CI Dumpster Diver vs. Neck Beard

I have a js blak box and its prob more dd like, its sick. Go as small as you'd think might almost be too small. Those boards work well in nothing waves but are really fun up to chest high. After that it doesn't hold well enough. If you have a board that works well in waist high stuff I'd say neck beard or js revolution but if you want something a little more versatile to use up to like chest high easily go dd blak box or subscorcher.

 

I ride a 5'8 dd and I have to say its not that much of a small wave board. Yes the center point is wider but the nose is not that full. Plus it has 5" of rocker. Its great for waves with some juice rather than mushly weak surf. I do not own a ci neckbeard but have made one of my own pretty much exactly. I ride it 5'7, It is an inch wider in the nose and has 4 1/4" rocker, which is quite a bit less. This all makes getting into waves a lot easier. It also has a little more width in the tail to help get through the mushy sections. Definitely more of a groveler,small wave board. Can handle bigger as well.

 

I just got a Sharp Eye Disco. It has been fun in waist high up to chest so far. I thought I got it to small at 5'10 but it has width in the middle down threw the tail. It feels real skatie at first but really love it. Go 2-4 inches samll then your typical short board.
I wanted a Lost so bad cause I heard their shapes are really popular lately. Also the JS Black Box looks really fun. That Neck Beard has that funky tail though, not to sure about that.

 

Rode the DD in waist high waves that didn't have a ton of push. It was good, but I could've gone for a little more speed. Haven't ridden the neck beard but heard it's good.

 

i have both & the neckbeard is by far the better groveler. i could easily get rid of the dumpster diver & be ok...dd is a great small wave board if the waves have some punch to them, or are steeper...think small hurricane swell or super low tide. takes a lot more work to get it going in weaker surf...it's less a groveler & more a short, stubby, hpsb. still very fun (which is why i've kept mine despite adding a neckbeard)
neckbeard has a wider template overall (most noticeable in the nose & tail), flatter entry rocker, & a touch of vee out the tail...if you go w/ the neckbeard, try to get one w/ the 5 fin option...i'm really liking mine as a quad right now, but having the versatility is nice, like 2 boards in 1. the thing goes like hell in the smallest of surf...paddles really well, planes over flat spots easily...definitely more groveler than stubby hpsb. & like i said, try to get one w/ the 5 fin option.
my dd & nb are the same size...you can ride them smaller than you think & the nb is a touch higher in volume than the dd b/c of the wider nose & tail templates. i got mine a touch bigger than i probably should have, but i like having a little bit of extra paddle-power & the extra float will suit me in the dead of winter w/ an extra 15lbs of wetsuit on.

edit: just saw your 2nd post & it sounds like the dd is where you want to be...not sure of your location, but the dd is a great single board quiver for someone who's not interested in riding waves more than a foot or 2 overhead. look into the robert's white diamond as well...

 

dd will handle bigger surf better than the nb, so as i said in my other post, the dd is where you want to be if it's going to be your only board. prior to getting my nb, my dd was the board i rode 90-95% of the time here in nj.
i can't say which one "rides better" as they are designed to do different things...it's like comparing a jeep wrangler to a porche 911.
nb is best as part of a 2 board board quiver...nb for knee high-chest/head high, other board for chest high +.

 

Get the Freddy Rubble if you insist on a CI, way better all around board then the overhyped Dane models......and all of the CI pros generally ride the Rubble if that's your motive.

 

dd, no doubt.

 

The DD is what you're looking for. DD is actually not a Groveler. You can make due with it in sub-waist high wave, but it REALLY excels on waves with a bit more push and/or vertical faces. The Neck Beard is a true groveler and won't feel very good on steep drops or big stuff.

I own 12 boards currently and the DD is my go-to board for all around conditions. I haven't heard anyone mention fins, but this is a crucial piece. I've never been a big proponent of making surfing more expensive, but I went out on a limb and bought some of the FCS H3 Nexus Large fins and they have been an AMAZING combination for me on this board. NOTE: I am a 6'4" 200lb advanced surfer, my DD is 6'2". I wouldn't want it any shorter or longer. You'll definitely want to think long and hard about the size volume in relation to your physique and ability level.

