(semi)big guy step-up

General Discussion
1

Need some help…  I Will be traveling to the Mentawais and I’m looking for step-up/semi gun suggestions.  

My dimensions: 6’3" x 195lbs x 34yrs x experienced (16 east coast years, probably equivalent to 6.3 west coast years) 

Some current board dimensions: 

6’2" x 21.5" = small, mushy or any size because it’s always in my car

6’4" x 20" = small-mid but fast/steep (shorebreak)

6’6" 19.5" = head to hh+, fast and steep actual swell

6’8" x 20" = lots of water moving, bigger walls (usually mushy), really cold winter days with long paddles

A good east coast (US) quiver, but possibly missing something for travel.  The plan right now is to bring the 6’4", 6’6", 6’8 and then 1 other board on either end depending on the forecast.

 

So here are my questions:

Are typical semi-guns/step ups narrower than other boards in the quiver?

What would good dimensions be (up to 7’4"- board bag constraints)?

Would I regret width and thickness in Indo?  

Should I be looking for anything in particular?

Do you know of shapers that specialize in semi-big-guy-semi-step-up-gun type boards?

 

Any help is appreciated! Thanks-

John

2

Oh yeah- I’m not good/fast/crazy enough to be the “surfboard my height in all conditions” guy.  When it gets outside of my comfort zone, but not too big to keep me on the sideline, I’d like to get in earlier.  Not so worried about turns, just barrels.

 

thanks.

 

3

[img_assist|nid=1057674|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=212|height=640]Something like this? 7’ -0" x 21" 12" nose, 13 1/2" tail 5 3/4" nose rocker 2 1/2" tail rocker

4

Thanks for the quick response Mark.

Do you find the 21" width a hindrance in larger/faster/steeper waves?  That board looks beautiful and seems like a logical next step after a 6’8".  Do you mind me asking the dimensions of some of your other boards?  Where would you typically surf this board- bigger waves I’m guessing, but steep & fast reefs or flatter points at size?

5

Hey JohnO, haven’t surfed the Mentawis, have spent some time in Indo  and I’m about your size, bit lighter…I’d think narrower, somewhere around 19.5", no more then 20"…indo waves are plenty round, and you often find yourself taking off under the lip vs. paddling in from further outside, even when it’s bigger…so generous rocker, simple bottom, put some beef in the chest but keep the rails foiled, 7’3 or 7’4 RP should handle most of what you run into… if it doesn’t, you probably won’t want any part of it…

also suggest going with a 6 oz. bottom, full 6/6 or 6/4 top, upgrade the stringer strength…keep the fin systems the same as the rest of your quiver…

And consider using a shaper who has plenty of experience shaping for HI, Indo…good “one stop shopping” is the Hawaii Surfboard Factory that has some great shapers under it’s roof…

http://www.hawaiisurffactory.com/Surfboard-Shapers.asp?SessionID=

avoid the reef, and enjoy the trip!!

 

6

Hi John,

I looked at the board again, and goofed on the width.  This one is only 20" wide.  A little wider than what most are riding.

At a bigger guy’s size, I’m 210 pounds,  I need the  width.  What I’ve found for me is on a steeper wave, a little more width, lets me land a steeper drop, and keep the speed up. 

Before I started making my own, my last board was a Channel Islands 6’-8" K-step up.  The width on that one was around an 11 " nose, and 19 3/8" wide point.  With that board, say you take off late, and get a little air under you on the drop.  When I landed on the step up, It would sink a little, and I’d bog.  Almost stall out in the trough.  I’d have to wait until I got back up the face before I got a little speed up.

Adding a little width keeps me skimming over the water.  It really makes a late take off easier.

The other thing I did on this one was to run a single concave all the way through the tail.  It makes it a little looser back there.  I used to put Vee in my tails, because I liked the drive.

You know when you’re making a late drop, and you need to angle the board a little down the line before you get to your feet?  My similar boards with Vee in the tail, almost want to naturally aim straight to the shore, and if you try to angle the take-off, they want to roll a little, and dig a rail.  The concave through the tail makes the back end able to wash out just a bit.  Not to the level of a single fin side slip, but just enough to get the tail to release sideways.  Makes the critical drop a touch easier.

