sizing the sweet

[suncoastslop]

Hi guys as the name suggests from the sunshine coast, so need a board that will tame our near year round slop from moffat's to noosa and the beachie's in between, im am intermediate surfer 6'2 92kg, looking at sweet potato inbetween 5"6 and 5"10, just looking for some advice on size, and quad fin suggestions, prefer to go as small as possible, but still want to float my generous frame. I want a board that paddles in early, but can still throw around and still use if it gets 3-4ft and sucky, should i be looking at the potatonator/ baked instead, Any help would be greatly appreciated.

cheers

[JaM71]

Hi rainy coast slop,

Check out cuttlefishes thread in the potatonator section "small wave assasinator". He s a big unit from your area who wrestled with same dilema, very informative......rumour has it he's not a bad bloke either:)

The other option is to demo from your local shop or from firewire hq in currumbin.

[JaM71]

Forgot to mention, you ll probably end up buying both boards anyway they re both a ton of fun

[prjwebb]

yeah cuttlefish will be your man for this. i think he's on a 5'10" or 6'0" Sweet P and a 6'2" Potatonator.

[Magnet]

I'm exactly your weight, height and an intermediate surfer and 5'8 is perfect for small slop. You catch anything. I demoed 5 10 and felt too big. I use pc7 fronts and shaper quad e rears and that works well. Took some time to get to that combo. Interestingly I always hated pc7s in other boards but they feel perfect in the potato.

[suncoastslop]

thanks for the info guys, is there a release date for the baked?

[cuttlefish]

Aw shucks...
I'm old too...49 so that's why I'm using the 6' spud.
But It's proved to be a great choice for "The bluff" and "the corner" in the last week.
I agree with magnet most will be happy on the 5'8" spud.
But if I'm surfing low tide M'dore beachies I'm riding the p'nator 6'2" if there's any size.
If you're younger you could easily use the 6' p'nator.
It will handle the steeper drops easily whereas the spud will get sketchy with it's flatter rocker but is great when the (high tide) beachbreaks are backing off after the takeoff and you need glide through the fat sections into the shorey.
All I take in my car now are the spud and p'nator and I've got "normal" conditions/size covered.
I'm running either EA blackstix Thruster fins or FAMT robbers (twin + trailer) in my Futures shod p'nator and Stretch PC quads in my FCS shod spud.
Hingy (Beachbeat owner) has his own 5'10" spud which you should be able to borrow for a paddle as he's got a crook knee atm.
Both Neil (Alex, Dickeys, Coolum surfshops) and Woodsy (Beachbeat) reckon everyone who's bought a p'nator is frothing over them.
They are both selling stacks of spuds but it's a board for smaller beachies or on the points like the bluff, Tea tree, and awesome fun at Johnsons.

[cuttlefish]

BTW If you like the look of the More it's in the racks at Beachbeat Caloundra or Alex.

[suncoastslop]

Hi cuttlefish, thanks for the reply, i know this will sound crazy but what i'm hoping to achieve is reduce a 9" mal 7" mini 6"6 fish 6"4 and and 6"2 short board into a one, possible two board quiver. I regularly surf my home beachy northshore, maroochy beachies, perigian wurtulla, then moffats the bluff and when its mid week and not flys on sh#t, Noosa. Just wondering wether the sp would leave me a little short as a one board quiver, possibly the pn will be a better option, or the baked when its released. do you think the sp or the pn could be used as a one board quiver? Is the sp loose enough to go vert and reo? or is it just a carving board? i would be willing to let go a little performance ie (vert attack) if it will paddle in super early(but still be able to throw it around) sorry for such a bunch of mismatched questions,

cheers

[cuttlefish]

Hi Suncoast,
I wouldn't want to have a sp as a one board quiver.
It's loose allright. The thing about the sp is the effortless speed you can get on even flat faced waves due to it's width and especially because of it's wide tail.
But it will go vertical with ease though the flat rocker can mean you need to be careful coming back down the face if the wave is hollow. Cutbacks are a joy on it.
The p'nator definitely has more scope in how you can ride it and will handle a much wider range of conditions. I'd happily ride it at Yaroomba, Pitta and Wurtulla but I wouldn't want to trying to make drops like you can get there with the sp.
The big thing in the p'nator's favour for my pick as a more versatile board is it's 5 fin options.
Quad, quad + knubster, twin + trailer, thruster. Different set ups for different wave types and sizes.
The sp is quad only.
Really like to have them both.
I could have happily been riding the p'nator only but curiousity got the better of me and once I worked the sp out it was a two board quiver for the car.
Trying to squeeze all those boards you've listed into one board is a brutal task and I'd be looking at both the p'nator and the sp.
As far as the baked potato goes I still think it would not be a great weapon of choice in the more hollow beachbreaks we know.

[Chris]

good stuff cuttle. I too agree that when in the position of buying a one board quiver, the Potatonator is likely a better option. Good advice!!

