Being on the east coast (northeast, beach break -usually) I've got boards for when its small and choppy up to shoulder high and clean, but none of what I own really works (well) in over shoulder high surf that needs enough float & paddle speed to get into larger waves, especially when there's offshore winds like over Thanksgiving. I can make the boards I have work, but its clear they're not designed for larger, chunky surf. What board do you prefer when we've either got a hurricane rolling through, or just a larger east coast day that may involve a winter suit and lots of wind? I'm trying to decide on what to buy to fill the void. FYI, Current boards are: a 5'8" fish, 5'6" groveler (CI Motorboat), & 6'0 very traditional short board without much volume (Simon Anderson interceptor - rides well but lacks paddle speed). I'm 5'9", 155lbs.
Something with a bit of volume that will get you in earlier. I used a hayden hypto krypto on thanksgiving and it worked great, even with the offshores.
probably something like the roberts black thumb at 5'10"-5'11" would do the trick. depends on your paddling skill & surfing ability, obviously. the ...lost mini-driver would fit the bill as well. you'd be able to unload that '90s potato chip.
Depends on how big of a wave you're looking for. That said, the Hypto ronmexico mentioned is a pretty good board for some sizable surf - easy to paddle, nice rounded pin, low rails, they all work for surf into the DH size.
Thanks for the food for thought. My surfing is average... I can catch oh waves and ride them but I'm not pulling airs or extreme cutbacks. Generally I surf well enough to not embarrass myself (usually...). The waves near my breaks usually close out around 10 feet, so that's about the top of my range, maybe doh as an extreme max, though I'm not sure I'd paddle out for that, depending on the conditions. Really would like something I can make work in chest high and up, and a little extra volume doesn't worry me if it means I can get into the harrier stuff
You need a step-up. You want something around 2-4 inches longer than you're regular surfboard. My step-up is a Lost Rockup and it is 1.5 inches longer but the overall shape and float of it makes it perfect for MY personal needs. Rounded tail is preferred for the hollow days. Not as wide as you're shortboard, but a little thicker than it. This way it's easier to paddle on the big days, still duck-able and has the volume to get you into the waves on the heavy offshore wind day. Just got my step up after breaking my shortboard on wednesday to surf the next day and it felt so much better the next morning when it was still 5 foot and a little hollower. Wish I had it wednesday but more storms to come. Good luck! Oh, and my usual board is a 6'0x20"x2" shortboard. My step up dimensions are 6'1.5x19.5"x2.44" for a general idea
You definitely don't need a gun. Really for the size surf you are talking about you can just add a little volume to your board and go a little wider. You don't necessarily have to go with a longer board. If you're not doing airs, hotdogging, or basically shredding then maybe a fish or smaller funshape would work best for you. From the description of your surfing abilities something along those lines would probably work best for you.
I have found boards with pulled in tails work for me when it gets bigger. I've tried 3 and 4 fin configs and both work. Go see a shaper for size recos. I'm a bit larger than you, not much help there
To be more specific rounded pintails are my favorite in big stuff. The board on the bottom is my go to when it's size able.
If you're not taking it out in surf "as big as it gets," and you don't plan on traveling to spots that easily hit DOH, you don't need anything gunny... meaning long and narrow, relatively speaking. But if you're saying you want something that will work WELL in surf well overhead, and your local spots closes out when it starts to get that size, you want something that you can paddle easily and goes fast down the line... your main goal is to catch and make waves (and hopefully pull into AND MAKE a few big barrels). Combine that with the fact that you're an average ability surfer willing to take on some size, and I'd suggest that you go with something much longer than what's been suggested... 6'2, minimum. Why mess around? You'll get the added float and paddle power, a higher top end speed (if you don't go crazy with the bottom contours), and with a rounded or rounded pin tail you'll have control and easy rail-to-rail transitions at speed. Shallow single to long double concave with a touch of vee out the back. Medium thin rails... slightly domed deck under the chest. Normal rocker for the length.
My shaper and I designed the Jersey Devil for hollow, offshore days on the EC. It has the tail of a step up and has the volume you need to get into waves. the blunter nose does not allow the strong off shores to get under your board hold you into the lip. With the shorter length of the board, you can maneuver it once u made the drop. http://www.ricklandsurfboards.com/step-ups-jersey-devil.php
Sage advice right here^ The point being that as an "average" surfer it may be counterproductive for you to try surfing a super high performance stubby shape--smaller boards are far less forgiving in larger waves, smaller margin of error. The more high performance and stubby you go, the more rider input the board will need. Sure, they are extremely responsive and are the tits if you have the skill to ride them but none of that is going to do you any good if you can't control the board. Not to mention the decreased paddleability and susceptibleness to chop and ribs in the wave face. My $.02: 6'2"-4", 2-2.33 thick, 18-19" wide, pinched rails, domed deck carrying thickness under your chest, plenty of rocker in the nose, rounded pin or thumb tail, quad/tri convertible with the quad trailers more McKee style (more inset from the rail). For your weight, keep it around 26-27 liters (maybe .80 ft3 if you're gonna order a Coil). Keep the nose skinny so you can knife in on those late drops. For instance since someone mentioned Lost and the Mini Driver (a hybrid)... You should be looking at something more along the lines of the Whiplash or V2 Shortboard with the rounded pin option. The correct Mini Driver for you would be somewhere around 5'8"--probably too small for your skill level. HTH
Firewire Unibrow FST. I heard this was a great performance board that can handle well overhead. Not a gun by any stretch but decent lines and good paddling. FST for strength.
why would you want a board for big NJ days with a low entry rocker? If anything you want something with a healthy nose rocker like a Lost Driver. You need nose rocker to make hollow drops. Basically on a flatter wave you want more tail rocker, like a Lower Trestles type wave, where you need to redirect the board up the wave face more (like a Scorcher design). For a hollower steeper wave like bigger offshore winter NJ/NC you want a board with less tail rocker and more nose rocker, and a more pulled in tail to set your line. Honestly I don't see alot of performance top to bottom manuevers going on when it's big in NJ...it's drop in late, pull in and set your line. The last thing you want is a board that's easy to release the tail on in big days here.
I've got a channel islands gravy and its not nessesarily for "big" waves but its great for anything from knee-head high.
Lbcrew, Erock, and above are correct. Avoid the short stubby board. Add length and volume for paddle speed and extra wetsuit weight in winter. 6'6" is not too long. Buy a used board to experiment with dimensions until you find out what you like.
Thanks again for the all the replies. I'll probably be going used unless I can't find something within the next month that fits what I'm looking for. Interesting to hear the different opinions; maybe I'm modest but perhaps I'm also a realist with my ability too. I can surf consistantly on shoulder high and under surf, its the bigger stuff I question my ability on because, lets face it, opporunities to practice on it aren't all that frequent. The catchability>performance is probably what I needed to hear the most.
Going used for a board for larger waves makes sense. I am constantly amazed at how many boards are for sale on craigs list with dimensions like 6'6" x 19 1/4" x 2 1/2" or thereabout and the boards look hardly used. I think a LOT of casual summer surfers with more money than surfboard knowledge are buying these racy shapes, thinking they will work as a fun-shape-to-shortboard transition in the 2-4 foot waves they typically surf 10 times a year, and then quickly realize they arent any fun at all in small waves, and unload them.
