Stand up for your Stick

It helps.

 

Semi pro, Channel islands

 

Get a DCAL pinecone

 

What are you looking for out of the board? If you want a good daily driver shape, for average NJ conditions, check out a shape like a coil disc. I know your buying off the rack, but I'm sure this general shape is available by other brands. It's quite short, has a full nose like a fish, but the tail is round and it has more rocker.

This shape has worked so well for me. It seems perfect for avereage NJ. Works well in small stuff, and if it's not groundswell, it will handle up to a bit overhead. It has a lot of the benefits of a fish, but with so much more versatility.

In punchy solid groundswell, it gets squirrely above like chest high, but in our typical 8-9 sec good waves from belly to head plus, it's just awesome. Can do quick late take-offs with it....something I could never do well with a true fish. You can stuff it into a barrel, but it will sail through flat sections.

If I was forced to have only one board in NJ, this shape would be it for me.

 

When buying off the rack, I usually like to just go in as many shops as I can and feel up every board. Eventually you find the one, and the second you grab it you know, it's the one. If your not going custom for something super specific, just do that. I'm pretty sure it builds chemistry between you and the board that way. Love at first sight sort of thing

 

Buy American Baddy. You'd probably like a Coil.

 

Everyone has their own opinions on what they like. I've heard a lot of people complain about CI and their glass and how crappy it is, I have 2 CI's and I friggin love 'em. Then again, I got them off Craigslist and I didn't pay full price. So, if I see heal marks, I'm not so upset. As far as local shapers, I also think it's great to support local, but this is about you, not them. Like BassMon said, go to a bunch of shops, feel'em up, rub your balls on them, check out prices. Good luck!! I don't know if my spiel made any sense. Ha

 

I've seen a few Hayden Hypto Kryptos in the water around here, and heard good things about them. They seem to work well in average-to-good NJ surf, but I've not ridden one. But looking at them... design and all... everything makes sense.

Funny you mentioned "soul-less" off the rack boards... I was just thinking about that during my session yesterday! When machine shapes started taking off... and now are pretty much the norm... there was a lot of talk about boards and soul. Now it's not something you hear much about anymore. It's like soul died and went to heaven with so many excellent, precision cut choices on the market today. Speaking as a board builder, there will always be a market for custom, hand shaped boards with rich, candy colored glass jobs... custom resin combinations... strategic glass schedules... customized fin placement... all that and more, if you need or want it. Maybe it's a topic for another thread... what is soul?

 

A potatonator is a longboard stuffed into a shortboard. F8ckin huge board. Almost a small SUP.

Yes you can do better.

 

just got a 5'4" fishcuit...its like riding my carver...crazy fun...maybe my new favorite.

 

A fish or hybrid fish, a longish Egg and a HPSB makes a fine well-rounded quiver. I guess you could always add fancier stuff if you want, like a Bonzer or a planing hull or mini Simmons to keep things interesting. But those 3 shapes pretty much cover anything and everything.

As far as shortboards go, I don't know. Everybody is different, rides differently and has different needs. Asking Swellies to recommend shapes is kind of a crap shoot. Those Coils are very popular and look great, a few guys at my local use 'em. But if you pony up the $$$ and wind up not liking it, you obviously will not be happy.

If there is a well-respected shaper in your town, talk to him. If not, I will always prefer a "name" shaper who is still shaping by hand (Christenson, Pavel, Mandala etc.). I don't think that Rusty falls into this category anymore?

 

Excellent choices, brother...

I did a one off of a Pavel twin keeled fish that's the best thing on two fins. I've been riding fish and fishy hybrids since the 70's, and Pavel's work is the best yet in that department.

I'd also say, regarding your quiver suggestions, that I'd trade the midlength in for a HPSB... a fish, a shortboard, and a longboard is pretty much all you really need around here. The rest is window dressing... a mini sim, an hp groveler, a Bonzer, an egg/hull... all the funky alternative shapes... are luxuries, IMO.

 

Last Saturday, I took my longboard out and it was magic. But my buddy just got a new hyptocrypto and was killing it. He is about 45, a shredder, and the fin set up is a future tri with a round tail. It connected sections and handled the pocket, and went real fast. I was a bit jealous, and may order one myself, or a Coil, I haven't decided. Or get a Richard Price or Pete Dooley or another Orion custom. Who the heck knows. I am confused. I'm sure they all work great for a typical day, but I want it to work great on a really good day too. So I feel your pain.

 

The board to have is the D-cal Pinecone, I've been watchin a local pro absolutely kill it in all conditions on a 5'2". So I couldn't take it anymore so I just order a 5'7" 32 liter one. I can't wait to pull in to my first shack. Check em out , its the one board quiver killer...

 

Damn as much as I hate the north and especially NJ I must say those D-Cal's are some sweet boards.

 

See man NJ produces good sheet dough boy hahaha. Dude when I was like 17 I drank a big bottle of SoCo, Threw that crap right up!! Just the smell makes me queeeezzzzyyy. Haha.