[suncoastslop]

Thks for all the replys. Have decided to go with the sp as i have other shortboards for the larger days, just hung up on size....i know what a shock. At 6'2 95kg's all idications point to 5"10 5'8, but as everyone suggests dropping a size is the go, cuttle, im going to need this board to work at moffats, bluff and noosa, in your expert sun coast sp/pn opinion, would dropping to 5'6 be a wise idea? or is 5'8 or 5"10 a better idea? with regard to paddlepower v ripability

cheers

[iggy]

Hi Suncoast,
I wouldn't want to have a sp as a one board quiver.
It's loose allright. The thing about the sp is the effortless speed you can get on even flat faced waves due to it's width and especially because of it's wide tail.
But it will go vertical with ease though the flat rocker can mean you need to be careful coming back down the face if the wave is hollow. Cutbacks are a joy on it.
The p'nator definitely has more scope in how you can ride it and will handle a much wider range of conditions. I'd happily ride it at Yaroomba, Pitta and Wurtulla but I wouldn't want to trying to make drops like you can get there with the sp.
The big thing in the p'nator's favour for my pick as a more versatile board is it's 5 fin options.
Quad, quad + knubster, twin + trailer, thruster. Different set ups for different wave types and sizes.
The sp is quad only.
Really like to have them both.
I could have happily been riding the p'nator only but curiousity got the better of me and once I worked the sp out it was a two board quiver for the car.
Trying to squeeze all those boards you've listed into one board is a brutal task and I'd be looking at both the p'nator and the sp.
As far as the baked potato goes I still think it would not be a great weapon of choice in the more hollow beachbreaks we know.

Well I think is pretty clear!!!.Great post

[suncoastslop]

cuttle? any thoughts?

[cuttlefish]

Sorry,
hadn't noticed the posts on this thread.
You could go for either the 5'6" or the 5'8" with no problems.
All depends upon how much foam you're comfortable with.
There's a 5'6" fst on Ebay at the moment btw which could be worth bidding on.
If it was a 5'8" I'd be all over it. Take into account though I'm 49 and highly adapted to plenty of foam hence my 6'er.
That way you can see if it works without the extra expense of buying a new one.
If it doesn't have enough float then sell it off and move up a size.
The overwhelming trend for sweet potatoes is to downsize though.
My 6'er is brilliant out at the corner and the bluff in the 3-4' waves we've had these last two weeks. Haven't surfed Noosa on it yet.
I've got my eye out for a 5'8" to try because I reckon the 6'er has more foam than necessary to tap into weaker smaller waves and I'm pretty sure getting more of my board and body in the water (within reason) will help me tap into smaller waves energy better.
Ilike to keep my smaller wave boards around 42-44 litres so I'm floating around lower rib area with board level in the water.
Sitting too deep in the water does my head in...but that's just me.
The shorter length will of course be better in whipping it around faster too.
Have you contacted the beachbeat crew about riding the 5'10" of Hingy's yet?
That really should help you decide.

[Danga]

I'm bidding on that, you leave it alone. :( Please.

[A.Vern]

Suncoastslop,

I just went through the sizing dilema with the Sweet Potato. I'm 6 feet, 195 lbs and 36 years old. I was able to demo a 6'2" Rapid Fire. I knew it would be too big, but figured it would help with the size part of it. As luck would have it, the few days I had to try the SP had a good 6-7 foot South swell running. I paddled out on the 6'2" expecting it to slide out and chatter along in the bigger surf. I took off on the first wave and to my amazement the 6'2" was perfect for head high waves. It felt a little big going straight up the face and doing quick snaps, but the speed it had allowed me to do big round house cutbacks. I ordered a 5'8" thinking it would be the perfect size. As the swell dropped to 4-5 feet, I was able to try out the 5'8". The thing ran like a freight train down the line, paddled well, and on a rail felt pretty good, but the board felt too small. When I was not on a rail, the board had a nervous feeling and I slid out on more than one occasion if I was completely on rail (although the slide outs were controllable).

I settled on a 5'10". The 6'0" felt more like the 6'2", too big... the 5'8" felt more like the 5'6"...

I surfed the 5'10" yesterday in 2-3 foot true wind slop (What the SP is made for). It paddled great into most waves and I think even the longboarders were wondering how I was catching the crap I did. It had good drive, and seemed to have a new personality in the crappy surf. In the good surf, the board screamed down the line and went rail to rail. In this small powerless surf, the board still had drive, but would pivot more off the lip than carve up to it. I think the 5'8" would of been perfect for the size yesterday, but we tend to get a lot of 5' wind slop here, and the 5'10" will hold it's own better in the larger waves.

Hope this info helps. If you truely want it only for 2-3 foot waves, the 5'8" may be the call.

[iggy]

Good stuff Vern

[cuttlefish]

I'm bidding on that, you leave it alone. :( Please.
I wouldn't dream of spoiling your party.
Good luck with the bidding.
Interesting stuff Vern, thanks for sharing.

