Better quote the OP's post, and not my quote of his post. I've never lived in San Diego and have surfed down there only a few times my enitire life.
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Step up for large/mushy waves (north San Diego)
- Thread starter scythemk
- Start date
Yeah boards are mysterious beasts, but basically. I guess you could throw in volume and outline curve, but in the paddle battle length wins. I've been engaged in that war for years.
step-up mini simmons?
McCallum Step Up Mini Simmons Quad 6'2" Surfboard - sporting goods -...
Selling my beautiful Step Up Mini Simmons quad surfboard. This board goes well in nearly everything you can throw at it here. A good small wave board, and also, as the name implies, it is finely...
sandiego.craigslist.org
isn't it illegal to alter government currency...step-up mini simmons?
McCallum Step Up Mini Simmons Quad 6'2" Surfboard - sporting goods -...
Selling my beautiful Step Up Mini Simmons quad surfboard. This board goes well in nearly everything you can throw at it here. A good small wave board, and also, as the name implies, it is finely...sandiego.craigslist.org
At 200+lbs a 6'0" GH fish may be a little small for you. His boards are low volume and have shortboard rails. That's probably why it feels like it doesn't paddle well. I wouldn't ride that in larger waves. I'm 165lbs and have a 5'9" which is cutting it close on how small I can go on one of his fishes. Chest to head high and my Hanel is a great paddler, anything more and I need more foam. For the waves you're referring to at your weight I'd ask Gary what he thinks about a tri fin egg around 6'6"x 2 3/4". His 2 3/4" thickness is more like another shapers 2 1/2" He really thins out the rails.
Gary’s rails are top notch. my 6‘10 x 2 5/8 b5 egg feels like my shortboard rails with a 2 3/8 thickness. To be fair, I don’t ride it that often. It’s too much a departure from my more pointy nosed shapes.
imo it’s really about where you want to hide the foam and can sneak in some cheat. given you come from pointy nosed crafts id say stick with a rusty blackbird.
I wonder if all those older guys on rhino chasers are just incrementally bitter about blowing it the last swell that they sized up for the next one until they got to 8’ boards.
some real gems out there today. a ghost could go great at certain spots.
Ya. Bigger the waves get the more complicated the board choice gets because that's when it starts to matter. Period, curve, power, wind, what other people are riding, etc
I honestly have the opposite experience. Lol.
If you go someplace like Blacks on this last run and look at what most people successfully riding waves are riding, for me it gets more simple. Alt constructions? Not really. Uniquely intricate and complicated designs? Nope. Odd fin arrays? No.
Lots of Rusty, Pyzel, Lost, CI, and respected local shapers who make boards for solid surf like Sharp Eye, Xanadu, SK, etc.
I really like riding unusual boards and EPS, but not when it gets real. Unless you have the skills
of Joel or Tosh Tudor, best to follow the herd.
If you go someplace like Blacks on this last run and look at what most people successfully riding waves are riding, for me it gets more simple. Alt constructions? Not really. Uniquely intricate and complicated designs? Nope. Odd fin arrays? No.
Lots of Rusty, Pyzel, Lost, CI, and respected local shapers who make boards for solid surf like Sharp Eye, Xanadu, SK, etc.
I really like riding unusual boards and EPS, but not when it gets real. Unless you have the skills
of Joel or Tosh Tudor, best to follow the herd.
I think the reason he was considering alt shapes was what he was seeing ridden by others at the NCSD reefs he’s talking about- NOT 15-20’ heaving Blacks this last swell. Those boars can work well at those waves he’s talking about.
But I certainly agree he should stick to something familiar when the swell jumps up.
Also, F-k the Tudors!… entitled little sh-ts that snake everyone
Seaside, Cardiff, Pipes, Swamis, Seaside, Beacons, Grandview. What are we talking about here?
If you need help with teh Grandview quiver, DM me. I got that sh!t dialed.
If you need help with teh Grandview quiver, DM me. I got that sh!t dialed.
I'm definitely leaning Blackbird at this point, with the main reason being immediate availability if I want to surf it this winter.
