Good question?Depends on if u wanna wiggle,or flow?Myself,i like to flow so it’s gotta be bigger than 8ft,more likely 9ft,22.75 wide and nicely foiled!!! Paddles like a longboard,looks like a longboard,and surf’s like a longboard!!I am 47 years old and times a wastin,i wanna ride as many as i can before i checkout.Horses for courses.Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder!!!
What you desire, can be accomplished in the 7’ 10’’ to 8’ 10’’ size range. I too, prefer a flowing, power-on style of surfing. Hopping, and wiggling, are not appealing to me. Don’t do it, and don’t like to see it. The ‘‘historic mini-board’’, was under 9’ 0’'. Many of those designs, coupled with todays materials, are very valid choices. Especially some of the designs for Hawaiian waters. Go get 'em!
6’1 x 23" x 2 1/4" aussie tri kneeboard…2’ -15’ just have to change out the center fin from Gx to GYU
fat penguin…
AMIRITE!?
that, my friend, is a good question.
I must say, i would go with a retro quad fin. Im 5’5, so i would ride it one that is 5’4, 22 1/2, and about 2 1/2 thick. Why? Because i feel like that my fish has held its shape and form true to me, and almost all conditions. these things work good in small, shitty mushy surf, or in big surf. I mean you see joel tuder riding his retro twinnie in surf a few feet over head, so it must be good in big surf. And whenever its big, i use it instead of my thruster, its way more fun. and as for the quad fin set-up, quads work sick, and you see all those stretch big wave 9’0 guns in quads too, so you know theyre good in some big waves. also, its unique, i got sick of the same old thruster design, why not have something trippy that works magical?
I tried to buy a fat Penguin off a guy in Byron Bay forever, I love that board.
Thanks god… I’ve been looking for that sweet thing for years…
Seems like lots of things work well in smaller/softer waves, but why take the chance.
The “young” guy said, turn, turn, turn, but not everyone wants to, and I see plenty of local look a likes on their 6’3"'s cutting back, hitting the lip… and, thankfully, not doing nearly as much when it gets bigger heavier.
I’d go with with my 8’2" with five-seven boxes, and a bag of fins, as has been said, good from knee high (not the preference) to DOH+
As has also been pointed out, glad I don’t have to… Ha!
Some day… back to the three piece multi-board in box concept…
how nice I never need anything bigger than a 5’10" here in southern NC
These days all my adventuring and extreme sports injuries shrugged off in the past are exacting their toll.
There comes a point in time when the pain restricts and adjustments have to be made. Unable to paddle my shorter boards effectively now.
The variety of choices for that “one board” just keep on expanding.
These days I have a 7’6" for beachbreaks and a 9’2" for the point in the car.
The longboard for small or huge and the mid length for everything inbetween.
"my adventuring and extreme sports injuries shrugged off in the past are exacting their toll.
There comes a point in time when the pain restricts and adjustments have to be made."
Ah ha! I hear and feel that Pete…
Some principles I employ for I board does all:
Widepoint centred to keep it loose
Some foam under the chest to give it gunny projection and paddle power
Longer than a short board would be (my kneeboards are 6’2" for riding 3’ to 10’ and up, but I prefer to step up to a 7’0" for bigger waves)
Pinnier tail offset with tail kick (drive and release trade offs)
More volume in tail than a gun, but not so much that it sinks in weak stuff
Adjustable fin setup (I use 4Wfs)
Ride with fins back and more parallel in big waves and fins forward and parallel for sloppy beachies.
Toe in lots/move forward for nice beachies and a bit less for everlasting tube rides
(Actually I’ve found a sweet spot and hardly move the fins at all)
my $0.02
Quote:
What a bunch of old guys!!! : ) We don't surf to paddle, we surf to fly! Give up on those fun boards, long boards, eggs and all. The perfect all around board is one that turns as fast as you can think, puts you where you want to be, and gets you to the shoulder when the ride is over.For me the one board quiver would be a clean rounded pin, 6 inches longer than you are tall, as wide as your arm from wrist to arm pit, a tail 3" wider than your foot, and a nose that cuts through the water without sinking.