[suncoastslop]

Good info vern, im am going to demo a 5'6 fst shortly, so that will give me a starting point, what you are describing is exactly what im trying to avoid.

cheers

[JaM71]

Let us know how you go on the 5"6 suncoast slop, so many people wrestle with the sizing dilema of the spud. Once on one and you have a few surfs (regardless of if its a 5"6 or 5"8) you wont regret your purchase. They re a ton of fun and more versatile than given credit for. I tend to finish most of my surfs on mine, i keep it in the car and pull it for the last 45 mins regardless just for the contrast and the fun of it oh and the SPEED which is why My hair is permanently on end;)

[suncoastslop]

rode the 5'6 just before dark this arvo in week 1-2 foot waves, once i got on the waves the board felt fast and loose, just had a lot of trouble paddling onto waves, any suggestions for how far fwd or back body position should be? found me missing waves that normally i would have got, looking at a full day demo'ing tommorow so should know more then, it is just doing my head in getting onto waves, any suggestions?

cheers

[prjwebb]

i found leaving the take off later increased the initial speed and made paddling into waves effortless. i don't think a board that short is going to pick up waves early like a longboard. you want to be fairly forward paddling it, but only where it feels natural and balanced like on any board.

[suncoastslop]

5'6 fst update, rode noosa this morn 2-4 " up to high tide ,super early before the circus arrived, board performed well once up and riding, but definitely think more volume needed, maby 5'10 or 6' in the fst or switch to rapid fire, lack of flotation/volume was holding back the paddling power causing waves to be missed, looking fwd to another test

cheers

[cuttlefish]

Catch up to Woodsy or Sutto (Gary) at Beachbeat and organise a borrow of Hingy's 5'10".
Woodsy would be able to bring it to Alex if the board's at Caloundra tomorrow (Fri) as he does an inter shop run in the morning.
I've scored a lend of a demo 5'8" which I'll collect on Sat or Sun and I'll post my thoughts on it.
You never know I may like it better than my 6'er.
Still think the p'nators more versatile.
Rode the spud first then swapped to the p'nator afterwards today.
May go for a surf at Noosa tomorrow through the middle of the day too.

[Stevie]

Hey I thought I made a post on this thread but I guess it didnt go through. but I feel like i need to add the SP to my quiver. so im 5'9 170lbs. 5'0 o 5'2 ahhh!!?!?

[prjwebb]

I'd say 5'2" unless you're surfing punchy waves in boardies and really want as small a board as possible even if it makes things a little harder for you...

Basically 5'2"...

[cuttlefish]

Got my mitts on a brand spanking new 5'8" fst spud with fcs plugs to demo this am.
Had a surf on another board and then curiousity got the better of me and I took the spud out for a couple of quick waves.
4-5 solid point waves (albeit it's a soft point) and the spud finned up with Carbon G-TF1 (if memory serves) fronts and M5 rears.
Paddled well and had me floating at sternum depth with board level under the water.
My first wave and the board went like the rocket it is.
No slipping and sliding just haulin' A along a fast breaking wall that beats most.
Hoohaa!
Quite a few set waves breaking way outside so a lot of duckdiving while waiting for some mid sized ones to be fair to the spud's job description card (small waves).
Snagged an inside one eventually and hit the gas pedal into the inside bowl where it closes out. A cheeky turn up the wall because I had so much speed with a good attempt at beating the lip as the water drained out in front of me however the low rocker became a small issue.
My cheekiness had me bouncing along the rocks on the bottom and after surfacing I was pleased to see the spud was in 1 piece.
Once I got home I noticed a small fracture on the rail inbetween the front and rear fins.
Dropped back into the shop this afternoon to see if they had some Solarez available as I couldn't find mine and the board was promptly re-claimed by the zealous staff who insisted on it being repaired properly.
Hopefully solar rez will be applied tomorrow am and I can have it back or it will have to go to their ding repairer and it won't come back until Friday.
We're talking about a 5mm fracture here but I don't want water intruding all the same.
The fracture looks like a handling one (hit the edge of a doorway) not a surfing fracture but I hadn't noticed it when I'd put the fins in although I was moving pretty darn fast when I put them in because the waves were pumping.
If I don't want to buy it this one it will be a demo available for one and all (Ahoy Suncoastslop).

[suncoastslop]

Cuttle, Yes spoke to gary very helpful, and has turned me on to epoxy, may have a chance to ride a 5'10 rf with fcs shortly, just wondering as i will have a choice of fins what would be a good start, for my 95kg frame?, rode the 5'6 with mrtx fronts and cant remember the rears, which felt ok at boiling pot thurs, but if you can suggest a setup for fcs that would be great, as i have been looking at future setups, i really havent paid much attention to fcs.

ill be waiting to hear the feedback on the 5'8 would love a demo if it happens, is repairing epoxy much of a deal? easier or worse then glass?

cheers

[prjwebb]

Repairs are mostly the same, just using an epoxy resin instead of a polyester resin. Epoxy is mixed in 2:1 quantities rather than adding a few drips of catalyst so can be a little awkward when mixing tiny quantities and takes a little longer to go off but the process it's self is exactly the same.
If you have bigger repairs on FST boards when you break through the balsa or high density skins it can get a little more complicated but it takes a pretty major impact to do that.

