Complete quiver re-think

[RobinL]

I am having a re-think about the way that I surf (and consequently my quiver) and was hoping that some of the experienced guys who post on the forum might be able to help me out.
It might be something to do with turning 30 in the spring and spending more and more time in the office and less in the water but I feel like I have plateaued and am desperate to inject new life into my surfing.
I’m 6ft 2 - 75 Kg and mainly surf UK beach breaks (range from mushy to hollow) waist high to head and a half and occasionally travel to surf (France, Portugal, Maldives) up to DOH.
I currently love riding a Dom 510, a Stealth 62 (a little over volume in the tail for me so I find it better in head high rather than head and ½ but it is so fast!) occasionally hopping on my 64 alt when it gets big (DOH). I can paddle well and have never struggled getting waves. I also never get in if it’s under waist to shoulder so I have no desire for a true groveler like the SP, BP or potatonator.
However, other than on the Alt in bigger surf, I'm getting lazy and becoming rather too cruisy for my liking. My staple moves have become cutbacks, floaters and carves which are getting further and further from the pocket.
I am looking to force myself to surf more vertically and get into more critical places on the wave. However, I am not planning to go back to a HPSB.
I am thinking of either:
- selling all of my boards and buying a 510 spitfire and a 61 CC
- or selling the stealth and getting a 60 Sub scorcher to go with my 510 Dom and 64 Alt
My questions are:
1. Will I regret selling the Dom?
2. If I don’t sell the Dom will I still end up surfing it in head high waves and stop myself from surfing as well as I could do on the spit?
3. Will the Spit and CC give me a good enough range from chest to DOH?
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Robin

[cuttlefish]

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.

[prjwebb]

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]

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]

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]

Hi Robin,

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

Thanks

Russ

[buzzy]

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]

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]

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]

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?