what can be expected from a Dom in head high to overhead surf...

[billd78]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on a RF 6'2 Dom (thank you all for your help/suggestions in my previous post) but I have one last querry- How will the board hold up in bigger surf. I hear alot that it will do well up to about the 6' range but no one has said what'll happen in bigger surf. I know it's got a really fat ass. Is that going to cause it to slip all over the place? I'd most likely be setting mine up as a thruster and it's not as though I'll be consistently finding overhead bombs but on the occasional hurricane swell that can hit the eastcoast I'd like to be able to go out and try to kill myself with confidence! any thoughts?
thanks

bill

[Slowman]

It can handle overhead surf. It's hollow steep waves that require some finesse. I've surfed my dom in 6' waves (ie. 1.5 x overhead) without issue and then had it spin out in 4' barreling waves. You just need to get in early and set up the bottom turn so you can really sink the tail and bury the rail. The lower rocker also means steep drops on takeoff are a challenge, better off with an angled takeoff where possible. I switched to the spitfire which eliminates the first problem, and the hellfire solves both problems! That said, the dom (or spit) will cover you better for the average conditions you will encounter most times.

[buzzy]

Agreed. As a thruster the Dom handles up to 1.5x overhead with ease. That's about it's realistic top end though.

[prjwebb]

Unless you've got a bit of weight behind you or strength in your legs I think you'll find the Dom handles those size waves but only when surfing more down the line. The board is very fast and on a bigger, steeper wave I always found it hard to hold the rail on big carve at speed. The board was primarily designed to surf effortlessly in smaller conditions.

Sounds like bigger guys don't have such a problem though.

[buzzy]

Yeah, I'm around 90kg and surf the Dom with big fins. I definitely wouldn't surf the Dom in above head high waves in a quad set up - it'd be way too skatey. And even as a thruster there's more double pumped turns than normal, with the first pump just checking that I won't wash out. You won't be surfing the Dom in those conditions like you would a more refined board. But in my experience it'll definitely surf fine up to 1.5X overhead, although I'd prefer my Futura or Alternator.

[Slowman]

I ride mine as a quad in 1.5x OH and it was OK not too skatey. But like I said hollow and steep waves even at OH can unsettle it. Never tried the thruster set up for bigger waves I always felt the quad set up worked well enough.