[cuttlefish]

For Firewire repairs both Brian at Inside Edge and Bart at the Beachbeat factory (not the UK one PRJ) are quite familiar with them and it's straight forward.
I've had Brian repair my carbon fibre/eps Van Straalens and my Diverse dynocore eps which has innegra cloth and repairs have been invisible.
If you get a ding with Firewires you need to get out of the water and the eps has to be dry before repairing it.
If it's just small fractures that can let in water you can sand them down and use Solarez : squeeze out of tube onto fracture and cover with clear tape to make it smooth, take out into good sunlight and peel off tape after a couple of mins, then sand flush if needed. Easy.
Fins wise with fcs I was running a similar sized fin template to the MR tfx in fronts and M5 rears today only because My stretches were in my 6'er which I'd left at home so these were my second choice.
If it was smaller I'd put GXQ's in the rears if I wanted to loosen up the tail.
My favourites are the Stretch PC cores. Set and forget.

[prjwebb]

Would be an expensive ding repair if you sent it to the UK one! Haha.

You think the Stretches are best in the SP Pete? I don't actually have a set of them anymore, I was thinking MRTFX fronts with K2.1 quad rears or Soar DL with K2.1 rears.
If I don't have great results with those I'll probably buy some PC SF4s but I'd like to stick with the Powerbase fins really...
Have you had any experience with the Controllers? Are they as good as everyone says? I considered ordering in Futures to run them but I've got a bunch of FCS fins so I figured I'd have more options this way and potentially wouldn't have to buy any more new fins.

[A.Vern]

So did I go too big?

Here's the background....

6'0 195 lbs (88.5 KG) 25 years of experience, like to think I'm advanced ;)

I tested out a 6'2" RF in head high + surf. I had 4 days in San Diego last month and planned to buy one while I was there. Can't call it unlucky, but a 5-10 ft early Southern Hemi showed up and I figured I would get a feel for the Spud before I picked a size since I was initally thinking 5'6" as Firewire recommends.

I thought the 6'2" would be a disaster in big surf (hard to turn and would slip out). It was the complete opposite. The board carried so much energy I could go anywhere I wanted to on the wave. If felt like surfing on a rocket. It did feel a little big, but was easy to turn from rail to rail.

So I ordered a 5'8" FST. By the time I got it, the surf had dropped to a fun 4-5 feet. I took the SP out at La Jolla Shores that is a average type wave for So Cal, not a lot of power, but still fun.

The 5'8" shot down the line with the same tremendous speed, but felt "nervous" except when I was up on rail. It still had a good rail to cut back on, but for the first time, I had the fins slip out when I went to cut back. It felt too small for my frame, so I swapped out the 6'2" to be sure. The 6'2" felt a bit big, but had that solid feel at all times with none of the nervousness (twitchy).

So I ordered a 5'10" and headed back to where I'm currently living in South Texas (Corpus Christi).

The first few days out on the SP was in 4-5 foot wind swell (the standard for around here), and the 5'10 " worked pretty well and had amazing drive.

Yesterday was the first time I've had the SP in what it was designed for... 1-3 foot weak slop.

The board paddled me amazingly, and I was catching waves out with the guys riding logs. Once up, the board did it's best to try and get speed. On any other short board, I would of been struggling, but with the mighty SP, I had enough drive to make it down the line, hit the lip a few times and finnish off with a floater.

While I can manuever the board, it does feel heavy and a bit big. From what I've read on here, it sounds like a proper sized Potato is real loose in 1-3 foot slop.

What do you guys think, did I go too big or is it just a bit harder to work this board in weak mush?

I like the 5'10" in the waist to should high mush around here, but I'm wondering to truly see the magic of the SP, should I be riding a 5'8" or 5'6" in the 1-4 foot range?

Thanks,

Vern

[cuttlefish]

Prj,
I've not tried controllers as both spuds are fcs shod but putting the Stretches in has been the money fins for me and since I've only ridden 2 waves (albeit very good ones) with the other MR like combo I'd say put your MR's in with confidence and adjust the tail release with your rear fin sizing.
Vern,
Waves are pumping at the moment so I'll have to wait for a while to figure out which of the two spuds goes better in small junk.
What a problem to have???
What fins are you running in your spud?
From my (limited) experimentation on the spud I'm going to say it is sensitive to fin choice and getting it dialled with the right fins (for You) is critical.
In weaker surf try some glass flex fins if you have them.
If you're using large fronts then put in a smaller front and see how you go in loosening it up.
Large fronts like MR's are drivey because of their area and depth but will tighten up the way it feels off the top.
Even with smaller rears in weak surf the taller front fins fins may be giving you too much hold and so making the board feel tight overall.
So try smaller fins in a balanced front and rear size set.
Report your findings back too please.

[A.Vern]

Will do,

by the way, I'm running FCS SF-4's.

Cheers,

Vern

[STC67]

I have been running MR's in the front and K2.1 in the rear. Cuttle is right in that it is drivey but a bit too stiff. I am going to try the stretch quads. I don't have a set, but just board an Activator so may be worth getting some to try in both boards.

The best results I have had in the SP were some Rainbow Speed Dialers. These went well up to chest high waves but felt a little under finned bigger than that. I don't really like the SP in conditions bigger than that so no a real issue. Unfortunately my son has pinched them and has them in his board now.

[STC67]

Hey Cuttle, SEQ has been NOICE the last few days. Are you surfing the Pnator at the moment? It would have to be 6ft and bigger on the open beachies.

