Advice on 1st Shortboard for Petite Shortie

[coldwatergirl]

Hello,

Need some advice from you as I'm trying to figure out what my first shortboard (3rd surfboard) should be. I've been surfing for a few years and currently have a 7'5 funboard (surf diva - 7'5 x 21 1/8 x 2 3/4) and a walden longboard (8'x22'x2 3/4 riding single fin).
Doing well on both but wanting to get my next board to be shorter. This is so I can learn to ride the shortboard style as well as make it easier for me to lug around my board. I surf mostly a cold water beach break locally so getting out sometimes is a challenge on these bigger boards (big for me anyways). I'm very small - 5'0 and 90lbs and I've been told I can get away with a much shorter board as long as it's a bit wider and thicker (more volume) for stability. I'm an average paddler with good balance but obviously my upper body strength is much less than a typical guy.

I tried out the Ark Simmonoid which is made by a local shaper of very high quality (5'9 http://arksurfboards.com/Boards_in_shops.html) just for kicks last weekend on a demo (I was actually interested in the Ark Quad Fish) and got up on a couple of waves ok but the surf was pitching and a bit too intimidating for me with a new demo board without practice.

So here's my question - what should my next board be? I'm looking at some of the below options but not sure which way to go. It's hard to get a demo probably in even the right size for someone as small as me. i'm kind of thinking a wider fish or a hybrid/egg? I want something that i can ride locally and learn to ride rail to rail smoothly but still need the stability and paddling ability. As well something that can travel with me as I go to Hawaii pretty much yearly. Not looking for something super performance since I'm not at that level. I would say I'm probably at a novice to intermediate level. Wave size I want to keep things at 6ft and under so I don't chew off more than i can handle.

Boards I'm looking at - not sure about sizes. Depends on the actual board and board type. Kind of looking in the 5'8-6'4 range depending on thickness and width?

Takayama Scorpion
Channel Islands Pod
Channel Islands Gravy
Channel Islands Fishcuit
Ark Quad Fish
Rusty Dwart

[jaffa1949]

Nice list of boards to choose from from what you said you;'d like to advance in your surfing I'd consider these boards
the Rusty Dwart and the Channel Island Pod or Gravy all of these will do rail to rail smoothly, some have option to be either quad or thruster configuration so you caan experiment with what suits your next stage of learning, I also figure these shapes would better in Hawaii with the greater power you can get there. I'd be thinking 6' would be ideal or 5'10" again with that little extra length for power and in each the maximum volume for your weight. = paddle power. If you have been surfing the bigger board the volume won't be a problem.

I haven't advised on the Ark board as I think the more standard shapes are probably better for you right now but if he does custom he might just make you something really fitting. Sort of a bantam egg foo yung or a swallow tail egg fu yung for you perhaps of the sizes above.
Vancouver Island Eh on my visit list in the one day category

[coldwatergirl]

Thank you for your advice! I've heard Ark doesn't do too much custom stuff so I agree with you that perhaps I should do something conventional. I sent some questions to some of the local surf shops too for their input. I am also considering talking to a local shaper and seeing someone can do something more custom but along the lines of one of the 3 you mentioned above - I like the idea of something more custom since my body shape and size is unusual compared to most of the folks out there.

haha yes Vancouver Island - you got it! I'm envious you are in NSW - so much warmer!

[jaffa1949]

Good thoughts. Hey I am talking to two Canadian women one in Vancouver and one in Nova Scotia cold water mermaids WOW.
Swap posts with Buttertoes

Even my wife applauds you.
Our coldest water gets to 13C and that can be summer too believe it or not, you run across 40C +scorching sand and hit the water and bounce. In winter it's not so bad at that temperature as the air temp in this part of NSW gets down to 0C and the ocean appaers to be steaming Still a lot less than the winters of the land of the Maple leaf

[Rickyroughneck]

I know a petite girl surfer who used to use a big guy shortboard (7'0 or something silly), it was too big for her and basically acted as a sub-par minimal. She has now got a small but fat shortboard, and is doing a lot better both in catching waves and riding them.

I would go down the short, wide and thin route. Maybe something with the dimensions 5'6" x 19 1/2" x 2 1/4", rounded pintail. I am not sure how small would be required to duckdive but those dimensions should give you a good shot at it. Lopping off a bit of length may sound scary but I find that the loss is in paddle power, and not in catching waves/ standing up. That said, length is relative to you so 5'6 should definitely be enough for solid paddling.

I would look at getting one custom made for your weight and just listen to what the shaper says. I imagine most of the other ready made shortboards of that size would be made for larger (relatively) and more experienced surfers so might not be especially suited to you.

