I am now in the look out for a custom longboard and have a few questions for those shapers that have a nack and a fancy for a traditional longboard. I am currently 18 years old and am 6 foot 180 lbs. My father being the nice man he is, says that money is not a problem and is encouraging me to get the best of the best. I have been riding for a year now and standing on the nose is the best feeling in the entire world but would love it to be my own nose for once. If anyone has any suggestions or comments please feel free to email me directly or write back on this message. Thank you again and hope to hear from you. Ty
last weekend i rode my friend’s bing noserider…you could do jumping jacks on the tip of this thing…it was my wet dream come true.
if you’re looking for more of an all-around board that’s great on the nose, may i suggest looking into the harbour san-o. i’m also a fan of the harbour nineteen.
if you’re more comfortable on a narrower nose, i like robert august’s “alex knost model”.
the possibilities are endless.
EDIT: but please keep in mind that this is a pretty big investment. my advice is to ride as many boards as you can. wait 'til you find your magic board before laying down the $$$. tell people where you are…i’m sure you can find a few people willing to pass off a board to you for a few waves.
Consider a Hap Jacobs 9’10" pin tail traditional single fin with a fin box. This board is one of the finest ones around IMHO. I have seen this board in everything from ankle high to double overhead perform like a dream. I’m no rep. I just know this is one of the best ones around. If your interested in speck I’d be glad to post them.
FR1, glad you dad is being so supportive. Those Haps are nice boards but damn they are pricey. You didn’t say where you were at, of course I foregot to look also. But, really anyone can make you a great board, some better than others but.
What I’m I thinking. If money is no object and you want the best of the best, really want to stand on your nose, and don’t want to take the risk of making your own board and messing up {keep in mind you can screw up like 3x’s to = the cost of a very nice big name boards} Anyway I have the perfect thing for you.
I can’t find the link right now, but for something like $1,500 you can book a date and custom build a board with Robert August. Everything from scratch. You name it, you build it. Everything you can think of.
Sol, damn man! How old are you? So, crazy! 1st. youlive where I live. 2nd. your building a Lb close to what I’m looking at. 3rd. and now come to find out your likings of Harbour boards are what I’d buy if I was to spend $800 on a new longboard. Seriously want to check out your board when your done.
Sol, damn man! How old are you? So, crazy! 1st. youlive where I live. 2nd. your building a Lb close to what I’m looking at. 3rd. and now come to find out your likings of Harbour boards are what I’d buy if I was to spend $800 on a new longboard. Seriously want to check out your board when your done.
heh, what’s up, dave… it’s a crazy world we live in, huh?! if i were going to buy another longboard, it would probably be a harbour san-o. i just love rich harbour’s boards…sooooo classic. there was a nineteen on the racks at island water sports for almost two years. that shop is so quick to push pop-outs on people that the good boards would never sell. i studied every line on that thing and just fell in love. in fact, that shape was the inspiration for the one i’ve got comin’ up next. unfortunately, it might be awhile. i’m leaving the country for 3 weeks on the 16th, and doubt i’ll be able to finish it before then with all the travel prep i have to do (and i certainly wouldn’t want to leave it only half way done)…so it looks like i’ll bang that thing out when i come back. i’ll be sure and get in touch with you once it’s done and we’ll go for a surf so you can sneak a few waves on it. oh…and i’m 22.
Soulstice, what was the board you were riding on and what were the specs if you were to have those at hand. I am not particuarly look for a brand name such as Hap Jacobs or Robort August but the specifications of a nice board.
I have already scheduled a time and date with a local shaper that has been shaping around Galveston, Texas for 20 some odd years and his boards are top of the line. Like some of the stuff i would like on my board are single fin, 50-50 rails, etc. The basic specifications for a traditional board.
Halycon, I am really interested in that size pintail. I have actually looked at a board such as the one you are describing and found it very desirible. I planed to go with a custom board from Martin because i can decide what i like and dont like and pick and choose what i feel is best for me. I would very much appreciate those specs of that board that was good in ankle to double overhead. I live in Galveston and you get an array of waves from knee high to overhead when hurricane season comes full swing. I just got back from Costa Rica 2 nights ago and there was a good wind swell so i would like a board that i can take from 10+ foot surf to waist high to chest high sets.
