Pin tail problem

So I decided to move from a Fun Shape (7'4) to a short board/gun (7'4) style this spring. I say short board because I'm 6'4 200lbs. I figured a 7'4 gun would operate the same for me as your average sized guy riding a 6'5ish short board. HOWEVER i foolishly went with a pintail design rather than a squash tail and i'm only realizing this might be a problem after getting in the water over the last week. Am I hopelessly going to fail at riding this pin tail on chest high waves or am I just going though some adjustment period of moving from a thick bouy of a board to this thin gun? Thoughts? advice? insults?

Cisco

Man where do i start. First off a 7'-4" Rhino Chaser/ Gun is so wrong on so many levels. That board is meant to have enough rail length to get you down the face of bohemoth mountains of water and keep it pointed in one direction.
If ya bought it new and havent pput wax or or traction on it, and can take it back do so, or hold onto it for surf trips to Wameia.
Honestly to transition to a shortboard I think a high performance type fish with lots of volume or a full volume shortboard with a wider nose and tail would do wonders for you.
How old are you and what kind of experience do you have (years on the fun board and ability) ?

By the way 6'-4" 200lbs isnt huge, you are tall but the average adult surfer is probably 170 to 200lbs.

Well you're certainly not going to be punting any huge airs, but it should be fine really. First of all, just about anything is better than a funshape, so you can't really go too wrong. Secondly, you'll catch heaps of waves on a board like that, the only problem being it won't be too snappy for turning. There are lots of different 'gun' shapes, but I would bet yours is at least a little thick and wide in the middle. That's because it's made (among other things) to paddle fast to get into big fast-moving waves. While the east coast doesn't really offer this, the fast paddling will still help you adjust.

Depending on how your skills are developing, it'd be worthwhile to eventually find something more suitable to the waves where you live, but in the meantime it should work great.

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Originally Posted by bushwood

First off a 7'-4" Rhino Chaser/ Gun is so wrong on so many levels. That board is meant to have enough rail length to get you down the face of bohemoth mountains of water and keep it pointed in one direction. If ya bought it new and havent pput wax or or traction on it, and can take it back do so, or hold onto it for surf trips to Wameia.

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Wrong. 7'4'' is not a 'Rhino Chaser' by any means. A bigger board is almost always a better a better option while learning. You can't ride waves if you can't catch them. Start bigger, then go smaller if it helps you perform better. As for this supposed board being new...I agree there. I generally wouldn't buy a pintail as an 'only board' living on the east coast, especially as a relatively new surfer. If it's used, who cares? So many young punks on here are caught up in getting "the oh-so-perfect board". It's not that big of a deal to buy something cheap while riding the steep section of the learning curve.

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Originally Posted by bushwood

Honestly to transition to a shortboard I think a high performance type fish with lots of volume or a full volume shortboard with a wider nose and tail would do wonders for you.

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A fish shape is crap for almost every spot I know about on the east coast (with the obvious exception of VA Beach). The waves are small, but they're not usually slow/mushy, which is where the fish shape excels. If I had to choose, I would probably take a pintail over a fish on any halfway decent day. The rest of the days...well...it doesn't really matter what you ride because the waves just suck.

I'm no expert at surfing but I've been surfing off and on since i was 13 and now I'm a ripe 25. I'm only in the water about 1-2 times a month since I'm traveling to and from DC to get waves. Thanks for the pointers. guess I'll just power through with the pin tail and use the funshape squash when I've had enough.

well a 7'-4" is a rhino Chaser to me. And I agree Living ALoha to buy a bigger board to learn on, thats why a high performance fish shape would be great, (your idea of a fish being a retro Mark Richards fish is not what I am suggesting) its wide enough to pack plenty of volume for stability and paddling glide but also still halfway manuevarable. Mr. Aloha says a 7'-4" pin tail is great for learning, but you already had a 7'4 fun board, whats better for learning than a fun board? This guy is wanting to laern to ride a shortboard, there are tons of great "big guy shortboard outlines" available. No you dont need a $700 latest and greatest shortboard but dude your 25 years old, so you should be able to paddle a shortboard around and at 6'-4 200lbs your not out of shape. See if you can find a 6'-8 shortboard, not a bigger wave surfboard for a smaller guy, but a big guy shortboard. There are tons of big guys in the line up so they have be selling their used gear, keep an eye out for a 6'-8 x 21" x 2 5/8" or so shortboard. Something you will be able to turn on a chest high wave as you prgress.
By the way I am a 36 year old surfer who knows board choice is important, for learning the basics the fun board is perfect but if you are truly ready to move on then get something you can get up and down the wave face with vertically and actually do quicker directional changes on. Or just go ride the 7'-4 pin tail with Mr. Aloha either way enjoy

What was specifically causing you problems with the board?

Like Bushwood said, I think you'll be better off with a big-guy shortboard or a hybrid fish than a gun. Keep an eye on craigslist for good deals and you should be able to get something for under $200. You'll probably have a hard time selling that gun since it has little use in the mid-atlantic, so you may as well keep riding it if it's what you got.

this site gives hopeless advice. Call a shop and talk to someone who knows what they are talking about.

Do not rely on this site.

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Originally Posted by live aloha

A fish shape is crap for almost every spot I know about on the east coast (with the obvious exception of VA Beach). The waves are small, but they're not usually slow/mushy, which is where the fish shape excels. If I had to choose, I would probably take a pintail over a fish on any halfway decent day. The rest of the days...well...it doesn't really matter what you ride because the waves just suck.

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I never post on here, but this information is false. The fish was created to be surfed in fast, lined-up, hollow surf. The fish shape works fine for smaller waves as well, but it really excels in fast stuff. The twin keels, fish tail, wide template with wide point forward and flat rocker all combine to allow for incredible hold on a steep face, effortless speed, and relatively quick rail to rail transition (relative to the width of the board).
I've only had problems with large peaky stuff where there's just a very steep drop and not much of a line, because A) the drop is sometimes frustrating with the low rocker, and B)when you make the drop the board is so fast that the wave is over before you know it. Also, backside can be tricky I've found.
By the way, my fish is 5'5" Lis template, twin Gephart keels, about 21 or so wide, 2 3/8 or so thick. I weigh 155 and am about 5'8". It has about 3 1/2" rocker in front and 3/4" or so in back. I've surfed it and had a blast on it in everything from knee high to overhead.
Sorry to side-track the thread, but I really love fishes and feel that they should be properly portrayed.


Chris

A Rhino Chaser gun on the East Coast. . . classic. Good luck.