New Semi Gun! Comments please! Pics inside.

[Boards_and_Fins]

I picked up this semi gun today. Roger Hinds shaped and glassed. Dims 7'1 X 19 3/4 X 2 7/8. Please give your opinion as to max size you think this board could handle. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Anything else you want to say is fine too of course. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Thanks. My dims 6'4 205.

 

[LeeD]

3 years ago I rode a 8'6" Country RogerHinds semi.
Was so thin, light, fragile, and slow paddling I could only surf up to about 12' OB with it.
Now you gotta understand my perpective....see SCR's OB pics, and SilentSurfers's also. Those are what I consider 5-7'.
Now I got a 8' Plumeria...that is better paddling, lighter, weaker, and squirellier! Don't think it handles 11' OB.
My old set of SteveMorgan Brewers, from 8' up, were much heavier, beefier, floated and paddled better, just much better for real waves. Up, as in biggest was 10'3".
But we might be talking apples compared to oranges here, I'm 152 lbs.
I could use you new board for the smallest waves I bother to surf up here, easily. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Reading your dimensions again, it looks more big guy tri for medium waves than semi gun.
Yeah, about 15 years ago, I rode a 7'6" x 19.5 x 2.85 thick Morgan Brewer as my smallest of 5 boards <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

 

[pickles]

Looks like a sweet board. I'd go 8-10' backs in hawaii on that board, no problem. In socal you'll probably never find a wave you couldn't get into on that, assuming you've got the skill and the paddle power.

 

[lax15player]

3 years ago I rode a 8'6" Country RogerHinds semi.
Was so thin, light, fragile, and slow paddling I could only surf up to about 12' OB with it.
Now you gotta understand my perpective....see SCR's OB pics, and SilentSurfers's also. Those are what I consider 5-7'.
Now I got a 8' Plumeria...that is better paddling, lighter, weaker, and squirellier! Don't think it handles 11' OB.
My old set of SteveMorgan Brewers, from 8' up, were much heavier, beefier, floated and paddled better, just much better for real waves. Up, as in biggest was 10'3".
But we might be talking apples compared to oranges here, I'm 152 lbs.
I could use you new board for the smallest waves I bother to surf up here, easily. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Reading your dimensions again, it looks more big guy tri for medium waves than semi gun.
Yeah, about 15 years ago, I rode a 7'6" x 19.5 x 2.85 thick Morgan Brewer as my smallest of 5 boards <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Not to much a fan of the potato chips are ya?

 

[Boards_and_Fins]

I want to be able to use it in waves on the central coast as well. LeeD the board is heavy, glassed very strong with a very thick single stringer. I ride big guy boards sometimes and it does not look or feel like that at all. I would like to take it out in TOH surf. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

[surfgearhawaii]

B AND F,
I made this board last Christmas with similar dims for a S. African surfer ( 7'1" x 19 1/2" x 2 7/8"). 3' slop to 12' pipe. This is a very popular shape for me. I have them triple and sigle stringered with wood lam, EPS /epoxy. Use the same rocker with 2 1/2 off the width and and at 2" thick for tow in boards also
You have a very nice all purpose board. I am your same ht and wt. Prepare to be stoked!!!

 

[tigerG]

I like that shape. I am 6'1 210 I have a 7'6 19 1/2 pintail like that is great up to TOH. Took it to G-land and it was perfect. Great winter board for SoCal.

 

[LeeD]

It's not that I don't like chipboards.....
If I lived again at S Sunset Cliffs, my allaround boards would prolly be both a 5'6" x 21 fish and a 6'4 MBM.
Fish for the reefs and up to head high.
But I don't! I live up here near OB, but mostly surf the wierdo N Coast spots alone, average wave sizing prolly only 6', but ALONE!
See, makes a difference.
And to B&amp;F. My Country RogerHinds all had 1/4 to 3/8" stringers, and all were guns. Yes, I had more than 3 longer than 8'.
I'm old school, and like the Morgans much better.
Funny, to hear peeps saying a 7'6" is a big wave board!
Don't any of you own full guns? By my second year of surfing, I had a 8'7" x 19 swallowtail.

 

[DriftingTide]

But I don't! I live up here near OB, but mostly surf the wierdo N Coast spots alone, average wave sizing prolly only 6', but ALONE!

Not much of an excuse Lee. I surf a lot of north coast spots alone or with one or two other people. I'm 5'10 x 168 and manage to ride my two shortest boards fairly often.

If you can handle OB, you should have enough confidence in your paddling ability to be able to surf some of these not-so-inviting spots.

