Need board advice

[cheekykent]

Typical story, 5'9 170lbs early intermediate skills with pretty good fitness. Looking for something easy to paddle yet be able to duckdive with that would help with learning turns. I'm coming off a 7' funboard and can get this board for under $200 with shipping. 6'4 x 20 5/8 x 2 1/2
Is this something that would work for me in 2'-5' beachbreak?

[Big H]

I don't know which thread to respond to.

[cheekykent]

I don't know which thread to respond to.

I guess you chose this one

[jaffa1949]

Fixed,Not too big a jump, a design from my old shaper, price moderate , why not!

[cheekykent]

Fixed,Not too big a jump, a design from my old shaper, price moderate , why not!

thanks for moving to the appropriate section and your input!

[Namu]

That board looks like it is decent shape, $200 is an okay price, however I'm not sure that is the right board for you.

A board that is easy to paddle will not be easy to duckdive and vice versa. Compared to your current 7' funboard that board will be easier to duckdive but harder to paddle. It will be harder to catch waves with, you will need bigger, hollower, more critical waves than your funboard. It will need to be pumped over flat/weak sections, it won't glide or trim as fast as your funboard. It will be less stable on pop-up and turning. If you can't do carving turns now, then switching to that board will actually hamper your progression. If you can bottom turn, top turn, cut-back, pump for speed riding on your frontside and backside and if you can catch more than half the waves you paddle for on your funboard, then go ahead and get the board, you should be ready.

This is a good video below to understand the difference between trimming and carving turns and what you can do to improve your carving turns:

If you want to get a board that will help you improve your carving turns you should get a 7'-8'mini-mal or a 9' all-rounder or 9' performance longboard.

[waikikikichan]

I'm way under you at 5'2" and 125 lbs. I can duck dive my 6'4" x 20 3/4" x 2 5/8" NSP Fish. In beach break, if you set up in the right position, hopefully the diminished paddle power won't be that bad ( but timing and quickness of your pop up will matter more compared to your 7'0" Funboard ). Turning shouldn't be a problem for a intermediate's skills. Does the board come with fins ? That's another $50 for a board that looks to be 6-8 years old.

[cheekykent]

I'm way under you at 5'2" and 125 lbs. I can duck dive my 6'4" x 20 3/4" x 2 5/8" NSP Fish. In beach break, if you set up in the right position, hopefully the diminished paddle power won't be that bad ( but timing and quickness of your pop up will matter more compared to your 7'0" Funboard ). Turning shouldn't be a problem for a intermediate's skills. Does the board come with fins ? That's another $50 for a board that looks to be 6-8 years old.

Thanks for your input. Do you know the volume of your similar sized NSP? 35-38L? I'm getting it for 180$ shipped plus 30$ for fins and to me it didnt look like it was used much.

[waikikikichan]

i don't know the volume of any of my 12+ boards, I just go surf. Years back there wasn't such thing as Volume calculators and computer shaping machines, surfers did just fine. Volume is only one aspect. You need to take the board as a whole.
But for your sake I went on the website and found the 6'4" Fish volume is 43.5 liters.

[RinkyDink]

I personally would only buy a board that I could physically inspect unless the board was dirt cheap, had plenty of pictures, and was unwaxed.

[cheekykent]

I personally would only buy a board that I could physically inspect unless the board was dirt cheap, had plenty of pictures, and was unwaxed.

the board is in good condition without any dings or cracks in the glass. my only worry is this board being too hard to paddle at 170lbs and 35L volume then again after 2 weeks of surfing I usually drop down to 165 to 160 depending on beer consumption

[Big H]

My two cents.....paddling will be ok, probably not terribly different than what you're used to.....you will get into waves later than you are used to/ able to now, positioning will be more important and you will need a better standard of waves at the minimum levels. Board should work fine; if the waves are big enough that you need to duck dive, then they will be big enough to ride with that. Buy it; if it is too small then sell it on for the same you bought it and get a slightly bigger board....that's the beauty of buying used. You really don't need to worry too much so long as the board is in good shape and not horribly overpriced for what it is. Don't know about pricing in your area but around here for that board the price listed would be just about what I'd expect. Go for it is my vote. 35L is plenty for your weight in decent surf in a shape like that IMO.

I'm 92kg, 6'1" and have a 6'4" 37L that paddles and gets into waves just fine, so long as they have some guts behind them. I'm old and kinda broken down, but I surf 20-25 days a month and have a fair amount of paddle & cardio fitness. I am finding that I prefer bigger boards and bigger waves; most of the time I surf boards that cannot be duck dived, but paddle really well so that I can keep up with the sweep, get in earlier, and have energy for long paddles back outside since the bigger boards can make sections and the distance of the rides I get now can be quite long. As I am improving I am finding that to whip the board around is more on me than the board and having a board with a little more float makes learning how I need to hold my body to make smoother and faster turns much easier. Take from all that what you will.

That board should be ok, but if you are having second thoughts, maybe consider a board that is around 6'8" with a narrower nose and tail than the fun board you are getting off of as an alternative to the board pictured, but with a bit more girth than the 6'4".