6’3" Liddle Hull in mainly beachbreaks. Also lots of onshore days and low wave periods(6/7s). Is this going to be a nasty experience? Is it going to expose shortcomings in style? Will I hate the experience but end a better surfer? Will I adapt or comletely miss the point? Mind expanding or hair shirt? Currently ride variety of short fishes, standard thrusters and 5 fins.
Mark
I surf similar onshore slop on the eastcoast of Florida. I too ride a bunch of fish shapes keels quads and waiting on a 5 fin from Griffin. Just received a 6’6" liddle pointbreaker, took it out in steep bowly glassy beachbreak and had the session of my life! 1st time! I am more of a carver, cruiser on keels and speedialers, and i took to the liddle instantly. Just let the board do the work, front foot it, stay low, and you will find yourself right in the curl. So amazing. I wish i would have gotten a liddle years ago. Its the only board i want to ride now, and i just wait for the clean days. Mine works in beach break well too which stoked me out. Its the 6’6" modified pointbreaker on the ‘variations on pointbreaker planshape’ page of liddle’s website. Let the board do the work and you will be shocked at the experience.
Well put, Mr. Free.
Don’t over think it, I even recommend you ride a few on your belly or knees just to get a feel for the board’s efficiency.
I rode a few on my knees at a tiny pointbreak yesterday and dinged up the board! damnit why did i order 6/4 unfinished deck? because it flexes mas…Im gonna put a thick layer of basecoat on it to prevent more denting
you will also learn why it is a design that got left behind. I have seen original footage of greenough on his flex spoons(what I have been repeatedly told hulls are trying to replicate) and he surfs more like todays shortboarder than a hull rider.
The design did not get left behind. It has been constantly evolving since the '70’s. There has been an huge jump in variations in the last couple of years. None of the designs, new or old, are surfed like “…todays shortboarder…” although there are some amazing things being done on shorter versions.
If you are looking for a unique, tactile, even sensuous glide, then a hull is for you. If not, ride something else. Follow the musings of Mr. Callahan; sounds like he would have ridden a hull…
Seems to me…
To ride a hull, you have to basically be able to carve surf, like an adult maybe, or someone’s who’s surfed a long time and understands the concept of performance without flash, wiggle, twist, or hops.
Almost the opposite concept of multi fins, hulls are just great for long drops, strong powered bottoms turns, and lots of acceleration across the top of the wave. You can snap, but only at the moment of height and speed.
Thos ShaunThompson wasn’t riding a hull, his videos at OFWall come close …not just the pure tube riding, but the setup bottom turn or high trim takeoff, all have roots in the first idea of taking a single fin board, and making it 3’ shorter.
You let the wave dictate performance, not have the rider do whatever regardless of the wave.
An anarchrism that still has some appeal, maybe for some, definetely not for the young and restless.
Pretty close…the thing that seems to keep getting lost in discussions of round bottom boards is that the satisfaction you get is the feel. Obviously it’s not something that can be verbalized very well without sounding like some 57 year old hippy. You either get it or you don’t. No big deal. It’s just a surfboard.
Yes, the feeling of loading up and then rolling into your bottom turn, almost the same off the top, is something lost nowadaze except maybe in big glassy surf.
The effortless trim off the bottom turn, then without moving back, just ROLLING into a smooth, 180 cutback full railed and full powered.
Maybe last seen videoly with Buttons and LBertleman,
The smooth drop, full bottom engaged, to feel the waterline shortening effect of water transfer back to the tail, the accceleration feel and extra glide, just a single fin round bottom forward design trait.
Almost all my Sunset and OBSF semi and guns had rounded belly from Wpoint to nose.
Pipe boards flat nose, but narrower.
Now we see multi panels with flats and concaves, something for smoother waters and more chattery surfing styles.
I have been through this many a time with you all. I prefer a big carve over a snap. Greenough kept everything in the pocket hulls trim in the pocket sort of like my noserider but faster and more fluid, but can’t connect turns. they were left behind for a reason. If they are/were so far advanced why did they ever go away? The board then the wave dictate how they can be surfed versus the wave then the board.
It’s all a state of mind… and being in the right place… at the right time… and knowing how to do it…
One of the best initial sensations is simply feeling in the water and part of the wave. Slicing through it on those textured surfaces…smoothness you don’t normally feel on a shorty!!
they were left behind for a reason.
left behind and not “magazine” mainstream are two VERY different things…
some people dont like hulls, that is fine. Some people do which is fine also.
It doesn’t matter what decade this design came from.
These boards have such a special feel on the wave that no other board has.
Surfing is supposed to be fun.
The thruster is only ideal for head plus indo.
The hull is ideal for any clean swell with a curl.
they perform in a way that pleases the eye of a surfer of a different school.
Surfing is not a sport.
All we are doing is riding ocean swell.
Thats it.
It’s in the glide…get into the glide zone and all your Q’s will be A’s.
…The possiblities are only limited to your willingness.
Herb
i wouldn’t recommend using it in 2’ slop-not to start with anyway.but once you have spent time on one and figure it out it CAN be ridden in slop.(though not the ideal conditions for a hull.)you will be surprised how they can hook up along the fall line of white water, then zip up into the clean face.i agree, if it is sloppy take it out and bellyboard a few.you will be able to feel the board zip along the white water ,etc. i love to bellyboard any of my hulls in small slop.(i’ll belly and knee it on good small waves and occassionaly on a head high burner as well)
Pretty close...the thing that seems to keep getting lost in discussions of round bottom boards is that the satisfaction you get is the feel. Obviously it's not something that can be verbalized very well without sounding like some 57 year old hippy. You either get it or you don't. No big deal. It's just a surfboard.
I like hulls…
yeah, man… lets go surfing…
lets go hulling…
yeah… hulls…
Awsome…
pancaking rules.
Boy this can get one’s blood boiling.
Almost all current popular board designs are from the past.
Longboards
Hulls
Fish
Twinfins
Beak nosed Pipeline models
Bonzers
Zaps
The Boogie Board
Mini-Simmons
Even the Tri-fin Thruster is 27 years old!
And “supposedly” the SUP originated with the Hawaiian Kings
Our board building technologies are from the 1930’s
So to those who piss on old designs, we do not need to hear about why you think any design that is still being made “is a design that got left behind”. If you do not like a board design, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!