Type of board sorted... but what brand?

Macaonbhuit

After much research, questioning experts, and too'ing and fro'ing, and I figured that an 8 foot longboard/minMal is for me as a 5' 8" advancing beginner at 164 lbs (putting that out there in case I've got that totally wrong after stating the amount of research I did).....

The big question now is, what brand... Mission, NSF, Takeoff, Circle One, Cortez... Bics seem to be popular due to their seemingly indestructible nature, but is there a tradeoff for that (also allegedly not one for "the cool wall" either)... I was in a surf shop in Donegal today and they reckoned Takeoff might be good.. .So.... Any ideas for someone who has done a couple of lessons and wants to get out there 10ish tomes a year?

pswanto

would definitely recommend nsp,
http://www.newsurfproject.com/index.php?cccpage=fun710

http://www.newsurfproject.com/index.php?cccpage=long82

Macaonbhuit

Thanks PSWANTO, I was leaning that way, because I think it had to be NSP or Bic given where I'm at on the learning curve, and I just wasn't getting a warm fuzzy feeling about bic from what I was reading

pswanto

i have the 7'2" nsp, there great boards really stable, buoyant, cruisy but still loose enough to do sharp turns!

true

I would recommend a Take-Off board. Bics tend to hold their value best of all though, and are definitely more durable than epoxy boards like the Mission, NSF, Takeoff, Circle One, Cortez etc mentioned. As the op "wants to get out there 10ish tomes a year" 7 ft 9 or 8 ft is not far off the mark.

www.takeoffsurfboards.co.uk

Macaonbhuit

true wrote: »

I would recommend a Take-Off board. Bics tend to hold their value best of all though, and are definitely more durable than epoxy boards like....

when you say more durable..... are they substantially more durable? I hear that NSP are pretty robust.... Are take-off? I guess I'm concerned that I'll probably be prone to doing damage through my newbie handling in and out of the water.

pswanto

nsp are so durable its ridiculous i throw it in and out of the back of my van with no dings! and i dropped in on a wave straight onto a hidden groin in the water and not even a scrath! but my board is about for years old (still perfect) but they have changed the style they are now highly polished which is very attractive, and has the feel of a much more expensive board!

true

Macaonbhuit wrote: »

when you say more durable..... are they substantially more durable?

yes, because they are made from ACS, so you never see any which have been holed or needed repair. Its not unknown for some epoxy boards like NSP to need repairs...epoxy does ding. Epoxy is more impact resistant than polyester, but it still dings.

pswanto

so you never see any which have been holed or needed repair

never is a strong word. my friend rolled over a 5'6" bic his with his land rover. lets say the guy now had a 2'9" board! :P

but yes they are stupidly tough, but i see no need to have anything stronger than good epoxy!

Macaonbhuit

Ok getting the argument for an NSP.. so one last one on durability.. is there much in it between NSP and takeoff?

true

pswanto wrote: »

my friend rolled over a 5'6" bic his with his land rover.

Bic and confirmed by their website,do not do a 5'6" acs board, and even if they did, it would be much too short for the original poster who goes out 10-ish times a year. I do not think too many people who have land rovers would have 5'6" boards either. Personally I would go for an epoxy board like take off, but Bics do have a lot of advantages for those who want a durable first board, want to use it 10-ish times a year and want a good resale value.

pswanto

true wrote: »

Bic and confirmed by their website,do not do a 5'6" acs board, and even if they did, it would be much too short for the original poster who goes out 10-ish times a year. I do not think too many people who have land rovers would have 5'6" boards either. Personally I would go for an epoxy board like take off, but Bics do have a lot of advantages for those who want a durable first board, want to use it 10-ish times a year and want a good resale value.

i never said that he owned it i simply stated that he rolled over it! and it might not have been 5'6" either it was a few years ago, i cant really remember! :P

pswanto

pswanto wrote: »

i never said that he owned it i simply stated that he rolled over it! and it might not have been 5'6" either it was a few years ago, i cant really remember! :P

http://www.bicsportsurfboards.com/products/acs,3,61/5-10-fish,469.html

it was this board i think

Macaonbhuit

So I'm assuming here that a takeoff surfboard may be as robust as I need as long as I don't intend to put in under a landrover or drop it from a height? I may just forget the bics and NSPs?

pswanto

i personally prefare the nsp and i think they are very good quality priced and shaped very well!