Small wave board help??

I ride a 7'6 fish here in VB and I feel like it's an almost perfect board for small, mushy waves. It was hand shaped by Austin who is one of the premiere shapers in the mid atlantic and he knows what it takes to have fun on these "waves". Your board just needs some volume and a wide tail design

 

Why are you against just getting a log? Nothing will beat a LB for catching the smallest waves.

 

lost bottom feeder

 

I think most people who ride longboards would tell you that a longboard will catch the smallest rideable wave... even outside the "rideable" window for most alternative shapes. But I think this depends on the rider. A fat, floaty simmons, sweet potato, plank or other alt shape can catch even the smallest wave, if the rider is a strong enough paddler, and light enough. Lets face it... bigger guys need a bigger wave to ride a shortboard... any kind of shortboard. You might fit into that category... or not... I don't know. That's for you to decide.

As a bigger guy myself, I prefer a log in the tiny stuff... knee to thigh high. In waves that small, any turn on a shortboard (alt shape or otherwise) will overpower the wave, bog, and die. I get more fun out of a log in those conditions, because I can at least pivot turn, trim, and walk the board. I'll turn to an alt shape in thigh to waist high, on up to maybe chest high, before I go to my hpsb.

 

This is truth.

 

If you only weigh 145 then you could go either way IMO, personally I think it's good to have both if you can afford it. I was out in 1-3 ft gutless surf this past weekend and was having fun on both my LB and my 6'4" Coil Flashback Fish, being a strong paddler and having the right equipment makes riding small waves really fun, I had a blast the past two days...

 

I'm in NC too and will surf the smallest waves possible if it fits into my schedule with family, work, church and friends. So I have been looking for a board that rides all waves if that is the only day I can go. I can surf a tradition thruster on most of our waist high days to give you some context of my advice. I also do not desire to ride a log because it is turns that I enjoy most. I have had a lost Bottom feeder for a year and it is amazing. I can ride a literal knee high wave and can carve and snap and such on thigh high waves. It is also too much fun in waist surf too so long as it is not a dredging sucking take off. A retro fish is my second call. It is more of a down the line speedster with a carve back to whitewater. The bottom feeder you have to drive off your back foot like a thruster where as a retro fish you just trim and steer. Just size them properly.

 

A longboard will is going to maximize your paddling power and, lets face it, you're probably not going to be doing many turns on a mushy, knee high wave...some days, just being able to make it from peak all the way to the beach is the most fun your gonna get.

Thing about longboards is it's like re-learning to surf - they're awkward and can be dangerous (if they're hard epoxy and/or you're not using the right leash length). You might seriously consider a soft top as your first LB.

I've owned plenty of alt shapes and the wide noses and stuff do help paddling and making reforms...but they do not replace being in good paddling shape in the first place. The guys you see really ripping on these things in small/gutless waves probably surf a couple times a week, at least.

start a quiver. You already have a neckbeard for decent waves. Next in line, imo, would be a longboard for practically non-rideable days...and, maybe later, an alt shape to ride when you just can't quite get into the waves on your neckbeard.

 

for what you say you mostly surf (knee to waist) a roundnose fish will work well too.

 

These short wide stubby boards like the Dharma, Lost Couch Potato...seems like everyones making one now....are a blast in waves as small as you care to ride. Right now i've got two 5'7" x 22" mini simmons (one twin, one quad) that kill it in tiny surf. Knee high is truly no problem for these boards as long as you go wiiiide. IMHO they work better than a log in those little beach/sand bar waves because you can turn right back into the pocket on a 1-2 foot wave without losing any speed.

Dont waste your time on the 6'5" - 7'5" in-between for tiny waves. Go very short and very wide, or get a longboard.

 

many would say anything 7.5 or less is a shortboard. The shorter you go, the more paddling is needed. More volume, the shorter you go, is good...but it also can be "corky" (sit high on the water, roll on turns and other unpleasant stuff).

like I said, learning on a longboard is like starting surfing all over again...is not like a shortboard at all, imo. The sooner you learn to handle a longboard, the better.

 

I have a hybrid 5'9" (I'm 5'10" 165) that I like when the surf's around knee-waist high, or bigger but mushy. But this year I added a longboard to my quiver for summer, and I love it for the ankle to knee high days. Easily my board of choice if it's 1-2'. I get waaaay more mileage out of it than my hybrid would in surf that small. I live in Delaware and it's teeny tiny this time of year.

The other advantage is that I've never really longboarded much until I got this one, it's a very different style of surfing and can teach you a lot. Adding it to my repertoire I feel has really made me a better surfer on both short and long boards. I like to learn a bit every time I surf, more time on waves = more learning.

I'd go for a longboard if you can only get one board right now...

 

Yup, short and wide would be my choice, more fun then a log most of the time

 

i have a 5'8 lost bottom feeder and a 9'2 tudor longboard i dont even take out the tudor anymore in fact im selling it . the bottom feeder works great in small mush .i guess its personal preference if you want to just trim and ride down the line yeah go for a longboard . if you want to get some turns in and still not struggle to get waves try something like a bottom feeder .

 

I made this board about a year ago, and rode it a bunch of times last summer and liked it. Put it away for the winter, and then rode it a bunch of times the last couple of months during all of these clean little days we've been having.

Finally decided this is the best small wave board I've had yet. Grovels in tiny waves better than a round nose fish, but with the quad setup you can do some real turns when the waves permit. Loving it on small days!

Dims are 5'7" x 22" x 2 3/8"

 

Sick board, good work!