I’m looking to get a noserider for surfing waist high waves and below in my home town. I’d consider myself a well rounded surfer with 20+ years experience… I’ve short boarded my whole life, used to compete and have always ridden different boards depending on conditions.Until recently though I have never been interesed in nose riders. am wondering if someone can help me with pick out some dims… I’m finding a lot of boards online in the 9’8" range but at 6’1" and roughly 175-180lbs i’m curious if I need something longer. I am not worried about turning as this board will be for trimming and noseriding when it’s small. I’m also confident in my turning so not worried about getting a board that’s “user friendly” for someone who wants to turn easily. Ultiamtely I want a log that’s gonna be ideal for nose rides.
I’m thinknig somewhere between 9’10 and 10’2"… Maybe longer? Any advise / words of wisdom appreciated.
Thanks for the response… Gives me hope and also reinstilles that it’s no the board it’s me! I’m getting fives no problem pretty much on anything, but a proper ten is not easy for me… I was thinking it’s possibly not having a big enough board as I’ve been riding a 9’8"… But as with most things, it’s probably more about my technique, timing, wave etc. that’s holding me back. Cheers
If you have ridden mostly shortboards your whole life, hanging ten isn’t going to be an instant result, no matter how big the board. Some folks take to it more quickly. Some never get the hang of it (unintended pun).
I mean, how many people do you see , on average, who ride a longboard but basically stand in one place all the time? At least your trying to explore the capabilities of a such a design.
I’m 43. 5’8", 165lbs. I’ve been surfing since 1984. I’m in the process of shaping another noserider right now(I’ve shaped/glassed about 10 of them…always trying to refine them). I surf in San Diego, from Sunset Cliffs to Oceanside. I’ve found that a 9’8" is a perfect length for me for the waves I surf. The board I’m shaping right now is based off of a Pearson Arrow CJ Nelson model. Dims are:
length: 9’8"
nose: 19 1/2"
width(center): 23"
tail: 16 1/2"
tail(tip to tip): 7"
Using a 10’2"B US Blank (all excess cut from NOSE of the blank)
I agree that for your height/weight, a 9-6" to 9-8" LB is about right for your goals. I would go single-fin, low rocker and around 3 1/8" - 3 1/4" thick. I am not a fan of nose concave and big fins, but some folks like them. Recommend you avoid high-performance LB; i.e. the more rockered, thinner boards with sidebites or tri-setup.
Don’t worry about getting ten-over. It’s the exception, not the rule. The main thing is to get to the nose (front 18"), and then smoothly and quickly back-pedal to a cut-back that set ups another walk to the nose.
To be a bit technical, here. The standard definition of the nose, as set by Tom Morey’s original noseriding event of 1965, is the front 25% of a board. Many of the early noserider models had a stripe across the nose at exactly that point, or a solid pigment color covering the nose. So 18" would be the front quarter of a 6’ board. The nose of a ten footer is the first 30 inches, on a 9’6" it would be around 28.5"
Have you ridden that model by Pearson? I see that there’s a three inch difference between the nose and tail. I’ve always agreed with Rich Harbour’s notion that a board should never have more than a two inch difference between the two. Makes for an imbalance, IMO. Boards I’ve ridden with that much variation haven’t felt right to me. Too nose heavy. This is specific to single fins, mind you.
Yes, I have ridden a CJ Model from Pearson. It’s basically a “sidewalk” board. It’s perfect for the small(ankle-shoulder high, mushy) waves that I surf down here 300+ days out of the year. This is me surfing on the very first longboard I made, which was similar dimensions…(Can’t figure out how to embed video on this forum).
Sound good. I think I need to take smaller steps as now after four steps I’m stepping off the front. All feet work, timing and positioning on board and in the wave are what need work on. “It’s the Indian not the arrow”, right?
I’m getting comfortable on the last 10" of the nose but hanging a proper ten - ain’t quit got that dialed ;). Definitely having a good time trying to learn and get a little lift / tip time. Thanks for the freebacks everyone. Happy surfing
So I have a rough idea in my head of what shortboard dims should be based on rider dims, but I have no clue when it comes to longboards. Does anyone have a chart or something like that left over from the 60s?
If you asked that question three days ago I could have scanned a few. All my 60s mags are in storage now, since I’m moving to my Summer place this week and don’t keep the mags in that house due to dampness issues.
But, from memory and going by mid 60s standards, I can ballpark sizes for the period
A 9’6" was typical for a full grown guy around 150-160 lbs
9’8" = 175 lbs + or - a bit
9’10" = 180-190 lbs
10’0" = 200-205
Lots of folks went shorter for turning purposes, some liked more length for the glide and smoothness. Even then, dropping two to three inches from the norm was about the max range.
You never saw a 120 lb woman riding a 10’0", like you see today.
I started on a second hand 9’5" Hansen when I was 13 and about 120 lbs. But that was what I could get for that time. The year was 1963. Two years later I got a new 9’6" twin stringer Hobie that resembled the Edwards model in many ways. I was around 140 lbs by then. Next, a 9’8" Harbour Cheater and I weighed roughly 145. After that, a Hobie Super Mini, 8’4"
By comparison, I currently weigh 145-155 and ride an 8’0" as my “longboard”. My shortest board is a 6’3"
I weigh 160 and my “longboard” is an 8-2 transitional shape. I can do 5s on it but I am just looking for what kind of tank I would need to do for consistent 10s (besides more practice).
Like I said, my longboard is 8’0 and I’m about ten lbs lighter than you. I think a change in the design you ride might do more than just some added length. A nice full nose with a flat bottom and dropped rails will plane like crazy. I should do some pics and measurements on mine. It wasn’t what I ordered but it works OK in spite of the wrong parts.
I’m about 5’8", 165lbs. My noseriders are based off some of the past boards that I’ve owned that I liked(Cooperfishes, Takayama, my own…). I just finished shaping one this past weekend.
US Blank, 10’2"B
9’8"
nose: 19 1/2"
width(center) 23"
tail: 16 1/2"
Natural rocker, but I add a slight kick in the tail and take some out of the nose while shaping.
The last one I did rides great, but I added waaaaaaay too much tail rocker. If you want to hook up for a surf, you’re more than welcome to try my last one(my daily driver).
Rode a 9’8 that felt good today for my size 6’1 175-180lbs
but i also rode a 10’1 that felt in great in the pocket going down the line but hard to nose ride through the less perfect sections.
Im in starting to think a 9’10 is the magic number for me. I seem to hear / see that 9’8’s are the go-to for guys a few inches shorter then me and maybe 10-15lbs lighter … Which is why I’m thinking 9’8 may be a tad short. Bear in mind I’m comparing to other guys with the trim / tip time logging mentality. Anyone agree w my logic or am I simply overthinking it ;)?
