Ok decisions to be made shall I go

10 ft or 10 ft 6”
Wood finish or EPS


Any help or advise greatly accepted as this is a new area for me, usually ride something somewhat shorter.

Hey Rossall. I've had the 10' eps surfer for a few months now, a really fun board. Happy i didn't go 10'6". The deck depressions started pretty much straight away, but seems to have stabilised, still enjoying it. Another bloke here has the wood deck, he's pretty much the same dimensions as me, and the board deck seems to be holding up a bit better. Hope this helps.

Hi Rossell
I purchased the 10'6" EPS Surfer,love it.
Being only 140lts ,still able to throw it around with the nice tail rocker (pic attached).
Coming from a longboard background and riding 9'10" Volane logs I wanted the longboard glide.
This ticks all the box's for me.
No prob's with the Deck either,which was a concern initially.
10'6" has nice glide for the odd flat water paddle too.

So, going a bit against the grain here - has anyone tried smaller fins in their Laird?

I have recently purchased an old 10'6" surftech, which is thruster only. I have a shapers S9 & AM2 fin combo that felt great in my old Allwave. Most seem to be going for bigger single fins, has anyone tried a good thruster setup in their board?

(I note that a few have gone to smaller fins in their Nalu's and comment how much it loosened the board up. Just wondering if I can expect the same?).

Hi fester & Rossall - did either of you compare the 10' vs the 10'6 Laird Surfer? My main questions are: does the 10'6 paddlle onto waves + track on flat water noticably better vs the 10' or is it marginal given that the 10' is 1" narrower at 29" vs 30". Reason I ask is because I recently sold my 10'6 EZ (32" wide) so I need to decide which new board to get. I've been on the 10'6 x 30" & still find it super stable so I'm trying to decide if I should jump down 2 notches straight to the 10'? Cheers

Hi SUPing
I did paddle the 10' but only on flat water, tracked well & had good glide.
The 10'6" is only 140lts, not a lot of volume for a large board.
The 10' was 130lts ? to close to my other board 8'11" JL striker so I went bigger & don't regret it!
I would try & demo both it you have the chance.
good luck

Thanks mate. No chance to demo & like you, my other board is a 9'2 JP Surf which is only 136l so it probably makes sense for my large board to have more volume. I loved my 10'6 EZ however I'm sure by dropping 2" off the width will make a big difference in terms of performance in the surf. Cheers

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SUPing said..
Thanks mate. No chance to demo & like you, my other board is a 9'2 JP Surf which is only 136l so it probably makes sense for my large board to have more volume. I loved my 10'6 EZ however I'm sure by dropping 2" off the width will make a big difference in terms of performance in the surf. Cheers

I'm with Fester on this one. If your short sup is 136 litres go the 10'6" as a 'longboard' style sup.
I also ride a 9'6" mal and my sup is the old 10'6" Laird. More cruisy, nose rides well and good for a flat water spin.
I also ride it as a single fin. Big 10" fatboy.
Enjoy, it is a great board.

Thanks Sandsy1 - I'm offically the owner of the 10'6 (bamboo) & she's a beauty - cheers

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I'm offically the owner of the 10'6 (bamboo) & she's a beauty - cheers

Just treat it with care as you would a normally constructed longboard.

I have a Laird Hybrid bamboo deck. Unfortunately, the construction has turned out to be an absolute let-down. Everything from the usual heel dents to the blank being soft bubbly foam, major delamination adjacent a rail compresson, the worm screws in the fin box stripping, tail dinging from the legrope and the final straw the vent value falling apart and the tail filling with water! It is a real pity as the Surfer is arguably the better longboard shape SUP getting around.

If you want something you can surf with style that will last, a better board would be the almost as fine Surftech verion. I have done everything to kill my old Surftech and it is still ridable.

I'm really sorry to hear that - hopefully it's more of a 1-off (as disappointing as it must be for you) because I was told that the bamboo EPS composite is the most robust material out of the Laird Surfer range. I must say that I had zero problems with my previous EPS Laird & I was initially tempted to replace it with the HP construction (mainly because of the lower weight) but I was advised to give it a miss.

