Best crowd killer performance board

[doc_flavonoid]

Bro, if you are 60, DGAF what any of us say. You ride whatever you want. We've all got our self-righteous opinions, but I'd bet half the keyboar warriors (LOL) on here won't still be surfing at 60. F- um.

59 here an f/um is right. last thing i want to do is jockey with pack of clowns haf my age.

dont get me wrong. its true what said about positioning and wave selection. but when you combine the wave knowledge with big board skillz (yea skill bog rail bitches) then you are the real crowd killa

on a bender a couple weeksback. had a session on the twinny that went south when a pack of midlife midlengthers dongboards mobbed my sh!t. came back the next day with the 10 oh and did laps carving up the circus.

friend turn to me at one point and was like. dude... chill... you won the heat already.

to which i told him nah. im not done. not til everyone of these fuckers regrets that ive been at this for 50 years

 

[Swallow Tail]

I’m 51, bad shoulders, couple replaced discs in my neck, LB not great either. A board w more paddle power that is still functional is a no brainer for the older fellas, but - for fcks sake - applying good strategy is just as, if not more essential to get waves and have a good time. ST out.

 

[encladd]

Was out at Swarmies the other day. Older dude, prob late 60s, paddles out and immediately turns and burns on the first wave of the biggest set of the day. His buds start laughing. "Good ol' Jerry (or whoever the fuck). Paddles out turns, burns, and then goes in to escape confrontation.... every time."

Forget boards, just be Jerry.

 

[smithgrind]

Bro, if you are 60, DGAF what any of us say. You ride whatever you want. We've all got our self-righteous opinions, but I'd bet half the keyboar warriors (LOL) on here won't still be surfing at 60. F- um.

If you don’t plan on surfing into your 60’s GTFO now and stay ahead of the game.

 

[j_mac]

I'm saying a lot of people don't position themselves in a way to give them the best chance no matter what they are on. Their wave count would double if they did. They paddle as hard as they want but if their off the shoulder, too deep, whatever... they will always be at a disadvantage if everything else is equal. Its not rocket science, but some guys struggle with it. Either from lack of experience or not wanting to keep the effort up to stay in the right spot. I'm not a great paddler, but will take waves from people with only a few strokes while they are paddling their hearts out off the shoulder. With crowded lineups its critical.

Reading the waves and positioning is what gets me the most waves. As my session continues, I am narrowing in on the sweet spot. At my local spots, I have multiple landmarks depending on the wave size. I even park my truck in a certain spot that I use, even though it is a bit farther of walk. My friends eventually asked why I parked there, and I should have never told them as now they use it. I don't realize how much I use the landmarks as it is ingrained in me, until it is foggy, and then I am lost. Like you said it is not rocket science, and seems like common sense, but yet ...

 

[trifish]

Landmarks is a good point & definitely helps in the water and staying lined up. I do the same. Its those little things that helps me. Overall I'm a really chill guy out there and just grabbing my share. I don't like being competitive every time a wave comes through and just trying to enjoy my time on the water. If its a standout break with a huge crowd I have to go into it with a different mindset if I want to get rides. I need to be more aggressive, paddle more, and stay lined up. Honestly, more often than not I try to avoid the crazy days or will often shoot out at a less optimal time to not deal with.

Maybe crowd is a trigger word for me because I saw this thread as how to deal with crowds. Board plays a role some, but so many other factors also. I think the OP might of just been looking for suggestions on boards that paddle well with performance. I think he probably found it some with the mid6. My 6'8" townsend diamond tail paddles well and I can surf it like a shorter board. It has a wider tail compared to the rounded pin which keeps the outline a bit more parallel and has good range. Chilli mid strength also comes to mind and a lot seem to like it. I picked up a moonstone towards the end of last year after hurting my elbow to help get a little more length/paddle power over my shorter ones. It gave me a boost paddling, but also opened my eyes some to how fun it is to surf fishy shapes that have longer rails.

 

[VonMeister]

Say you're looking for an edge at a crowded spot, or maybe got an injury and don't want to work too hard paddling and wave catching while you recover, or you're getting older, or maybe just occasionally feeling kinda lazy and just want to have a fun surf. So it's a balance between ease of use between waves and performance while on waves. Probably don't need to go full mid-length, right? Maybe around 6'8 and 40L tops for the average dude or dudess?

Lots of options but what's the best, in your opinion?

You don't stand a chance at a crowded spot you goof...no matter how big of a crutch you want to drag down the beach. Stick to midpoint.

