Hi all. I keep snapping my boards at the Perth beachies {2 brand newies}. Was thinking about getting a firewire, anyone riding them, are they any good. Or anyone riding Santa Cruze, Zac Ogram boards. Would a thicker stringer help. Any one got some good ideas.

they normaly snap when you let them go so dont let it go

Without being smart - what are you doing? Are you hitting the sand banks coming off a big re-entry and nosing it - or coming off hard on a tall floater??

I have only snapped one board in 30yrs of surfing local beachies... I've caused myself more harm than my boards!!

Select to expand quote

spot1 said...

they normaly snap when you let them go so dont let it go

Select to expand quote

spot1 said...

they normaly snap when you let them go so dont let it go

spot 1 and gpa, singleton beach can pack a punch when the swells up. Seen two others with snapped boards on saturday. As for spot 1, I don't believe in letting go of my board, duck diving isn't that hard.

I have snapped heaps of boards. Lately I've been good though, not a single snap this year. Last year I did 4. I have moved onto firewires but to be honest it's not going to make a difference if you put your board in the wrong spot on a wave.

So I've changed my technique. I generally don't kook takeoffs anymore. I find the takeoff the most likely place to snap one. If you kook it on a heavy beachbreak you have a good chance of snappage. So, improve your takeoffs if that's where its happening. And be more selective. Don't always go the sucky beasts for the hell of it unless you know you are going to make it.

about 90% of snappages happen from bailing your board under the lip or even under the white water . and also most of the snapps we see are from trigg/scabs beachies over winter. personally i think it has a lot to do with the light glass on most boards theses days they are becoming more and more desposably get something with a decent laminate at least 6ounce bottom with a double 4 ounce on top .

I will go with the light glass jobs, its all about weight these days,

What about corbon fiber, i got a corbon board from brisy for a $1000, great board Aviso Bessel eliminator 6.8 indo stick,
check out. www.avisosurf.com

Select to expand quote

katana said...

about 90% of snappages happen from bailing your board under the lip or even under the white water . and also most of the snapps we see are from trigg/scabs beachies over winter. personally i think it has a lot to do with the light glass on most boards theses days they are becoming more and more desposably get something with a decent laminate at least 6ounce bottom with a double 4 ounce on top .

If I get a custom I usually get 4oz on the bottom with 6oz on the deck and I have never snapped a board. Am I not trying hard enough?

I dont mind having a board with a little bit of weight in it, Im not on the WCT and dont get sponsered boards so its not that critical imo.

I agree there Katana, heavy beachies wil snap any board like a carrot

I snapped a brand new Webber Pulse towards the end of last summer...

...backed over it on the driveway.

Select to expand quote

If I get a custom I usually get 4oz on the bottom with 6oz on the deck and I have never snapped a board. Am I not trying hard enough?

I dont mind having a board with a little bit of weight in it, Im not on the WCT and dont get sponsered boards so its not that critical imo.

I agree there Katana, heavy beachies wil snap any board like a carrot

I'm the same as Doggie, I get a 6x6x4 Glass job on mine...you also ask your shaper which blanks they are using, different denisty blanks will make the board stringer but heavier etc....most shapers use medium density but if your buying of the rack you might have got team board with green foam and 4x4x4 galss job...

Select to expand quote

weiry said...

I will go with the light glass jobs, its all about weight these days,

light glass is great for east coast but west coast beachies get way heavier but it comes down to the surfer in the end in 35years ive only snapped 5 boards either mackin death pits in indo or just landing foaters or airs badly as for carbon boards i fix and make lots of them i believe they go better and are stronger but only you can still break em if not used right

Select to expand quote

katana said...


light glass is great for east coast but west coast beachies get way heavier

Lol???? Gold Coast beachies way heavier than perth beachies. South Strad and Dbah would definately be as heavy or heavier than any yallingup beachie on its day

Select to expand quote

Tux said...

If I get a custom I usually get 4oz on the bottom with 6oz on the deck and I have never snapped a board. Am I not trying hard enough?

I dont mind having a board with a little bit of weight in it, Im not on the WCT and dont get sponsered boards so its not that critical imo.

I agree there Katana, heavy beachies wil snap any board like a carrot

I'm the same as Doggie, I get a 6x6x4 Glass job on mine...you also ask your shaper which blanks they are using, different denisty blanks will make the board stringer but heavier etc....most shapers use medium density but if your buying of the rack you might have got team board with green foam and 4x4x4 galss job...

