Boards that work on the East Coast

EC boards

here's my hypothesis for the minimal ideal jersey quiver.

one board is not enough, you need three if you want to surf often:

1. a longboard - whatever type you prefer -- e.g. a 9 footer for those minimal days

2. a fish/twin/quad type of thing - for windslop junk and clean small weak swells -- e.g. a 5'10" or 6'0

3. a real thruster for those good days when it's really hurling barrels everywhere. e.g. a 6' or 6'2 thruster

that's about it.

 

Depending on how big you are, I'd go with a little bit bigger thruster, for the clean barreling days and more importantly the huge hurricane occasions. 6-6.2 might be a little small for bigger days.

 

Right now the only thing I'm ridin on is a 5'7 ezera fish. I have a 7'8 WRV squashtail, but I need to have it repaired and I'm broke.

 

a Body Board.

 

Hobie PeterPan Slugs are specificly made for NJ waves. They go from 7ft all the way up to 10ft. My bro has one and its an awesome ride. Basicly floats like a longboard but rides somewhere in between a funshape and short board. Hence the name peterpan slug lol!

 

short boards

I ride a 5 11 dhd rounded if you can't tell, anyday I want. If you know how to pump, then you can ride almost anything. When it is very mushy and small I pull out a 5 11 Lynn Shell WRV that was shaped in the 80's the thickness is found throughout the entire board, not just on the stringer. I also have an 5 11" HIC wide nose fish also shaped by Lynn Shell that has 2.5" of thickness along the stringer. This is for when I want to put the 80's board up and make more precise turns. I don't ride anything longer than 5 11. If the surf is way overhead, I ride a 5 11. If it is knee high and choppy, I ride a 5 11. I managed a very sucessful and knowledgable surf shop on the outer banks for a couple years and I have heard people from all over tell me this and that about longboards and funboards, etc. BullSH$T! If you have natural talent in surfing you can drop in on a beer bottle. My point is length has nothing to do with catching waves on this coast. You either need thickness of skill. I have both just in cause. When I first met my wife she had a 7 8 funboard. That thing lasted for about a week before I took it in and traded it for a 6 2 Lynn Shell. After one season I sold that big ass board and got her a 5 6 Fish shaped by Steve Hess. I fixed the dings and put a brand new traction pad on it. She had never made it down the line until this board. When my daughter is old enough to paddle out, it will be on a very short board. The only time I will even look at a funboard or longboard is in the far future if I am unable to paddle strong. Sorry for the book report, but I just think alot of people are given the wrong idea about what to ride out here. A good 80's board is a great tool to have on the East. A man by the name of Regis Jupinko shapes a good board for the right coast. He tapers off thickness a little less than most guys do. This makes for an easier paddling board that gets you in with ease, and also helps you out when you encounter a flat spot. Surf is on the way! One more thing, get a 4 3 some 7 mil boots, gloves and a hood and F$CKING surf in the winter!

 

Quiver

I have several boards for the waves here in OC, but I mostly ride Channel Island Flyers. I'm a big guy (6'-3" @ 215#s, 45 yrs old) For the average surf here, around 2', I ride a 6'-10" x 20-3/4" x 2-3/4". If it gets really small I break out the steath longboard Flyer 7'-0" x 22" x 3" it will pretty much catch anything. Although in Costa Rica I broke my good wave short board and rode the big flyer in almost double overhead waves with no problem ( it was a bit stiff). When the waves get good, when did that happen last?, I ride my higher performance short board shapes in the 6'-10" to 7'-0" range. Lately though, I find I use the short boards more for travel and not so much in this area. In the dead of winter, with 4 or 6 mills of rubber on, I will sometimes ride a board a couple of inches longer. My kids all tell me I should ride boards 10" shorter, but what do they know.........

 

i had been riding a stretch eps 5'10" quad for about a year in ocean city, it snapped when it was big and junky last tuesday, i picked up a new lost 6'0 speed demon IV
it has 5 fin boxes so it can serve as a quad on those smaller days, then you just pull out the quad setup and throw in your thruster setup when it gets a little bigger.. this board rides like a dream and is one of the most versatile things ive ever heard of.. highly recommended for any east coast surf

 

Agreed. Especially since there is almost never any channel to paddle out in. sometimes you need a little more board to pick up some speed as you paddle out between overhead sets.

Also, it seems like most EC shapers shape their boards a bit wider than on the west coast. i dont' ride anything slimmer than a 19 1/2.

