hey guys i can catch basically 9 out of 10 waves i try for with my longboard and i can turn and walk to the nose. so im thinking im ready for a shorter board so i can duck dive and catch bigger waves when storms come and stuff like that. plus it would be nice to be able to just throw my board in the car and go. would a fish or a shortboard be my better bet? Im kind of big ( 6' and 200 lbs) so is there a big guys short board or fish that is good for knee high to head high waves? i really would appreciate any help or pointing in the right direction. also im fairly handy and i was thinking about shaping my own surfboard from that greenlightsurfsupply. would that be way to difficult for a beginner surfer, or would that be a great way to make a board specific for my needs? thanks for any help AJ
Yep, Yep.....Best thing to do. If I were going from an LB to shorter I'd get a 6'8 to 6'10 fish for someone your size which is also my size.That way you'll be able to keep some volume under you but still ride in a variety on conditions. Talk to a local shaper and he'll get you exactly what you need for your size so you arent running around second guessing yourself.
I started surfing about a year and a half ago and learned on a 9' longboard. This past May, like you I wanted something shorter that was easier to take to the beach and wasn't so cumbersome getting past larger waves. I settled on a 6' 6" fish and it is a huge difference. I feel like in a way I'm learning all over again, but it's still a lot of fun, and I can duckdive it to get out past breaking waves which is a plus. I'm 5'9" 185 so I need something with a little more float as well.
I'm still new... but I would think going out and renting boards to try out in pratical conditions and see not only what you 'can use' or like to use... ensure when you make your purchase ,its a board you KNOW you'll enjoy. JM2
Check out the Firewire Addvance. Turns on a dime and floats great. I highly recommend this board for our East coast waves.
thanks for all the help guys! i would talk to a local surfer, but im not wanting to put all that money into a new board. i was hoping to buy a nice used board. i was hoping to just spend around 350. i also thought about renting. but everyone where i have looked for renting boards all they have is the bic fish and short boards or the the nsp shortboards. those really just seem like they are way to short and thin for me. like the average surfer boards. i think im a good bit bigger than the average surfer. i do have a friend who had a 6'8 nsp fun board, and that seemed ok. does anyone know of a place near folly or holden beach that has a bigger and more broad selection of surfboards? i will check out the firewire advance Thanks AJ
If you go to folly a lot check out either Mckevlin's surf shop or Ocean's, they'll help you find the right board
Your instincts and budget are both giving you good advice: Dont spend a lot of money. You're experimenting with board lengths that are 2+ feet shorter than the longboard you've been riding. You really dont know what you wnat/need. Chances are you're going to be on a learning curve finding out whether your going to like...maybe a big guy shortboard, small funshape, fish, or some other hybrid shape. My advice is DONT get a custom local shape (out of your budget, you dont know what you want), DONT rent (waste of $), and DONT shape (you dont have any idea what shape to make, and if you hate it you wont know whether you messed up shaping or the shape you made just isnt right) visit some shops with used board racks and talk to a few of them before making a decision. You dont even need to spend $350. I'd be thinking closer $275 if I were you in this situation. Used boards hold their value better than ANY other option. Pay $300 for a decent used board this summer, and when you decide you want something different next summer it will still be worth at least $200 assuming you didnt bust it up. NO other option gives you that much flexibility.