[A.Vern]

So you guys think the 5'10" is a good size if it's riding well for me in 3-4 feet but a little sluggish in 1-2 feet... just maybe need a fin swap?

So Rainbow speed dialers might help? What about the Indo fins? Anyone try these?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/160716757479?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[cuttlefish]

STC I have been riding the p'nator and also mixing it up with others.
If anyone's read my first post on the p'nator small wave assasinator thread I started I mentioned I get shoulder pain (around my scapula) from paddling really short boards.
Sometimes I forget all about that.
After a short surf on the 5'8" sweet potato demo the other day the shoulder pain is back to remind me that while most of me is willing the shoulders will make me pay for it.
No such problems on the 6'er as the floatation allows me to keep my chest down more while paddling whereas the 5'8" (43l) with it's lower volume and shorter length has me arching my lower back more.
The 6'2" (44l) p'nator for me paddles a lot easier and doesn't give me the shoulder pain.
Reminds me that it's one of the reasons why I first bought a 6'6" Addvance a few years back.
Mentioning this in case anyone else has the same problem.

[cuttlefish]

615616
A.Vern,
These are pics of a 4'2" that I have which can be ridden prone or standing up and I've played around a lot with fins on it.
The way it skims across flat sections is the same as the sweet potato.
When it's tiny I can still ride this board but I use617 M7's that Ive cut down to be baby keels because it's not about drive on it.
Have you got any smaller fins to try in it?
Both the speed diallers and the Indo fins (controller type) are large area fins yes?
Try some smaller fins first.
The board already has a wide planing area with deep double concaves so what most are chasing with such a small, wide board is controlling their speed which the board has with lots of fin area.
So if you have a larger board with even more planing area but subsequently more rail to use as well, drop your fin sizes in small stuff to loosen it up.
You're not chasing drive as the sweet potato has it in it's low rockered, wide, double concaved bottom already.
Then it'll be a matter of fine tuning to find the fins that give you back the slippery loose, free running feel, you get when you're surfing it it in larger waves with larger fins which control it.
Try to get a demo set of H2 fins. I reckon they would put a smile back on your face.
My 2 cents.
Feel free to tell me I'm dead wrong anyone.

[Rockhopper]

vern

I recokon your on too big a spud, im way heavier than you (94kg) and am riding a 5-8, i could easily get away with a 5-6, at 81kg you could surf a 5-4 or less - perhaps the lighter guys can advise...

im using mrtfx in front and r2 rusty (QRs?) rears...it runs quite loose and fast but super drivey

[indodreaming]

Hi guys as the name suggests from the sunshine coast, so need a board that will tame our near year round slop from moffat's to noosa and the beachie's in between, im am intermediate surfer 6'2 92kg, looking at sweet potato inbetween 5"6 and 5"10, just looking for some advice on size, and quad fin suggestions, prefer to go as small as possible, but still want to float my generous frame. I want a board that paddles in early, but can still throw around and still use if it gets 3-4ft and sucky, should i be looking at the potatonator/ baked instead, Any help would be greatly appreciated.

cheers

Had to laugh reading this, having lived on the sunny coast for a few years for work south end, i think the SP would be the perfect board for the sunny coast, you could use one 9 surfs out of 10 :P

[suncoastslop]

hi indodreamer, yes for sure, except the last three days its been cracking, working all weekend so i havent had a chance to get out, but checked alex this morn was firing in every direction

cheers

[cuttlefish]

I was out there...first on the pnator and then switched to my orange mc 7t old school 7'er for some retro groove.
Alex surf have the 5'8" fst demo in there if you want to give it a run.

[cuttlefish]

Btw indo, have you been having fun with the hard core crew on surfer mag?
Pete. (wink, wink).

[prjwebb]

Btw indo, have you been having fun with the hard core crew on surfer mag?
Pete. (wink, wink).

Ha!

[suncoastslop]

cuttle, from where i was at the club having a coffee it looked like fun big walls, as for the demo i think im going to go rapid fire

[cuttlefish]

Should be even more fun tomorrow even if it drops a bit...Monday.
I need some voltaren.
Re the demo no worries, just letting you know it's there to be ridden if you want to try it.
Prj,
sometimes I just can't help myself.

[suncoastslop]

cuttle, just was not that impressed with the float of the fst, im off mid week so i might drop in and give the larger size a try

[iggy]

Should be even more fun tomorrow even if it drops a bit...Monday.
I need some voltaren.
Re the demo no worries, just letting you know it's there to be ridden if you want to try it.
Prj,
sometimes I just can't help myself.

Volataren is good but if you have there ROBAX that is the thing for muscle pain

[suncoastslop]

Did the deed, 5' 8 fst sweet p with future controllers, off to Lennox , reports to follow . Yeeeeeuuuuuuhhhh

[prjwebb]

siiiiiick

[cuttlefish]

My mate from Coolum bought a 6' dom with fst from Coolum today.
Where'd you get yours from?
Have fun at Lennox...watch the rocks.
ride reports to follow....?