I had a light weight Bourton 4x4 diag, and it was fine and I had it out in some heavy surf where I would have thought it would have snapped but didnt. It was a very strong board for the weight.

Select to expand quote

raynef2005 said...

katana said...


light glass is great for east coast but west coast beachies get way heavier

Lol???? Gold Coast beachies way heavier than perth beachies. South Strad and Dbah would definately be as heavy or heavier than any yallingup beachie on its day

South straddie would be heavier than perth but not down south, Dbah not really heavy at all unless its 6+ foot closeouts.

Select to expand quote

katana said...

weiry said...

I will go with the light glass jobs, its all about weight these days,

light glass is great for east coast but west coast beachies get way heavier but it comes down to the surfer in the end in 35years ive only snapped 5 boards either mackin death pits in indo or just landing foaters or airs badly as for carbon boards i fix and make lots of them i believe they go better and are stronger but only you can still break em if not used right

Snapped one board in 39 years ( started in sydney as a 10 yearold) dun indo and lived in vic for 15 years, bells, phillip Is, and all good surf. and my belief, light is better and corbon is light. But your right, if you want to come of the lip with air and land with both feet in the middle of the board your going to snapp that sucker.
But i didnt surf for a living and not all waves have to be a 10.

whats corbon?

Select to expand quote

surferstu said...

whats corbon?

Its just like carbon fibre without the a

firewire are a good option although i have found the rusty epoxy's(flexlite) not only to be as tough as nails they actually go pretty well also..........i also use them for kitesurfing because the decks don't compress like a polyester
the only feeling worse than the weightlessness you get when you get launched on a big wave and the momentary elation you get when you actually land it and think you are a chance for a microsecond of pulling it off ........is feeling the board board buckle into two pieces under your feet before being annihilated by the following lip and the drama of having to swim/ paddle your way in dragging half a board and then picking bits of fibreglass or epoxy out of your skin for the next 3 days.....
after sharing a house with a shaper i am always amazed at people that try it on with the local surfboard makers because their board snapped...it can happen in any wave considering one cubic meter of water weighs approx one tonne...quite a few of the boards i have snapped have been in less than 2 foot surf...had a bad run at one stage a few years ago and snapped 3 in less than 10 days...i try hard not to think about when surfing it because as soon as i do ...kaboom and i am swimming..again!

Light weight glass hey....

There's an old saying, "glassed to last".... Which usually means at least 6+4 on top, and probably 4 or 6 on the bottom, but they leave a tiny bit more resin on it too.

Some places have 5, but not many.... 5-5-5 is a nice starting point. I have quite a few 5-5-5. Still quite light, but quite strong.

Superlights are 4-4-4 I think....?

Select to expand quote

Simondo said...

Light weight glass hey....

There's an old saying, "glassed to last".... Which usually means at least 6+4 on top, and probably 4 or 6 on the bottom, but they leave a tiny bit more resin on it too.

Some places have 5, but not many.... 5-5-5 is a nice starting point. I have quite a few 5-5-5. Still quite light, but quite strong.

Superlights are 4-4-4 I think....?

666 [}:)] 999 [}:)] simo the man gromet

First board I snapped when I was 14. It was my first custom by Dave Mac, back in the day when he was shaping for Murray in Churchlands. Was from cooking out and nose diving sucky beachie.

I have snapped 3 in 25 years and all done surfing shallow beachies.

Had a board made by Dave Lewis for bluff. went up there surfed it and other spots solid, came home, surfed local beachie and snapped it!! (not from nose divin).
From memory it had uni directional carbon along the stringer to. Im not sure if it does much, I rekon a thicker stringer is better.

Select to expand quote

captainkaos said...

First board I snapped when I was 14. It was my first custom by Dave Mac, back in the day when he was shaping for Murray in Churchlands. Was from cooking out and nose diving sucky beachie.

I have snapped 3 in 25 years and all done surfing shallow beachies.

Had a board made by Dave Lewis for bluff. went up there surfed it and other spots solid, came home, surfed local beachie and snapped it!! (not from nose divin).
From memory it had uni directional carbon along the stringer to. Im not sure if it does much, I rekon a thicker stringer is better.

And denser blanks as well, light blanks compress so much easier.

My carbon board has no blank its all hollow, 2 years on without a mark + it gets a flogging. weird when you take the plug out when left in the sun, sounds like your opening a petrol can.