I would talk to a local shaper. A custom is usually less than one off the shelf and can be made to your size, weight, local waves and experience level. When surfers look to save money they buy Asian constructed pop-outs and put price stress on the local shapers who build better boards. Support local shapers! Of course used boards are used boards, you'll have a bit of looking to do to find something right. Good luck
hey thanks for all that info bethany. do you know of a website that i can look at used surfboards? is there something like an ebay of used surfboards or something like that? also which do you think is better for someone transitioning from long board to shorter board? a fish or a shortboard? dlrouen i checked out that firewire addvanced. it actually seemed like something i would be interested in. now i will have to see if i can find one used. Thanks for all yalls help AJ
Why would you think a local shaper would be way out of his budget?????? I get boards under 7' all day long for $400 to $500 from my local shaper.....Much better than the $700+ Firewire someone referenced. When we say custom boards we arent talking about industry famous people who charge an arm and a leg for a stick that many times isnt even shaped by them but by an apprentice and just has their name on it. We are talking about area people who have been shaping and glassing just as long as most and just dont have the publicity of better known shapers. I guarantee any local custom made for his size will outlast a store bought stick that isnt made to handle his frame also. It's more practical to spend just a little more than to waste money on a used board that most likely wont even make it through the summer...............
When I was looking I searched craigslist every day. Also every opportunity I had a popped in a surf shop to look at their used boards. I talked to a bunch of the guys that worked there and some of my friends and like I said settled on a nice 6'6" fish for $350. I think the fish still has some stability since it is wider and is a good transition from a longboard to a short board. I noticed boards under $300 in that size range usually had a bunch of repairs or seemed really old and yellowed. I think $350 will get you a real nice board.
Because he said he was looking to spend $350. I personally don't think $350 is an appropriate price for a well made locally shaped board, by someone experienced in shaping and glassing. Building a custom board is a craft, and involves exposure to hazardous materials. They shouldnt make like $10/hr for their work and at $350 they'd be lucky to make that. Just my 2 cents. I agree a Firewire is an awful idea. I've had good luck buying quality used boards , often good local shapes traded in after what looks like less than ten uses, and getting years out of them.
ok so no firewire, although i do think those dimensions are what im kind of looking for. so maybe i could talk to a local surfer and show him that is what im thinking might be good? or should i just go to the surfer tell him my abilities and where i surf and just let him do his thing? if they can do it for 400 i could probably do that without feeling too bad. i will check craigslist a lot as well. Thanks for all your help guys. i really appreciate it.
If you decide to go the locally shaped direction, i know a couple of bigger guys up here in Maryland that ALWAYS get their boards custom shaped by Kelly Richards (Perfection Surfboards), who is from your area. These guys are in the 200+ lb. range and always seem to be riding something that is around 6'10" and maybe 21" wide and 2 7/8" thick.
Now this I do agree on because Perfections are suited for bigger guys and they are a solid made stick. Good info. As for his $350 budget if he put that down he could most likely come up with another $100 by the time his board is completed, on average a 6 week period and have one made exactly for him. Sweetwater in Wrightsville sells new and used Perfections at a decent price but id contact Richards directly for the best deal.
ok i will look into perfection surfboards. im not stuck on 350 i can do a hair more. im just going to have to take a lil bit of a verbal lashing from my wife in order to spend a lil more lol oh i was looking at mckelvins shop in folly, and i was looking at some of the brands they offer and browsing their websites. the bing puck looks kind of what im looking for. the 6'6" version http://www.bingsurf.com/surfboards_puck is that a good company/board? once again guys thanks for all yalls help. also if any of yall surf in sc or souther nc let me know im always looking for some new people to surf with and take pointers from. thanks AJ
Very Good.............But Very Costly as well......Look at the Bing Quad Q2.....Get a 6'8 to 7' shaped like that and you'll be good to go. Id stay closer to the upper end of that scale. Take a pic of that shape to a shaper and see what he can do for ya.
The Addvance's beveled rails are awesome and Firewire boards hold up pretty nice - not "indestructible," but very strong. Also, I am not saying that every Firewire board is a sick ride and worth the price - I am saying that the Addvance's design is a fun shape for all surfers and great for surfers who are looking to downsize. It might be worth to play around with the Addvance's dimensions with your local shaper. Bing boards are great, but expensive. The Puck is a lot of fun, but you need the surf to be on your side. If you are into that kind of board, check out their Speed Square. Looks like a lot of fun, but again, you need the waves.
