Advice, getting back into it

gets some roids then head to the gym in oc new jersey, we will proceed in a bench off if i win i get your soul, if i lose ill buy you a new dumbbell set?

 

Traitor. You can't leave and come back.

 

There are tons of performance longboards. People like the McTavish Fireball and walden Magic, the Robert August What I Ride. My favorite longboard for years is a custom 9' shaped by Tim Nolte in OBX. If you really want a longboard, that is. But if you want to "rip" you will soon tire of the long board. If you want to catch a lot of rides with less work . . . Long board is it. I have surfed overhead waves on very average long boards.

 

i have a 10' Modern Retro. Im 23 i ride it in anything less then shoulder high and love ittt.

 

I'm the same height but about 160lbs and for knee high to overhead I love my 5'10" quad fish. Floats and paddles similar to a LB but is way more versatile. I would say since you rode short boards before get a short thick board that floats and trims well. And I would also say stay away from the GSI brands. As the other thread on them showed you can get a locally made board or a good used one for the same or less and they are much better quality.

 

Slater is 41 so 35 is no excuse for a long board. You may still be able to perform a turn. With that being said, get yourself a fun board shape and have some fun in a variety of conditions. I'm partial to 7'6"s because that is the size of the fun board I have and the year I was born so using that rational you should get yourself a 7'8"...Go to a local shaper for extra good karma...

 

I love my stu sharpe high performance fun board! A town n country shaper for a long time, and proven high end dimensions. I have have a 7'8" n can turn it on a dime for the size. Yes I tried a lot of them n that's what I settled on. For your size ya could go to one of his shorter fun boards n kill it n the small stuff yet thick enough for some overheard stuff with a simple fin change. All the stuff listed above is great don't get me wrong, yet his stuff is awesome on the right volume of an epoxy board. I've riddin 2 footers to double overhead stuff on it n it make me do it easier n better. Mine is an island through coco beach yet I had had him shape it a little stronger on the base since I only surf reef breaks for a little more durability. Try everything if ya can, then buy vs get snookered by some tool. Good luck n get some.

 

I took about 10 years off due to a recurring shoulder injury. The one mistake I made was trying to jump back on a shortboard immediately. A single fin log can always be part of your quiver in the northeast. Get that first and slowly add to it as you progress.

 

I would suggest a 6'0"-6'3" range and around 2.5-2.75 thick and fairly wide with low rocker.

 

There is a used Walden 9' 2" or thereabouts on craigslist, Jersey Shore. I am 45 and have boards ranging from 11' to 5' 6". Because of the nature of my job, I would have extended periods of time out of the water. Having a longboard as an option is good to get going again, then start working your way down. A log and a fish make a pretty good quiver around here, and one or the other will work most of the time.

 

With your age and experience, as said above, you should be able to jump back on a hybrid/funshap or larger fish. That said I love my 9' Takyama "In the Pink" for most conditions though it is not very fast on the take off.

 

Agreed. But to each their own. If he is not super dedicated and going to charge everytime it gets knee to waist high all winter, the long board may not be a terrible idea. Having not surfed for 15 years, I would not know how his body would respond to the conditioning. If this guys has gained weight or is not in prime shape, taking out a short board for a few months may results in almost no waves, and the few he may get will be uneventful.... If he is just trying to get his stoke on, he could be riding down the line on a longboard from day one....

If he is in premiere shape and has been active for 15 years, then yes, he may as well grab a shortboard. Would be way cheaper....

 

aside from my gym comment, id go with a longboard because you wont be limited with it. small or big you can still take it out even though i dont see many lbs on big days when or if we get em. i personal like lbs in bigger surf you really got to dig in to make a turn and its more challenging in big surf. who doesn't like a steep ass drop on a 9,4 compared to a 6,0, there is no room for error, for me personally ive never surfed with a leash on my lb no matter what the conditions, so its never fun to go swim in to get the board or holding onto it going over the falls. get a block tail with a wide nose and hang 5 even on the 1 foot days cant beat it.

 

Get a fat, wide fish like 5'8-6-3 range to get your paddling and pop up back. After a few sessions you will get your feel back. I surfed from like 12-21, was pretty good, then stopped for 8 years while in Marines. In 2010 I started surfing again. I got a performance shortboard and totally sucked. Then I got a 5-8 fish like 20 across and 2.6 thick and I immediately started having fun. I would recommend a little bit bigger fish to start, but if you charged when you were younger and your still athletic your muscle memory will eventually kick back in. Good luck. Btw my fish is a Walden with thruster set up. I still ride it on mush days