You guys all seem quite knowledgable about surfboard designs. I was wondering if you would explain to me the advantages and disadvanatages of an egg shape. They seem like great boards to ride, almost like a miniature longboard. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
Eggs are kind of like “fish”, they mean different things to different people. Generally they are wider boards (nose, mid, and tail), round nose, rounded square, round or wide pin tails, low rocker. In general they’ll float and paddle better than the standard thruster, catch waves easier, have a wider performance (fun) range than a standard thruster, and are more forgiving to the novice or less experienced rider. The original egg (in my mind anyway) was the displacement hulls by Paul Gross and Greg Liddle (and to a lesser degreee Skip Frye). Those are a totally different animals…What level surfer are you and where will you ride it? Newbs
You guys all seem quite knowledgable about surfboard designs. I was > wondering if you would explain to me the advantages and disadvanatages of > an egg shape. They seem like great boards to ride, almost like a miniature > longboard. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks. For me they are a great all around board. And I agree with Mr. Newabonie that the egg shape means different things to different people. Not every board with a rounded nose and a pin tail is an egg. For me, a fuller nose, relaxed entry rocker, and a rounded pin are all good elements to an egg. The thing I like about them is that you can get good characteristics from different types of shapes all in one. You can trim on them, or drive down the line, get a cheater 5, or smack the lip. It is all up to you and how you want to set it up and ride it. I prefer smaller ones 6’5" to 6’10" with a truster set up but with a boomerang as a trailer, but that is just because of where I live and how I like to ride (lots of mush to deal with and not real into longboarding). Some guys have been talking about some of Joel Tudor’s boards. Here is a link. There looks like some fun ones there. It might give you some ideas. http://www.joeltudor.com/
I forgot to mention some of the cons. If you are use to thruster - shortboard - you might find the relaxed entry rocker troublesome on re-entry and some of added volume of the egg might make it feel a bit more sluggish (not quite as responsive). But once you get use to it you don’t really even think about.
This summer was actually my first year riding. I’m riding a 9’4" Michel Junod board that I bought from my friend. It isn’t a noserider, but it isnt high performance. It is somewhat of a mix. At the risk of sounding conceited, I actually am pretty good for a first year rider. I just taught myself to cross-step, but i can’t ride the nose yet. I like the glide of a longboard, and was maybe loking for an egg to give me that same glide in larger waves. I ride in New Jersey, mostly in Stone Harbor, and sometimes our waves warrant a smaller board. I have never ridden a thruster, so i cant say i dont like that fast snappy feel, but i think i am partial to the smooth longboard type ride. I’ve been looking at Cooperfish Comets. I really like the look of them, and I have heard only good things about Gene Cooper. Thanks again for your input.
This summer was actually my first year riding. I’m riding a 9’4" > Michel Junod board that I bought from my friend. It isn’t a noserider, but > it isnt high performance. It is somewhat of a mix. At the risk of sounding > conceited, I actually am pretty good for a first year rider. I just taught > myself to cross-step, but i can’t ride the nose yet. I like the glide of a > longboard, and was maybe loking for an egg to give me that same glide in > larger waves. I ride in New Jersey, mostly in Stone Harbor, and sometimes > our waves warrant a smaller board. I have never ridden a thruster, so i > cant say i dont like that fast snappy feel, but i think i am partial to > the smooth longboard type ride. I’ve been looking at Cooperfish Comets. I > really like the look of them, and I have heard only good things about Gene > Cooper. Thanks again for your input. Gene makes a great board(s).However,I suggest checking out Liddlesurfboards.com befor you make a decision.Like Newbalonie said, they are the real deal and will really tune you in to the speed-trim and glide style of surfing.They feel unlike anything you have ridden!Oh yea, once you learn how to turn 'em, they crank.
