Complete quiver re-think

cuttlefish · 02-28-2013, 01:37 PM

Don't waste your money.
Keep your boards.
It's the archer not the arrow to a large extent nowadays but most everyone will be happy to tell you to buy another board.
There's so much footage out there of good surfers riding boards that make a dominator look like a hpsb in comparison and they are going vertical and surfing tight in the pocket despite their equipment.
Check out the footage of Rasta riding his carbon DVS boards for example.
If you're running your dominator as a quad run it as a thruster.
Put in fins that are for tight, pocket surfing.
Visualise where you want to go on a wave when you mindsurf.
Look at where you want to go on a wave....pull your vision back from looking too far down the line.
It all starts with a good bottom turn.

Phill · 02-28-2013, 01:50 PM

i think with our uk waves it's easy to get stuck in a 'down the line' mentality where your whole focus goes on just trying to make the next section and get as far down the line before the inevitable closeout as possible.
start looking at making the most of each good section that presents it's self and surfing it as well as you can instead of thinking about making it to the next session. you'll get more out of 1 decent turn and not making the whole wave than you will out of pumping through an extra couple of sections and maybe fitting in a check turn or two and a floater.
that's how i've started approaching my surfing anyway, and i feel like it's helping. also try surfing some different spots rather than different boards.

buzzy · 02-28-2013, 02:25 PM

I agree with the above. I reckon your quiver looks pretty good actually. So far as I'm concerned the Dom is an excellent board to surf in the pocket and the Alt is a great board for better waves - also good for surfing vertically in the pocket. I've never ridden a stealth but its designer/shaper is one of the world's best so I'm sure it rips.

I personally wouldn't be leaving the Alt for just 2X overhead days. It friggin rips that board. I reckon it's great in anything from chest/shoulder high and above. I guess you wouldn't want it in super mushy waves at that size ideally but it would still work - the Dom would be better for those conditions.

Having said that I don't think there's anything wrong with the notion of replacing your Stealth with a CC or subcorcher. Both seem to be great boards and both might find a slightly clearer place in your quiver in terms of fitting a clear rationale. I gather both boards fit essentially the same niche but from what I can tell the feedback on the CC is slightly more effusive than for the Sub scorcher. Also, the Subscorcher is, I think, only available on special order.

So my 10 cents worth (whatever that equals in pommy money) is that your existing quiver is fine but if you wanted to tune it up a little replacing the Stealth with a Subscorcher or Chubby Cheddar is the better option.

So far as more vertical is concerned I suspect that's a function of the waves you have been surfing. As PRJ said sometimes you just race sections and don't get an opportunity to surf vertically. I certainly don't think there's anything in your quiver stopping you from going vert.

RobinL · 02-28-2013, 11:20 PM

Thanks guys,
The 'down the line mentality' definately rings true and it is something which i have been working on for a couple of years. It is definately exacerbated by a feeling that I need to make the most of each wave by surfing it to the very end, because I'm getting in the water less and less frequently. I've been trying to use visualisation and develop more positive muscle memory out of the water by building better technique movements into my work outs. Sadly however I don't have the opportunity to test it out very often in the water. I suppose what I am looking for is a way to kick start this process. By switching boards I was thinking it would force me out of engrained habits, which my muscles are so used to, enabling me to make more rapid progress. I have been working on technique and will continue to do so but I'm feeling like im progressing at a glacial pace at the moment, which is frustrating.
The stealth is definately going as is a hellfire which is undervolumed for me. I will have a look on the forum for Dom fin choices to see if I can get more pivot there and keep thinking about a board for the head high days.
Many thanks for your wise advice.
Robin

russ_m · 03-01-2013, 03:29 AM

Hi Robin,

I would potentially interested in buying the Stealth, can you drop me a message with more info

Thanks

Russ

buzzy · 03-01-2013, 03:43 AM

I'm not sure if you're riding the board as a quad but if you want to go more vertical get rid of the quad and go thruster. I really like the K3's in my Dom.