Part two of your question.  Current favorites are a 6’-7" x 20 1/8" very similar to this one, but with Vee in the tail.  A 6’-9" x 20 5/8" stringerless single bump squash.  Really flat rocker, almost Fish rocker, for summer time fun swells.  And a 7’-8" Semi gun that I just take out sometimes.

I’ve only had this one out a few times.  Once at head and a half high but stormy Rincon,  Once at head high Hammonds Reef in Santa Barbara,  and a couple of times at my local hollow point. (The place in my avitar photo).  It works really smooth.

Hope that helps you dial it in.

 

7

First and no offence intended, it's the fletcher not the arrow. That being said, one can't be too general on independent elements of a board such as fin configuration or bottom contours. For example, I can easily ride my single fin v bottom 9' Junod log on OH+ tubes and have surfed it at it's limit of 2XOH with angled drops and no side slipping. My best advice is to find a shaper who shapes regularly for bigger guys and surfs hollow waves frequently himself.

I have never been to Indonesia but I get my fair share of tubular and large waves here in PR and I have traveled to a couple of places such as Salsa Brava. I am 5'10" and to me a 7'0" is a very versatile size for a shortboarder, you can surf anything from OH to 3XOH yet surf it on head high waves if you break all your boards.

You are 6'3" and about 15 lbs lighter than me. I guess a 7'4" should be similar to what a 7'0" is to me. Don't be afraid to go wide as long as you keep that tail pulled in. 20" even 21" is ok on a 7'4", good idea is to put that wide point a couple of inches forward of center to keep some straightness in the aft outline. 2 3/4" -  3" thick with an appropiate foil and rail suited to the powerfull tubes and fast waves you will be riding should give you some paddling power and you will be surfing waves with a channel so who cares if it doesn't duck dive like your 6'4" .

Rocker is a whole other world, good to have some curve but not too much that you lose drive.

Finally, all the elements must work in harmony.

Don't be afraid of geting a big board, I used to have a 7'6" which was a joy to ride in 2XOH waves at a local reef pass here in PR which breaks similar to Cloudbreak, I am no pro nor am I maneuver obsessed but getting in early, dragging my hand and getting barrelled... oh what a joy!!!  Most of your friends will be eating it on their 6'1"s while you will be shaking with adrenaline because of making every tube...

You will be surfing 6 hrs+ a day so a good paddler is really an asset. You can also bring your 7'4" back home for the hurricanes.

Tom Mahady is a big guy and shapes in New Jersey, I don't know him personally but I have read some of his posts here in Swaylocks and he seems to know what he's talkin about.

Good Luck!

8

just my 2 cents…the 6`2`` you always have in your car should go with you…

 

 

9

I second that, bring your 6’2" because it’s always very good to have familiar equipment.

10

JohnO,

I’m an east coaster and have been to the Mentawaiis and Indo. Biggest thing I noticed is that the waves are round, powerful, and fast moving. I found that width was not my friend as I would get pushed out onto the flats and have trouble staying in the pocket on a wide board. Go narrower, especially in the tail area, and err on the side of more rocker, rather than less. I always seem to recommend the same thing: look for a Rusty Slayer or Lost Rock-up type board. You don’t need excess length as much as decent volume in the front end to get you in earlier. I usually size my Slayer-type shapes about 4-5 inches taller than me. So for you, a 6’6" x 20 x 2 5/8" with a 14.5" ish tail might be a good start. Keep in mind this has the same volume/wave catching ability of a more typical semi-gun that is 6" longer. I like the shorter shape because it fits into the rounder tight transiton indo waves better. Not unlike the great NJ beachbreak days, but with alot less rubber.

Have a great trip.

11

Thanks for all the advice guys.  The Slayer/Rock-up suggestion is a really good one, but I think I will end up going a more traditional route and get a custom 7’2" similar to the blue one posted above.  Width will be between 19.75 and 20" with decent rocker and thinned out, narrow tail.  I figure I have the 6’6"-8" range covered with my current boards and I’d hate to buy another 6’6" and wish I had something bigger when I was there.  That is probably not the best time to experiment.

And Tony- I agree that the rider is way more important…I’m just not that good and looking for every advantage I can.

 

Thanks again and have great weekend.

John

12

John,

If you P.M. me your e-mail address, I can send you a PDF file of the template, and rocker profile.  That might help explaining it to your shaper.