ok so for the last 3 years i have had my 8'6" BLUE long board. it is fiberglass board that looks awsome and i love this board. it is soo easy to paddle on it and you can catch the smallest waves on it without any effort.... The reason i am looking for a new board is because i have gotten much better on it and would like to be able to carve and stuff. I want a board that i will be able to carve on waves and manivure really well... btu i want it to be able to float really well and be able to paddle easily into small waves liek i did on my longboard.. and be able to duck under waves.. iv had a 6'3" john carpenter and hatted it it was very hard to catch anything and did not flaot well at all. i want something that will be comparible to my long board in ease of catching waves but have the performance i want.... i am 5'8" and weigh 165lbs.. i live in NJ and the surf here is usually 1-2ft occ 3ft with poor plus conditions.. very very few times is it ever 4ft.... so this wil be my main board so id have to be able to catch the smallest 2 ft waves but b able to carve on the 3-4ft ones... i went to the surf shop and the guy says the best board i can get is a Erue 5'10" biscuit ... he says that the pod shape is the best and itll be an awsome board.. iv also heard teh 7S super fish board is really well but he guy says the Erue is the best i can get.. if you gusy can give me any opinions on what board i should get or recomendations i will really appreciatte it... PS: the longboard i mentioned i am looking to sell so if you guys are interested email me at shepa4life@yahoo.com and ill email you some pics or talk price...
Here is what I would say: If you like the nice float and easy paddle of your 8'6, you probably wont like the 5'10 fish/pod thing. Those boards are cool if you are primarily a shortboarder anyway. There is a whole different system of balance involved in the thicker, smaller, fish style boards. They will paddle into a wave better than a shortboard, but not nearly the same as a long board. So, the board that will suit the situation you are looking for is probably as follows: Look into around a 6'6 to a 6'8 board. Make sure that its nice and thick. The board should have the same general shape as a "fun shape" or an "egg" style board. This is why... The thick rails, the wide nose and the round tail will keep your general paddling and functional surfing pretty similar to the way that you are used to... With this size board, it will turn on a dime for you (compared to your 8'6)... Trust me, if you hack two feet off of the board you have now, you would love it... When you start thinking of new shapes and designs, you will usually get something completely different than what you are used to... And since you are surfing smaller windchoppy waves, you should stick to a simple shape that works for you that you can whip around when a turn presents itself... I just know too many guys that made that transition from a larger beginner board to something smaller and they always hate it... Then a buddy of mine got a board like the one im describing, and it all worked. He loves that board... I actually borrow it from him when it gets HUGE out... Because it works in really small surf and really freaking huge surf... So, hopefully that helps you. My advice is to not re-invent the wheel or your surfing. If you developed your style and skill set on a certain board, you should keep as close as you can while you change boards.... If you are confident in all your skills and just want to try some new stuff, then go for it.. I was gearing these comments more towards the intermediate level surfer.
I agree Slow transition form to long board would be good, nothing big will even turn and whip around like a short board, but work up to it.....I wold try to go with something in that 6'6-7'2 range, ride it all winter dont let yourself go back to the log unless its super small; next yr when you master that move down to a 6'2-6'4. Go to knowledgeable surf shop to they can be pretty good as long as they know what they are talking about! Good luck to ya! Personal experience i surfed on a 6'5 chemistry for yrs before moving down to small boards, loved the chemistry "al chemist" shape, but u have to find what is rite for you, and whatever you get stick with it bc it not going to be an overnight transition.
if you're riding in those conditions there isn't much "carving" you will be doing. fish type board would make the transition easier. you could ride a 5' 10 or a bit smaller fish at your weight. keep some thickness and width for stability. full rails. try to get in touch with a local shaper and see what they say. if you really don't have confidence in your surfing yet ncbeachbum gave some good advice
retro fish... 6'4-6'10... minimal rocker, atleast 2 5/8 - 2 2/8thick... probably a quad fin... there will def be a 3-4 session learning curve but it is the easiest way to transition to the planing and carving you desire, plus its fast as hell in anything over 3 feet
Well... nothing paddles like a longboard but a longboard. If you want to transition to a shorter, more performance oriented board, you have to with something that simply won't paddle as easily. But the right board, however, will let you catch anything... from knee high up. As a custom board builder, I would highly recommend a fish or "modern fish"... a wider, flatter, thicker version of a shortboard. In local surf, a retro fish with twin keels will give you the speed, paddle, float, and drive you need in small, weak surf, and still be able to skate around on some bigger faces. At your size, you could go with a 6'0-6'2 and be very happy. A modern fish with a thruster setup would give you more performance, but would have slightly less float. If you take that route, you will want to go longer... 6'4-6'6. Changing your board will be a progression. Progression means some growing pains. But they don't have to be all frustration and hate sessions. The right baord will let you challenge yourself, and have fun doing it. I know what you want... PM me if you're interested in a custom shape.
9 Fish Check out this company 9Fish. Their designed in Japan but shaped in Cali. Every board they make is a fish shape. From a 12 ft standup to a 4'11'' specialty board. Particularly the model called the Fugu. Its 6'4''_3'' thick_22'' wide. The companies review says that this board is the go to board from knee high slop to overhead waves. As for the Biscuit, I have one and surf it all the time. It is a great board and is soo forgiving in crap surf, however, because there is barely any rocker, the waves tend to have to be clean in order for you to get the most out of it. I say 9Fish.....do some research- 9fishsurf.com