Sarge · 03-01-2013, 04:10 AM

Hi Robin, not wanting to contradict the other guys but I reckon you could do with a quiver shake-up. I think your board model choices are quite good for a little diversity but IMHO if you want to push your surfing more then you should be looking at getting rid of some volume (length/width/thickness) from your boards. You're on the silly side of 30, and you say you have no problem catching waves, so give yourself a challenge and get a smaller Dom- at least 5'8" maybe 5'6"- and you might as well turn it into a Spit while you're at it. The less volume should also mean a little less speed- but that should also keep you from outrunning the pocket. The reduced length should also get you turning tighter. And Buzzy is on the money with sticking to the thruster set-up for staying in the pocket (too slow to go anywhere else- ho ho)
Good luck, change gradually, the race is long, but don't be afraid to change)

RobinL · 03-01-2013, 05:45 AM

Thanks so much for all the ideas guys!

Sarge - I have been thinking of dropping volume but at 6ft 2 (long legged too!) I dont want to go too much shorter and I find the sweet spot forces my stance to have to narrow. It was only 3 years ago that I was on a 63, 18 1/2, 2 2/5 HPSB (29L) and I don't feel very much less fit now.
I think I might go for a 510 spit so that it can still grovel a little and will then look at a Sub or CC in 510-61 range for some more HP fun in the head high range and keep the Alt for when it gets big.

russ_m - Great idea! I don't think either of us have posted enough on the forum to use the messenger service but my email is rlongworth@livedotcodotuk sorry for the odd way of spelling it with 'dot' rather than '.' but it cuts down on the junk mail!

RobinL · 03-01-2013, 07:04 AM

Thanks for the advice on fins!
I am definately going to try the dom as a thruster before I let it go.
I have got some K2.1 but fear they might be a bit small given my weight to volume in the tail ratio.
would MR or PC7 with a small trailer make the board more pivotal?

cuttlefish · 03-01-2013, 11:29 AM

The large sides and trailer won't make it more pivotal.
The reason Simon started using a thruster set up was for more pivot in the first place.
Put in the K2.1s.
If the tail is letting go simply use a larger centre.
You can fine tune the amount of hold/pivot by then adjusting with the use of the rear fin with different size/rake to your tastes.
Come back and tell me if I'm wrong.

RobinL · 03-02-2013, 12:31 AM

Thanks cuttlefish, I'll give that a go.

nealy surfed · 03-03-2013, 08:19 PM

Hi guys I am thinking of changing my quiver as well now remember Im 55 semi fit for 55 and returned to surfing after a 30 year break a couple of years ago. I find I need a board thats easy to paddle but Im still able to push it under a good size set and get it out the back after a couple of good waves, we get a bit of water moving round when theres a good swell running so you don't get to sit up and rest much. I started surfing firewire's on a sweet potato great fun in full waves but a bit slippery on steeper beach breaks, then the p-nator came out and solved that. I still loved the SP. in the small soft surf, when the baked potato was released I swapped it for one of them. I love the p-nator but find it is a bit lacking in the top end of our surf, overhead to one and a half beach breaks, and some times in turns I seem to stall it and go over the handle bars so to speak. I tried a 604 spitfire thats similar volume to my 6 foot p-nator but found it to be corkey and even though it's only 1.3 Litres bigger it didn't dick dive as well and felt a bit like driving a bus compared to a sports car i'm thinking i need to drop a few litres to get a board i can dive under waves and hope i can still paddle then i saw the chubby chedda and thought this looks like a brilliant board so my question to you guys is how does the chubby chedda paddle compared to a dominator or p-nator of similar volume and how much harder is it to catch waves on and while i'm at it is it to big a step between a baked potato and a chubby chedda I can only fit 2 boards in my work truck, I suppose what i'm looking for is a board thats easy to paddle easy to push under waves and preforms as well as my p-nator in waste to one and a half over head not too much is it?

RobinL · 03-03-2013, 10:38 PM

IMHO two good options could be:

Sub scorcher - less refined and wider in the tail than the CC so possibly a bit more forgiving. I'm looking at it as my chest to head and a half board.

A smaller spitfire. Most people (FYI - from what i have read on here not my own experience) surf their potatonator 2" smaller than their Dom/spit. The spit has plenty of float up front so paddles well and it will not feel too different from the potatonator but that slightly more refined tail and rocker will feel different enough not to overlap too much.

fokaiHI · 03-04-2013, 09:01 AM

Never re-think ur quiver, always re-think how u surf to improve ur quiver.

Complete quiver re-think

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