[suncoastslop]

Good day, sold another board private for awesome $$$, then was in caloundra shopping so called by dicky beach shop on way home and scored a deal i could not resist on sweet p. now just got word flat rock was firing from a mate this arvo. yup reports to follow, just hope this rain buggers off

[suncoastslop]

upside down upside down...stupid iphone...stupid user

[JaM71]

Yeeeeww! Should be a good weekend for it, look forward to hearing about it

[suncoastslop]

down there till friday cant wait,

634see if this works

[suncoastslop]

doh, i give up, thats my sweet upside down

[prjwebb]

The anti gravity potato should be good for airs!

[iggy]

down there till friday cant wait,

634see if this works

paranormal activity

[cuttlefish]

The ride report will be interesting.
A sweet potato would not be my board of choice at either flat rock or Lennox.
I guess if it's going to be your "one board quiver" board you may as well test it's limits straight up. :-)

[suncoastslop]

na cuttle, other boards packed, going to try the sweet at the pass

[Chris]

nothing like the potato in three foot down the line sucky barrels...

[iggy]

yessssssir!!!.Down, up,left,right!!!

[suncoastslop]

Quick report, north coast trip got pulled due average weather,so no real data, but got to surf the 5'8 fst in 3-4 point waves at home, size is perfect, paddles awesome, good volume for my size, early entry and the controllers once the sweet spot is found are very direct, lots of hold, only prob now is i have dinged the rail (stupid rocks), cuttle i remember a post where you mentioned you had a go to guy on the coast for repairs, that was experienced with epoxy repairs? i have damage on the rail in two places one which is minor which i could repair my self but the other is a little worse, hasn't damaged the balsa but enough damage to not attempt the repair myself,,,, just found the post would you recommend brian from inside edge or the beachbeat guys? for this repair.

cheers

[cuttlefish]

If you're in a hurry Beachbeat. For eg drop in Mon - collect Fri. You could go direct to see Bart at Factory at Kuluin (off Fishermans rd) too.
Brian if you're not in so much of a hurry.
He may be a bit cheaper but there's always quite a few boards jammed into the repair racks...which I'm always concerned about with handling damage.

[suncoastslop]

what s your tip? just never used any guys up here, just after someone that can do a cracking repair on this fst rail right asap, is the beach beat factory contactable direct? or do i have to go through the shop? Did you end up seeing the repair on the demo board?

[cuttlefish]

Beachbeat factory. Just drop the board off yourself no worries.
Ph 5479 2811
20 Fishermans rd.
They do plenty of Firewire repairs as they are the crew that sell the most by far.
The little crack I put in the rail of the demo board (now mine) was fixed with epoxy solar cure and it's good as new.

[suncoastslop]

thanks mate,

[cuttlefish]

No worries.
Did you tap into that crazy speed that they are capable of?
I assume you rode it at Moffs?

[suncoastslop]

yes and yes, just trying to get use to the chatter/skippy feel of the rail/fins before they engage, (have to stop trying to ride it like at shortboard from the takeoff), hard to say much as ive had little time on it but it is deffeinitly fast and heaps of drive and on rail type feel once the fins are set, size it perfect, just have to work on setting the fins differently on bottom turn and the thing will be epic,,,,,,once its fixed

[suncoastslop]

ate sh#t a few times trying to trim /pump straight off the take off, definitely a lot to like though, cant believe the diff between the 5'8 and the 5'6 for me with regard to float and paddle onto waves, smaller board had me floating at at lower chest hieght while the 5'8 was at or just above belly button height, made so much difference. having to get used to so much speed, so far so good

[onshoreandmessy]

what size would you guys recomend for someone riding a 5.8 Dom, i want to be able to compete with the logs in upto 2ft. My weight is 185 Lbs and i'm 6ft 1"

[prjwebb]

I'd be thinking 5'4". You could go 5'2"... but it sounds like you'd enjoy that extra foam in the 5'4".

[iggy]

Agrred there PRJ, the 5'4" will give you the extra paddle beef!!

[onshoreandmessy]

thanks guys, i got told by a supplier that i should be riding 5.8 or 5.6, so conflicting reports to what i've read on the forum. With the 5.4 will i be able to compete with the longboarders? and out of interest how much you weigh PRJ

[iggy]

A longboard is a longboard, competition will not be fair but you will be catching waves for sure. I had a 5'6" and even though I loved the fact that the board was able to catch anything, once on, the extra volume was in the middle. I wanted to get some more juice out of it so I sold it and bought a 5'2". Still with the 5'2" I get whatever I paddle onto wether there are long boarders, kayaks, SUP, boats, no matter what jejeje

[prjwebb]

I'm 170lbs, onshore. maybe a little less at the moment, but surfing in full rubber.

[onshoreandmessy]

thanks for replies guys, being in wales i'm also in full rubber, although the 4/3 should be out next surf (can't wait) looks like i'm getting the 5.4 then :-)

[iggy]

Good choice buddy

[Chris]

good stuff everyone!

[onshoreandmessy]

Just picked up my 5.4 FST Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet potato, thanks for all the advice guys! Quick question though, i've seen a couple of pick with the deck grip right at the back of the board, further than i usually stick my pads, and a lot of people saying you have to have your feet right back. So would it be best not to use a pad at all?

[prjwebb]

i think its good to at least have that kick tail so you know where your foot is.

[onshoreandmessy]

how far back should i put it back then so i get it in the right place?

