Stuck in the Middle

[jjthejet]

Guys i have a big perdicament. am planning on getting a new board come april/may and i have been seriously considering a 5'10" dominator. i use to have a 6'4" short board, but i couldnt catch waves unless it was chest high surf. i now have a 7' hybrid that i can catch waves all day long with, but cant manuver it worth a damn. i am 32yrs old 5'9" 180lbs. I live on the west coast of Florida and get wet once a month or so. the waves arent all that great even durring tropical surf. a great day would be 1-2' over head( not often at all) usually 1-4' on average.

My problem is of course i dont want to spend $600-$700 on a board that i wont love. that i cant catch waves with or cant manuver. i was truly thinking that the dom would be the board for me, but now a POTATONATOR. this board looks sick. will it catch chitty waves? will the dom catch chitty waves? which will catch waves better? do i go shorter than i have ever had befoe? (6'4" this board sucked). i am afrade to go small and not be able to catch waves or go to big and not be able to manuver my board.

I have lived in or by the water my whole life and i love surfing. i would like to consider myself a intermedate surfer, but i dont get in the water enough to be good any more, especialy now that im older and fater. So i guss i can downgrade myself to a beginner/intermedate. what do i do? i was so fixed on the dom now i have to go thru this again. Dominator or Potatonator? aaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

[buzzy]

Just on the Dom, I wouldn't go below 6'0" at your frequency of surfing and you should also consider the 6'2". Forget the 5'10". I reckon the Dom would be a better choice as it will be more versatile.

[iggy]

The potatonator will pack more volume on a shorter board. The wider tail will make this board handle the smaller stuff slightly better than the dominator.
Now the issue here will be how short do you or have you gone on boards, cause these boards pack quite a bit of volume

[prjwebb]

If you were picking a board for smaller days the PN would be a great choice but to cover those slightly overhead days too the Dom would be a better pick.

The 510 has plenty of volume for you, but it depends what you're used to. The 6'0" is still going to go great.
What are the full dims of your 6'4"?

[Chris]

yeah jj,
its a good position to be in because you are picking from boards with great strengths. your job is to assess what condition you want to address the most. if you surf waist high or smaller 75% of the time, then you probably want a better small wave board. If you are frequently in ways to head, then you probably want a board with more versatility.

From what you are describing, I think the 600 or 602 Dominator would be the call if you want that better wave board and a 510 to 600 Potatonator. Keep in mind they are geared for different surf. THe Nator will be fuller and better in small stuff while the Dominator will be more versatile in better surf.

[jjthejet]

I realy dont mind riding a shorter board i actually think that it would be easier to manuver and work the waves. My only concern is that if i go to short i wont be able to catch waves. I sold my 6'4" about 6 months ago and i am not sure of the dims on on my old board, but the damn thing would barly float me. The waves needed some good power to move me.

The more i think about it the more im starting to relize that i am looking for a small wave board. i ride ankle to wast high waves about 80% of the time im wet. so what happens when the good days come. i know that one board doesnt do it all, but i would imagin that i could still paddel out and give it a go. im starting to lean more tward this gene spliced potatonator. what size would you guys recomend.

[cuttlefish]

I'm 210lbs and pushing 50. Riding a 6'2" which is floating me just below rib cage with board level in the water.
If you grabbed a 6'er I'd say that would have floating at belly button or an inch or so below.
That's enough volume to give great float to support your weight paddling into the small stuff and enough volume to help prevent bogging in dead sections.
Both my first ever surf on the P'nator and my last this morning were in waves small enough that I would normally not bother going out.
Thing is I was able to go out and have fun on them.
Watch the P'nator you tube clip by Nev (in this section) and you'll see how it surfs.

[jjthejet]

so you normally wouldnt paddel out with a dominator on a day like that? i read othe post that say that the dominator works well in small surf as well. i looked at the volume calculator and it puts me riding a 5'6" to a 5'10" would you say that this is to small and i might want to go bigger? what if i went with the dominator and went tward the higher volumesugested? this would put me ridding a 6'. so you think this size dominator would catch small surf and still let me work the wave?

[jjthejet]

one more question. will the tator work well in small fast hollow waves as well? or will this board have to much meat for these type of waves?

[saxman1]

I ride a 5'8" and weigh 175 to 180. I would never ride my dom under thigh high. If the wave had some shape I could get some litte turns on a knee high wave but if I don't see consistant waist high conditions I paddle out on my 5'10" quad fish. Waist high and above and I can surf very progressively on the dominator. I surf at an advanced level but I still have my kook moments for sure.