Word is there's been a couple of shipments of these - the first one was quite dodgy, the second was improved, but the importer/distributor still wasn't happy. The next lot will be from a different factory (Cobra I think), but still in relatively basic constructions like these - just with better QC I suppose.

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Burndo said..
Word is there's been a couple of shipments of these - the first one was quite dodgy, the second was improved, but the importer/distributor still wasn't happy. The next lot will be from a different factory (Cobra I think), but still in relatively basic constructions like these - just with better QC I suppose.

Still sucks that people with the front of Laird have these things outsourced to random factories in basic construction in the hope of maximizing profit? You would think with the reputation he has at stake, he would have made sure things were kosha before the boards were released to the public? At least when you look at new market entrants like Tom Carroll, thought and intergrety have been put into the construction of their boards.

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surfershaneA said..

I'm offically the owner of the 10'6 (bamboo) & she's a beauty - cheers

Just treat it with care as you would a normally constructed longboard.

I have a Laird Hybrid bamboo deck. Unfortunately, the construction has turned out to be an absolute let-down. Everything from the usual heel dents to the blank being soft bubbly foam, major delamination adjacent a rail compresson, the worm screws in the fin box stripping, tail dinging from the legrope and the final straw the vent value falling apart and the tail filling with water! It is a real pity as the Surfer is arguably the better longboard shape SUP getting around.

If you want something you can surf with style that will last, a better board would be the almost as fine Surftech verion. I have done everything to kill my old Surftech and it is still ridable.

Thats a shame. I got the 10'6 Surftech Laird and it's a great board to ride coming from a longboarding background. Mine is still going strong but looking a bit battered and I don't think I'd get a new one based on some of the comments I've heard. There's a guy around here I know who got one in bamboo construction and it hasn't held up very well at all.

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surfershaneA said..

Burndo said..
Word is there's been a couple of shipments of these - the first one was quite dodgy, the second was improved, but the importer/distributor still wasn't happy. The next lot will be from a different factory (Cobra I think), but still in relatively basic constructions like these - just with better QC I suppose.

Still sucks that people with the front of Laird have these things outsourced to random factories in basic construction in the hope of maximizing profit? You would think with the reputation he has at stake, he would have made sure things were kosha before the boards were released to the public? At least when you look at new market entrants like Tom Carroll, thought and intergrety have been put into the construction of their boards.

Yeah - who knows what wheels turned to get that result, but if a company with the experience of Naish can suddenly release a season of boards with all sorts of problems, it must be 'challenging' to keep on top of production qc in these Asian factories for a new player (the 'name' behind which is very busy hanging out with celebs at Malibu etc). It must be frustrating for the shapers/brands going through Surftech as Pearson/Laird originally did. The boards last really well (I had an early Surftech mal which got surfed A LOT and was like new when I sold it 5 years later) and they seem to just keep the same plugs forever so there's no incentive to buy new ones. At least GSI (Tom Carroll's "producer") don't seem to be quite as slow to update shapes as Surftech which seems to have just gathered dust.
There's a good spiel somewhere on here from Jimmy Lewis (whose boards always have excellent construction) about factories etc.

Last summer I ordered a Laird Firefish 8' 5".

It was the lowest quality board I have ever owned.

I was able to return it as, thank god, I had purchased it through Amazon.

Love the shapes, hope they fix the quality issues..

Just got back from a surf in average conditions & following a fairly inconspicuous knock, I noticed that I put a small ding on the nose of my new Laird which unfortunately has taken on a bit of water. Even the board repair guys mentioned (without being prompted) that it feels like a 'soft' board so I fear this board will have to be wrapped in cotton wool. Hopefully these quality issues will be sorted out a.s.a.p.

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Burndo said..
it must be 'challenging' to keep on top of production qc in these Asian factories

Yes, it is quite difficult: production quality varies tremendously, it is not uncommon to have factory management just disappear with the cash. You need to build a steady business relationships with your factories to expect consistent quality, and really show the workers how it is done, and recognize the quality of their work than just sign a deal with the factory manager and sell their boards 4 times what you pay them.