[prjwebb]

right against the leash plug

[iggy]

Million percent agreed!!
i think its good to at least have that kick tail so you know where your foot is.

[onshoreandmessy]

nice one guys, thats where i usually put it anyway, i just saw a pic on another thread where the guy had put it past the leash plug, guess i'm getting the hair dryer out tomorrow ready for monday :-)

[prjwebb]

should be a nice bit of wind slop about to try it on.

The long range forecast continues to look abysmal :(

[onshoreandmessy]

yeah, its been a long time since i looked forward to 2ft messy waves :-) cant wait till tomorrow LOL

[Chris]

thanks for the feedback everyone.

yeah i love a pad. some of the guys in the office buy longboard pads and cut them to fit the tail as well. this allows you to get your pad and foot WAY back.

No kick on those pads though...

[A.Vern]

Put it waaaaay back.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg310/vernallis/84b99c84.jpg

[loris]

hello guys , i m french and live near sea ( biarritz) and i want a board for small and smooth waves . I thought buying an sp but i dont know what size .........
I m 90 kg and have a intermediate level ( i do a lot of bodyboard on our slab ).what size can i purchase to have an easy take off and an easier progress in surf?

thanks a lot

I m sorry for my bad english.

[iggy]

Hey Loris, how often do you surf?
For your weight I would consider the 5'4"-5"6"
Now if I were you I would take a look at the potatonator as well if you are into looking to progress and push your surf a bit further on small waves

[loris]

Hey Loris, how often do you surf?
For your weight I would consider the 5'4"-5"6"
Now if I were you I would take a look at the potatonator as well if you are into looking to progress and push your surf a bit further on small waves


thanks for the reply , i surf 2 to 10 times per month when conditions are good BUT the last 2 years i ve done only bodyboarding. Before bodyboard i ve done a lot of surf and have an intermediate level.
I want to find a board for small summer wave .

[suncoastslop]

just found a cool vid on vimeo thought you guys looking at a sweet p may be interested,

http://vimeo.com/31323888

[cuttlefish]

How's your Sweet P going Suncoast?
Nice little pulse we had today (Sunday).

[suncoastslop]

Hey cuttle, only got a few days to get into it, in that last swell period we had before it died,,,,,
(cant believe how flat it s been), but i suppose we were due for it after such a good run of waves,

First impressions, waves with some push the sweet p lights up, waves with lack of push i'm struggling to get it moving, probably just need some more sessions on it to sort it out,

Interestingly in the smaller gutless waves, i had no problem getting onto waves, just finding drive and speed was the problem. The sweet p felt like i was riding a container ship, actually felt like i could have ridden a smaller version, in the 3-4" moffs i scored for a few days in that last swell, the 5'8 felt great under foot.

no missed sunday(shift work) was there a few around? keen to let it rip again we get some swell


suncoast

[cuttlefish]

I took my 10 yr old daughter down for a surfing lesson and lo and behold the corner at Alex had some great looking chest high, clean ones coming through consistently.
Only had a 6' kneeboard and my 4'2" prone (pu) board so I took the kneeboard out for a paddle.
Unfortunately the Sunday longboard crew were working rotation on any and everything so only the odd scrap left for me.
Back to surfing lessons provided me with more stoke.

[Chris]

ohh man....longboard gangs are like biker gangs...

[iggy]

Jajajaja!!!

[cuttlefish]

Here's some Indo fins controller copies.
Haven't tried them yet.
Need to sand one of the tabs to get them to sit flush.
The front fins are a lot more flexible than the Futures genuine article but the rear fins are stiff.
Akin to glass flex fins in the front fins flex.
However since the fins are in a small wave board the flex could actually be a real positive.
715716
Here's some shots to show the flex.
717718

[iggy]

Seems to me that those front fins are missing a bit of rake compared to the original controllers...or could be the angle of the pic

[prjwebb]

I'll be interesting in your feedback on these Pete. If they are mind blowingly better in the SP than anything else I might have to order myself a set. Maybe not in orange though :P

[cuttlefish]

Buy them PRJ...you'll like em.
Only got 5 high tide 2'ers to test the Indo fins on this morning but I'll concur with Mirks.
I liked the speed out of the gate and easy looseness with these fins compared to the Stretch's in the same kind of waves.
Definitely THE fins to have in the spud when its smaller.
I reckon I'll still use the Stretchs when its bigger or put in a rakier rear fin with the front Indo fins to gain hold in the tail if needed.

[cuttlefish]

By the look of the forecast I may not be riding the spud again for a couple of days.
Hopefully too big for it.

[Chris]

yeah those look like a fun set? Keep us posted.

[cuttlefish]

Put the rear strteches in with the Indo fronts in pumping 3-4' point waves yesterday.
WOW!
Go as fast as you want with hold for big arcs.
748

[prjwebb]

Should I be ordering some indo fins Pete?

[cuttlefish]

Definitely!
Especially when you can mix and match them with different rears and still have them feel so good.
When the swell drops (gotta love that) I'll try some GXQ PCs with flat inside foils with the Indo fronts too.
This week the nearest Buoy topped out at 7.5 metres.
It's pumped since last Friday with biggest days Mon and Tue with the points still firing up until today and tomorrow should still be good.