FlaSkimmer, As i have said i live in galveston and i would be willing to show you the board whenever i get it finished. If you dont live in galveston i would be willing to post pictures after it is finished. I was looking at pictures of a nice Yater the other day and it was exactally what i was looking for. Anyway If anybody has any suggestions or comments of specs that have worked for them or you think would work for me that would be wonderful. Thanks again.
the board i referred to was a Bing Noserider. i don’t recall the specs. offhand, although a search through the archives might turn something up. if not, there are plenty of people around here who know the dimensions of that board. it has a big nose concave (this board was only 3/8" deep as opposed to the usual 5/8" deep), and a lot of kick in the tail. the added tail rocker made it a little more difficult to catch waves, as it dragged the board down a bit, but once you were off it was a quick step to tip and it held you right in the pocket with great stability. this board was 9’8", and because of the board’s rocker, that is as short as you’d want to go. if i were to get one for myself, i’d probably go up to the 9’10" - 10’2" range.
as for the other boards, the Harbour website has good pics and lots of great info…give it a look. and i remember awhile back there was a video posted on surfermag of alex knost surfing at malibu…if you want to see that board in action, dig up the vid…it’ll blow your mind.
I don’t surf this classic in big waves often but I have a couple of friends that are excellent longboard riders that surf a board nearly identical to this one in all surf conditions. It’s all they ride and can make it respond much better than I can. I’ve ridden mine in head high waves in excellent condition here in Santa Cruz and the the thing is scary fast. Soooooo much momentum if feel like I’ll kill some kook with it. So once it gets over chest high it’s more board that I want to manage so I’m on a smaller board.
Specks of Volan Glassed, double stringer Hap Jacobs:
9’10"x18.5"x22.75"x15.0"x3.125"
Wide point about 9 inches forward
Nose rocker 5.75" ~ Tail rocker 3.875"
Full 1/8" deep nose concave growing more shallow as the nose rocker ends.
Moderate bellied vee starting as nose concave ends keeps its angle through the entire tail section.
Rails are completely neutral and fully tucked the entire lenght of the board.
Fin box is set 6" from the tail.
I surf a 9.25" foam core “Whiteside” template fin that is 5/8" thick on the board. It’s attached.
Thanks for the specs. That is exactally what i need. By the way that is a very nice fin you have on your board. Anyway, does anybody like the Idea of a <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">step deck</span></span>. Does anybody have any positive or negitive feedback on one they have experienced. Thanks
my favorite stepdeck is the Harbour Cheater…a few years ago, rich started making them again – the “Cheater II”. it’s a bit more stepped out than the Yater Spoon. as you approach the tip, the nose flexes down and flattens out…the straighter rocker makes for better noseriding. however, stepdecks are more prone to breakage. i’ve never made one…but i plan to give it a try when i get ahold of some Walker Foam.
Off topic. Sol, Did you catch Jupiter today? I showed up after a fishing/ canoe trip with my son and dropped my jaw when i saw Cameras cameras cameras. Jumped out of the car and up on the catwalk. Only to gaze at some of the best small longboard waves and riding I’ve seen.
Was so pissed. 45mins away from my board and nothing to do but cry.
nah, man…i had no idea. where in jupiter? ever since they dredged the south side of the inlet i stopped surfin’ up there. i know just the kinda wave you’re talking about. those freak little swells at about thigh to waist high that just show up out of nowhere. here’s a shot from the good ol’ days before they tore up the bottom…
EDIT: we really need to get some sorta south florida surf-alert system hooked up.
Most commercially available longboards 9-0 and bigger will allow you to noseride. No one knows your style as best as you do. If you want to do some tail surfing, tight radial turning, or progressive maneuvers in texas type surf, maybe a modern 2+1 longboard might be best for you. You can still noseride. Some might disagree with me, but these are more versatile than heavy single fin logs, and adept to more conditions.
However, if you want to learn trick noseriding like 10s, heels, kicks, and other stuff that mandates the front 12 inches of your board, consider a single-fin, more traditional plan shape, like the ones solstice recommended. I would, however, advise against the Knost model if you’re 6’ 180. It’s not a learner friendly board, and it’s definitely not a big guy board. When the waves are under head high, or even better, under shoulder high, these boards work well. Personally, I won’t bring out a log unless its knee to chest high.
I have a stewart mchphillips noserider and that thing is great. It is such a versatile board and you can ride it in ankle to well overhead. It it great on the nose and you can really whip it around on the tail. But my favorite board is my surfboards hawaii noserider. The template is different than most nose riding boards, it has no nose concave, and the trim point is about 2 and a half feet from the nose. The tail is kinda scooped like the cooperfish device. It took me a long time to figure it out, but now it is like magic. Once you get to the nose you can just hang out, its got full 50/50 rails, not a single hard edge on it. It does like to slide out a little in bigger surf, but it is smooth and you just feel more graceful on your turns.
Ty - my friend from Surfside, TX has been surfing Hauts for 20 years. Doug Haut is a frequent TX visitor and knows how the waves work there - not all that common for a Californian. Bob drives out to CA to pick up a new Haut just about every year…
He also has a nice Jim Phillips he got last year and his buddy (who posts here occasionally as G-Coast) has a nice assortment of classic longboards.