I know of a French brand that just slapped two "big names" on boards that were made in China with not much supervision... Result: in a container, nearly half the boards could be defective. They now produce closer to Europe.

On the other hand, the Gong shaper climbed in a plane 62 times last year...
Producing in Europe is not only a price problem: issues are the quantities of boards than can be produced, and that now most of the components (resins, cloths, ...) are made in asia too... there are other kinds of difficulties,

is the quality really this ****ty on these boards ? i just bought one, now i am starting to think that his decision might have been a mistake ? i can't test the board now cause its still too cold here

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Marc996 said..
is the quality really this ****ty on these boards ? i just bought one, now i am starting to think that his decision might have been a mistake ? i can't the board now cause its still too cold here

Problem really is that they have gone light using standard construction. If you keep this in mind and take care of the board, you should not have too many dramas. It is comparable to buying a typical light glassed prone board, which most wanting performance will do. Thing with me is my boards cop fairly extreme treatment. They are probably getting as much use and knocking about in a month than most other boards would in a year. Saying this, if the construction is average, I would be the first to know. Pity really as the Surfer is such a good shape.

Another thing which is kinda stating the obvious however it was reinforced by the board repair company: if you like your equipment to look meticulous yet at the same time be practical where it takes a few knocks, it's better to choose a plain matte finish vs a coloured gloss/polished finish because a polished repair is always more challenging to blend in. Obviously this can't be your over-riding decision for buying a board but if there's a choice between the 2 (as with the Laird Surfer) I would choose a matte finish going forward.

Also, if the conditions are crap#y - don't waste your time going out for the sake of going out because on the 2 occassions I have, it's backfired big-time.

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Marc996 said..
is the quality really this ****ty on these boards ? i just bought one, now i am starting to think that his decision might have been a mistake ? i can't the board now cause its still too cold here

SPEAKING FROM BROADER PERSPECTIVE and talking to other LAIRD dealers, less than 10% of the new boards were faulty to a point that they needed replacing. Most of the boards will get foot depressions but it stops and goes no further.
You cannot compare EPS and Wood construction with PVC sandwich ( Surftech). They are two different boards and constructions.

Plenty of top name boards come in wood and have had issues and need to be treated with care. If foot depressions put you off, dont buy one.
But if you want one of the better long board style boards on the market and you are prepared to treat the board with a little more care than you would PVC construction, go for it! You wont be disappointed.

If you are one of the 10% that needed boards replacing and you have issues contact your retailer or the supplier.
From my experience the issues will be sorted.

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AA said...

Marc996 said..
is the quality really this ****ty on these boards ? i just bought one, now i am starting to think that his decision might have been a mistake ? i can't the board now cause its still too cold here

SPEAKING FROM BROADER PERSPECTIVE and talking to other LAIRD dealers, less than 10% of the new boards were faulty to a point that they needed replacing. Most of the boards will get foot depressions but it stops and goes no further.
You cannot compare EPS and Wood construction with PVC sandwich ( Surftech). They are two different boards and constructions.

Plenty of top name boards come in wood and have had issues and need to be treated with care. If foot depressions put you off, dont buy one.
But if you want one of the better long board style boards on the market and you are prepared to treat the board with a little more care than you would PVC construction, go for it! You wont be disappointed.

If you are one of the 10% that needed boards replacing and you have issues contact your retailer or the supplier.
From my experience the issues will be sorted.

Call me strange, but I don't mind foot depressions. It gives a reference point of where you'd normally stand. I find it comfy. Kinda like Homer Simpson with his ass groove in his favourite chair.

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Zeusman said..
Call me strange, but I don't mind foot depressions. It gives a reference point of where you'd normally stand. I find it comfy. Kinda like Homer Simpson with his ass groove in his favourite chair.

Me too, plus it prevents slipping when balancing in heavy chop.

