1st shortboard

[phippsy]

Hi there, sorry if im writing about a subject thats been talked about a fair bit ...but.......
Ive been riding on and off for 10 years started in oz, now ride in anything i can get on here in england mostly east coast when its working but do take the long drive to cornwall / devon when i can. Every holiday ive been on including my honeymoon ( maui ) in the last 10 years has been surf based ie, portugal, france, morrocco, etc ...so as u can see i have the bug but just dont get to surf as much as i would like as im in cambridge and the river cam dont produce much swell ;o). Im 38 but a plasterer so a good paddler, ive been riding a minimal / funboard hybrid sice i started which i had custom made in oz by mc surfboard Byron Bay ( micheal cundith shaped it personally single concave with slight v) , this board has been good for me but its time to get something shorter. But this is where my brain has started hurting. My board obv. a pu board and I have tried a friends 7s superfish epoxy...which i felt was like a stiff barn door...little or no flex whastsoever. His board was a7'4" but jsut wanted to get the feel of a new epoxy board...but it felt very alien due to this limited flexo it had.
So sorry to bleet on ...im 5'9" weigh 12.5 stone or 175 pounds or 80 ish kg...but am on a diet and WILL go down to 12 stone by june ( portugal cascais trip), im looking for a shortboard...i guessing around 6'8" to 6'6" i think been looking at rusty pirahna or channel island flyer or webber fatburner again all around that size.but what are they like in epoxy?..am i on the right wavelength?...sorry couldnt help myself there......i can get from one end to the other on a wave but no fancy stuff...so i prob say im intermediate.....
any help in getting a board to suit my wide range of waves and conditions i surf- plus my wide girth- would really be appreciated plus any advice or knowledge on these or other boards would again be right helpful. Thanks for any help u fellas cam give me agin it would really be appreciated
Cheers guys

[donhoe]

I didn't like the flyer ll in epoxy. Like you said "stiff" feeling. I had been on a PU board and then got on a Proctor (proxy, epoxy) Was told they have a feel of PU. His version of epoxy is a very nice ride.
Just like with your other board , talk to the shaper.
http://www.proctorsurf.com/Surf-Boards/ ... dd-Proctor
Doesn't hurt to give um a call.

[phippsy]

Thanks for reply donhoe, i 'll give them a shout, but have a feeling that the air freight might be a little expensive tho. But do like the looks of their titanium range with the carbon rail, looks like a beatiful board...might be worth the extra lol........but do like the sounds of a epoxy board that will perform and flex a lot more like a traditional pu board. Anyone out there that knows of a shaper using this technology in britain? pleeeaaaassse

[themathteacher]

First, forget that you are going on a diet, your weight goes up and down. I'm 14.25 stone and my current shortboard is 6'5", but that is after 15 years of surfing, my smallest is 6'2. My transition board was a 7'2 hybrid.

I use epoxy shortboard on purpose cause they float better, fiberglass boards would have to be bigger to float me. As to the stiffness, I like it, I use it to shoot up the wave and cut back hard, the flex is a killer for me as a big guy.

I take it from your choices that you are ordering a board online or you have a local shop that can get you one. So, if you are going to be ordering a tuflite, my choice is the rusty pirahna for a couple of reasons: 1) I had a channel islands, did not like how it paddled or performed, 2) I rode a fiberglass pirahna and did fine, epoxy would be even easier and 3) for a begginer bigger and wider is better. The template is meant for an experienced surfer for small waves but it can double as a begginer board for a transition surfer like you.

Good luck...

[phippsy]

nice one mathteacher, but still wanna loss some weight....wetsuit bit tight lol....i was even thinking of getting another custom........down in cornwall......but buying online seems to be the best bet....have been looking at the rusty pirahna for some time.....but a little scared of epoxy cause of the lack of flex....seems a bit hit or miss with surfers that flex is good or bad tho

[themathteacher]

ok, this is what I think, other might chime in:

Stiff is good for big guys (me) and begginers, flex is good for light weight guys and advanced surfers. The flex allows to load on turn, but for me when I tried a firewire flexfire it meant huge stalls. At your weight you are right between a big guy and a small guy, so you are going to have to take your best shot.