I imagine a custom from GH would be 6-8 weeks after glassing. I definitely want another board from him at some point, and the speed egg sounds really fun. His rails are definitely super foiled, which I love, but like haar said, I think that definitely takes away from the float. Funny enough, when we were talking when I was ordering the board, I told him paddling speed and ease were a priority, so he said he'd size it as if he were making a fish for himself, since he's a big guy and possibly a bit heavier than me. But when I actually paddled out with it, I was like oh boy, I feel like I'm dragging an anchor compared to paddling the CI Flyer or Pyzalien.
Also found this used Blackbird, although it's not much of a discount from an off-the-rack board, and the volume's not listed (dims are skinnier than stock for the length): https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/spo/d/san-diego-rusty-blackbird-surfboard/7570153273.html
I don't know enough about board design to say, I just know it subjectively feels way more difficult than on my shortboards, and requires more effort for less paddle speed.
I surf primarily Del Mar (15th street (yes, I know, I know, it's not that defined of a reef) and a few of the spots to the south (7th, 11th), which have little rock fingers that lend some shape, and have that same awful paddle out and massive playing field on big days. The other spot is Cardiff and Pipes/Traps/the San Elijo stretch. If it's too crowded for my liking at Cardiff Reef proper, which it usually is, I head north of the Kook statue - Traps/Pipes/etc. Same thing on a big day though - LOTS of water moving, current, chop, long paddle, and most of the others out there are on much, much longer boards than a 6'2".
Yes, oeste858, you have it right. I have no business or interest in Blacks at 15-20'. If it's that size, I'm up on the beach with my camera at the bamboo hut taking pictures and happy I'm on the shore. Same thing with the waves sdsrfr is describing from today, I suspect (went to Scripps this morning but saw that it seemed like the Cove was breaking). That's not an immediate goal of mine, either. Just looking to hit the spots I mentioned above in 8-12' surf, where it's big mushburgers most of the time, but fast moving with lots of water, making it tough to scratch in, and with the peak shifting, so having to chase it down and dodge clean up sets. Like someone else mentioned, even though the waves I surf at size are not top to bottom (most of the time), there's a LOT of energy. Don't think I'm at a level where I'd feel comfortable or competent in really top-to-bottom waves at DOH+.
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tosh tudor also rules pipe. he really showed them how it gets done during this last pipe contest.
I've surfed the south DM reefs into N Torrey on big days on both blackbirds I've had and it worked great FWIW
That clist blackbird looks great. A little on the large side but if that's what you're looking for I wouldn't hesitate. Did you call Rusty to see what they have at the warehose right now?
That clist blackbird looks great. A little on the large side but if that's what you're looking for I wouldn't hesitate. Did you call Rusty to see what they have at the warehose right now?
Same, I fked around with step-up twins for a couple months and went straight back to pointy thrusters and singles. Props to guys who can control those things in heavy surf, I can't.
I’m definitely not advocating a board for Big Friday Blacks, which really required somethign close to a
legit gun. Just pointing out that when there is solid swell running (which when we all use staps), the most competent surfers in the lineup tend to ride PU thrusters because they work best in those conditions, and that would serve most of us average joes well.
legit gun. Just pointing out that when there is solid swell running (which when we all use staps), the most competent surfers in the lineup tend to ride PU thrusters because they work best in those conditions, and that would serve most of us average joes well.
hey while we're at it fvck taylor knox too!
Rusty has this 7'0 stock swallowtail Blackbird available on their site. 7'0 x 20 x 2.62 for $870 I believe.
Blackbird - In Stock
The Blackbird was developed for the bigger days chasing down peaks in open waters and battling currents, it is the perfect wave-hawking weapon.
rustysurfboards.com
Hangar 94 in La Mesa also has a few Blackbirds off the rack, iirc I was in there last week and they had a 6'8 and a 7'0.
I surfed 7th St on a few of the bigger (not biggest) days this past swell, and my experience was the same as yours fwiw- a lot of water and paddling to be in the takeoff zone. on a 5'11 pyzalien 2 XL and a 6'6 moonstone
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