Board Size Recommendation

[xxthehenryxx]

Hello,

I am 5-9, 180lb, 29 yoa. I am currently surfing a 9:fish seared ahi 6'2 Quad fin. i been surfing 4 years around 1-2 times in the summer time. this year i been going 2-3 times n getting stronger at paddling. i m pretty fit. I surf at socal el porto beach break. paddling is not a problem but duck diving is for me cuz the seared ahi cant duck dive. too much float. bigger waves washes me back big time.

The board is super fast on take off. i can hardly pop up soon enough. but when i do, i do a large bottom turn and that is about it. the board is super skatey , having a hard time controling it.

So brings me to the question of should i get a 6'2 dominator thruster setup or a 6'10 addvance. any response/knowledge is appreciated?

[Chris]

Hey Henry,
all the issues you seem to be having are stemming from riding a board with a lot of surface area and volume. I think in order for you to address that issue and progress as a surfer, going with a lower volume board is the right call. In this case, the Dominator. You may also consider starting down in the 600 range as well. Based on your weight, that may be a bit more of an ideal size...

Cheers and hope this helps.

[xxthehenryxx]

Hey Henry,
all the issues you seem to be having are stemming from riding a board with a lot of surface area and volume. I think in order for you to address that issue and progress as a surfer, going with a lower volume board is the right call. In this case, the Dominator. You may also consider starting down in the 600 range as well. Based on your weight, that may be a bit more of an ideal size...

Cheers and hope this helps.

Hi Chris,

I was able to test out a demo 6'0 dominator. i was pretty stoked. it definitely is a step down with less float. but i was able to catch waves. i like how u can free fall into a wave without pearling but the problem is the speed. Too fast, having issue getting up n doing the bottom turn. i just need more session to get use to it. but i like it alot! catches waves like my fat fish but better cuz the dominator is lighter n less volume.

ZJ boarding house in santa monica was able to demo the board for me, but they didnt have a new dominator, so i m in the process of getting one. what thruster fin do u recommend? Thanks for the great advise! i would have never had the guts to try out a 6'0 surfboard.

[Chris]

yeah you can go shorter and less volume for sure. that will help even out that speed.

as for fins, if you are down in the 600 or 510 area, I really like to use the SF4s or the K2.1s in FCS as a quad and the K2.1s as a thruster. If you have Futures, the WCTs as a thruster are great and the SF4s as a quad are my choice, but it can be a matter or preference.