want to start longboarding

If you want a sick board get the loaded dervish. There expensive but worth every penny

 

are you talking about longboard skateboarding or surfing?

 

hahahaha true i never though of that dervish is a skateboard

 

all depends what you want to do...are you into HP stuff? or looking at the more traditional route?

Found these on the Jersey shore craigslist:
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/spo/2073081164.html
http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/spo/2089010102.html

Both are fine models...and an easy way to start until you figure out what you like. I used to own a Santa Cruz HPLB 9' HPLB and a 10' Weber Performer with the hatchet. To be honest, I liked the 9' a lot more than the Performer. Not only fit the wave a bit better, but I didn't feel as if I was fully able to appreciate the performer potential...wish we had a few points around here!

My $.02....

 

a log is a log. how much difference could minor details make when you have so much board to muscle around?

i got this old 9'6" robert august wingnut model for 125 a while back. Had to fix it up a bit, but it was sick with a big old performance single fin. great for small days and messing around. it last a couple seasons, but there was too much bad glass and foam near the fin box..the idiot who had it before did a TERRIBLE job fixing a really important part of the board. RIP

 

loaded boards are the TITS though. ever see their videos on youtube? unreal!!

 

I'd look into a used board if I was strapped for cash and wanted my first longboard. If all you ride are shortboards, even an 8'6 would be fun. Ideally a 9'0 or 9'2, but no longer than that, as then they get harder to handle. A traditional single fin will give you the glide and feel of a true longboard if that's what you're after. A 2+1 will let you turn it more like a funshape. With a bit more money, you could look into a basic singlefin with clear glass job from a local shaper.

 

to me quite a bit of difference. I've grown used to riding HP longboards - thin, lots of rocker, lightweight etc - when i ride someones thick flat rockered cruiser it feels dead.

 

Valid opinion,

but this dude probably didn't grow up riding HP longys, judging from the title of the thread.

I basically only ride short boards, so when you scale up to a longboard the minor differences dont really pop out at me. I guess weight could be an issue...but i'm not going to try any carving 360s with a longboard....

 

haha yeah buddy! iv got a wingnut in the shed thats all kinds of yellow. Its my "its not worth surfing today, but ill bring the log just in case" board. Iv been fixing dings on it with sticky bumps....

But seriously, unless your all about "walking" you may want to experiment with retros or stubbies first. And iv also heard that the hooded r3 is good to go all winter, im hoping to find one in the spring on closeout.

 

I couldn't have put it better myself. Yes. They are the tits, yeah the videos are nuts, those guys can shred the gnarrrrrr. The slides and manuals are pretty f*cking sick

 

Get something long, thick, flat, and wide. Make sure it's a singlefin. High performance longboards are lame.

 

i'm w/ conway on this. while i predominantly ride shortboards, when i do get on a log, i see no point is mucking about w/ hp varieties. if i want to "shred the gnar", i'll just paddle out on a shortboard. longboards should be flat, heavy, & single-finned.

that said, just like w/ a shortboard, you should be able to tell the difference between a pin, roundpin, or square tail pretty easily. same goes w/ nose concave or not. i've found that rail shape makes a big difference, too.

to the OP, check your local shops. it's unlikely that you'll find much this time of year, but it never hurts to keep an eye out. how much are you looking to spend? what's your upper price limit?

 

Thats what she said...

 

The thing that will make the most difference to somebody jumping on a longboard for the first time is rocker. More rocker will accelerate the learning curve for somebody who rides only shortboards. A classic log or noserider with flat entry rocker will take some getting used to, especially an old school one with pinched rails and a lot of weight to it. A performance longboard with more rocker, that's lighter, and has a "normal" modern rail shape will be much easier to learn on. However... if he wants to feel that magic glide, he's going to have to dedicate himself a bit more, take his lumps, and learn to get the hang of an old school log. But if all he wants is something to ride when it's knee high, and wants to be able to just pick it up and go with minimal learning curve, a HPLB is a better choice.

Neither one is "lame" IMO.

 

I'll stay out of the board fray but you can have a blast on a long board on the days that may be considered "flat" as well as a good surf day. Regarding the Patagonia R3 they are very warm for a 3mm since they have the wool fleece lining throughout. Patagonia recommends that suit for 48-55 F. It will go below that depending on your tolerance for cold. I was using a R2 short sleve last week in Pacific Beach with the water around 55 and the air about the same until it warmed up mid day. I understand that they have taken some of the lining out of the R2 because surfers using their products complained of it being too warm . A friend who has an R3 says it is as warm or warmer than the Oneill Pschyco 2 in the 4/3. That Pschyco 2 is good for me a lot of the winter in MD and I have a desire to stay warm. I am a long boarder so I not in the water as much as a short boarder.Patagonia is expensive! It's hard to get one suit for all winter. My thoughts anyway. Maybe some one out has experienced the R3 and can tell you more.

 

what he said

also - I have a 9 4 Robert August WIR single fin for sale, traditional fiberglass (he switched to only epoxy shortly thereafter) like new $675 firm PM me for details