It's every generations duty to make things easier for the next generation, then complain about them having it too easy.

 

[estreet]

Was out at Swarmies the other day. Older dude, prob late 60s, paddles out and immediately turns and burns on the first wave of the biggest set of the day. His buds start laughing. "Good ol' Jerry (or whoever the fook). Paddles out turns, burns, and then goes in to escape confrontation.... every time."

Forget boards, just be Jerry.

Funny you should mention it, the other day a really old dude blatantly dropped in on me from way out on the shoulder, and despite a couple of nudges wouldn't pull out. See surfline rewind screencapture. Later I casually told him it wasn't cool to drop-in like that. He said that he didn't see me. It's pathetic old dudes like that who give dried-up old surf rats like rowjimmytour and VonMeister a bad name.

 

[estreet]

I’m 51, bad shoulders, couple replaced discs in my neck, LB not great either. A board w more paddle power that is still functional is a no brainer for the older fellas, but - for fcks sake - applying good strategy is just as, if not more essential to get waves and have a good time. ST out.

Got neck and LB issues that I've been able to manage with a personal physical therapy routine, basically stretching and strengthening. I developed a should impingement about a year ago that's currently almost gone. I think so much paddling can cause an imbalance in the shoulders so you need to strengthen mussels that work in the other directions. Lifting dumbells forward and over the head with a straight arm, for instance. Bands are also good for this area of conditioning. Stretching, like simply hanging from a bar, also helps shoulder impingement.

 

[estreet]

Landmarks

Sometimes on beach breaks, I'll study it for a while and pick a spot with the most consistent peaks, and then while walking to the water carve a big V in the sand with my foot. Particularly useful when there's a strong current and no natural landmarks.

 

[oeste858]

Well, this thread has really taken some turns

 

[Havoc]

Grumpy old men

 

[doc_flavonoid]

Funny you should mention it, the other day a really old dude blatantly dropped in on me from way out on the shoulder, and despite a couple of nudges wouldn't pull out. See surfline rewind screencapture. Later I casually told him it wasn't cool to drop-in like that. He said that he didn't see me. It's pathetic old dudes like that who give dried-up old surf rats like rowjimmytour and VonMeister a bad name.

View attachment 130572

just kick out and stfu. pay it forward. ur lucky if someday that really old dude is you

 

[VonMeister]

Funny you should mention it, the other day a really old dude blatantly dropped in on me from way out on the shoulder, and despite a couple of nudges wouldn't pull out. See surfline rewind screencapture. Later I casually told him it wasn't cool to drop-in like that. He said that he didn't see me. It's pathetic old dudes like that who give dried-up old surf rats like rowjimmytour and VonMeister a bad name.

View attachment 130572

You're complaining about someone dropping in on a sloppy blown out waist high wave at a beginner spot? Have you considered maybe surfing a spot where the waves are better and the skill level required to catch a wave there is higher...which would negate a beginners ability to even be there???? Of course not because you're the same guy.

Surfing with adult learners is your only opportunity and you started a thread asking for advice on how to dominate them.

 

[VonMeister]

Sometimes on beach breaks, I'll study it for a while and pick a spot with the most consistent peaks, and then while walking to the water carve a big V in the sand with my foot. Particularly useful when there's a strong current and no natural landmarks.

Why not just put your rinse kit on the beach?

 

[casa_mugrienta]

You're complaining about someone dropping in on a sloppy blown out waist high wave at a beginner spot? Have you considered maybe surfing a spot where the waves are better and the skill level required to catch a wave there is higher...which would negate a beginners ability to even be there????

To be fair, other than a few spots that only turn on a few times a year, there's really only a handful of waves in CA and the East Coast that aren't beginner waves.

 

[mundus]

To be fair, other than a few spots that only turn on a few times a year, there's really only a handful of waves in CA and the East Coast that aren't beginner waves.

Was going to argue, but if consistency is taken into account you are correct.

 

[estreet]

Have you considered maybe surfing a spot where the waves are better and the skill level required to catch a wave there is higher...

Where in SC, particularly in summer, does it require a high skill level to catch a wave??

 

[estreet]

just kick out and stfu. pay it forward. ur lucky if someday that really old dude is you

He actually seemed like a nice guy and once he showed the I-know-not-what-I-do pleading eyes at me I couldn't stay mad at him.

 

[sdsrfr]

Well, this thread has really taken some turns

Snappy and in the pocket or drawn out and way out on the shoulder?