A personal note, I would avoid the channel islands/ Rusty etc. I find them all a bit overpriced

[Rickyroughneck]

Good thoughts. Hey I am talking to two Canadian women one in Vancouver and one in Nova Scotia cold water mermaids WOW.
Swap posts with Buttertoes

Even my wife applauds you.
Our coldest water gets to 13C and that can be summer too believe it or not, you run across 40C +scorching sand and hit the water and bounce. In winter it's not so bad at that temperature as the air temp in this part of NSW gets down to 0C and the ocean appaers to be steaming Still a lot less than the winters of the land of the Maple leaf

I get confused, is that your summer or mine? What temperature is the water in winter?

I just looked at a temperature map showing 25+ in Indonesia. Temp here is barely 16 and dropping fast D:

[jaffa1949]

It can get to 13c in summer if a NE blows down the East coast , it blows the warm water offshore and the deep cold water comes up from off the continental shelf, the land will be hot 40C and the water 13C, it can be 13 C in winter too sometimes but it's normal cold stuff.
This winter until last month the water has been about 18C. July was almost a surf a day month August nothing September is following suit.
Snowing today on the Aussie Alps

[bbb]

Hi, I am 5'2" , female and 110 lb and I think that you should get a board on the larger end of what you are looking at.

I learnt on a 6'10"McCoy nugget-very thick (6'10" by 21" by 3 1/4") for about a year or 2. Pretty much a short mal with that much volume.

I have had a 6'4"McCoy (6'4" by 20" by 2 3/4") for about 5 years, and that transition- a loss of 6" in length was a lot for quite a few weeks.

I think that dropping down from 7'5" to less than 6' board will mean a long learning curve. I think that a step down board in the middle if you can afford it would be better. That said, some people, particularly the young and keen can go very short and just pick it up fast.

Currently i ride my husbands board which is a Miller waterskate 6'3" by 20 1/2" by 2 5/8" which is almost perfect- turns well and catches everything. I could prob go a bit thinner or more narrow but Grant Miller is having a sabbatical so I will wait.

Also have a miller V-skate 6'3" by 19 " by 2 3/8"- I find it a lot of paddling- great to turn and ride when I get up but I have to catch the waves very late. Bonus is that I can duck dive it under small waves- still get cleaned up if over about waist high waves. I find that I catch loads more waves on the bigger Miller Waterskate and have more fun for that reason. The smaller board has quite a bit more rocker also, so never nose dives, but paddles a bit slower.

All my boards are thrusters.

We have tried a lot of the high volume boards- also have a Bourton fat bullet quad 6'2" by 21" by ?2 1/2"- bit too much rocker for me, and have tried a MORE fatbat quad-not so good for steep waves.

It seems that you probably have a similar problem to me- not very strong paddler, so needs lots of volume.
Bit chicken of steep drops so need lots of volume to get on the wave early.
Good balance so don't need so much width for stability reasons. Also, I found that with a rounder, wider nose, the boards with 21"width make me paddle like a duck as the board is wider than my shoulders.

Anyway, hope that helps a bit- enjoy!!

[coldwatergirl]

Thanks everyone for your input - I really appreciate it! I'm still talking to some surf shops and will be contacting some shapers to see what options I have.

@bbb Your advice is awesome!! I've seen that McCoy Nugget and was interested in it. Yes you're spot on about my challenges (re not strong paddler, need volume, chicken of steep drops). I'll look for something more narrow but still with good volume and nothing too thin. I'm not as worried about dropping down in length than in overall thickness and volume since I know I did ok on the 5'9 simmonoid (short but fat and thick). Maybe at this point it's not realistic to get something thin enough to duck dive until I can get comfortable on a shorter board. Only way I'll know is to demo a few more boards or just suck it up and get on that steep learning curve.

@jaffa1949 those are some crazy temperature extremes but I believe it! I've been to both Australia and NZ and you guys do seem to get some extreme weather patterns. The water temperature here in Canada isn't actually too bad - it's just when you get in and out of your wetsuit (I call it my seal suit) that can suck sometimes.

@rickyroughneck - I'm definitely interested in getting something custom by a local shaper. I found a couple in the area that I'm interested in but I haven't contacted them yet. One of the local shops also said they could order a custom Rusty Dwart if I wanted to go that route. Although noted - they can be pricey. I'm not sure about going that short and thin for the time being - maybe I'm being too optimistic about my abilities. Anyways, I'll think about it some more and possibly do more demos before deciding.

[travelzomg]

what i could suggest, would be a webber "the one" ... its wide, its fat, it floats well..
on the longer ones, (i ride a 6.4), it works as a stable allrounder... the shorter you go, the more lively it will become...
and its not that pricey compared to others...
or a fatburner.. was advised to me as a good change over board..