The Bare Minimum

9 ft long board and 8 ft egg for this old man.

 

It's a luxury, really... to have a quiver. For the first 20 years of my surfing life, at least, I only had one board. Pretty sure that's the story for everyone picking up surfing as a grom. Now, with so many used boards available online, we're spoiled... 4, 5, 6 boards in everyone's garage is the norm.

But honestly, you're right... two boards isn't enough for me. I have three boards in heavy rotation - fish, log, sb. One of them, the fish, I have two of in different sizes, one for winter and one summer. Another four more I take out on rare occasions, depending on conditions and how bad I need to mix it up - a '60s log, a mini-simmons, a sort of step up for when it's really good, and a big wave board for the biggest days of the year. But I'm guilty, too... of being spoiled. My only justification in my own head, is that I build my own boards, and build them to last.

 

I either keep a board for less than 6 months, or 6 years +. In my long-term quiver I have a 9'0 Bill Stewart, 5'5 Jimmy Keith "sled zeppelin", and a 5'10 Dave Vernor "Rocco". These get the job done, but I keep a beater LB and fish around for beach days.

 

I have a log, a fish for most days, and a hpsb/swallow tailed hybrid for good waves. I miss my 7'0" Channel Island squash tail (what ever happened to squash tails) step up. The last time it was big and gnarly, I was skittering around on my swallowtail. I have no idea why I didn't replace it yet. I'm too old for the pintailed Lightning Bolt, it looks pretty hanging on the wall though.

My other boards (retro fish, fun shape, mini fish) mostly collect dust and lizard poop in the garage.

 

LB Crew is right, growing up during gromhood, it was one board. First a old waterlogged 7' single fin. then a 6' single fin I could actually turn. Then twin fin, in all size surf, my stance became stinkbuggish due to surfing DOH Reef Road and Pumphouse on a twinnie. Then my first 5'9" thruster, I was KING! Holy **** after two sessions revising my stance, it was magic. Made all the sections, and could go vert.

Then it got complicated. Bonzers, quads, retro fishes, teardrop singlefins, high performance long boards. All have their day in the sun.

I'd still go with a 6'4" hpsb/hybrid swallow tailed (five fin set up - primarily used as a thruster) for a one board quiver. That and a surfmat

 

Oh definitely. I rode only one or two boards for the longest time. Now that i think about it though. I think it has allot to do with experience. Without much experience you can't really appreciate the difference in feel between boards. Your to busy trying to surf and get your technique down.

I always relate surfing back to music. Partially because I'm a bass player and partially because they are pretty similar. But look at any experienced musician. Bass player for example. I have different basses for different styles of music. Different strings. Guitar players will horde pedals. Different amps and cabs. All with a slightly unique sound. With the untrained ear.... it all sounds the same. But the musician knows and can hear it. Whereas an inexperienced musician is more likely to be satisfied with an "all round" type sound and working on there chops.

At the end of the day. Your right. It's definitely a luxury. But like i said. Being able to mix things up is part of the fun. Sure a LB for when it's small and a SB for when its pumping could and will work. But what if it's small and you don't feel like riding a log? I personally have 2 or 3 options in that scenario depending on the feel im looking for. And i wouldn't trade that for the world. Well worth the money. Learning to shape would be nice though haha. But having a good relationship with a shaper and not paying top price works too

 

20 plus surfboards 55 guitars .Hoarder tendencies im thinkin

 

I honestly only surf 2 boards. A 6'6" (wide and thick) Simon Anderson for almost everything, and a longboard, for when it's waist high and crap. On the rarest of rare big days I'll take out a 7'6" tri. I have my 6'6" so wired, it just works in everything, and eliminates any guess work.