Longboard Fins

Sure! I have 2 go-to longboards right now. My Gary Wilson when it's big and clean, and my older Stewart for shorebreak, dumpy waves, or anything else that might hurt the new board.

Board #1 9'6 Gary Wilson "Butternut" (9ft. 6" x 23.25" x 3.25" 81.4 liters)

Here's how he describes it on his website: "Single fin tanker without a hard edge anywhere on the hull. Soft like the waves it likes. It is inspired by our collection of old school logs that were built in mid sixties. A displacement hull that doesn´t need hard parts to plane it off, only a nose concave to extend time on the nose."

I would call it a "modernized retro" longboard. Very flat rocker throughout. Big nose concave that goes halfway down the board. Rails are not quite "C" shaped. Just brought in a little. I love this board.

Board #2 9'4 Stewart LSP (light speed performance). I see this as a typical HP LB. Aggressive rocker throughout. Shortboard style squash-tail. 1+2 fin setup.

This is just my 2 most used longboards. I also have a beat-to-death 9'4 Stewart popout, and just sold a locally built (no logo) 9'1 asymmetric-tail log.

 

Noseriding progress update:

Sunday I actually had some size to work with. It was a day of big fading take offs, searching for the critical section, and going for broke to get some nosetime.

This may sound nerdy as hell but everyone's advise was running trough my head. @steef 's "oh-s*** section", @Peajay4060 's go for it anywhere and everywhere no-matter-what, and @LBCrew 's insight on foot position depending on where you are on the wave. This info has been legendary.

There was one right it all came together. I'm fading left waiting for the wave to speed up. I see the wave about to break ahead of me so I bottom turn and gun it for the lip, turn down the face and get to the nose. I'm full-on in the most critical spot, both feet just inches from the tip, and the board feels locked in under my feet. Crouching down, with no style what-so- ever I shoot ahead for about 50 feet when I start to see sand and jump over the back. This was the feeling I have been chasing! I'll admit, I hung exactly zero toes on this wave, but I had both feet up there and felt solid.

This journey is turning out to be so rewarding. I thought I was a decently good surfer, then I realized there is a whole other road to surfing I had not traveled. It's like bombing hills on a skateboard for years and then deciding to learn to kickflip. It's not gonna happen overnight, and I love that.

 

Thanks, dudes. I got a burst of renewed stoke when I bought my new board. It's actually my first ever brand new surfboard. Been surfing half my life and only ever had hand-me-downs and craigslist beaters. I got a new job (basically a whole new career) last August, and after paying off some stuff I treated myself. That "night before christmas" feeling I get when I'm so amped for tomorrow's session let's me know it was money well spent. I've had that feeling for like a month now.

Surfed 2 more sessions since my last post, last night and this morning. I can tell I'm getting some muscle memory built up but I'm still all over the place. There was a guy out this morning, I think he works at a surf camp or something, effortlessly hanging toes on a wave storm. Was awesome to watch. Just a couple hundred more waves and I'll have it.