Board Advice

Just work on your duck diving. I'm 5'9" 180, and my winter board is a 6'2" CI Pod (37+ liters of volume). Way too much board for me, but the ease of paddling in the wetsuit is why i ride it. Plus it holds in anything with the quad fins.

I admit when it gets overhead, i can't get it deep enough to get under a set wave if i'm in the impact zone. to compensate, just sit inside the sand bar if a set is coming, and take the white water on the head, and then use the volume to paddle quickly out to the lineup once the set passes.

Sometimes you are stuck in a spot where you have to duck dive a set wave, and you get your a$$ handed to you, but still, we're talking a foot or two overhead. Its no big deal.

Basically, when winter surfing, use the volume to your advantage. easier paddling, sit higher out of the water, catch waves easier. just use your head to keep you out of situations where you need to get under a large set wave.

 

It has to be technique not vol. I'm 5'7" 155 and can duck dive my 7'2" pretty well on steeper waves and my 6'3", 6'1" and 5'10" I can put almost to the ocean floor if it's shallow enough. Timing is everything and if it's a mound of white water and board is tough to get deep enough. BTW my 5'10" and 6'1" are fish/groveler type boards and are very wide and near 3 inches thick so again I don't it's volume of the board.

 

over the last 30 years I've ridden 7'2" to 7'10" fat boy floaters. I have found that pushing the nose down and diving over the front, dragging the board down with me, then kicking the tail down. worked better 30 years ago when I was 225lbs. now at 205 and a geeze, it's more effort.

 

Yea... probably a technique thing, but if you can't do it, then you just can't do it. Some people can't juggle... can't draw... some can't ollie. It's just a skill that some got, and some don't, for whatever reason. So your mindset is good asking about what kind of board can make it easier, and that question has an answer...

Volume is not a magic number. This has been brought up in a number of threads. It's like any other dimension... it doesn't tell you much without a "context." A 21" wide board can mean a lot of things.. is it a fish? at hpsb? a single fin? A board that's 2.5 thick can be foiled thinly in the nose, or the tail, or both, or foiled thickly and beaked. The only thing that volume number does tell you is how it floats you sitting in the lineup. It doesn't even tell you how it paddles... you need to know other parameters to tell you that, particularly rocker and planshape.

What I've found impacts duckdiving is a combination of foil, template, and volume. In other words, boards that are foiled thinly in the nose or otherwise have less volume in the nose area, are easier to drive deeper than boards that are more thickly foiled or wider in the nose, creating more nose volume. And the reduction in nose volume doesn't have to be by much to make a difference. The less volume in the nose (thinner and/or narrower) the deeper you can drive the nose, and the deeper the rest of the board will follow through. Keep in mind you are sort of scooping the board under the oncoming wave, using rocker of the board, your body weight and motion, and the energy of the oncoming wave to drive the board down, under, and then pop back up behind the wave.

So you don't need a "thin" little potato chip to duck dive well (although it helps). You can get away with a little thickness through the middle, in the area that's between your feet when you stand up, but slightly thinner from where you put your hands forward, up to the tip of the nose. While the Dwart isn't what I would consider excessively thick in the nose, it is relatively thick, and certainly wide. The combination of that added thickness AND width puts a lot of volume up front... right where YOU, personally, don't want it.

 

Well cold water + no duck dive or cold water + duck dive is still going to = getting your noggin wet and the brain freeze will come. Work on the technique and dont be afraid to go out on the nice days, baptism by fire (or cold water lol)

 

or turn turtle.

 

Hit the gym and do bench presses until you have a 48 inch chest and can throw up at least 315 pounds. Then you'll be able to duck dive anything from a hpsb, longboard, SUP, or small yacht. How much ya bench!?

 

Im 6'2 and ride a 5'8 the thing rides like a charm and is easy to push down

 

At 175 you should be able to duck dive that board with enough practice. Dont get a board that is undersized for your size and ability just to be able to duck dive it easier. Thats not even close to being a worthwhile trade off.

 

I am 5'8" 160 lbs, and I can almost duck dive my 7'4" funboard. I am not even that good. You should definitely be able to duck dive your board with some practice.

 

Hey Arby I'm 6'0" 180 lbs and I ride a 5'8" quad and 5'10" thruster, partially for the ease of duck diving. It definitely makes a difference to be able to get out there with less hassle. However, I sometimes feel like I should be on something a little larger due to my lack of skill. I absolutely love riding my longboard but it's not worth the beating on a big day. That said, a smaller board might help you work on your duck diving technique, which could translate over to your 6'2". Honestly though I think Kahuna Kai might have it right. Time to hit the weights!

 

Have you tried pushing your foot at the tail of the board instead of your knee? You might be saying "of course Dumas" but you'd be surprised at the amount of people who don't use their foot to push the board down. I have a 5-8 fish cut with tri fin set up and its 21 across and 2.58 thickness. In bigger surf its tough to get under sets but because it floats great, it pops up quicker after a hold down. Thin boards tend to be held down with you in bigger waves. Good luck

 

Get a wave jet and plow through it like a schooner!

 

KK's advice on fitness might be just the ticket for you.

Or, you could consult with the njshredmachine?
Known for his physical prowess on 20' (hawaiian?) nj beachbreakin' barrelin' beasts & his specialty, body beautiful beach bench offs. Now there's a dude that could whip you into duck diving shape!

 

im not a very good surfer but i have always been good at duck-diving. i learned on a big ass epoxy BIC funboard when i was younger, so everything since has been slowly getting easier to get under waves. my first board i got is a 6'8 aloha RV, basically a big fat shortboard-shaped funboard, and its very hard to get a 100% duck dive without losing any ground, but with the right technique you would be surprised at what you can dive.

i start by pushing the nose down pretty deep, and following through with my knees, dunking the whole board under. i keep on the pressure with my knees while stabbing the board foward, thus putting more water between the board and the surface--since by now you should be under the wave but not through the meat of it yet. then i pull myself hard back to my board, like a reverse push up. if done correctly you should come out the other side ready to paddle into the lineup!