Looking to step down and up from 6'10"addvance

I am from southern North Carolina and have been riding a 6' 10 addvance for a couple weeks and love it. that board just goes unreal. have surfed it up to 1-2 foot overhead and it was insane. I am 6-4, 41, and weigh between 215-225 and in great shape. I have been surfing for 30 years. Needless to say at my size I have always struggled with board design. Started out with short boards 6"6 to 7'2" went to longboards for a short period and have been experimenting the past couple years with differences backyard shapes. My home made boards were 7'11" and around 23 wide and 3 thick and a 6'7" around 24wide and 3inches thick. the 7'11" was a one board quiver that was designed for the small waves here instead of a long board but would also work in quite larger surf. The 6"7 was a fish design that worked in bigger surf but had no drive in small gutless surf. I surfed both boards in Rincon PR for two week this winter. the 7'11 I surfed up to double overhead but had a time duck diving it. The 6'7 was good up to double overhead but to loose on the big drops. For some reason in small surf the 6'7" just would not have any drive.

Needles to say something was lacking in these boards. Enter the addvance. It has drive but is loose, goes vertical and I have not surfed so well in years.

Here is my questions:

1. I am looking for a board for small gutless eastcoast groveling wave.. is that a Sweet potato at 6, 6-2 or 6-4. I have always felt that foam was your friend in small stuff but reading about the potato it seams like that guys really like them small. or would a 7-2, 7-6 addvance more fit the bill. or is the potatonator the board?

2. I am going to Nicaragua for two week in late July and also to El Salvador in Oct. Looking for board advice for those trips. Not so much for El Sal as it is mostly points and the 6'10' will work well but Nic will be quite hollow and fast and could get quite big in late summer. I spent a month in Mainland mex in my early 20 so I know what a pumping south swell is like . Back then I rode a 7'7 by 19"3/4 by 3inch Ken Bradshaw mini gun. I still have this board but feel its just too narrow for me now. Have not given it a spin in 15 years. It has glassed on fins so it would not travel real well. What would you guy recommend as a second board for that trip. Bigger addvance? Or the Activator like 7"1. or something totally different.

I have read all the post about the addvance and most of the ones about the sweet potatao and have learned a bunch. You guys really seam to provide some great feedback on these board and I thank you in addvance for any advice.

Potatonator will be more of a higher performance small gutless wave machine while the potato is just a weird thing that gets you out having fun on no matter what.
Providing you have been surfing bigger boards in the past, how would you feel downsizing to a 6'0" or a 6'2"?. The ideal thing to do would be to test drive one (or both).
The potato is a massive board that packs LOTS of volume in such a short length, that's why people takes them that small.You don't realize it until you get one in your hands.
I think you are gonna love the potato

Hi Joyeride.

How good is the Addvance !! I just love mine in up to head high beachies. It does all you said it does x 2 as you catch twice the amount of waves.

I also have a Sweet Potato. If I had my time over again I would go the Potatonator as my small wave board as from reading Cuttlefishes reviews it has a wider wave range but still a good groveler. The Sweet Potato offers warp speed on small gutless waves but I found over 2 ft I am running back to the car to change over to the Addvance. However it could be some limited ability on my part. A Pnator is on my "to buy" list, but have just bouht an El Fuego so will have to wait a while. I'm also keen on an Activator. I think Addvance, ELF and ACT all have similar tail shapes.

A step up board from the Addvance for bigger/hollow waves is a good question and one I am considering at the moment as well. I don't think a Dom/Spit is the answer and I am a bit concerned boards like the Alternator are too high performace for me unless I went 7'6 and then it could be too much foam. I would love to get some feedback on how an 8ft Flexflight mght go in the juicy stuff. There doesnt seem to be alot of info/reviews here.



my 2 cents.

I am going to go take a look at the Potatonator today or tommorow if they have one in stock. My local shop only has a small number of demo boards and they are mostly the high performance ones and much to short for me. I thought the potatonator might get the call after reading cuttlefish feedback on that board. What length do you guys think? 6'8" or 6'6" or shorter. Any shorter and I think the volume will be to small for the groveling I would like to do with the board.

Interested to here some thoughts on the step up board.

Hey Joyride
I second STC on the Addvance - I ride a 7'2 - wish I had a 6'10 though. The Addvance would be fine in hollow waves - until it got sizeable then the extra volume would make it harder to achieve good performance. But I will re-state the Addvance will fly and be great to ride in hollow waves up to say overhead and a little bit. You could think about the Hellfire which has reasonable volume - should work unless it gets around double overhead; or left field idea - a 6'6 Addvance.

Can't really say much about the Potato not having ridden one, though the extra versatility of the Potatonator makes sense for travelling over the Sweet P.
Sounds like a good trip!