Need to upgrade-I feel the need!!

those dimensions will float you, but volume in very user dependent. one rider may like less volume or more volume than you, also one board which has lets say 30 cubic liters of volume can be distributed differently between boards, one board can have more volume under your chest while the other has it pulled back... just as a example.. why do you want a shorter board?

 

If you want your board to be more all around, a hybrid would be good; with a lower entry rocker, a bit shorter and wider and fatter than you would usually ride. But if you want when the waves start to get big you i would want a more traditional hpsb, not to say that a hybrid wont work well (such shapes as a biscuit, dwart, simmons...ect) but there not designed to take on HH+; once again not to say they can't.. but a more traditional rocker, and volume shortboard would be what you want for HH+ in my opinion. The question is how many days is it actually HH+ where you are... is spending 600+ on a new gun or performanced out hpsb worth it? will you get enough use? or will a hybrid type model which rides from 1ft-6ft and will be your daily driver be a better financial idea? once again i am just trying to really figure out what it is you want so you can narrow down your options.

 

7'10 to 6'4 is a HUGE leap. I'd step it down to a 6'10 hybrid if your current board is holding you back in better surf. A 6'4 that's 2 7/8 is quite a chunky monkey. Stretch out the length and shave off some thickness for better performance.

 

You might want to check out the CI Warp.Easy paddle yet very maneuverable.

 

Get a CUSTOM.......6'8 to 7' fish with lots of volume and cut down the tail. Stay away from the epoxy and try a quad. I reccomend it to bigger guys and most love them. A custom boardfrom a local shaper will usually be cheeper than a shop and you'll get exactly what you want.

 

I'm not into the oversized retro fish boards... although many people are. So if that's what you want, by all means, go for it. If I was picking a board for you, I'd steer you toward a hybrid, which is a more user-friendly performance shortboard that still has the float and paddle power you'll get out of a big guy fish. The beauty of a fish design is that you ride them short, flat and wide. I'm 48 years old and have been riding fish since high school... I'm just now breaking the 6 foot mark.

But anyways... shop around your local shops and see if you can find a local guy who does good work. You might be pleasantly surprised by the price.

 

dude just so you know a basic custom is a whole lot cheaper. especially if you go with a regular glassing and no resin tint or anything else.

 

agreed, custom is the way to go. I have a custom I bought from Mystic up here in Jacksonville. It's based on the Hynson Black Knight quad. the tail is pulled in a little more than the Hyson model which i was told would make the board work a little better in bigger surf.

I can't recommend dimensions for you, but then again, that is what the shaper's job is. I have surfed that board in ankle slappers all the way up to well overhead. It seems to work great until we get those rare days when the surf is significantly overhead.

The only times I felt that this board wasn't cutting it was during Irene on the second and third days of the swell when the surf was double overhead. Gets way too squirly. But in solid 2-3 feet overhead and down, this board performs like a champ. fast as hell and really holds in hollow conditions, and works awesome in the mushy slop we get all the time. the board turns on a dime too.

there is a reason a lot of folks are riding those quad fish, they are super versitile. I love this board. my 2 cents. Oh, one more thing, i paid 500 bucks for mine, but i needed a pretty big board (7-6x21.75x3.25) due to my size 6-6 260. you could probably get away with someting smaller and thus cheaper.

 

Got you a new stick there did ya, nice man, it's good having a few options, you still paddle out on that log you picked up originally?