Me to. Once they delam not such a good underfoot feeling. Every board I have owned, prone or stand up have all had foot depressions. Seems EPS foam does not stick quite as well to its covering.

Still after all comments good, bad or ugly. The Laird 10' Surfer super fun board in my opinion.

i don't mind the feet depressions either. i have that in my custom Minvielle board too. my toughest board is my PSH Ripper 9.6 by boardworks. i have driven over it with my car and its still ok.
i am going to report back after i tested the board for a while. the shape sure looks beautiful.

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Funnsurfn said..
Seems EPS foam does not stick quite as well to its covering.

Yep - it doesn't absorb any resin like old school urethane blanks did, so de-lams badly when dented. My surfboard guy found this out the hard way when first using XPS. Now all his XPS/epoxy have a bamboo veneer on the deck - problem solvered. That wouldn't save boards with a really soft blank underneath though.

Those past 5 years i already laminated more than my own 20 SUP boards and few son's surfboards with EPS/epoxy/glass, SUPboards get stamped from my feet standing up on and my son's knees badly crushed his surfboards while ducking and surfing but never de-lams once of those boards.
So i reckon the best longboard SUP might be laminated and stringed. This material combo does a livable board during many and many enjoying sessions.
Foot depression are welcome because as Funnsurf said. As well for the back foot position got your back foot closest of the fin/planning area and rail while pushing on it during hard core maneuvers.

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AA said..

Marc996 said..
is the quality really this ****ty on these boards ? i just bought one, now i am starting to think that his decision might have been a mistake ? i can't the board now cause its still too cold here

SPEAKING FROM BROADER PERSPECTIVE and talking to other LAIRD dealers, less than 10% of the new boards were faulty to a point that they needed replacing. Most of the boards will get foot depressions but it stops and goes no further.
You cannot compare EPS and Wood construction with PVC sandwich ( Surftech). They are two different boards and constructions.

Plenty of top name boards come in wood and have had issues and need to be treated with care. If foot depressions put you off, dont buy one.
But if you want one of the better long board style boards on the market and you are prepared to treat the board with a little more care than you would PVC construction, go for it! You wont be disappointed.

If you are one of the 10% that needed boards replacing and you have issues contact your retailer or the supplier.
From my experience the issues will be sorted.

It's an old thread I know, but currently tossing up between 9' Laird HP Surfer and 8'8" TC Loose Leaf. I do prefer a longboard style SUP. Any advice?

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CliftonBen said..

AA said..

Marc996 said..
is the quality really this ****ty on these boards ? i just bought one, now i am starting to think that his decision might have been a mistake ? i can't the board now cause its still too cold here

SPEAKING FROM BROADER PERSPECTIVE and talking to other LAIRD dealers, less than 10% of the new boards were faulty to a point that they needed replacing. Most of the boards will get foot depressions but it stops and goes no further.
You cannot compare EPS and Wood construction with PVC sandwich ( Surftech). They are two different boards and constructions.

Plenty of top name boards come in wood and have had issues and need to be treated with care. If foot depressions put you off, dont buy one.
But if you want one of the better long board style boards on the market and you are prepared to treat the board with a little more care than you would PVC construction, go for it! You wont be disappointed.

If you are one of the 10% that needed boards replacing and you have issues contact your retailer or the supplier.
From my experience the issues will be sorted.

It's an old thread I know, but currently tossing up between 9' Laird HP Surfer and 8'8" TC Loose Leaf. I do prefer a longboard style SUP. Any advice?

Hey CliftonBen, we currently don't stock the Laird boards as we are waiting on the new construction.
Both the boards you mention are hybrids - mid length boards with a long-board feel.
Once you get under 9' however it is hard to get the longboard feel.
Currently our most popular long board style board is the SUNOVA Style and the Naish 10' Nalu.

There are some good reviews on the SUNOVA STYLE here-
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Sunova-Style-XL-10-x-30-12-x-4-139L-Review/?SearchTerms=STYLE

Nalu 10' LE here-
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/New-for-Australia-only-Naish-Nalu-LE-10/?SearchTerms=Nalu


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