Wondering if there are taller, heavier swaylock members and what performance board dimensions they like to ride. I’m 6’3, 210… thinking of getting a 6’10" x 20" x 2.75" thickness, get some better float under me and have good response. I’ve received two different suggestions from friends. One is to go with a slightly domed deck and thinner rails. Wouldn’t this mean that the center would have to be at least 3" thick? The other side says to keep the thickness at 2.5 or 2.68 and bring in the width to about 19.5 and maybe even try the diamond tail to shorten the rail. would love to hear what other members are riding and any feedback on the above. thanks
i think the first option is a better one much like you i have a problem riding short boards becasue of my size 6’4 175. now i am a lot lighter then you but i would want to ride the 6’10 by 20 with a slightly fuller rail.
but i like a decent amount of float in my board.
the second option seems like it would decrese float with the loss of width and thickness you would be losing some float. and i dont imagine that the diamond tail would make up for those two variables.
me: 6’1" 200 lbs 41 years old surfing for 25…
my “shortboard” is 7’0" x 10 7/8" x 18 3/8" x 11 3/4" x 3"
rocker 5 1/2" nose 2 3/4" tail - deep double concave.
wide does not work for me - tall guy front foot 70’s style
I go thick so I can have low rails and foiled nose/tail
always roundpin for rail line. depends on where/what kind of waves you surf.
shred on
those dims sound reasonable…most boards have domed decks…thick centers with thin rails never felt right to me…very little dome will give lots of float…
more width will get you going easier/faster as will lower rocker and would be my first choice if maximizing fun is the priority
lots of variables to contend with including style and wave conditions…you should consider hookin up with a reputable local shaper…he’ll have more precise answers…
speed machine…
Nice shape what are the dimensions.
I shape a lot of big guy boards . I’m95kg and 5’11" I ride 7’0 x20 x2& 3/4. mates of mine around the same weight ride 6’10 thru to 6’6 but same width and thickness. I shape their sticks and It gives me variety at a low price. [only joking] the width and thickness works well and the boards come out asthetically pleasing and look like an over grown shorty double concave or single to double a lot of guys go reverse vee they all work and all have their aplication . It is up to the guy riding it to decide talk it over with your shaper if he is worth his salt he will listen aand you should get a good board.
Hi Derek
I am only 5’6 and weigh in at whopping 85kg I have been surfing for 25 years and struggle with the big boy boards as I find them too long. When I was 70kg my board was a 6’3
Now I ride a 6’0 with the following dimentions 12.12 / 19.25 /14.85 X 2.3. I have also extented the thickness beyond the centre till about 2 thirds up the board this helps with the paddling. I use a standard domed deck with low volume rails.
Keep well
Hey Derek
I’m a bit heavier than you (220) and ride a 6 10 with the other dimensions you mention pretty much exactly. The board is just about ok — as long as it’s not too crowded. Don’t go thicker, width is way more important for wave catching plus tail width and thickness imo play a vital part here. 12" up from tail you want your tail width @ 14.5 for average wave conditions.
Rocker too is vital - keep tail rocker low, wp 2" back and cluster your fins…rails hard hard hard all the way.
About 15 years ago… I had a board that was glassed with a few lengths of c - fibre alongside the stringer. I guess the purpose was to create a faster flexing board?
Anyone still use them… why did they fall out of favour?
6-0, 200. 43.
I have a 6-8 rocket fish. 2.5 thick and mebbe 20+ wide. Bumps. Low rocker. I think the width helps a lot. Amazingly manueverable (to me).
Of course I am in Central FL, the land of fish waves (closeout mush).
I’m taller and lighter at 6’5" and 180. But, I ride a 6’6" 19-5/8" X 2-5/8" round tail thruster. It’s got pretty low volume rails and a dome deck. A buddy of mine is 6’3" and 220 and he rides a 6’8" Rusty Bob and a 6’10 Merrick Flyer. He keeps alot of volume out to the rails. One thing that really is noticable for bigger guys is a sturdy fin attachment. Red X really shines with the bigger guys.
thanks all for the great info. im going to start talking to a shaper this week. i currently ride 2 boards that are 6’6", one at 2 5/8 and another at 2.75… both are 20 inches wide. on larger, steeper waves, i noticed my heavy frame is so “in” the water that i’m taking late drops. this is why i’m thinking about going up in size to a 6’10 to extend the thickness and have more board under me… and have slightly thinner rails for maneuverability. the tail width is something that’s entirely new to to me. how important is the tail rocker and width? thanks again
I’m 6’2", 215. Both of my ‘performance’ boards are 3" thick in the middle and pinched at the rails. The one for smaller waves is a 7’2" squashtail that’s 20.5" wide; the semi gun is 7’6" round pin 19.5" wide. Both have plenty of volume for me…but neither has so much that it ever gets in the way.
Beware the “Insustry Standard”. In other words, screw the surfers & shapers who say if you aren’t on a 6’2" 2.5" thick thruster than you must not be any good…
I am 6’5 200lbs. I think you are going way too big (but i don’t know your style or abilities) short and fat works wonders in small surf, when it is small i will either ride a 5’11-19 1/2-2 1/2 fish or a 6’4 19" wide stubbie shortboard. as a tall guy you gotta get used to having a lot of your body dragging behind the board and you really have to use that length to change you center of gravity as you are paddling into a wave.
