds to me that you may be a front-foot-favoring surfer. A long time ago I discovered I am such a rider and my boards have since evolved to compliment that style. I typically “operate” the board off my front foot while progressing down the line and then transfer quite a bit to my back foot when turning, carving, etc.
I have found that fairly low-but-continuous rockered, somewhat thinner boards with thin rails helped me when I wanted to get my board a-movin’ and manipulate my boards down-the-line. I rely on the width of the board (usually a bit wider than what is typically offered off-the-racks) for planning surface rather than thickness and volume for float.
I also typically take the high-trim track on wave faces instead of basing my path on the base and trough of the wave; it is steep up there, and find that I can use the slope of the face combined with gravity to obtain quick bursts of acceleration.
I also found that boards with fairly thin tails, just a tad of extra tail rocker, and generous outline curve in the back end helped a lot in those weight transfers from my front to back foot without requiring me to shift my back foot all that much. I actually find that my back foot rests just over, and sometimes just forward, of my forward (side fins), and the curve in the back end lets the board tip over on rail without having to hop/slide my foot way back to get a nice turn. This also keeps my back foot in the sweet-spot when I recover and look to accelerate out of the maneuver.
I suspect your “fish” might have a “fishy thruster” outline but have somewhat thinner or more pinched rails than the Flyer II… is that correct?
You hit my situation exactly. I can completely relate to your comments.
“I typically “operate” the board off my front foot while progressing down the line and then transfer quite a bit to my back foot when turning, carving, etc.”
“I also typically take the high-trim track on wave faces instead of basing my path on the base and trough of the wave; it is steep up there, and find that I can use the slope of the face combined with gravity to obtain quick bursts of acceleration.”
“I actually find that my back foot rests just over, and sometimes just forward, of my forward (side fins)”
Im actually an East Coast surfer too (NJ). As far as my 6’6" Fish set up, its a 3 fin thruster swallow tail.
I know the my Flyer 2 definately has quite a bit of rail volume in the nose area. Are you suggesting a more thinned out rail and slightly wider board might help my situation? I know everyone is a bit different, but if this is what you have experienced I’d like to take it into concideration.
Based on my build. What board dimensions would you suggest?
Or maybe I should ask what that Time Bomb board has?
By the way, do you know any good glassers in NJ. I shaped two boards. My first glass job is pretty sh*ty and not finished. However, I have a second board that I’d like to have done professionally.
Hmm, where in NJ are you? If local to me (live in the seaside-manasquan area, work down by LBI, so I surf both), maybe I can put you on one of my boards for you to decide so I don’t steer you in the wrong direction with all my jibba-jabba I tend to ride boards that some would say are too small for me, so whatever I ride might work for you too.
I am sure there are other good glassers, but I would recommend Paul Baymore of Fly Surfboards. He shapes and glasses both “standard” and epoxy resin boards. I’m probably going to go to him when I finally hack some foam myself. Good guy, fun to talk to, very informative.
Here is a picture of one of my favored boards, which I am actually selling because I want to try some new stuff (different bottom contour, maybe a little different rail). I experimented with front-foot traction for a while- on particular boards and in particular waves I dig it because it allows you to pull the board a little more due to increased friction between your foot and deck:
Here is a freaky one called the “MC fish”. Looks fugly, rides very well. This is actually a previous version of the one I am riding… my present one has a little more curve in the back end.
Im actually from PA but I Surf Spring lake, Harvey Cedars, and Ocean City/ Strathmere.
It all depends who im surfin with.
Im still rockin a 3/2 suit so I im sure its still too cold to take advantage of your offer.
However I do need to get a thicker suit already, or at least a hoodie. I can’t wait any longer! My Flyer 2 is actually getting fixed, I put a hole on the top deck from a boat trip in CR.
Thanks for the glassing recommendation.
Looks like you’ve been surfin awhile from the pics. Im 4 years new to it and its turned into an addiction. my next step of course is colder temps.
Front footed surfer here as well…interesting comments you made here…I am coming to the same realization also with my surfing style vs. front footed riding.
Check out my 2 other posts…you can see the rocker picture I am going for (low entry in the front with a little more rocker in the tail:Al Merrick/Channel Islands MX model.)…also I posted one off a board I completely Hated (Al Merrick/Channel Island Tri-Plane Hull)
The MX was the one designed more for front footed surfers.
Let me know what you think…those pics are off the CI website.
Nivek- no abuse coming from me. I realize that often where one lives is a result of where one’s parent’s lived or where one’s employment is located. I was lucky enough to live in a town 15 min from the beach, and now after years my paren’t supporting my education so I could earn and save $, I now live 14 minutes closer Everyone has the right to the same waves.
dolemite- never ridden the Triplane hull, but have ridden 2 MX-es. Rode a friend’s 6’2" from time to time and it was insane in just about any condition. Ordered up a 6’4" and got a board that had much more volume, much different/thicker rails, etc. The board abosolutely lit it up in walled up, overhead, angled-swell surf, but if underhead and any bit slopey, the board was a dog. This translated to working well 1 out of 5 times I rode it (got 2 good days out of 10 total, or so), but that was also reserving it for only the days when I thought it would be the correct board… if I rode it every time I surfed during the time I owned it, my success rate would have been more like one-in-100. Sold the board, but was still hesitant because of how great the board did actually feel those two times. Frustrating to say the least.
I tend to ride boards that some would say are too small for me, so whatever I ride might work for you too.