Wide point a few inches behind midpoint. Single concave to V out the back.
If you can’t catch waves, don’t ride a crutch! Get in better shape and paddle stronger.
What I like about your answer is something I find missing in most design discourses- designing a board to fit the body. I’ve always felt foot size is a crucial element in sizing a board but almost no one ever considers it Height and weight obviously. Then stance.
What I would change about your description- straight, flat bottom- fast, predictable. And I put my widepoint at the midpoint for the same reason. And for where I surf, the extra length is not necessary 98% of the time, so I’d go 2-3" taller than self.
Oh, and I’m sold on Griffin’s five fin design.
15" x 22" x 15" Bonzer style done with a bit more nose rocker for bigger stuff bit enough tail and foam for smaller stuff
I think I’d choose something along the lines of my 7’11" here… It’s got a slight hull in the middle of the board with some vee in front of the fin, blending back out behind the fin. Pretty soft rails with a harder edge in the tail. Plenty of float for paddle power and glide. Surfs well enough either frontside or backside. Surfs well off the tail or from the middle (dependent on the fin somewhat). Heck, I can even squeak out some cheater fives in the small stuff. It’s been a great one board travel quiver on a couple of trips.
I can jump on the board and feel right at home no matter what i’ve been riding or where i’ve been surfing. I’ve surfed it in big stuff, little stuff, hollow stuff, mushy stuff… you get the picture. It’s always been fun and doable.
Perhaps I’d toy with pulling the nose and/or tail in a little more and adding side biters to give a little more versatility for the stuff at the larger, more powerful end of the spectrum.
Aside from this one, I like the look of the board Resinhead posted and some of the others along that line. Those could be fun one board board quivers, especially for the bigger, better days.
Cheers, -N.
Quote:
What a bunch of old guys!!! : ) We don’t surf to paddle, we surf to fly! Give up on those fun boards, long boards, eggs and all. The perfect all around board is one that turns as fast as you can think, puts you where you want to be, and gets you to the shoulder when the ride is over.
For me the one board quiver would be a clean rounded pin, 6 inches longer than you are tall, as wide as your arm from wrist to arm pit, a tail 3" wider than your foot, and a nose that cuts through the water without sinking.
Wide point a few inches behind midpoint. Single concave to V out the back.
If you can’t catch waves, don’t ride a crutch! Get in better shape and paddle stronger.
…
You my friend have nicely articulated the idea I had in mind for my No. 3 self - shape.According to your approach it’ll be
6’ 10’’ , 20 1/2 , 14 ‘’ or 14 1/2 ‘’ tail. Meaty but with foiled rails.Yeah.
Thanks for crystallizing it for me.
As for the one board quiver - if my house was on fire I’d grab my 8’ mini mal.(Very like a McTavish Carver).
Very nice looking board mate, care to share dims and rocker numbers??
And why 7’11’‘?? why not 8’ ??
Looks like a lot of fun.
I’ll have to measure it out to get some dims. I don’t think they’re noted anywhere on the board and I don’t recall ever writing them down.
7’11"? The board was supposed to be 7’10"… I guess I got an extra inch thrown in for free.
I ride a 50 pound single fin dano
9’7x19x23x16x3 1/4
year round
2-10 foot surf
But versitility is realy a matter of opinion
maybe a surf mat…
this five fin and the board basswave posted in a blended design… what comes to mind is Griffin’s “rocket”… I’d go 7’0 length, 21.5 w, 2.75 thick, swallow tail, 5-fin/4 fin… and I would ask Greg to make a “widow maker” fin set up (larger center fin w small side bites) if he felt this would work for the design…this board will surf real small surf and surf the big stuff that throws barrels too and handle it all with poise and have you covered… not sure the widow maker set would be necessary cause his 5 fins hold in so well, but it would be nice to have the options, and having the 4-fin option, its just loosens thing up for ya’
me - 38 yr old, 220 lbs, 6’0 tall…
yeah, that would be my choice, an would probably go a little heavier on the glassing in pu/pe… a little extra weight in large surf is good and pu/pe is standard issue so repairing it would be as simple as you can get…