G'day! I'm from Germany and just came across seabreeze.com.au, read a bit through it, liked it, registered and now say hello to everyone!

Hope someone can give me some useful advice:

I'll fly to Bali in about 2 weeks for my first time and was thinking about getting me a Webber surfboard there! Now I'm not sure about the quality of the SLX structure and it's strength. Any experiences ?
Further I'm not sure which model of the Webber range to choose ! I'll probably mostly surf the breachbreaks around Kuta and Legian and would like to have a board that would cover a wider range of conditions - from mushy small waves to the bigger and more hollow stuff. Not sure, what would suit me better (intermediate, 5'9"/163lbs) and would work in Bali waves! What would work better - the SLX shortboard or the Afterburner? And which size would you recommend?

I know, a lot of questions! But any advices, reports would be highly appreciated!

ROOTS,one very important question,how long have you been surfing and whats your experience with powerful waves and strong rips???

Roots,how long have you been surfing and whats your experience with powerfull waves and strong rips??

I would assume that even if you are a competent surfer you will be a little rusty if you have been spending time in Germany so a some extra beef in a board will be your friend. The afterburner would be a better choice than the shortboard and certainly not limit what you can go out in.
Don't rule out the fatburner, they have heaps of meat but will give great performance in most of the waves an average dude will be out in.
I equate the SLX as being as strong as a heavily glassed polyester board but as light as a ridiculously weak 4oz top and bottom board.
No great issue to repair as long as you use an epoxy resin or putty with the inside foam.

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LUCKY MAC said...

ROOTS,one very important question,how long have you been surfing and whats your experience with powerful waves and strong rips???

Well, I started surfing 1996 at age 20, but, to be honest, as a landlocked surfer, that doesn't mean I had the chance to surf several days a week for the last 13 years! So, my competence isn't what it would have been living in Australia - I'm still an intermediate surfer (a bad surfer probably for Australian standards ), but can handle more powerful waves up to 5"/6" in any direction (been surfing several times to Fuerteventura/Canary Islands in winter and every few month in Cornwall/England, Portugal or Spain, where it has mostly beach- and pointbreaks and not too many reefbreaks). Nonetheless I know I'll need about two days to warm up and to get used to the waves on Bali! Strong rips? I did hear about them, but some spots I've surfed at in Europe had pretty strong rips, too, so, think, I know what to do ! Paddle, paddle, paddle - and that best NOT against the rips all the time !
I'm looking forward to surf Bali waves all days long, it'll improve my surfing skills and I'll have fun anyway!

P co, thanks for your note. Good to know the Webber SLX surfboards are well made and strong. True, the Afterburner seems to be a good all-around weapon, as long as I'll mostly surf the beachbreaks. Wasn't sure if it would handle steeper/hollower waves, even if they're medium sized - you know, 'cause of the fish-like extra width the Afterburner has...
At 5'9"/163lbs, what size of Afterburner would you suggest - as per the size chart on global surf industries it would be the 6'0" that should fit me, even though that sounds a bit short for the bigger waves IMO.

So, the Afterburner is on my buying list or the Chilli CN Curve, I came across, which looks attractive to my needs, too!

I've got an SLX Fatburner for the fatter waves. Good strong board but still light.

I have taken it out on bigger hollower days and it does get very loose on the bottom turn. The Afterburner should be good as it is a bit narrower and the swallow tail is not as wide. Still should have plenty of paddle power.

If I'm going to get me a Webber I'll try to check it's a 2009 model, because I've heard several negative reviews as to problems with weak lamination on the "older" SLX's ?!
Anybody tried the SLX shortboards?

Update:

I finally decided against a Webber surfboard - there were too many negative reviews I've read in several international forums! Webber surfboards sure do perform very well and I would have liked to try out the sick double concaves, but too many people made the experience that the new SLX technology is weak like an eggshell contrary to the older Poly boards. That put me off!

I'll now take the new Aloha AF2 Turbo, that's waiting for me at JungleSurf in Legian! I love Aussie surfboards !

Thanks for your advices anyway!

Cheers