First surfboard? What do I need to know?
Wed, 02/24/2010 - 16:46
Hey All,
I have been wanting to add a surfboard to my arsenal and start playing around in some waves. I am gonna start reading up on different boards but what kind of boards to people ride around here in our lovely NE conditions? How much does the size affect things? Is there anything to look out for? I am a pretty big guy, 6'2 230lbs.
Any input would be appreciated.
Wed, 02/24/2010 - 17:09
#1
Surf board
The boards I have experience with are the Wainman Surfs which are gorgeous. Hit me up and we can talk. I did really like the OR king which make a great TT to for choppy crap. Once set up mutant the strap go to the back but can easily be ridden in two directions regardless. I feel that my time with that board and my trip to see Lou got me wanting to try new things.
These Wainman surfboards come with bags and a screwdriver for finbox. These boards are sick..
Heres some pics of Lou showing me some carves off Pro Beach Maui
Lou Wainman on Surf
Lou Wainman on Surfboard
Lou Wainman on Surfboard 2
Wed, 02/24/2010 - 17:32
#2
Cant attest to the ride...
Cant attest to the ride... but you will really look good on the beach. They are pretty sick!
Thu, 02/25/2010 - 14:43
#3
Wainman
Eric,
I recently went through the same decision and opted for the Wainman 6.0 wide. http://www.wainmanhawaii.com/boards/surf#6-0 I'm 6'1", 190 lbs and wanted something good for light winds & waves. Just picked it up this morning from Johnny D and it's freaking beautiful! Will post some pics soon.
-Tim
Fri, 02/26/2010 - 00:24
#5
Just as a heads up...someone
Just as a heads up...someone said "light weight" that is not as good feature for a surf board. Heavy = Better for surf boards, the lighter they are the easier they are going to pressure dent and crack which means more repairs down the line and a sloppy feel to the deck under your feet. Stick with epoxy boards....even better is double epoxy. Spent an whole year riding my 5'9" Wainman Surf strapless without a single heel dent or crack. Put it through tons of big strapless airs.
Fri, 02/26/2010 - 01:33
#6
Heavy = Strong??
Heavy = better for surfboards? I could say that's a pretty bold rule for someone shopping for their first board..
Lightweight doesn't mean that it breaks or heal dents easily. It comes down to what it is made out of.
Why not Lightweight and strong for a better compromise? I think we would like something that maneuvers well yes handles the beating right?
Double Sandwich Epoxy construction is where it is at in terms of having a board that compromises lightweight strength for handling your jumps and unsavory wave conditions.
Cheers
Marc Schmid
Fri, 02/26/2010 - 09:47
#7
Choosing your first Surfboard
Choosing your first Surfboard can be a confusing process.
There are a ton of options out there right now and in my opinion most of them are wrong.
It is easy to fall in love with a nice looking board, but there is so much more to it.
Most surfboards I see people at the beach with are Narrow boards with a lot of rocker (bottom curve from nose to tail) and are designed for "wave" riding and do not excel as a light wind option. They keep bringing them to the beaches, but rarely ride them as they are frustrated with them.
The first thing to decide is what are you realistically going to use the board for- i.e. the light wind option, decent wind with good waves, Strictly Wave riding,
The second question- How hard am I willing to make this on myself to achieve the answer to the first question?
The More honest you are with yourself from the get go on these important questions, the more satisfied you will be in the long run.
In the past the manufacturers have made (and continue to) produce mostly boards that excel in different kinds of "real wave" conditions. Some for small to medium waves, some for bigger waves and then they tweaked them to accommodate different riding styles and needs.
Realistically, these are not for most riders.
While we all would like to be ripping apart overhead high waves and carving insane bottom turns.....Well, we just don’t get the conditions for that all that often.
More and more, some companies are making boards for the real world rider. Boards that do very well as a light wind option. Boards that will handle small to medium size waves that are often mushy and less organized than the waves in our dreams.
There are some excellent boards for NE conditions, they tend to be wider, have less rocker and a more gentle outline.
This makes them stable so you can comfortably ride them and actually learn to make transitions.
They excell as a light wind option and are fun to ride for a intermediate to advanced rider in the smaller confused waves that we tend to see.
It is very easy to overbuy in this category of boards!
There are so many wrong choices and misnomers about surfboards.
Bigger Board for a bigger guy? Not necessarily, you have to look at what the board was designed for, some boards a longer to handle bigger waves and in fact are not good for a bigger person as a light wind option.
The moral? Be honest with what you are looking for and for what purpose you really intend to use it and what the conditions offer you.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to try something on the water to see what I am talking about.
Enjoy the sunshine while/if it lasts.
Philip
nice Tim! did you look at any other boards? what made you decide to go with the wainman? They are def sweet looking boards!
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_ 9m/12m/14m Epic Screamers 141 x 45 Crazy-Fly All Around 08 Wainman 6'1 Surf ~wind and water~