Hey folks
Has anyone who has used electronic board finders e.g the Boardcave or Firewire surfboards and found that they are recommending boards way bigger than you are currently riding?
I'm trying to figure out if I am missing out on something, I currently ride boards that are allrounders (cant afford a different board for every inch of swell) between 6'2 and 6'4 with 34 to 36 litres of volume and other than having to drop in a bit late sometimes (and in these instances think perhaps a bit more paddle power might be the go) I find them ok .
My concern is the search engines are coming up with boards that are at least 46 litres and minimum 6'6 in length (average 7') ,,,,,,,, am I making things hard for myself by ignoring their recommendations, I know its courses for horses but when laying out $700ish I want to get it right.
I'm 53, 87kgs, fit, surf mainly offshore/Island waves in the Midwest WA.
Q.How hard is it to duck dive a 46+ litres surfboard?
Look forward to your feedback
Cheers
Boardcave recommends boards a couple of litres less than my minimum preference 30L
&
Firewire is pretty close to my minimum/maximum preference when you change from weaker/better waves 33L - 36L
I like epoxy boards 32-35
I'm 46yo 80kg
Dunno about duckdiving a 46L board, but I've duckdived a rental Firewire Dominator that was 42L no worries.
I have duck-dived a 53lt 7'6" epoxy but you have to have some speed up and push it hard - but then I have 115kg to help it get under the wave 
46. 90kgs.
Best thing i did about three three years ago was realise I was on boards inappropriately sized. Now surf between 42-47 litres on my all rounders that vary from 6'2" to 7'.
I duck dive them no worries.
60 - 73kg, surf 36 to 40 litres, 6'4" to 6'6"
Because I surf like Kelly I find it strange the calculators keep sizing my boards to small.........
I'm 100kg and surf between 35-50 litre boards the go too is 6,6 and around 42 litres.
litreage is important but so is density of foam so a 40 litre FireWire may feel a little corky but paddles like a dream and is good in glassy waves ( I have several around the 40 litre mark)
for offshore reef waves I have glasses and heavier boards to paddle against the almighty easterly especially for outer reef waves these are all 40 litres plus and a couple up too 56 litres.
the FireWire calculator is good buttttt if I listened 100% to it I'd be riding behemoth boards, great to paddle in for a bit of a fat man like myself but there is no way you could slice and dice a lot of wa barrels on them.
Dependent on size of waves will dictate litreage, if it's 3 metre plus I'm happy to make the drop and a couple of sections and will ride a 7,6 pintail which is around the 54-58 litre mark..
Overall take into account litreage, what materials, I'd suspect for age weight you may be around 35-40 litres dependent on soooo many variables.
Those calculators are adding litres because of your age.
Borrow a bigger board off a mate and see how it goes.
^^^ yep they add heaps of volume for age alone but if your surf fit you can ignore it
Last thing we need is another old bloke joining the "arms race" out the back
Thanks for the replies guys,,,,
Think I might just go up a little rather than the full fat program that they're recommending.
Love the arms race comment Bara,,,, had a mate come out for a paddle last week, his board was so big it needed a HIN and should have been registered. When I asked him WTF? he said that since he moved down south it was the only way he could get a wave.
Select to expand quotewaray65 said..
Thanks for the replies guys,,,,
Think I might just go up a little rather than the full fat program that they're recommending.
Love the arms race comment Bara,,,, had a mate come out for a paddle last week, his board was so big it needed a HIN and should have been registered. When I asked him WTF? he said that since he moved down south it was the only way he could get a wave.
Hey Wara that's not a firewire unibrow (6'6") in your profile picture is it?
Looking for a 6'6" and 6'8" if anyone has one for sale.
Select to expand quoteIFocus said..waray65 said..
Thanks for the replies guys,,,,
Think I might just go up a little rather than the full fat program that they're recommending.
Love the arms race comment Bara,,,, had a mate come out for a paddle last week, his board was so big it needed a HIN and should have been registered. When I asked him WTF? he said that since he moved down south it was the only way he could get a wave.
Hey Wara that's not a firewire unibrow (6'6") in your profile picture is it?
Looking for a 6'6" and 6'8" if anyone has one for sale.
Sorry mate it's a 6'2 and its my main mode of transport around the line up at the moment so not for sale.
But it is a cracking board! funnily though when I first got it I rode it as a thruster and really didn't like it until I set it up as a quad---- that's when the love affair started :-)
Select to expand quotewaray65 said..IFocus said..waray65 said..
Thanks for the replies guys,,,,
Think I might just go up a little rather than the full fat program that they're recommending.
Love the arms race comment Bara,,,, had a mate come out for a paddle last week, his board was so big it needed a HIN and should have been registered. When I asked him WTF? he said that since he moved down south it was the only way he could get a wave.
Hey Wara that's not a firewire unibrow (6'6") in your profile picture is it?
Looking for a 6'6" and 6'8" if anyone has one for sale.
Sorry mate it's a 6'2 and its my main mode of transport around the line up at the moment so not for sale.
But it is a cracking board! funnily though when I first got it I rode it as a thruster and really didn't like it until I set it up as a quad---- that's when the love affair started :-)
Haha yeah same for me set my Uni up for a quad also.
Running thrusters I lost it off bottom turns in size conditions a couple of times (nothing to do with the operator 
) but as a quad rock solid.
Only thing with the quad setup the sweet spot for the back foot tightens up a touch but when i get it right the board goes really well considering the (old fella) volume.
Perhaps you could try talking to a shaper rather than getting your advice from an online spreadsheet? Crazy idea I know but may be worthy a go
Not saying that this is the rule but I surfed custom high performance boards from a local shaper for 25 years and then as got I older they tried to get my board to do the best it could as I lost the physical form of my twenties. They totally failed. When I went to said spreadsheet it was a total turnaround. In essence the idea is sound but in some cases it jus simply doesn't make sense.
Select to expand quotem00chy said..
Not saying that this is the rule but I surfed custom high performance boards from a local shaper for 25 years and then as got. I older they tried to get my board to do the best it could as I lost the physical form of my twenties. They totally failed. When I went to said spreadsheet it was a total turnaround. In essence the idea is sound but in some cases it jus simply doesn't make sense.
Thus made me laugh so much .
Those volume calculators made me laugh just as much
Hi Waray65,
I went through the same. Although I was getting back into short boards after a long break of about 20 years. I surfed a single fin in late 70s then a 7ft epoxy surftech in 2001 to 2012. Too much volume to duck dive. I am guessing about 45 litres. Then to SUPs & short boards. I got a 6ft 38 litre all rounder which is just about right for my 80 kg weight. 58 years of age, fit but fairly weak paddler that takes late drops. Lol.
I am a cruiser & carver more than a bruiser shredder.
My favourite board is a Sunova Soul at 6ft 6" about 42 litres. It flys as a single fin & paddles & catches waves with ease. But! Its not a performance board for shredding. In saying that. My mate in his 30s who is a shredder & powerful paddler had a go on it & loves it. He normally rides boards at 5ft 8 to 6ft.
What I would recommend to any surfer that has a few years experience is to improve on their favourite board. That is you mentioned more paddle speed. Maybe more volume or width or length or flatter rocker or all four on your favourite all rounder. But be mindful on volume for duck diving. Which would be my last choice.
For your weight, age , paddlepower I would recommend anything from 6ft 3" 38 litres minimum to 6ft 6" 44 litres max. Somewhere in between like 6ft 4" 42 litres ideal. But the larger board would be more easy & comfortable to get onto waves. The rest would be board shape & fins.
So many variables that you could take to a shaper for your best fit.
