What is the best small wave board out there?

Just FYI ...IMO most fishes arent really intended for tiny waves. Especially ones with keel fins and deep swallow tails.

Anyway on point...I agree with Zippy. I own a longboard and love riding it but find it really boring in tiny waves. I like doing turns, pumps and a loose feel in tiny waves and would much rather ride a board like this (below) than a longboard in 1-2 foot mush:

 

Although after that crap this morning I needed something else, not sure what, probably just a better wave.

 

My Slop Rod is 5'-6" x 21-3/8" x 2-3/8". Pictures dont do it justice, the nose is alot fuller than it looks in the photos. Board has a ton of vee out the tail which makes it go rail to rail quickly. THe rocker is really flat with a decent amount of single concave running thru most of the board until the fins then it runs a slight double then good amount of Vee. Teh EPS/Epoxy build makes the thing super bouyant so i can catch tiny waves super early.

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I ride this with Future controler fins, which are a very different type of quad set up, but the fins have tons of drive in a wide tail board and keeps it loose enough to turn quick in small crap. I highly recommend this board for east coast slop. I have as much fun as one can in knee high slop on this thing. I sit 10 feet further outside than anyone with a stubby shortboard, so I get my pick of set waves typically. Board is sick, PM me if someone is interested in one I can get you in touch with the man.

 

Jimmycrab- If you are looking for a board similar to Bushwoods but with a twinzer fin set up look @ Larry Mabile's Ghostbuster - he has some pictures on his website
JN

 

Hello All

Hi,
Hi I'm Brian from NJ. I'm 32 and I want to ask the same question, what board should i use as I haven't surfed for the last 8 years.

 

get the epoxy version

 

our duke model is built for knee to slightly overhead surf for here on the east coast! need proof? just click on our profile and you'll see robert powers our team rider riding it on 2-3 ft surf! of course all our other models are built for the same purpose, cause we're an east coast brand and our main focus is boards for junk surf! mo disrespect to long boarders, but they'll all tell you to grab a longboard, cause for some odd reason they just want everybody on one! let's just face it they are some people who just want to get more out of junk surf, like i said longboarders no disrespect! short, wide and thick! my team ruder brent from jersey rides a 5'6 x 19 3/4 x 2 1/2 and he's 5'11 170, robert rides a 5'4 x 19 1/4 x 2 1/2 and he's 5'7 130 and josh is 5'7 140 and he rides a 4'10 x 22 1/4 x 2 3/4 mini simmons!

 

so im in the market for a "small wave board" now. and was gonna get my local shaper jimmy keith to shape a dumpster diver kind of shape, anyone try a dumpster diver in knee-waist high surf?

 

get a lost plank. it catches ankle high dribblers and shin high chop. Soars like a longboard when you stand up and really performs like a low volume shortboard. Also good in better surf as well. Here is a wave I rode on it yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb5nsK32EaM

 

im getting a local shaper to shape me a small wave board, but just cant decide on what template i want.

 

Got the pork frog in the summer. Super high performance in little surf, a thinner board but makes up for it in width. This thing is really fast and also has a 5-fin setup. I ride it up to about solid chest-shoulderish high surf.

 

A pintail is the LAST thing you want if you're looking for easy turning.

 

I got a 5' 10" gary wilson sc fish. It's a sick board and goes well in everything I've taken it out in (knee-Head+) If you're going with a local shaper GW is a good one.

 

to each his own....

 

Get a longboard..... No other board comes close for small waves. You'll be riding while all of your friends are sitting on the beach saying.....Wish I had a longboard.

 

I have been reading this one closely because I recently gave away my retro fish to my little cuz to learn on.

Only problem is that I'm not 14 and 130lbs. Lets talk small wave boards for a real man (mr. T voice over)

Mini Simms VS Catch surf beater VS retro fish

GO

 

Probably not all that helpful but:

Retro...I've never really thought of retro fish as a small wave board...parallel rails, twin pin tails, keel fins...for me that shape has always been about going fast down the line on a steep wave.

Catch Surf Beater..never ridden.

Mini Simmons...yeah amazing board for soft mushy waves under waist high. Will paddle into and glide on anything that will move a longboard, and be more fun at the same time.

 

Yea... I always figured it got that reputation because it was the first wide, thick, flat shortboard that earned mass acceptance. People were familiar with the design and it's proven performance, so it's regained popularity in today's generation came as a fairly natural alternative to the thin, chippy, performance shortboards that have their obvious shortcomings for less than average waves being ridden by less than proficient surfers. The fish was not the first of this type of alternative, but it was the most legitimized... nobody thought you were crazing taking out a fish on a knee high day like they might have if you were on a simmons or plank type shape 10 years ago.

I think the twin keeled retro fish, with a few subtle modern tweaks, could be the most versatile shortboard design so far. But maybe that's another thread...

 

I Guarantee my 5'6" could ride 99% of the waves a longboard could ride and like mitchell said have 10 times the fun.

 

I rode that board knee-stomach high surf for years and would argue otherwise. I'm about 90% set on getting another exactly like it, if I don't do a mini simmons this time. I'm worried that I'm too fat to ride a beater at 190lbs.