looking for a new surfboard

Why not a custom for your local shaper? You'll get a better shape and better quality construction for less money. But if you need a marketed label on your board for some reason I'd go Rusty over CI... the Dwart is a good model for typical East Coast conditions. Size and volume depend on your skill level and surfing style, of course. It's hard to find the perfect board for yourself in a surf shop's rack...
~Brian
www.greenlightsurfsupply.com
Shape Your Surfing Experience

 

custom boards are over rated , you don't know enough, your shaper only knows what you tell him in regards to your ability and style. you would be better buying a used board until you know what works. because if your asking for advice on line you probably have not found that magic shape yet .

 

Funny.... I've heard people say the exact opposite... "big-name shaper boards are over rated."

You're trying to paint all custom shapers (or all name brand shapers) with the same broad brush. The fact is, there's a lot of talented shapers in and out of the industry, and each should be "rated" fairly... based on their work.

Sounds like YOU haven't found the right shaper.

 

You are stating an opinion as fact
Absolutely WRONG ...
being able to get everything exactly how you want it ? very nice. ButI agree , one should know a little something about what makes a board work for them first. So I say our OP doesn't NEED a custom but if he WANTS one ,go for it... I think that's fair ? So....

....

Asolutely CORRECT !

Try a friends board, demo ...etc...

The "local shaper " thing is great if you have a GOOD one nearby . Some of the boards coming out of this area are a little sub par ... couple guys are great.

In the end it's your $$$ and your time in the water. Do what makes you happy.

 

when i moved to south fl from wilmington,nc...i gave away a rusty c5 and a webber shaped ...lost....then didnt surf for like 4 years...still kicking myself for all that...anyway my girl got me a dwart recently...i fkin love this board...great for the lame waves and the ones only longboards can catch and still excellent in the bigger stuff like we had today. i ride it quad on the crappy days and thruster on bigger days. im 5'9" 158lbs...the board is 5'8"x20.5x2.62...a whole lotta board but im loving every second on it.

 

Absolutely right!!!

 

Absolutely not right..........Even a Kook knows what his skill level is and a good shaper will hook him up........

 

from my experience, I like rather have a off the shelf board than a custom. With a off the shelf board you know exactly what you are getting. you can feel it's curves, volume, and most importantly put it under your arm to feel if it is magical or not. I never really had a good experience with a custom board

 

... I've had a bunch of boards off the rack, few duds, few decent ,few really good and a couple 'magic'. With "board models" and the ability to pretty much replicate a shape via CAD I really don't think you can go wrong if you find a good board... there are 2 more identical to my current favorite in the local shop

On the other side of the coin, if you work WITH a shaper and are involved in the process , the result can be outstanding. I realize everyone doesn't share the same opinion or experience ,but my customs have all been magic or pretty damn close.

take care all ~

 

http://www.arcsurfboards.com/ -- This guy, Andrew, shapes out of NJ and he knows his ****. And he'll work with you every step.

 

That's the key. You have to know what you want out of your board, and be able to communicate that to your shaper. This is where the process often breaks down. If you think you're Slater, and you're not, you're gonna have a hard time finding a magic board no matter what you do. Show your shaper what you ride, tell him where you surf and what conditions you want the board to work best in, and most of all, tell him what the board you're riding doesn't do that you want your next board to do. He should be able to give you some options, each with a compromise. Choose the compromise you're willing to live with in order to get the performance you're after.