Gday Lb crew, we own an 9'1" Wayne Deane Surftech that has been a fun intro into Longboarding. I use this for little summer waves not into high performace or comp stuff.

Thinking about changing over to a traditional LB of similar dimensions. Whats the pro's and cons of each type?

All opinions are welcome and appreciated!

Cheers

Forget the brand but have a read of all the board specs and what does what.

www.mctavish.com.au/pages/performance_longboards

Thanks Mac, I guess Im after some comment from the experienced people here about what are the main differnces I would find in changing over. I cant really afford to own all the boards I would like to try! But I might have an oppurtunity to swap over cheaply.

Ps I like the look of the tracker

One has no soul

As for differences, if they're the same dimensions. An epoxy will be lighter and also more buoyant but typically epoxies have less glide.

Tracker: you actually have 2 choices on this little beauty.... You need think how you want to ride, and what your skill level is. The true Tracker is actually for intermediate or better riders. It it slightly hulled up the front, and rolled Vee out the back, and softer traditional rails. If you order a Tracker, this is how it comes...

But you should really think about a modern Tracker... Call them up, and ask to speak to Bob or Ben, and consider a Tracker in your favorite glass job... Traditional pale green tint, diamond inlay, or love heart inlay, or cotton design inlay... But here's the trick, you can still leave it as a Single Fin... But ask for modern rails and bottom contours. For the average punter, this will work better for us...

Another thing to consider, Bob won't be around for ever, and he LOVES shaping stuff like The Tracker, so it is perfect timing get a true Bob McTavish Tracker. Although Ben will be still be doing them in true authentic style until about 2050...

---

Epoxy v's PU... ;

PU - Traditional... And for a Traditional Longboard, you must go for PU

Mac to be honest I love checking out the McTavish site and reading about the different boards , esp the blue square nosed fireball . But for the average Joe such as myself all that sale blurb and facts and figures tells me stuff all . I would love to sit down with someone one day and go through all the different figures and what difference they make to the board performance in the real world .
Feedback from blokes such as yourself or Billboard and all the other contributors to the forum who have ridden all these boards over the years tells me the info I really understand
In the end I think board preference is pretty different between each person anyway . And I reckon most of these boards could perform anywhere with the right rider .

I have just purchased an Epoxy fish after 30+ yrs surfing traditional PU boards...

It is near exactly the same as my last fish of 3yrs which I loved. Although I haven't had enough time on it - I cannot say that I love it...

I find the epoxy board sits too high in the water, and is a bit too skatey when there's some chop or lumps to the wave... I would think this issue might be exagerated on an LB.

I have a McT LB in PU. If I was looking for a new LB, I think I would look at a traditional PU board...

Epoxy v's Epoxy... there are two main types...

Surftech is Epoxy Sandwich Construction, and I think Surftech Construction suits High Performance Longboards very well. In my book, the main "negative" is that they look like Car Duco, rather than the lovely traditional tints and laps that people like Bill McLean does for his label, McTavish.

Then you have Polystyrene Blanks, and Epoxy Laminations... One problem is low strength of the blanks, and they can be prone to deck compression... from heels... This is combated by higher density blanks, or high density top layers... Global Surf Industries do the SLX boards which are basically this construction... A McTavish SLX Epoxy Board is actually built overseas, and yes they are available at the factory in Byron, but those boards are not made there...
http://www.mctavish.com.au/surfboard/fireball-evolution-slx-epoxy

PU is tried and tested...

ALL BOARDS WILL BE FUN THOUGH!

(CMC can correct some minor details that I didn't get quite right... or he might even expand on my descriptions... ())

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Tassiedevel said...

Mac to be honest I love checking out the McTavish site and reading about the different boards , esp the blue square nosed fireball . But for the average Joe such as myself all that sale blurb and facts and figures tells me stuff all . I would love to sit down with someone one day and go through all the different figures and what difference they make to the board performance in the real world .
Feedback from blokes such as yourself or Billboard and all the other contributors to the forum who have ridden all these boards over the years tells me the info I really understand
In the end I think board preference is pretty different between each person anyway . And I reckon most of these boards could perform anywhere with the right rider .

Well its no secret I'm a mctavish pimp and the guys in here are cool with it,very understanding bunch
Always worth a look on the site,the blog can be a good read at times also.
Dont worry it told me a long time before I found what works for me and I'm in no hurry to blow money on the( what if )But whats good for me may not be for the next punter,I found talking to the factory guys,who give you a real honest opinion and will kindly tell you your wrong but how about this instead of yes mate that's the board for you just to get a sale.I better stop before a full blown rant comes on

Doggie will like this;

CMC=

Just kidding CMC, we love you! Thanks for those fins buddy!

CMC starts the thread of the year then goes Awall

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SP said...

One has no soul

As for differences, if they're the same dimensions. An epoxy will be lighter and also more buoyant but typically epoxies have less glide.

Im not keen to buy into the soul debate as ive heard these arguments before, re -glide does that mean like a foward momentum. More glide sounds good!

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Tassiedevel said...

Mac to be honest I love checking out the McTavish site and reading about the different boards , esp the blue square nosed fireball . But for the average Joe such as myself all that sale blurb and facts and figures tells me stuff all . I would love to sit down with someone one day and go through all the different figures and what difference they make to the board performance in the real world .
Feedback from blokes such as yourself or Billboard and all the other contributors to the forum who have ridden all these boards over the years tells me the info I really understand
In the end I think board preference is pretty different between each person anyway . And I reckon most of these boards could perform anywhere with the right rider .

devil man i spoke to a kazzilion shapers and people about boards. got a kazillion different answers,except for a coulple of guys(one uses this forum). if you want to talk stuff like you want to know ask cmc,that bloke was the best help full stop when it came to taking technical **** out so you can understand wtf the jargon means

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chrispychru said...