I just checked out those Liddle boards, and that first design on there seems perfect for me. I love to turn by shifting my weight high on the board. Thanks a lot for the advice. I’m a little bit nervous about the board and the fin being too fragile. I dont always have the best control over my board, and i would worry about ruining a board that fragile. I will have to talk to Gene Cooper and see if he can sell me on his comet as well as Liddle did with his short board bio. Thanks again
Gene makes a great board(s).However,I suggest checking out > Liddlesurfboards.com befor you make a decision.Like Newbalonie said, they > are the real deal and will really tune you in to the speed-trim and glide > style of surfing.They feel unlike anything you have ridden!Oh yea, once > you learn how to turn 'em, they crank. Hey Matt, KP and others- Anybody willing to post a specific comparison between the standard Paul Gross hull and one of the Liddles, say the in-betweener for example? I’ve seen the Liddles and the rails are sooo foiled it seems like a big step to move to a board like that from a more modern eggy shortboard. Do Paul’s boards also need really good conditions to come alive, as I’ve heard about the Liddles, or are they maybe more versatile? Are Paul’s noses typically a little more pulled similar to the Vaquero (another good option it seems)? Do the Liddles want to carve really drawn out lines and are other boards maybe more maneuverable? Thanks for all input, the posts in the achives are outstanding too. A hull will be my next board, getting stoked to get on one this winter. Thanks! Ride on. Dan
My experience has been with Liddles and Fryes (we’ll skip Fryes this time around as they are not really hulls in my opinion). I’ve ridden platters from 6’0 to 7’6, in all kinds of surf but mostly reef breaks in San Diego. By adding the tiny stabilizer fins to the 'tweener, Greg has made the design a lot more versatile. The single fin needs to be ridden from the middle of the board. If you stand on the tail, they spin. By adding the runners, you can stand near the tail without spinning and yet you retain the feel of the forward-stance forhand rail turn. The runners open up backside surfing, again, because you can stand more towards the tail. The radius of the turn is based by the distance the wide point is up from the middle although no matter what the length or wide point distance, the board will not turn like a thruster. I use mine in all kinds of conditions but blown out beachbreak is not very much fun with a hull. Dredging death peaks are also not the optimum condition for a hull even though the flotation will usually get you in early enough. The lack of rocker can get you hung up if you’re a little too long. Forget it if you’re going backside. Once you’ve gotten a head high, walled up reef or point wave though, they are like a drug…you want that feeling over and over again. I’m fortunate enough to live in a place where I can usually get uncrowded, lined up surf, so it’s really the only thing I’m on these days (except for the mat). If I lived in the land of beach breaks, I’d still have one in my quiver for travel. People who say Liddles are for trimming and gliding are missing the whole point…rail turns. Newbs
My experience has been with Liddles and Fryes (we’ll skip Fryes this time > around as they are not really hulls in my opinion). I’ve ridden platters > from 6’0 to 7’6, in all kinds of surf but mostly reef breaks in San Diego. > By adding the tiny stabilizer fins to the 'tweener, Greg has made the > design a lot more versatile. The single fin needs to be ridden from the > middle of the board. If you stand on the tail, they spin. By adding the > runners, you can stand near the tail without spinning and yet you retain > the feel of the forward-stance forhand rail turn. The runners open up > backside surfing, again, because you can stand more towards the tail. The > radius of the turn is based by the distance the wide point is up from the > middle although no matter what the length or wide point distance, the > board will not turn like a thruster. I use mine in all kinds of conditions > but blown out beachbreak is not very much fun with a hull. Dredging death > peaks are also not the optimum condition for a hull even though the > flotation will usually get you in early enough. The lack of rocker can get > you hung up if you’re a little too long. Forget it if you’re going > backside.>>> Once you’ve gotten a head high, walled up reef or point wave though, they > are like a drug…you want that feeling over and over again. I’m fortunate > enough to live in a place where I can usually get uncrowded, lined up > surf, so it’s really the only thing I’m on these days (except for the > mat). If I lived in the land of beach breaks, I’d still have one in my > quiver for travel. People who say Liddles are for trimming and gliding are > missing the whole point…rail turns.>>> Newbs hi newbs, i agree that liddle hulls are easier to ride frontside however that doesn’t mean you can’t ride them backside! greg made me a single fin hull from kp’s template (a tad more rocker in the tail, little bit fuller rails, a little more drawn out outline) and the board works great for me backside (being goofyfoot and mostly riding right points)! flo
Flo- I agree, it can be done and stylishly too, its just to the uninitiated it’s hard enough to learn how to make forehand turns…
I just checked out those Liddle boards, and that first design on there > seems perfect for me. I love to turn by shifting my weight high on the > board. Thanks a lot for the advice. I’m a little bit nervous about the > board and the fin being too fragile. I dont always have the best control > over my board, and i would worry about ruining a board that fragile. I > will have to talk to Gene Cooper and see if he can sell me on his comet as > well as Liddle did with his short board bio. Thanks again don’t worry the board may look thin and fragile but isn’t.the volan glass job does the trick-it absorbs hits, causing dents rather than fractures or fissures.several of us have Liddles that are 20+ years old,full of dents and well used but the glass is still together and we will sometimes pull out an old favorite and ride it in order to see if it still “has” it and to compare it to the latest model we might have got.The fin can be damaged by runnuing into or over rocks,but so do most other,less performing fins.Just go for it-at least you will be the only one on your block to have one and who knows?maybe all of your friends will dig how it rides and get one too!