If you ride mostly points 6’10 no big deal, but in beach breaksi would go shorter, the pocket is usually tighter and you need to make quicker changes as you are riding
If I lost 10 lb (and didn’t have to wear a wetsuit which adds 10-20 more) I’d be right there with ya, Skeletor…he didn’t say if he was in warm or cold water…
“Beware the “Insustry Standard”. In other words, screw the surfers & shapers who say if you aren’t on a 6’2” 2.5" thick thruster than you must not be any good… " – i agree. in hawaii, i’ve seen heavy guys just absolutely shred on big boy-type boards that were way thicker than 2.75" and about 8" taller (judging by how tall they standing next to their boards on shore)
thanks for all the great points. i’m taking this info and gonna talk it over with a shaper here and see what board i can get. cuz of budget constraints, i’m aiming for one all-around board that will be good mostly in beach breaks and sometimes reef breaks (travel). i surf mostly in very seasonal areas so when it’s cold, it’s real cold… and when it’s warm, it’s in the mid 60s (water temp). so will need dimensions that will accommodate extra weight from wetsuit and gear during winter season. taller, bigger surfers have the weight of their XXL suits going against them too. =)
at the end of the day, i suppose it’s about how well you ride. just want that board that’ll get me into waves early and surf fast. will keep ppl updated on what the shaper recommends. thanks again
Benny _ i agree with you completely…
Do the maths…if a 75 kg can ride a 6’ 3" comfortably, then a 100 kg surfer needs 25% more planing area to do the same.
There are lots of ways of doing this but you just have to go wider or longer if you want to compete with your lightweight co-surfers .
By the way, if you don’t increase the width, this equates to a 7 10!!
If your 75 kg surfer’s riding a 6 3 x 18, then the 100kg gorilla would sensibly need a 7 6 X 20 for it to feel the same.
Think about it…
If you’re worried about performance with a (slightly) wider longer board then take a look at Joey Hawkins on a 9 footer.
I ride boards @ 6 10 X 20 - about my limit for crowded conditions. Looking at the maths, I’m still vastly under planing area compared to an average weight guy.
think about lift…
relative to flow, are airplane wings wide or long?
if you care about performance or turning radii dont go too long or the board will feel like a funboard…my limit with your size would be 6’10…
i rode my 6’4x19.75x2.4 majic carpet again this morn…what a friggin trip…caught a 150 yard left backside (yup thats from the outside peak to the shorebreak) connecting the two flat sections…pure performance…never going back to the mass dimensions…actually i was never there…
yeah like im gonna ride what AI rides…the guy gets towed out on PWCs, surfs 30 minute heats in world class waves all year long and im supposed to buy into that design on homegrown mushburgers, self-paddling for three hours??? No thanks I’ll pass…im fully awake…
fyi, im 41y/o and 175lb
Whats up benny, right now i am in Hawaii so waters pretty warm, high salinity and no 4/3 so you can paddle like a maniac and get away with a bit less volume in the nose. but honestly when i come home i want something a little thinner, and a little wider, more of a skate style board (although i would definately not define my surfing style with skate style)
I actually am from your neck of the woods grew up in San Anselmo and San Geronimo learned to surf P.R. BO, OB, Salmon and Cron (which everytime i come home i cannot believe what has happedned to the amount of people at cronkite) and gettin hand me down boards off Danny Dufficy and the Proof guys.
I was also wondering what might work for the larger surfer, but I am talking much larger. I am 6’4’’ and about 300+, I have been surfing my whole life and also struggling to find boards that work. I am very fit and paddle well, I am not your average 300 pounder. I have taken riding 10 foot styro epoxy longboards some pushing 27 wide and 4’’ thick for small california waves. I am moving to hawaii in a few months and will be there for next winter. I just wanted to see what some of your guy’s opinions are. I am gonna need a Hi perfomance gun style board for the bigger surf and I am always looking for something that works. Any body got any experience/ suggestions on gun dimensions for a guy like me? Or know anyone on oahu that makes boards for guys like me?
Whassup Skeletor Proof has gone legit with a shop & everything. Behind the Mill Valley 7-11. crowdbo.com is in full swing. I go to Cron to bodysurf now when there’s swell and everything else is blown (spring getaways in the pm). The Tam Hi crew show up and act like they’ve never seen anybody bodysurfing before eyes WIDE “Dude, did you LOSE YOUR BOARD???” Hilarious. Bet a mat would be fun there. Even tho the wave is 2 sections now, one out kind of past the point and another where the lagoon used to break through. I miss the old sandbar. Boneyards is still OB with a dry hair channel and nutty Dale has more sour days than kind ones now, with all the loggers out. The landlord bumped a guy off a surftech a couple years ago. The guy got the board between him & his destiny as it circled back around at him - pushed the board at the fish and it swam away… and Daily was quoted in the Press-Democrat saying even sharks don’t like pop-outs. Again, Hilarious. If you make your way back, give a shout…
Jfocker, Ben Aipa is your man.