 

[LeeD]

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Oh, I have the confidence, and can handle OB really big, if it's kinda easy paddle out.
But I like comfort, don't care about ASP surfing performance, so mostly ride a funboard low 7's when it's just head high. Helps catch more waves, which is really the game, not looking good carrying a chip under your arms.
Of course, surfing about 21 days this year (Hah, broke my 14 easily), my paddle strength is nothing to brag about.
Almost all my buds from the '60's, who still surf, ride 9'+ logboards. I gave that up 3 years ago.
But I like golf too <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

 

[lax15player]

21 days surfing a year? i would have way too much energy and be jonesin for a surf 24/7.

This year i think i got at least 210 days of surfing done.

 

[LeeD]

Yeah, well I've been on the downwards spiral for about 20 years now, while you are still learning to surf and fully stoked.
Living up here, I don't think I ever got over 160 days surfing a year, but it lasted about 16 years, with no work to get in the way.
After that much time, and not making pro, I figure it's time to move on or revisit my past and have fun, rather than to obsess with something I know I'll never excell at.
Not that I wouldn't WANT to surf 210 days again, but I'd have to give up 130 days of windsurfing, some of my 100 odd tennis days (which I play as many as 9 sets a day), certainly lose out some on my 20 odd snowboarding days, some of my kiteboarding days, but those are few anyways, and suffer City traffic and the 1 hour commute to the beach...210 times!
Plus, if I lived in the City again, I'd have to work a bit more than my current 8 hours a week <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Oh, it's quality for me nowadays, not quantity. I don't need to go out on crummy days just to increase day counts, as my surfing won't improve with more time on the water.
Lots of posters here say they are better than ever at age 50 whatevers. In 1970, I was a ranked 4A surfer in California. Pretty darn sure I won't get there ever again.

 

[1689]

back on topic..thats a beautifal board...good luck with it.
--off topic...lee i wouldnt be able to fill your shoes. Theres times i surf 20+ times a month

 

[lax15player]

Goal in life: never set a true downlaod spiral in surifng. Thanks leed youve been an inspiration.

 

[pickles]

I want to be able to use it in waves on the central coast as well. LeeD the board is heavy, glassed very strong with a very thick single stringer. I ride big guy boards sometimes and it does not look or feel like that at all. I would like to take it out in TOH surf. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

No problem, in my opinion. But I like to ride as short a board as I can possibly catch waves on. Past TOH in cold water and you might want to look into adding another 6-12". But most of the time when you go looking for TOH, you get DOH+ anyway <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I've got a new 7'2" and an 8'0" about that same width and thickness as yours. I've really needed the 8'0" exactly once (honest 9-10' backs at a deep water break in hawaii), and every other time I've ridden it it was too long. Last time I took it out I ended up prefering the 6'7" squash shortboard I had been riding at the same spot all morning!

 

[blakestah]

Required board length depends on rider skill, fitness, and flexibility. If you have all three, the board will handle 10-12 feet faces breaking top to bottom. Or, bigger waves that break slower. Taylor Knox rides a 7'8" at 15 ft faces at Sunset, Tom Curren rides an 8 ft board at 15 ft faces Pipe,a 7'1" is probably not enough for TOH unless you have the same skill, flexibility, and fitness as them...

It is still possible to catch waves. I've ridden a 6'6" in TOH Ocean Beach SF, but on an 8 footer I would catch more waves and do a lot more with them. YMMV.

 

[pickles]

I'm curious blake, if a guy wasn't fit enough to ride a cirtain board in triple overhead surf, how would an extra foot of length help him?

 

[blakestah]

A surfer may catch waves on a longer board with less effort. He will also tire less easily as he expends less energy paddling around.

 

[LeeD]

I'm almost always not fit enough to surf the waves I prefer to surf in.
Around here, even when I was surfing 160 days a year, you get several weeks of horrible conditions, and don't go out, so you need a little more length and float to handle.
It's not a problem, if you can surf logs, guns, twins, and fishes, as extra length can be dealt with once standing.
The problem is, without the extra length, there is very little standing up applied.
My main board for overhead to 10' (their scale) Pipe was a 7'6" x 19 single fin.
My big wave board used at Revelations, Avalanche, and once at Wiamea was 9'6".
When Sunset was big enough to everyone to use 8' semi's, I used an 8'6"er.
All during those days, my smallest boards would be single fins around 6' long, pointy, and around 19" wide.
But why bring those to the NorthShore during winter? It's more important to have the 7'6", 8'6" and 9'6"ers, wouldn't you agree?

 

[LaJollasurfer]

Looks like a great board for your size/weight. I have a similar looking board thats 6 6 and is perfect for settin up for the barrel at blacks.