Moving on from a 7ft 9 Mal. Go longboard or shortboard....

seachto7

Howdee,

as the thread title suggest, I'm kind of in two minds here and would just like to shoot the breeze with you over it.

I have been using a 7ft 9 Bic Mal for a while, and seem to be doing fine with it, I'm catching plenty of waves. Recently I got my hands on a 7ft 4 fibreglass mal. and while the learning curves are harder, I am catching some waves, and starting to get a feel for how it turns and so on...and it's light on the arms..
I must say, it is tough going, it feels like a workout more than fun

I was down in Lahinch today, and saw a guy out back on a 10ft longboard catching everything and anything and cruising away. I was longing to be out there with him cruising across the waves. So I happened to have a chat with him afterwards, and it got me thinking: hmmm, maybe I should be thinking about going long.

I used a 10ft Bic longboard before for a bit, and it was great for catching everything and anything, but I thought I'd try out smaller boards, plus it was so damn heavy!!

So, maybe a light weight longboard might be what I'm going for, if there is such a thing. I don't think I'd go for a 10ft though, maybe a 9ft or thereabouts.

I rolled on up to Spanish Point afterwards, and the waves up there were tailor made for longboarding....

any advice on longboards? I think I'll plump for one anyways..

I would be only used to beach breaks, Lahinch usually, so something that could get me out back to cruise...

Westbay all round longboard?

loctite

Longboards all the way......

Tis all about catching and riding waves. I believe that a good surfer can do just about as much on a larger board as they can on a smaller board.

Only problem about going long is the price........ I'd recommend McTavish Fireball, a pricey board, but well worth the money.......

As for size, I'd stay under 9'2". Anywhere between 8ft & 9'2" is a good choice imo..... After that, they become much trickier, especially in slightly bigger stuff..

seachto7

cheers loctite,

yeah, I'd stay around the 9ft mark, maybe 8ft 4, but I reckon a 9 ft would have me sorted. Yeah, I agree, for me, it's all about catching waves, just being able to cruise.
There's a 9ft westbay longboard on adverts at the mo, though I might see if I can rent one just to be sure.
anyone know if they rent longboards in Lahinch? Or is it all softboard and smaller mal rentals only?

loctite

all foamie rentals afaik

seachto7

as I suspected, still though I've used 8ft 4s in Aus, 10fts here so will go in between I reckon, around 9ft. Now to choose.....

Epoxy or fibreglass... (I'd go for the lighter...)

spaceHopper

There's good value in longboards second hand - I've seen the westbay on sale in adverts looks good - also some some cheap epoxy one on gumtree or adverts.

Size depends on your weight but under 14 stone 9 ft should be fined. Are you getting out the back all the time just remember it's a bigger board and you'll have to turtle role work your way out the back. Yes you'll cover more ground between waves but it can't be duck dived.

loctite

seachto7 wrote: »

Epoxy or fibreglass... (I'd go for the lighter...)

Common Mistake........ Both boards contain fibreglass. What you mean is Polyester/PU or Epoxy/PS/XPS etc.

I'm a ludite when it comes to epoxy boards. I prefer the feel of a Polyester board. Generally a little bit heavier alight, but that is not necessarily a bad thing once in the water...... In stronger off shore days can definitely help get through chop and wind and has far more momentum once it gets going......

A lot of people will argue that the extra weight will take away from maneuverability, but I would say that it is negligible........

Different stroke for different folks..... Epoxy generally a bit more expensive. There are a lot of board manufacturers claiming that epoxy is the new wonder material, lots of flex and much stronger, I don't buy it.... a lot of surfers I know are snapping they're supposedly stronger epoxy boards....... I'm a Poly man...

loctite

spaceHopper wrote: »

Size depends on your weight but under 14 stone 9 ft should be fined.

.... it's a bigger board and you'll have to turtle role work your way out the back. Yes you'll cover more ground between waves but it can't be duck dived.

Making some generalisations....... I'm 14st and surf a 6'4", weight doesn't just dictate your board size, ability has a lot to do with it too.

I can also duck dive my LB, just a different technique than short board duck diving......... The weight helps:D

seachto7

I've gotten out back on the 7ft 9 mal plenty of times, but yesterday I didn't bother as I just wanted to try and concentrate on my technique on the smaller 7ft 4 board rather than catching great waves...
Plus I was knackered!! A longboard would have saved me yesterday...