Lastly, if you don't have much of a quiver, you may want consider a bit of a bigger board that will float you with a 4/3, booties, and gloves, as well as float you in the summer with trunks. Obviously the water temps vary alot on the EC so those are other things to keep in mind.

I'm 6'2 205 lbs and my boards are

9'2, 22 1/2 - TK shapes
6'6, 20 1/8 backup thruster for my 6'8 - in the eye
6'8, 19 1/2 thruster - in the eye
6'4, 20 1/2 ...Lost RoundNoseFish for sloppy waist to chest

I mainly surf OBX or sometimes delaware/OC

 

don;t kooch

ride a shorty,

 

bumping an old thread, but how do you like your wynn board?

he shaped me a quad/tri last year, 6'3" x 18 3/4" x 2 3/8" a little weird to get used to but i definitely like it, first quad i ever owned. I wanted to try something other than a bat tail so he made me a diamond tail. It works really well as a quad, but as a thruster i wasnt too impressed. i have a plus one board (george gall) that is my favorite thruster.

not sure what im going to get this year, been saving my pennies up...

 

Interesting forum so far...

I ride a sponge almost all the time... BUT, I gotta say, there is a guy that rides a red fish (forgot yr name if your reading this) around my homebreak all the time and on decent days, that thing looks like the gun to bring to the shootout.

Anybody ever give fiberglass kneeboards or spoons a shot on the EC? I got a Neil Luke (Aussie shaper) last winter and have had a ball with it every time I've taken it out. Nice for little toobs.

A fun toy to pick up...

 

Its an old thread, but a good one to pick up on.

For the record, i'm 22, 5'10" and 170lbs and have..
* 6'8" CI Surftech Flyer- it's a bit big and stiff for me but I can surf it in just about any condition. If i could re-order it I would have gone with a 6'6"
* 6'4" Retro fish from a local shaper- its a ton of fun on clean left-overs from a storm.
* 7'2" WRV funboard- Its a bit of a beater and has some minor delam. I usually led this to friends who want to try surfing or take it out myself when its small and clean or if I just want an effortless ride.
* 6'2" wide nose fish- I am currently shaping this board myself with the help of a local guy. A ton of volume (2 3/4") and super boxy rails. I bit of a spoon in the nose and a 12'' tail with a 6" butt crack. If you've got the time, give shaping a shot. You'll be amazed at how much you learn about surfing and surfboard construction.

Heres the big secret about the best board for the east coast- THERE ISN'T ONE!

A 50 year-old with a bad back and reconstructed knee isn't going to ride the same board as a 16 year-old ripper. Also, everyone has a different style. Some people prefer the glide of a 10' longboard, while others are gunna want the snap of a 6-0 thruster.

I think the best way to find the perfect board for you is to try out different boards. Craigslist has some pretty good deals, barrow friend's boards, or talk to your local shaper and find out what he sees you on (and yes, there are plenty of shapers if you ask around). If you have the money and space, try to build a quiver. Different conditions and different moods dictate a different board. Can you surf every condition on one board- yes. Could you surf better in some conditions on a different board- yes.

The biggest mistake is going out and buying Kelly Slaters board. He has much more skill than you and surfs better waves. You wont be able to ride it the same way he does....

In general though, it seems like most east coast boards tend to be wider and have more volume. East coasters also tend to ride them a bit longer, but thats just my observation.

 

Ive been honing my east coast quiver for about a decade now, and this would be my optimum east coast quiver combining my favorite boards over the years.

9'0'' Tim Nolte longbaord (for anything under the sun)
6'6'' merrick round pin taylor knox (for hurricane swells, or travel)
6'1'' merrick mbm2 for the best head high-overhead swells
6'2'' lost SDII for when the mbm2 is just not enough volume (chest high windswell?)
5'10''' Lost Round Nose Fish set up as a twin or a twinzer (for when i dont feel like longboarding)

5 boards seems like alot for the EC, but hey whynot ?.... i could get away with just the RNF and the mbm2 i think.

 

i have a 9'6" log and a normal thruster and that does me just fine year round. Those are really all you need, in my opinion.

 

im 6'3 220lbs i ride a 6'6 anacapa glider(pretty much a merrick flyer) and a 6'8 round pin byrne.
I used the anacapa in anything from knee-head high
as for my bryne i can use it in anything as small as waist high to double overhead
i think fishes are nice for the east coast but im not a fan of twinnies or retro quads
i would like to replace my anacapa with a 6'4 quad shortboard
however i think its all preferance and i like the reponse i get out of my shortboards

 

That sounds about right (or about what I have anyway), maybe a 6'6" to 7'0" step up round pin also...