Im 5' 11" and 130 I want something for small waves. I would consider my self intermediate. What should I get or what do u prefer ? Or should I just look for a longboard?
Why do all of your choices have such funny names??? I've heard really good things about a few boards.. Firewire Spitfire, CI Biscuit, Dumpster Diver, and (my next board) the CI Neckbeard looks like a fun one... I'm excited to get it
despite what most people think, the dumpster diver is NOT the ideal board for small mushy NJ summer surf. dane originally had it made for punchy southern california surf. i've ridden it in knee high surf and it just doesn't have enough volume on it. anything from waist high up however, it's a great board and is really fun to ride.
Don't buy into the CI b*****t. Save your money and do what surfbum21 says. Go local. If Dane Reynolds was videoed surfing on a styrofoam plate with fins, all the shops would carry them for $750 or more. Plus CI has gone down in quality the past 5 years or so. It's all hype.
Is lost still decent? And I don't really have a local shaper that I know of in wildwood, I would would have to drive an hour and 40 minutes to get to one.
Thats overhead Blacks Beach. When San Diego gets small, it isn't punchy. It just doesn't get small as often as around here.
i dont buy local any more because too many times ive ridden boards made by local shapers that dont work as good as my lost or al merrick. just because you live here and know how the waves are doesnt mean you can translate that into foam. but there are good shapers. ive heard good things about brian wynn, but out of all your choices the lost looks cool. i had a chemistry disk and the thing has so much volume, best small wave board, check it out
I second this. Boards that are short, and stubby, but still foiled out (Dumpster Diver, Sharpeye Disco, etc.) are meant to spice up already solid surfing in less-than-stellar surf, but by no means knee-high mush burgers. Any wave with a pocket will make them come alive, up until about chest high and it gets a little to loose for most folks (obviously not Dane). And anyone who surfs enough on the east coast (with our 4 second period wind piss swells), will tell you that San Diego surf would, more often than not, be a good fit for these boards. There's just more power in pacific, long-period swells. Of course don't go surf longboard spots and make yourself mad. In layman's terms, average to fun surf.
So true. I remember when CI came out with the Flyer and promoted it as a small wave board good in anything over knee high. Man, watching people trying to push those boards around in thigh high summer slop was pretty excruciating, but they just kept trying and hopping up and down...convinced that if CI said it would work then damn it it must work. But when it got chest high those Flyers were a blast!
i was looking at the lost bottom feeder last night and it actually looks like it would be really fun to ride. how that translates into the water however, i don't know. if i had money to blow on a brand new big name brand board like you do, i might look into that. i would recommend just going to a sharper though. the board will be made specifically with you in mind and it will be much cheaper than the $700 lost and CI boards you're looking at. can't get much better than that.
Lost boards are nice. The sub Driver is pretty nice. There are some others too. Check out Roberts White Diamond or Diamond fish too. I own boards from both builders and they are great.