Hey I've have been surfing a foamie longboard in the surf lately to get away from my shortboard And I realized how fun it is just to cruise but I can also cut back and do snaps and floaters with this foamie but I want something that is gonna do it a little easier. What would work from me? I am 6'3 and 140 but I don't want something to long.
Go with an epoxy ( light weight), narrow width (19.5" to 20.5"), 2.5" to 2.67" thickness, and decent entry rocker with some tail kick as well. Get the front shaped like a traditional longboard with a bit of concave under the !st third, with a double concave out the back with a modest Vee. Tri fin set up with a fin box for versatility. Hard rails in the back, so you can ride it like a shortboard from the tail. IMO. That way you can bury the rail on a steep drop. tuck in, and fly down the line, then do epic cutbacks and a few roller coaster semi-vertical off the lips/ floater combos down the line. Then when the wave goes soft, cross step up to the nose and pose.
I'll sell you a stewart 9'6 hplb. It's beat up up but still kicking. I just replaced it. $250. Inquire within.
I like what most of what sisurfdogg said, except I would never go under 21" wide on an hplb... actually, I'd stay closer to 22. Rocker is super important on performance longboards, so make sure you talk to somebody who knows the design if you're going to go with a custom.
What's up Zman? Glad to hear that you're still finding ways to stick with it. How's the Fart Knocker? Did you ever get it fixed? How much "high performance" do you really need? HPLBs are great and can be ridden on many different occasions, but this is the East Coast. It can be firing one day and flat the next. If I were you, I would be on the lookout for something more balanced instead of something more specialized. Something that can glide on about any wave, but still snappy. May I suggest a single fin mid-length? Since you're only 140lbs, you should use your weight as an advantage. Something in the 7'5"-8'6" range will give you the performance you're looking for, while still maintaining the glide aspect of a traditional longboard. Just a thought from this guy.
LB- can you elaborate on the rocket here? Tail or entry, and why? Your posts are serious know-how and I always look forward to them.
I just measured my hplb width - It is almost 22", maybe 21 7/8" wide. It turned real nice and caught good waves well overhead, and excelled in wasit to chest hi surf as well. Until I made my wife mad and she put one hundred holes in it with a hammer. Redheads.
My favorite performance longboard is Craig Hollingswoth's standard 9'0 template (just ordered my second one of the same board!), but I do prefer it in waves waist or better, then again I have a solid 60-70 lbs on you. I've even had a blast on it in bigger days that were under-foecasted. It really moves like a big shortboard. For knee to thigh days, I have enjoyed a single fin log with a rounded pin tail & raked out fin so you can still walk the board but gives more responsive turns off the rail. Check out the FCD noseglider. Good luck!
Based on my experience riding boards, seeing what's out there, and the feedback I've gotten over the years from people riding my boards, here's what I figure... Rocker on a traditional log is a continuous rocker... meaning no breaks in the rocker. They're generally gently rockered through the middle, and that either continues in the entry area on a cruiser, or is relatively relaxed in the entry on boards designed to noseride. In the tail, that gentle rocker may also continue if it's a cruiser, or might have a slight kick starting at the fin if it's a noserider. Rocker on a performance longboard has typically much more curve. You'll see "banana rocker" on many hplb's, where the whole board is fully rockered out, with the rocker accelerating at both ends, or you'll see a more staged rocker... flatter in the entry, curvy through the middle, and fully rockered in the tail like a shortboard. I prefer the staged rocker, because, when combined with the right bottom contours and rails, you can improve the noseriding ability of the board... somewhat. But what all hplb's lack in East Coast surf is glide and speed. More rocker means more drag, and when you add in complex bottom contours, you get a board that slows down quickly over flat spots, and has a low top end. Flatter longboards are much faster and smoother in typical East Coast surf... meaning... not like Hawaii, where those guys ride longboards even at size. In that size surf, everything goes fast!
Pretty much dead on with what I was looking for. Thanks very much LB. You always put up quality material that others learn from.
For an East Coast HPLB, check out Tim Nolte Surfboards http://www.timnoltesurfboards.com/model-line He's a fine shaper and takes the time to listen and offer suggestions for desired performance. He's shaping # 2 HPLB for me now, if you looking for more short board feel, he's shapes the right balance of "rocker" way beyond the usual West Coast so called HPLB's. You have a big advantage over me @ 140 #, more room to play with on width, volume and length as you might need "brakes
+1, Get something like I have in the 8' Range, epoxy / eps, Tri-fin setup but option to go single fin, has a LB shape but a little under the regulation size so it's more responsive and not heavy at all.
Yep I got it fixed up last summer for the September swell that we had, but this Wednesday looks like its gonna be fun so I'm gonna bring the foamie again and have some fun
I have a 9'2" Frierson local shaper in VA Beach. A sweet ride easy driver and can sneak a tip ride in the rite wave. I like this board it works best is waist high to overhead not a small wave board I can catch those waves but not as much fun. 2+1 with down rails and a squash tail.
