I am looking to purchase a smaller board this winter. I currently have a 9 ft longboard that I have a lot of fun with when appropriate. My main board is a Becker 7'2 Hybrid it's long but shaped like a short board hard edges, tri-fin, thin pointed nose, this thing is fast. It has been referred to as a gun. I purchased this board after buying a 5'10 quad fin shortboard. After over a decade of snowboarding and landing shoulder first causing a torn rotator cuff, fully separated shoulder, and two broken collar bones its safe to say, I struggle to paddle on a short board. My shoulders just don't seem to work in that manner for any extended period. So i traded it in for the 7'2 which i absolutely love i can surf it any conditions, get pretty good cuts and carves. Here is the best picture i have of it right now. But now that i am living at the beach and getting in the water more. I want something that will be a little more snappy that i can get cut backs and great sprays with but with enough float and speed that I am not struggling to catch waves. I was thinking about something like a 6'3-6'4 quad or 5 fin. something i can adjust and make as playful as i want. Where should i go next? would that be something worth purchasing? Help me please!
Definitely. A thruster/quad convertible that's fairly wide and fully foiled with relaxed entry rocker would be generally what I'd recommend. Not knowing your height and weight, or the waves you typically ride, I'd say don't go over 21" wide. About 2 1/2" or 2 5/8" thick, with a slightly crowned deck to keep the rail volume medium.
To add I am 5'9 180lbs. I surf whatever the Delmarva area throws at me. Small mush, Tall walls, and everything in between.
Have you thought about checking our Costco Surf Shop?? some really great shapers there! haha seriously- I would agree with some points of LBcrew- look for something with some more volume if you have a hard time paddling- but look for the volume in the deck and spread out over the whole board, some boards have a lot of volume and really beefy rails- you will end up catching your rails and slowing yourself down. Also- less rocker is a plus too. the length is not so much a factor as the volume/width/thickness if you are looking for something that will help you paddle. I would look for something in the 6'4 to 6'8 range. if your on the shorter side- maybe something with a fuller nose outline too. I have never ridden it- but I kinda like the shape and would suggest something like the rusty dwart. I think it can be ridden thruster or quad fin setup. also- maybe a consideration is a tuflite- they are super buoyant and would help with paddling. although they have some other draw backs, I tend to like them, especially for the winter with the heavy suit and also summer crowds.
Maybe a 6'2" fish, 16" x 20.7" x 16.5" x 2.7" (or more) w/ an 11" tail block ? Those dimensions net almost 40 liters and as long as it doesn't have to much rocker (sub 4" at the nose tip and sub 1.6" at the tail tips) it will paddle very long and mimic the lines on a wave you probably are accustomed to on your log and fun gun. Doesn't matter what it is made of IMO (PU or any type of EPS/epoxy combo) as long as it is not to thin. Have the rails not be to thick and porky as to sink and set them at speed. Would be a very versatile shape good for knee to tree high in a variety of conditions. Stay away from keel type fins, they seems to only work well running high trim lines and don't pivot well. IMHO of course....
I have a disc shape that is very versatile and can handle thigh high to around head well. Mine is a coil, but it seems like everyone has their own variation of that general plan shape. Rusty Dwart is similar. It's basically short with a pretty full nose, like a fish nose, and a round tail that holds good volume, but is brought in enough so it can fit into a pretty solid wave. I got mine as a small wave board, and it's become the board I use the most. You still would need something when it gets bigger, above head or so, because it gets too squirrelly in the bigger stuff, but if your hybrid is kind of gunny, and you like it in bigger surf, then it might work. You really have to ride this kind of board short though to get he real benefit.
I weigh 140, and I am 5'6'' and ride a 5'5'' SUPERbrand board. Really snappy!! ahaha WAPACK!! Soooo easy to smack lips with this thing, makes you feel so much better than you are haha.
Two boards that I've owned that performed like shortboards with tons of volume were the ...Lost 5 fin shark (I rode a 6'6") and the Pod from Merrick (rode a 6'2"). I bought the lost because I was just getting back into surfing, used to mostly ride longboards, have shoulder problems, and wanted a shortboard that paddled great but was quick to respond. I'm also your size... I then moved to the Pod because I wanted something smaller, but with the same mentality.... Long story short, I'd recommend the Pod to start. Get the one with the double wing/round tail, with a 5 fin option. that pulled in tail keeps the board loose, and the 5 fin option let's you change up the board for different conditions. Eventually, your shoulder will strengthen (mine did, i ride a 6'2" HPSB or a 5'9" fish now) as you get used to smaller boards.... good luck.
There's always something like this as well.... The bigger the tail, the more likely you'll be to drop into heavy waves
DHD double shot comes in at 30l in 5'8", which is your "ideal" volume at 180lbs. So add a winter wetty into the equation, and assume an extra 2L for diminished paddling thanks to the shoulder (same problem here) and you might want to consider mid 30s for volume. Its in that small wave shortboard family but isnt as fishy in the nose as a Rusty Dwart. I find that when you change the fin set up from thruster to quad it dramatically changes the personality of the board and its abilities in different surf. Its really best as a down-the-line quad because it doesnt have enough rocker for extreme top-to-bottom in steeper stuff. I've gotten the best waves of my life on that board as a quad. I hear the Superbrand Fling is an amazing board. If east of paddling contrasted with performance surfing is what you are looking for, this could be a contender.