Lastly, Rusty boards keep their value, if you buy and don't like it you'll get top dollar for it...

[phippsy]

Just hooked up with Nigel Semmens at Ocean magic......hes knocking me up a pu board for me....gonna go oldskool think irts a preference thing..im an old dog and cant learn any new trick so old skool board for me ...thanks for all replays

[donhoe]

Nice! Take a pic when you get it.

[phippsy]

will be getting my finished board ib about 3 weeks........glad i used nigel semmens as hes had several talks about what im looking for...explained that he in england we need a slightly widerer profile as our waves are al;ot slower that cali waves and oz waves...14mph slower in general.....so the extra float and volume is needed...I believe him to be the best shaper in this coubtry by a good few peoples opinion and seems to have served me well so far. All his boards are computer machine shaped which i think i near enough the norm for real size production,,and obv shaped the last 5 to 10% by hand....im really stoked to see how the board comes out and will take a pic for you guys...thanks again for your help and advise..........be lucky

[esonscar]

will be getting my finished board ib about 3 weeks........glad i used nigel semmens as hes had several talks about what im looking for...explained that he in england we need a slightly widerer profile as our waves are al;ot slower that cali waves and oz waves...14mph slower in general.....so the extra float and volume is needed...I believe him to be the best shaper in this coubtry by a good few peoples opinion and seems to have served me well so far. All his boards are computer machine shaped which i think i near enough the norm for real size production,,and obv shaped the last 5 to 10% by hand....im really stoked to see how the board comes out and will take a pic for you guys...thanks again for your help and advise..........be lucky

Hi,

I hope you get a 6'2" 19 3/4 mild rocker trifin squash tail thruster around 2.75 inches thick with nominal cant and low keel with no concaves, hand finished to your spec with your simple graphics and signed by you so you can use it as a wall hanger if you ever decide to retire the board or change it, or for a memory if you give it to one of your relatives as a heirloom or surf rocket !

My $0.02

[phippsy]

erm...no I'll be using it.......like i did with my micheal cundith board that ive had for 11 years.....surfboards are for use....no use for wall art in my house well not surf wise anyway.........but think my little boys gonna have my old board......hes 6 and my last board has had so many repairs over the years a few more wont make a difference.

[Ricar]

http://www.surfscience.com/surfboard-match/

[phippsy]

Hi,

I hope you get a 6'2" 19 3/4 mild rocker trifin squash tail thruster around 2.75 inches thick with nominal cant and low keel with no concaves, hand finished to your spec with your simple graphics and signed by you so you can use it as a wall hanger if you ever decide to retire the board or change it, or for a memory if you give it to one of your relatives as a heirloom or surf rocket !

My $0.02[/quote]
Hi i bought a ns in the end...but i doubt you were ever interested.....just wanted to put your oh so funny sarcasm in......well done

[esonscar]

Hello again:

erm, I have no intention to be sarcastic to a fellow surfer, let alone one I have never even met !.

Please accept my apology if this is how you found the tone of my first post.

Irrespective, have a good surf.

[phippsy]

Hi fella.
Looks like it was me being very over sensitive...and a bit of a dick head grabbing certainly the wrong end of a stick...good luck in all your surfing in your carbon pocket board and all your shaping.....
If there was no sarcasm meant then theres certainly no apology needed but thankyou for giving it anyway......catch a good one

[jaffa1949]

If your not getting up on a 6'3" then nor will you on a 6'0". If one of them was 20" wide or so it would help.

[esonscar]

I hope phippsy posts here again soon. It would be good to know his views.

[themathteacher]

Yeah, show us a pic of the board! Wanna see the new toy