Hey Matt, KP and others- Anybody willing to post a specific comparison > between the standard Paul Gross hull and one of the Liddles, say the > in-betweener for example? I’ve seen the Liddles and the rails are sooo > foiled it seems like a big step to move to a board like that from a more > modern eggy shortboard. Do Paul’s boards also need really good conditions > to come alive, as I’ve heard about the Liddles, or are they maybe more > versatile? Are Paul’s noses typically a little more pulled similar to the > Vaquero (another good option it seems)? Do the Liddles want to carve > really drawn out lines and are other boards maybe more maneuverable? > Thanks for all input, the posts in the achives are outstanding too. A hull > will be my next board, getting stoked to get on one this winter. Thanks! > Ride on. Dan Dan- you may want to step into it by getting a Vaquero board first, especially from this point on as Mark/Kp have refined it a bit, so it’s closer to what Paul or Greg would shape but more user friendly.Aftre that, if you feel like taking the next step,go for a Gross or Liddle, both of whom can make anything you want.Typically Greg is committed to the hulls he shapes, the way he does so. Paul,who has riiden on and worked for Liddle,can make the same type of board,although he tends to make his standard hulled stubbie a little different than Greg’s.For the most part templates are same as is rocker.PG tends to make a thin, round rail with hull under nose(much like Greenough’s surf craft,with he worked with extensiveley as well.)As of late he has been placing the hull out towards the rail instead of under nose,which has worked out fine.I surf both in all kinds of conditions,though on certain,bumpy windy days they might not be the best option due to their sensitivity,etc.Paul and I have refined an old v-bottom that really loves those rough ,bumpy days, plus you can still surf it like you would a regular stub.Also, the Vaquero does a great job on those type of days as well.To sum up:If you are not ready to commit full on to a Liddle,try Paul or perhaps best, start with a Vaquero then take it from there.
Dan- you may want to step into it by getting a Vaquero board first, > especially from this point on as Mark/Kp have refined it a bit, so it’s > closer to what Paul or Greg would shape but more user friendly.Aftre that, > if you feel like taking the next step,go for a Gross or Liddle, both of > whom can make anything you want.Typically Greg is committed to the hulls > he shapes, the way he does so. Paul,who has riiden on and worked for > Liddle,can make the same type of board,although he tends to make his > standard hulled stubbie a little different than Greg’s.For the most part > templates are same as is rocker.PG tends to make a thin, round rail with > hull under nose(much like Greenough’s surf craft,with he worked with > extensiveley as well.)As of late he has been placing the hull out towards > the rail instead of under nose,which has worked out fine.I surf both in > all kinds of conditions,though on certain,bumpy windy days they might not > be the best option due to their sensitivity,etc.Paul and I have refined an > old v-bottom that really loves those rough ,bumpy days, plus you can still > surf it like you would a regular stub.Also, the Vaquero does a great job > on those type of days as well.To sum up:If you are not ready to commit > full on to a Liddle,try Paul or perhaps best, start with a Vaquero then > take it from there. Can anyone please describe or post a pic. of a “vaquero”? Who shapes them? What are the standard/typical dimensions of that particular board? Thanks.
sometimes older style boards are fun. but i think a lot of you are missing out on the advancements that have been made. frankly that liddle board sounds like a waste of money. why not learn to ride a modern board- and it will turn, get barreled and go faster than a single fin egg ever will, sorry to dissapoint a lot of you.
sometimes older style boards are fun. Kind of like a moped? Fun to ride but you wouldn’t want your friends to see you.>>>the advancements that have been made. Please elaborate on what advancements have been made.>>> why not learn to ride a modern board? Why not learn to sleep belly down in a hammock?
sometimes older style boards are fun. but i think a lot of you are missing > out on the advancements that have been made. frankly that liddle board > sounds like a waste of money. why not learn to ride a modern board- and it > will turn, get barreled and go faster than a single fin egg ever will, > sorry to dissapoint a lot of you. Sophisticated, transitional displacement hull surfboards and their tuned, high aspect ratio fins aren
t old style, theyre beyond style, more like… timeless. For example, Newbalonie stands 40 years deep in surfing, and speaks from the vantage point of riding both a thruster, and a Liddle. When faced with an individual having that depth of experience, its wise to at least pause, listen and thoughtfully consider. Disappointed? Good, bad or otherwise, hey, its all just the means to an end… PURE FUN. Dale
Can anyone please describe or post a pic. of a “vaquero”? Who > shapes them? What are the standard/typical dimensions of that particular > board? Thanks. Marc(k?) Andreini shapes the Vaquero. There’s some stuff in the archives. Sometimes the Beach House in Santa Barbara has them in stock, call them at 805-963-3213 for a better desc. than I could provide.
Tom I suggest you talk to Greg Liddle via e-mail (it’s on the web page) about what you’re looking for. He is real good at responding just not real fast. He could fine tune the design to work for your kind of waves and experience level, or he might tell you that the design isn’t right for your situation. Be honest about your ability. Also (this applies to any shaper)tell him whether you want a good board for your average conditions, or a good board for good conditions; they are different and chosing the right one will result in smiles rather than frowns. If you do go with a hull, don’t be discouraged your first couple of sessions. Just keep at it. Let us know how it goes… Newbs
sometimes older style boards are fun. but i think a lot of you are missing > out on the advancements that have been made. frankly that liddle board > sounds like a waste of money. why not learn to ride a modern board- and it > will turn, get barreled and go faster than a single fin egg ever will, > sorry to dissapoint a lot of you. Right tool for the job…Dale’s right “they are means to an end…pure fun” It’s too bad we don’t have real good control over the space/time continuum. It would be fun to put a 28 year old Steve Krajewski on one of the Indonesian rights along with Kelly Slater. I think I know who would win the race to the inside bowl. (Greenough would beat them both on a mat!) Newbalonie