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  • Yet another 'What size board for me' thread!

    #1
    I have really gotten into surfing this past year and have had pretty good success on my 9'4" Bing longboard. With that said where I surf in SC is all beachbreaks and the waves get a little steep when they're bigger. So that's gotten me thinking that I need yet another board, this time one of the shorter variety. After doing a bunch of research I've stumbled upon the ADDVance and this forum. Great forum by the way.

    So for my specifics, I'm 6'2", about 165-170 lbs, and have been surfing for a little over a year. As I live about 2 hours from the beach I really only get to the water a few times a month. With that said my wife and I recently went to a surf camp in Costa Rica (SurfSimply) and have really improved and gotten much more consistant. Now when I fail to catch the wave or wipeout I know what I did wrong and how to correct the mistake. I would rate myself as a early intermediate surfer.

    My wife and I both started this slippery slope called surfing at the same time. She's 5'3" and around 125lbs. Should she also be looking at an ADDvance and what size would be appropriate for her?? Best part about having a wife who's into surfing is that we totally enable each other when it comes to buying surfing equipment...

    I would like the ADDvance for those days where the waves are a little bigger, but with that said we don't get huge waves in South Carolina. Just looking for a fun alternative to the long board. So with that said, after reading the numerous posts on the forum relating to size I'm uncertain about which length would be best for me? Any input is more than appreciated!
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  • #2
    For your wife even the smaller Addvance will be too much board. I will go in the El Fuego/Dominator direction
    In your case, considering your stats and the frequency you hit the water, I will suggest the 7'2" Addvance. The increased area will add stability and will increase your rate of regression without affecting performance. You could go for the 6'6" if you want to push yourself but the fact you don't hit the water that often is what is throwing me towards the 7'0"
    Last edited by iggy; 09-11-2012, 05:33 PM.

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    • #3
      Another option is the 6'10, plenty of float for your weight - should paddle easily and catch waves without having to be a particularly strong paddler. Given your height it would feel quite short, but if you want to make a jump in your surfing level it might help that more than a longer Addvance. A 7'2 is another option - easier to transition to and would be fine with steeper waves, but I don't think you need the float it has, it would be harder to get through when caught inside and with the long board as back up, a 6'10 would add versatility to your board options. Iggy - I don't think there is a 7'0 Addvance is there? I can't comment with any certainty about what would suit your wife- others can help more I am sure.

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      • #4
        My wife, being a lil chookie at 5'2", got a 5'7" BP as a gift.

        Oh, I forgot to mention that she doesn't surf and hates the beach :)

        At any rate, I would seriously put your wife on a BP as well.

        BTW, my wife will end up surfin the board while at Costa Rica, just not here in Cali.

        Can you two demo?

        - aurf

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        • #5
          Thanks for the input. I was thinking something along the 6'10 or 7'2 as well. We don't really have a local place to demo around here so that's why I'm researching this to death. In the end I'm looking for something fun that I can transition towards without too much frustration. Man, this surfing thing really gets in your blood and I have a hard time focusing on anything else...

          Thanks for the thoughts regarding my wife's board. She also struggles when the waves become steeper with her 8'10 HP longboard with pearling like me. Does help to clear the sinus though. If there is another type of board that would better suit her let me know. Even if we were to upsize the board for more volume, if it's feasible that I could also use it when I advance it would be cool. Nice thing about us both surfing is we can consolidate our quiver where possible.

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          • #6
            I would plan a road trip to demo a board, or at least see and hold one.

            You will know once doing this, seriously.

            The gear is expensive and you make a nice weekend out of it.

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            • #7
              Angling on take offs helps a ton with steep breaks. So does getting into the wave earlier. Pearling on takeoffs shouldn't force you to buy a new board imo.

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              • #8
                Totally agree about angling on takeoffs. This is something that we've gotten better at, but could still use some practice.

                When we were in Costa Rica the waves had so much more power behind them and would build slower before breaking. It was roughly a 100 yard paddle to get outside. Mostly surfed with an 8'10 and did well. Here in SC the transition from a building wave to breaking happens very quickly. I would say a 30 yard paddle at the most to get outside. I have a pretty consistent pop up and paddle pretty well, although more paddle endurance is on my list of things to improve...

                My hope was that a shorter board with plenty volume would make things a little easier making the drop and hopefully increase my wave count on the larger days. Last weekend when we were out there were some longboarders, but the majority of people making the wave were riding something shorter. Of course I realize skill level comes into play here as well.

                Thanks so much for the input, we're always open to advice.

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                • #9
                  I think the Addvance has rocker in the right places to handle steeper take offs. I know the guys on here that have them love them.

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                  • #10
                    Two boards come to mind for me: the Addvance, obviously, and the Dominator (for her). Here is the way I see it, you can rip on an Addvance for sure. It also has tons of float so it makes the transition to a shorter board easier. The Dominator is a multi-purpose, more or less do it all kind of board. Get a smaller one for your wife, and as you get better, you can jump on it for more aggressive surfing. The El Fuego is a fabulous board, but does not have a whole lot of rocker, which is more of an issue on steeper waves. Also, I think you will get the most out of an ElF if you get one as the board after this one, if you know what I mean.

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                    • #11
                      Thanks for all of the advice. I guess the next step for us is to find a place to demo some different sizes and find what works best for us. Hopefully I can post an update in the next few months.

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                      • #12
                        Nice man, stoked for you.

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                        • #13
                          thanks for all the advice here folks!!

                          Appreciate the help!!

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