Man, Poser, board addictions…ain’t dat da troof. I like trying different boards to see and feel the differences of each shape. Sometimes it’s just too tempting to buy a new/used board if I like the way it feels and the checking account allows.
As far as age/boards…I’m 32, 165lbs, and usually surf in sloppy East Coast surf. I started out surfing here when I was about 14 on a 5’4" Surfboards Hawaii twinny. Boards were a little thicker then, but I only weighed about 110lbs with a wetsuit. We moved to Guam a year laters, and I got spoiled on some fast, powerful, hollow, mean surf. We came back here when I was about 17 and I kept on surfing, but not as much (college more than anything else). I kept my smaller thruster from Guam for about 4 years, then bought a smaller, skinnier, lighter Greg Loeher epoxy. It was great in decent size surf, but anything under stomach high was a bit of a challenge. I was 145lbs at this point. I think I just wasn’t thrilled with the local surf, so started turning more energy (and cash) into windsurfing. In the meantime, I started lifting more, gained 20 lbs., I also bought a funshape, and started surfing a lot less, but windsurfed just about anytime the wind was over 11 knots. I wavesailed most of that time, but it got to the point that I was only surfing a few times a year…and that was always on a funshape (ok for everything, good for nothing). Around 2002, I finally got tired of the funshape and started getting frustrated/bored/tired with windsurfing…especially in flat water. I started to move to smaller boards again, but it took me a while to feel comfortable on anything under stomach high on a short board. I’ve pretty much stopped windsurfing except when it is over 18 knots and the surf looks like Victory at Sea. As for kitesurfing, gave it a shot, but I don’t have anywhere near the interest required to maintain another time and money intensive windsport. I won a 9’4" Hobie Performance NoseRider about a year ago, and use that, or a 6’10"x22"x2 1/2 Davo retro fish for the real small days. Most of the time I ride a 6’2"x21"x2 3/4 rocket fish. I’m hoping to get a 5’8 fish pretty soon. The thing just moves like crazy even in crappy surf.
The point of all that…As you get older, your priorities will probably shift, you might have to spend some time out of the water from time to time, you might move to a different kind of break, and your weight might fluctuate. No matter what, don’t get lazy and allow yourself to dramatically switch up in volume if you think you want to stay on a shortboard, or prefer the maneuverability of a shortboard. If you decide to get a longboard as an alternate board, make sure you take your shortboard out regularly, too.