Tassiedevel said...

Mac to be honest I love checking out the McTavish site and reading about the different boards , esp the blue square nosed fireball . But for the average Joe such as myself all that sale blurb and facts and figures tells me stuff all . I would love to sit down with someone one day and go through all the different figures and what difference they make to the board performance in the real world .
Feedback from blokes such as yourself or Billboard and all the other contributors to the forum who have ridden all these boards over the years tells me the info I really understand
In the end I think board preference is pretty different between each person anyway . And I reckon most of these boards could perform anywhere with the right rider .

devil man i spoke to a kazzilion shapers and people about boards. got a kazillion different answers,except for a coulple of guys(one uses this forum). if you want to talk stuff like you want to know ask cmc,that bloke was the best help full stop when it came to taking technical **** out so you can understand wtf the jargon means

What do you really want to know?

G'day crusher, I got some strong viewers on this, you see, I ride tuffys exclusively.

I rid them because I'm a fat slow old kook and I can get a wave on them whereas I can't catch a thing on a PU board.

Anyone with the correctly sized PU and a half an ounce of ability could ride the arse of most blokes with a tuffy.

So the only question you really need to answer is, " am I a fat slow old kook"?

If the answer is "no", then go visit a good shaper.

^^^obct,you are like the yoda of the longboard room...except,dirty,sinister,and inspiring

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doggie said...

chrispychru said...

Tassiedevel said...

Mac to be honest I love checking out the McTavish site and reading about the different boards , esp the blue square nosed fireball . But for the average Joe such as myself all that sale blurb and facts and figures tells me stuff all . I would love to sit down with someone one day and go through all the different figures and what difference they make to the board performance in the real world .
Feedback from blokes such as yourself or Billboard and all the other contributors to the forum who have ridden all these boards over the years tells me the info I really understand
In the end I think board preference is pretty different between each person anyway . And I reckon most of these boards could perform anywhere with the right rider .

devil man i spoke to a kazzilion shapers and people about boards. got a kazillion different answers,except for a coulple of guys(one uses this forum). if you want to talk stuff like you want to know ask cmc,that bloke was the best help full stop when it came to taking technical **** out so you can understand wtf the jargon means

What do you really want to know?

doggie chrispy is past the stage of knowing which is the nose and the tail of a surfboard

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obct said...

G'day crusher, I got some strong viewers on this, you see, I ride tuffys exclusively.

I rid them because I'm a fat slow old kook and I can get a wave on them whereas I can't catch a thing on a PU board.

Anyone with the correctly sized PU and a half an ounce of ability could ride the arse of most blokes with a tuffy.

So the only question you really need to answer is, " am I a fat slow old kook"?

If the answer is "no", then go visit a good shaper.

Disclaimer>> obct is not a kook he just says that

Epoxy:

Sandwhich boards will generally speaking last a little longer (Surftech's) and take more bumps and bruises
Lighter
Not customizable (for the most part)
Can be deamed "corky" to some
Less choice

PU:

Heavier, more glide/enertia
Customizable if not bought off the rack
More variety of shapes
More variety of shapers
"soul" or as close as you can get with a APS shaping machine


In general their both around the same price, they both have fins, they both surf, and they'll both snap if you stuff up!

Find a board that feels good under your arm and go surfing, or so I've been told.

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cRAZY Canuk said...

Epoxy:

Sandwhich boards will generally speaking last a little longer (Surftech's) and take more bumps and bruises
Lighter
Not customizable (for the most part)
Can be deamed "corky" to some
Less choice

PU:

Heavier, more glide/enertia
Customizable if not bought off the rack
More variety of shapes
More variety of shapers
"soul" or as close as you can get with a APS shaping machine


In general their both around the same price, they both have fins, they both surf, and they'll both snap if you stuff up!

Find a board that feels good under your arm and go surfing, or so I've been told.

I will vouch for the corkiness/floaty feel. I think in low volume boards its not a massive issue but GPA is having some problems with his saying it corky.
The FireWire is a different construction to the EPS epoxy that he is riding.
I went for real rakey fins with flex DHD-1s I think

Hahaha.

Stoked for the mentions above boys.

Do you want my have shares in a PU foam company or get paid to develop and sell epoxy surfboards spiel

Truth is, never been busier in my life than right now...

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chrispychru said...

^^^obct,you are like the yoda of the longboard room...except,dirty,sinister,and inspiring

Both CMC!
Nah, hit us up with your latest info, and a brief run down on what you're up to.

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62mac said...

CMC starts the thread of the year then goes Awall

It's AWOL Mac!
Absent With Out Leave.

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CMC said...

Hahaha.

Stoked for the mentions above boys.

Do you want my have shares in a PU foam company or get paid to develop and sell epoxy surfboards spiel

Truth is, never been busier in my life than right now...

Like you know what ya talkin about

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Doggie said...[/b]

What do you really want to know?

nose bevels ? 60/40 rails ? Lower rails?50/50 rails?con caves - single / double ?rolled bottom?rocker profile ?

Jeepers!!

That might take some time, let me get back to you

ahh, i've been waiting for a a chance to show off my knowledge
















unfortunately this isn't it

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laceys lane said...

ahh, i've been waiting for a a chance to show off my knowledge
















unfortunately this isn't it

Hahaha.

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Simondo said...

Doggie will like this;

CMC=

Just kidding CMC, we love you! Thanks for those fins buddy!

Yes I seen that, cheeky bugger.

I put myself to sleep sometimes

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laceys lane said...

ahh, i've been waiting for a a chance to show off my knowledge


unfortunately this isn't it

Ha ha thanks fellas