I'm about 14stone as well, 6ft 1..

xxyyzz

Proper longboards are 9ft plus (anything shorter is not classified as a longboard)and IMHO should be relatively heavy. This is what gives them that feeling of glide and momentum when you are cruising through sections that shorter boards would get bogged down in. My board (9'6") has 2 layers of 6oz glass on the deck and a single layer on the bottom. The great thing about logs is that due to their length they generate much more speed than a shorter board which has to be pumped to go fast. This allows you to make sections that would normally be much more difficult to make on a shorter board. The downside to logs is that you can't really duck-dive them and if you get caught inside on a big day, you can get fairly worked. They do paddle much faster though which allows you to get out of sticky situations much quicker.

I would recommend going to a local shaper rather than shelling out big bucks for your first log. Ian Johnson of Cequential boards in Lahinch made me a fabulous board for €600 which is far superior than anything you will ever get from the likes of Bic.

seachto7

yeah, the guy I was talking to yesterday got his 10ft longboard made by Ian Johnson. It was sweet. I had a 10ft Bic before, so would go for something a little better than that.
It all depends on how much I'm willing to spend...

kodute

+1 on the longboard.

Have a 10' myself and even though it doesn't look the cleanest, the ride is quality. Longboards rule!! :cool:

Low Pockets

Always go over nine foot.
Eight foot is neither here nor there.

Epoxy has its time and place, it is stronger and epoxy boards can be made up to weigh as much as you want (and in a longboard a bit of weight is a good thing) but it does feel different in the water. In saying all that, all bar one of my logs are glassed in poly.

Longboarding is different to shortboarding so you have to approach it differently.(like never ever ever pump a log, it looks like a dog trying to drag it's ass across your new carpet, its just plain nasty)

When pressed to it, iv duck dived a 10ft log(but it will really sap your energy). Its all about technique and there are other more efficient ways to get them out the back and balls to anyone who says longboards are for small waves only, on larger days I feel happier on logs as you can get in earlier and get out of trouble quicker.

Also never bail your log. If your stuck inside, go up and hang off the nose and take it like a man. If you let go, your endangering people up to 25ft around you!

Get your hands on a copy of the seedling or sprout and watch on repeat until you get an idea of whats going on.

If you are thinking epoxy I cant recommend this man enough. www.aorsurfboards.com (he is a mate, but if he wasnt good at what he did, I wont send people his way regardless)

seachto7

I was thinking of 9ft. I don't think I'd go back to 10ft. I know I had a 10ft bic longboard which is different to other boards, but I think a 9ft would be down my street.
Just going to shift a 7ft 4 mal to raise some funds, stick to my 7ft 9 mal for a while and try and get a 9 footer as soon as I can....

I've always been thinking of longboards since I sold the bic, but I kept putting it off. I wonder is it like the ugly woman in the pub you know you could have the time of your life with, but you just don't want to go there, then you just give in....

Low Pockets

Really?

If thats how you view logging, stick with your bic, you'll be better off.

seachto7

a joke!!! I've had the best days on my 10 footer...

seachto7

hey all,

just doing a bit more research, and noticed a board called a "hotdogger" on the powersource site. It's 7 to 8ft. Anyone ever use one of these?

I suppose it's not technically a longboard, but would even be more forgiving that a 7ft 9 mal I'd think. I think the 7ft 9 mal is handy enough.

I was orginially going to settle on a 9ft longboard, but this hotdogger...hmmmm...can anyone offer any testimonials on these?

lg123

to your origional question, it depends on where your surfing is and where you want it to go. if you are catching a good few waves and want to catch more and are just in it for the ride, then go for a longboard. i think i read you were looking at a westbay all-rounder, i surf a westbay and love it. i was on the same board as you and i knew straight away i had made the correct choice in going up to 9'1.
on the other hand if you want to rip up waves then maybe move down to a 7' fatboy type board. i picked up a glide (irish shaper, mallow i think) second hand, it was 7' x ~21 x 2 3/4, so pleanty of boyancy and not too bad to paddle and it is way looser than the longboard.

personally i only take the shortboard out when its really clean and not too crowded. if its not perfect and/or i want to be a wave hog then the longboard comes out.

seachto7

lg123, I just want to hog waves
No, seriously, I'm not that into ripping up waves, I just want to get out back and cruise. So I thought of a longboard. I had a 10ft before but my technique was bad, my technique is better now.

