I have a 9'6"x 23"x 3 1/4" ebay special board which i have learnt the basics on.
I can stand up and ride and that is about it.
I am a pretty big bloke 195cm and weigh 110kg's when should i be looking for a smaller board want a smaller board?
I pretty much only surf on weekends so should I just stick out the upcoming winter on my current board and look for a smaller board next summer?

Well at 110 kegs I think your current board is a good match.
The question is,why do you want to go down in size
If you want to stay on a longboard you could go down to
9.4 x 23 x 3 or even 9.3 or 9.1, but it will give to a workout
in the paddling department.

I'd stick this coming winter out on your board and look at changing
down the track

mac

I agree with mac, at your weight and size you'll really struggle to get on waves with anything smaller.

Perhaps that same volume but in a real performance model from Mactav or a hot local shaper may be the way to go.

I just get sick of carrying the huge thing around.

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Lofty said...

I just get sick of carrying the huge thing around.

They can be a pain in the ar-se to lug around but hey that's part of the game
Try travelling os in a crowded airport, its fine on the way over but once the holiday is done I get the dirts bumping into peoples and just want to be at home.

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Lofty said...

I just get sick of carrying the huge thing around.

Have you got a good quality zip up bag with a shoulder strap and handle?

They really make a big difference especially at home when you're tired and really don't want to fuss about getting the board stowed away without chipping it.

Plus they're good to carry to the break and leave on the beach with your towel and if you stow the board in the car, they stop wax and sea water getting on the upholstery. With an expensive new board they're a must and could be part of the deal.

The thing I hate about them the wax sticks to them and makes it near impossible to get them out of the bag. To overcome the problem I went down to Whitworths (the boating guys) and bought a flexible fibreglass baton. I'm not sure what they're called but they are the things that yacht'ys put into pockets in their sails. It doesn't damage the board or the bag when I shove it down there to break the wax seal.

I tried wood but it needs to be too thick to be strong enough and by that time it's not flexible enough.

Hey Lofty I have a 9'6 Mctavish fireball and a few 7'2 hybrids and have found the only two times you would want a shorter board is when the board you have is not giving you the satisfaction you want or if you in general want a differnt ride for differernt surf.

A 9'6 does take a bit of getting used to and there is some performance boards around that let you do what you want with a bit of time in the water.

I dont think a 9'1 or 9'4 would inhibit you getting waves might just mean the paddling will have to get stronger but then you will be clawing onto anything when you jump on the 9'6

I think Joel Tudors view in that you should give everything a crack is spot on given the budget and time frame allows it . I would stick with the 9'6 as long as you can especially when the reefies fire near winter. I find nothing more enjoyable than paddling onto a nce sized wave and soaking in the slow beautiful arc the F/B can create with the single fin setup. Then again with the side fins in I can get some nice top turns in when my limited skill lets me.

what difference does fin placement make to the board?

I'm in the same size catagory as you and ride a 9'4" and 9'1" longboards and 6'10" shortboards (there's a 7'2" hybrid fish in there that never gets used these days).

My first question (like mac) is why do you want a smaller board? Like I was told as a kid "just cause you can doesn't mean you should".

My next long board will be to replace the 9'1" (low rocker board/cruiser) with a 9'6"-9'8".

If your looking to loosen the tail up a little/turn harder you could try moving the centre fin forward or put a smaller centrefin in. I think Mac runs 6" centres in his boards (from the pictures), I run 9"ers and the 9'4" has a 9" cut-away fin in it. Or just move your feet (both of them) further back.

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cRAZY Canuk said...

I'm in the same size catagory as you and ride a 9'4" and 9'1" longboards and 6'10" shortboards (there's a 7'2" hybrid fish in there that never gets used these days).

My first question (like mac) is why do you want a smaller board? Like I was told as a kid "just cause you can doesn't mean you should".

My next long board will be to replace the 9'1" (low rocker board/cruiser) with a 9'6"-9'8".

If your looking to loosen the tail up a little/turn harder you could try moving the centre fin forward or put a smaller centrefin in. I think Mac runs 6" centres in his boards (from the pictures), I run 9"ers and the 9'4" has a 9" cut-away fin in it. Or just move your feet (both of them) further back.

Because shorter is better

I've just cut a foot off my board to whack doggie over the head with it.

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62mac said...

I've just cut a foot off my board to whack doggie over the head with it.

Should have cut about 6,2 off off it mate

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doggie said...

62mac said...

I've just cut a foot off my board to whack doggie over the head with it.

Should have cut about 6,2 off off it mate

3 foot of board left I've got that sinking feeling [}:)]

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62mac said...

doggie said...

62mac said...

I've just cut a foot off my board to whack doggie over the head with it.

Should have cut about 6,2 off off it mate

3 foot of board left I've got that sinking feeling [}:)]

lol

I have a mate about your size & he had alot of luck with a custom 6'10 POD. It looks wierd but he goes alright on it. He rode a long board for about a year & wanted to drop to a shortboard but his paddleing fitness wasn't the best. This beast did the job.

Get a shorter one & keep both Some times it not about length but volume and it's distribution throught the board. Solid WA beachies during the winter & long boards don't mix to well. Local reef breaks & long board.........nice.

Try to ride some mates smaller boards & see how you go. Your welcome to try my 8 ' at Secret Habour one morning.

Deano