[prjwebb]

Living the dream! The shocking conditions have continued here. Can't remember the last time I had a decent surf. March maybe?

I've got the K2.1 quad rears. I can't remember exactly what template they are but they could be fun with the Indo fronts. Should have my SP by the end of next week. The question is, do I order the Controllers now, or wait until I've tried the DL fronts with K2.1 rears and MRTFX with 2.1 rears...

[iggy]

Living the dream! The shocking conditions have continued here. Can't remember the last time I had a decent surf. March maybe?

I've got the K2.1 quad rears. I can't remember exactly what template they are but they could be fun with the Indo fronts. Should have my SP by the end of next week. The question is, do I order the Controllers now, or wait until I've tried the DL fronts with K2.1 rears and MRTFX with 2.1 rears...
Ha! join the club. I've been doing lots of CARVER and SUP lately on my end!!!

[tallkook]

Can you go big with the SP and still get the joy? I ride a really fat and wide 6'2 retro fish now and am wondering if a SP at a similar length would give the same sort of ride. Anyone out there had a go on the big ones??

[cuttlefish]

I tried a 5'10" as a demo. Figured I needed a 6'er [51 litres] for more paddle power.
I've had a 6'6" addvance which had no corkiness issues at 48 litres.
So bought the 6'er and surfed it in smaller, weak point waves and had a lot of trouble catching waves and getting the planing speed I'd experienced on the demo 5'10".
But....then a good swell arrived and I tried surfing it in solid 3-5' point waves and caught waves easily and had an absolute blast.
Then the swell dropped and I had difficulty catching waves again.
Since the spud is supposed to be my small wave board as I already had a 6'2" potatonator as my daily driver, I traded the 6' spud in on a 5'8" after demoing it in 2' waves.
I found the 5'8" let the energy of the smaller waves be harnessed as I paddled into them while the 6'er felt like it was floating over them.
It's a two edged sword though....surfing the 5'8" this past weekend in good 3-5' point waves had me missing the paddle power of the 6'er as I struggled to get my fair share of waves in amongst the crowd.

[surfgumby]

Tallkook, I ride a 5'10" Which I reckon is as big as u wanna go!

Ive just had my best summer of surfs for a long time thanks to the spud, the 5'10" does give you the joy in the small stuff & can still hold its own when the swell picks up a bit!

I also demoed a 5'8" & found my wave count overall was not as good as with the 5'10".

I was originally 91kg when I was in the market for a spud & had my eye on the 6' as well but if you look back on the old forum the overwhelming tide of opinion was go at least one size smaller than you think!

The old forum is littered with threads of guys who bought to big & then downsized to get the full benefit of that crazy shape!

Again as always, stick one under your are (if you can get it around the 6') & go for a demo!

[Chris]

Thanks for the suggestions surfgumby and Iggy!

[indodreaming]

Btw indo, have you been having fun with the hard core crew on surfer mag?
Pete. (wink, wink).

Missed this....ha ha..yes that was me :D

[suncoastslop]

Suncoastslop picked a hell of a time to:
A. Register on the forum with his handle.
B. Pick a sweet potato as an allrounder for the Sunshine coast.
C. Get injured and miss the last swell and for all I know miss this one as well.
Are you out there Suncoastslop?
The best Autumn and early winter of waves for the poor old Sunshine coast in how long?

Cuttle, just saw your post
A. I think the handle has done the trick, if it was "suncoastonfire" it would have been flat and blown out ever since, so you blokes owe me
b. sweet p as an allrounder may have worked if i hadn't used the handle,,,,see above
c. 2 1/2 awesome swells later and 8 weeks is the count, dam it.

Interestingly you have backed up my thoughts, in the time i have had on it, i have found the 5'8 a struggle to perform in the surf i bought it for
0-2 " But in 2-4 " it really performs, it s just a shame when it gets a little bigger or suckier the sweet p is let down by its rounded flat nose, not wanting to take the later drops, this is where i guess the potatonator comes in yeah? i will be waiting to hear your reports on how the larger version goes.

should be back in the water shorltly. with more reports

suncoast

[cuttlefish]

The potatonator is far from a hspb but it suits me just fine.
The v under that narrower (compared to spud) dom nose really helps stick later drops easily.
In all the you tube shop reviews no one ever mentions the V.
It's good conditions for the spud atm....ie crap.
My 5'8" is great when it's about 2' and up but sans crowd. That's why I'm grabbing a 5'10" as well. The 6'er I started with was a good wave catcher for the crowded but sizier conditions. The corner and Bluff at Alex are ideal spud and potatonator waves.
When I surfed the 5'10" (of Al Hing's - Beachbeat) at 1' corner the other afternoon I was catching waves so easily and it was so much fun (Indo controller make a huge difference) that I knew I needed to up-size.
You're not missing much atm anyway.
But, by God, those back to back swells were amazing.

[Chris]

ha! good stuff cuttle. I haven't ridden the controllers in that one but I need to try for sure....

[indodreaming]

This is the thread im talking about in Forum ideas, there is some gold in this thread regarding info on fins for Sweet potato :D