Regardless, if your choice is between the two for your only board, I think the DD is waaaay more versatile. Good luck!

 

He saying get the DD for best all around board. I think here in WIlmington, NC Assie Island have White Diamonds. Look into Lost sub-scorcher also. Sweetwater Surf Shop has plenty on the Sharp Eye Discos, love it!

 

anyone here have a channel island flyer and can compare that to the two? I've been looking into the same two boards, and currently have been using a flyer for chest + days. Would you change your opinion on the DD if you had a flyer in the quiver for the bigger stuff? (bigger meaning never really over hh / a foot or two overhead)

 

Great question! I've owned three Flyers over the years (all 6'4", 2 PU and one tuflite) and really enjoyed them. I've just found that the DD suits my current surfing much better. It feels much more of a top-to-bottom board, pivoting tighter and more vertically than the Flyer. My biggest reservation about the Flyer has been that it always feels like turns are a bit flat rather than vertical. I'm thinking that this has to do with the relatively straight foil (as compared to board like the DD or Roberts Diamond series). I've also got a Roberts "The Lip" in my arsenal right now and find that it rides very much like the DD. Doesn't really like the small stuff, but is crankingly fun in chest high+.

So... even though the Flyer planes over flat sections much better than the DD, for me, hands down, I'd choose the DD if I could only have one shortboard.

 

ok the flyer and the dumpster diver are very similar boards. if you really want to go through the trouble of selling the flyer (and get maybe half the price of a new CI back) i would look for a different type of board. the flyer and dumpster diver were made for similar if not the exact same conditions, so if you're not liking the flyer as an all around board you're not going to like the dumpster diver either unless you're a very advanced surfer that can feel every little detail in his board. i do however understand the itch to change it up every once in a while so i'm going suggest an alternative to think about.

normally where you are, bigger conditions mean heavy beach break barrels that require a board that can make steep drops, get down the line fast, and hold in the wave without sliding out. there are several types of boards that can do all of that, yet still work fine in smaller waves. in my opinion, the best board for the situation you're in would be a relatively short, thick round tail board with little to moderate rocker. a little width would be good too especially for smaller conditions, and it'll give you some more paddle power.

i wouldn't necessarily recommend a channel islands since the funds are coming from a used board sale, but if you really want another one they do have a few models like that. they include the motorboat too, the gravy, and the wizard sleeve (plus a few others i'm not familiar with). all of those boards have the volume needed to grovel as well as the ability to hold in larger waves.

i know i say this way too much but you're best bet would be to just go to a local shaper. it'll be cheaper than a CI, and he'll be able to work out the dimensions with you. other than that, here are a few other boards to look at:
-haydenshapes hypto crypto, shred sled, shred sled grom, and the psychedelic germ
-solid surfboards disfish, cisco kid round tail, and the vandal
-dan taylor dmt or mini me
-lost mini driver, blunt, or dbl-blunt
-js prodigy and kingpin

there are a bunch more out there, but those are just some that i can think of right now. definitely check out the haydenshapes boards they're probably going to be the most versatile and they just started taking US custom orders for the same price as a stock CI.

 

just a quick fyi: the haydens at the shop i work in are approx. $75-$100 MORE than the CIs. but they're future flex construction, not poly.


the dd, to me, seems to be a stubby version of the flyer, so yes...they are very similar boards. i personally think that the dd is the better board, but everyone is going to have their own opinion on the matter. i esp. like how the dd doesn't incorporate the bump in the hip the way the flyer does.
as for figuring out sizing, go here: http://cisurfboards.com/suggested_boards.php & follow the instructions. it's pretty spot on.

 

Hey PhiloSurfer got a question about fins set ups. On my Disco, I have the FCS k2.1 fins. I'm 5'10 170 and seems I'm right near the M and L size fins for my weight. In bigger surf I was thinking of going with a larger fin and looking at the FCS H3 Nexus L. The FCS chart has a very low Hold rating for the K2.1 and really good for the H3. What do you think being an andvanced surfer, surfing steeper waves here in NC.