OK, I weigh 175 pounds, intermediate surfer who goes out 2-3x week. Surf anywhere from SanO to Salt Creek (Usually Trestles, middles, T-Street). Here is what I have already.
9’0" longboard-For when the old guys want to go out at SanO, Churches (on a slow day or busy day) or make a late night session at Doheny.
7’6" “Fun board”-isn’t all that “fun” because it doesn’t really excel in any one area, selling it.
6’9" Twin Keel Fish-This board is really fun, but it is heavy. It is a great board to ride on slow days, small days, mushy days, or when I want to ride something “short” when I go to a longboard spot and have to battle the longboarders. It is really fast, but pretty hard to be aggressive on it, and on BIG days the twin fin isn’t enough.
6’10" Big Guy Tri Epoxy (Santa Cruz surftech Thruster with box tail)-This board is a lot of fun when it is shoulder to head high AND glass, but on chop or mush it isn’t all that fun for me. It seems soooo light that I lose my balance and look like a kook unless the conditions are just right.
6’7" Al Merrick Flyer template (thruster bump squash) custom so it has heavier foam, glass, resin-gloss, fiberglass fins. The board is really NICE, but it was built so solid that it is a bit heavy and doesn’t float or paddle nearly as well as my Santa Cruz. Fun beach break board, but if the waves are slow, I am hating it.
I was thinking of something in between my 6’10" epoxy shortboard and my 6’9" twin fish. Since wave count and the length of the ride is what is important to me, Plus I am not really a guy to get much vert, much air or 360s, etc…
I am thinking a 6’4" to 6’6" quad fish. I think with the fish shape, flat rocker, quad fin (vs tri) and wider/thicker foam, it would be easy to catch waves, but being a bit shorter than what I have, I can still have fun on the wave as well. I am also thinking of finding one in epoxy since it is lighter and easier to maneuver. Also being a quad it would still work in overhead conditions better than a twin.
I know a “true fish” is usually a twin under 6’0", but I am getting older, have short arms and small hands (so my paddle power isn’t the greatest), so something under 6’0" would be a waste of my time.
Thoughts??