I tried some smaller boards but "hummed and hawed" over them.

So I had thought of a 9ft westbay. Then I came across the "hotdogger" last night, and thought "hmmm, now that's bigger than a 7ft 9 mal," and could be quite manageable...
I would find the 7ft 9 mal easy enough to manage at the moment...

kodute

seachto7 wrote: »

a joke!!! I've had the best days on my 10 footer...

seachto7 wrote: »

I had a 10ft before but my technique was bad, my technique is better now.

So stop talking about it and get a 10ft! You know you want to!

seachto7

yeah, lol, but I'm trying to get the best of both worlds...:o

the 10 footer is hard to lob into the estate and hit the road in quick time! I reckon I could squeeze a 9 footer into the estate without having to tie it up on the roof...

that hotdogger looks good though....

kodute

seachto7 wrote: »

yeah, lol, but I'm trying to get the best of both worlds...:o

the 10 footer is hard to lob into the estate and hit the road in quick time! I reckon I could squeeze a 9 footer into the estate without having to tie it up on the roof...

that hotdogger looks good though....

That hotdogger is €585?! I dunno, dropping that cash on a gamble isn't the best idea. If I was spending that kinda cash I'd get to a shaper and get a 9'2. That should fit in the estate with the front seat dropped.
Plus a shaper will be able to counsel you on your obvious longboard hangups!

seachto7

yeah €585 is pricey enough alright. I wouldn't take a punt on something if I were to pay that much though.

The westbay is the one I keep coming back to...

There's a shaper in Clare too down in ennistimon, but his boards are pricey too, but very good from what I hear.

I usually chuck down the front seat, and throw the mal in the boot of the estate, and am on the road in minutes!!

I see there's a 9ft westbay with bag on adverts, 6 mths old...

lg123

10 is too big imo,i only surfed a 10' once, too cumbersome and gettin out back with any bit of swell will be a nightmare. If you are goin for a westbay, get a viper, thats rich's performance longboard. I have one and love it.

seachto7

ah yeah, 10 ft is too big, I agree. I'd go for smaller.

Your suggestion for the viper is interesting.. cheers for that...

Cecil Mor

Anything less that 9ft ain't a longboard simple as. If you feel 10ft is too much log to be lugging about then just go smaller, 9' to 9'4".

I would recommend going to a local shaper though with a decent brief but ask for input from them seeing as they should know their beans from their peas more then you will.
A shaper can build a board lighter to suit if need be but seeing as attractively built girls can manage a log then no reason why a fella can't.
For your purposes then I'd be thinking a trad style stick 9'2 - 9'4 with nice neutral rails and an ability to do most of what is required.

The smaller boards don't cut the mustard 'far as I'm concerned and many of these hybrid type boards which you've mentioned are, IMO, too much of a compromise in that they try too hard to do everything without the ability to do anything in an exceptional manner.

The above mentioned shapers are well established and have good reps, I'd recommend Paul from Glide. His boards which I've both bought and borrowed have always impressed and a sound & enthusiastic lad to deal with.

http://www.glidesurfboards.net/
http://allthingsglide.blogspot.com/

Longboarding is different to shortboarding so you have to approach it differently.(like never ever ever pump a log, it looks like a dog trying to drag it's ass across your new carpet, its just plain nasty)

Agree on this with LP but gotta say that watching a dog drag it's arse 'cross the lawn is usually hilarious whereas kooks pumping their log is always wrong!!

BarryCreed

cool. I'm set on a longboard, once I pay my bills..:(

conman78new

If you're thinking of spending nearly €600 for your first longboard fair play to you...but as mentioned by others you will get a custom board made for far less.

Like few other's I've a Westbay 9'1", quality in everything from east coast ankle slappers to some of the reefs around sligo on quality head high days! Handles like a dream, you'll get the technique for either rolling or diving quick enough. I'd recommend emailing Richie in Westbay for full quote (€400-450), free delivery too and good Sterling exchange rate.

seachto7

yup, that's the one I want, a westbay...

seachto7

anyone riding 8footers? Just curious, though I'm more or less settled on the 9ft longboard...

surferseamey

Hi seachto7. Did ya get that Westbay Viper. Was thinking of that one meself. The EPS one looks like the Job. Any feedback from anyone on the viper would be great. My 9'6 Modern is a bit scary with its flat rocker when it gets big!!