Thought I’d tap into the collective numbers conscience to see what you guys would come up with a request from one of my students: what would you design for a 15 year old kid who weighs a buck thirty, is just starting out, and will surf crappy beachbreak highlighted by the occasional foray onto a mushy reefbreak in Northern California? His one request is that it not be a longboard.
I have some ideas in mind, but I would like to hear what you think about this design-wise…keep in mind that for most of the year he’ll be surfing a few times a month at most.
crappy beach break + mushy reef break = longboard. your 15-yr-old kid should reconsider his one request. maybe something like a Robert August “What I Ride” model at about 9’0" with a 2+1 fin setup. good glide as a single, and snappy with the sidebites.
Yeah man an egg is good comprimise, you may also want to give a thought to a stubby, I made one last summer for the XGF who was at the time only a three session watergirlintraining trying to harness a 10’2" mal(she’s 5’3" 115) way too much plank for surfer size/experience, the stubby a 5’11" 19 7/8" WP mal-ish, provided longboard like stability and forgiving soft rails without the 4 extra feet, unfortunately the new found comfort provided by said board caused the “bug to bite her good” which means I get to see the EX in the lineup once or twice a week(Food for thought gents if your gonna coax your girl off the sand and into the soup, make sure she’s the one cause the nothing worse IMHOP than woman scorned and a couple of her minion charging your wave, dropping in on ya, and talkin’ trash in the line up-I speak from experience) One last thought take a look at Mandala’s WebSite that man’s the master of the short/fats, his single fins in particular seem to very friendly to a wide range of experience levels.
I was once a beginner kid of that age and weight and we all learned on the CI shortboards of the time (mid 80s). So if it were me, I’d just make him a thick and flat shortboard and say “have fun”. If the kid likes being different, a twin in the 6’2-6’4 range should be fine (not a “fish”, a traditional twin fin). Or heck, a quad. We surfed those too back in those days. The advantage of being a kid, and being 130 lbs. is that you can surf anything! (p.s. I’m assuming he can ride a skateboard: if not, make him start there and then come back to you, or make him surf a longboard first!)
Thanks all, I appreciate the scope of answers here–everything from 6’2" to 9+. Cool. The kid understands that a longboard would be the best call, but doesn’t dig them, which is fine with me as it inspires some creative thinking and some great responses from the Swaylocks community. Right now, I’m leaning toward Spence’s dimensions, only a little shorter (7-7’2), though I like the idea of a quad. It’s going to be a while until I shape the board, so I’ll have lots to kick around until then.
I bet if he’s just starting out and “doesn’t want a longboard” all he really knows is that he doesn’t like the round shape. I would also then guess that eggs, funboards, and mini-mals are out too.
Why not make him something like Rusty’s Desert Island? Something that’s basically got all the shape, rocker, & rail characteristics of a longboard, but a pointed nose just for the look. At his size, 7’10"-8’ would be plenty, but make it 22.5" wide, 3.25" thick, and a mini squash tail so it turns. Just a log in disguise.
I was replying to the 3.25" thick suggestion above…my experience is that 130 pound kids learning on boards that big/thick learn bad habits…like grabbing every wave in sight before the rest of us have a chance!
I dont know about fish “fixations” but I just think mid six foot fish shapes are a good type of board to learn on…good combination of easy paddling/wide nose stability.
I agree with Keith.An 8’0" or thereabouts egg.Set up the fin boxes so you can ride it as a single or a single with sidebytes.A little bit of roll in bottom going to a soft vee.Once the kid gets a little bit of experience he can change to whatever he desires, and these egg shapes have good resale value.Just my opinion…worth about a nickel in todays market. RB
Finish - (approximately) 8’2" x 21.25" wide 2 7/8 thick flat bottom for stability
Made (commissioned) for my chiropractor (Dr. Zapala) by my son and I with gratitude for extending my surfing career…with the beachbreaks of Huntington Beach in mind.
Logos and identifying marks cloned off to protect the innocent.
I know it’s not a very scientific way to approach design but peer pressure is enormous at that age and his friends will be amazingly astute at scoping a shape and quickly deciding whether it’s a thumbs up or thumbs down even if they know nothing about design.
Some key points as they hold it up are nose width, and rail thickness. You can squeeze a lot of tail and mid width into a shape and still give it the narrow nose that (IMO) somehow separates a cool board from a kook board (in kid’s eyes.)
Just an idea… why not run the design idea thing past his immediate peer group, especially the guy who they think is the hottest, and see what they think? They’re the ones the kid will have to fit in with (not a bunch of crusty Swayloholics and their collective conscience) and maybe their input will help decide if it’s a thumbs up or thumbs down.
I recently shaped 3 boards… a 6’ generic thruster, 6’10" speed egg and a 7’10" speed egg. All 3 shaped blanks were stacked against the wall. My son (6’3" 215lbs) and 2 of his buddies came in to check them out. After watching my son plenty of times (and knowing his skill level), I believe the 7’10" is a pretty good choice for him, but all three of them grabbed (hey - get your ##### hands off that thing!) the 6 footer with the 11" nose and said, “Sweet.” It was nice having them accept any of my shapes as OK, but that would have been my last choice as a functional board for any of them.
The kid apparently knows a longboard is the correct choice for a beginner but understandably wants to fit in with his peers. Check with them.
I thought we we’re supposed to submit design ideas?
What my son and I did is; we went through a succession of USED boards. There is a business down here in Southern Cal that is Called “Play-it-Again Sports” - used boards all shapes and sizes - priced at a fair price. Buy/try one out and bring it back next season for resale. Worked good with snowboard gear too. He always picked “behind curtain number one, Monty” the new wam-bam Slater thruster clones at the real surf shop. OUCH!
I would suggest a 5’10" to 6’0" fish-like shape (shorter. thicker, fatter), but a thruster no quads or twins. 2 5/8 to 2 3/4 thick by 20" wide. Thick tail, no concaves or very mellow concaves. Should float him and paddle easily. The majority of kids in this age group don’t want to ride a “dumb gun” (egg) or longboard.
