Performance Shortboard vs. Step Up

[92122]

Please educate me here friends... I always thought a Step Up was just that, a step up in size from your performance shortboard used for bigger waves.

Looking at something like the Slayer2, a new model, they recommend to ride it shorter than your regular performance shortboard. So is it the extra volume that makes a Step Up, and not necessarily the length!?

https://www.rustysurfboards.com/slayer-2/

I know the sizing comparison to a “regular performance shortboard” could be considered tired rhetoric, but it’s still thrown around quite a bit, and to my understanding it’s a board about 2-4 inches taller than the rider while being fairly low volume.

 

[Mat6920]

For step up i d suggest you go with more volume and more length. That s my take on it whatever is being said in the description. I always found that length plays a big role in getting in early and confidence in bigger stuff.

 

[watercurtain]

For step up i d suggest you go with more volume and more length. That s my take on it whatever is being said in the description. I always found that length plays a big role in getting in early and confidence in bigger stuff.

Totally agree on the part about length. A little bit of glide and additional paddle power goes a long way.

 

[oeste858]

Yeah, compared to your High-Performance ShortBoard, the conventional step-up was traditionally a longer, thicker board for bigger swell: a semi-gun. As a 6'0" teenager, I used to ride a 6'0" HPSB and then a 6'6" for the bigger (OH+) swells in SoCal. Now, most pros seem to ride shorter boards even in bigger waves (blame Slater and his Wizard Sleeve at Pipe a few years ago). The barrel-riding of the top guys is so technical now. I think guys realized as long as you had enough volume to paddle & catch a bigger swell, you didn't actually need a really long rail line (besides the nuts paddling XXL waves). From the descriptions of the Slayer & Slayer2 you linked to, it looks like Rusty's version of packing a bit more volume into a smaller board for Josh Kerr. This someone like Josh to get into OH waves early enough, yet shorter size allow for better maneuverability on turns, and adjustments in the barrel. I guess if Rusty is selling these as "step-ups", then this has trickled down to everyday surfers... plus I think you see a lot of regular guys riding more volume in general (certainly compared to the Slater potato chip era). So rather than a lot more length, I guess now, a Step Up, is just whichever board you grab when the waves jump up a bit in size.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Please educate me here friends... I always thought a Step Up was just that, a step up in size from your performance shortboard used for bigger waves.

Looking at something like the Slayer2, a new model, they recommend to ride it shorter than your regular performance shortboard. So is it the extra volume that makes a Step Up, and not necessarily the length!?

https://www.rustysurfboards.com/slayer-2/

I know the sizing comparison to a “regular performance shortboard” could be considered tired rhetoric, but it’s still thrown around quite a bit, and to my understanding it’s a board about 2-4 inches taller than the rider while being fairly low volume.

I have a Slayer 2 that I bought OTR at the warehouse. Under my arm it felt just right. Felt like a stepup, very solid.

5'8"x18.50"x2.35" 26.07L. I'm 5'8/147lbs. Normal HPSB would be 5'8x18.25x2.25 and around 24L

Once I got home I was admittedly skeptical, it felt good under arm but still looked too small. Ended up taking an additional, "standard' 5'11 stepup on my trip.

TBH it blew me away. Such a good paddler and did exactly what I wanted it to do. 8 - 10 ft faces with some strong offshore winds. Beaches and points. Periods 12 - 17 seconds. Better paddler than my 5'11 - in fact there were a few times on the 5'11 that I wished I was on the 5'8 instead, believe it or not!

My HPSB flat out did not work for me, so I ended up riding the board in OH conditions frequently when I would have normally been on my HPSB.

On one occasion swell dropped fast and ended up in chest high conditions and the board did not work, totally dead and felt like way too much board. So yes this is a board meant for OH waves only.

It's enough for any of the more performancey waves that you're going to need a stepup for in San Diego (which are rare). I would describe it as a board for when you need more confidence or when conditions are pushing it on your regular HPSB.

Clint described it as a board for all around stepup conditions - "It will do barrels well and open faces well but not great" because it's a sort of middle of the road design. "If you want something just for barrels go with the Slayer."

To me it seems like a board for a guy that needs a stepup but isn't charging, looking for big death pits, or looking to push the limits of his stepup, or surfing spots/period where more length is a necessity.

If that's the case - would highly recommend. The thing is really, really smooth in performancey, pulsing conditions.

 

[000]

looks like its based on the slater pipeline board where he took like 6" off the nose, and it just looked kinda like a wide point forward shortboard. its a regular semi gun from the wide point back...

 

[rowjimmytour]

Perspective of whar you call hpsb makes huge diffetence :smokin:
My hpsb is a Superbuzz 5'2" 19.5" 2.375" thumbtail quad and step up is Buzzsaw 5'7" 19" 2.18" sk8 deck pintail quad and any thing else or semi gun is F4 5'11" 18.75" 2.375" battail quad. I am 48 and around 170#s

 

[madebyrichard]

It seems part of the evolution of step-ups now. I rode a 6'2 Pyzel Ghost (I'm 6'2 tall) in 10ft waves that i would have previously used a 6'6 step up for and it went like a dream.

The only benefit of having a longer step up in length i can think of is getting into waves earlier but the new, post-modern step ups with extra glassing seems to override this benefit by having more foam up front.

I've just picked up a new 6'3 DHD sweet spot which i intend to use for 10ft + surf.

go shorther and thicker

 

[Maz]

It seems part of the evolution of step-ups now. I rode a 6'2 Pyzel Ghost (I'm 6'2 tall) in 10ft waves that i would have previously used a 6'6 step up for and it went like a dream.

The only benefit of having a longer step up in length i can think of is getting into waves earlier but the new, post-modern step ups with extra glassing seems to override this benefit by having more foam up front.

I've just picked up a new 6'3 DHD sweet spot which i intend to use for 10ft + surf.

go shorther and thicker

10ft!?!

Could you define your 10ft, please?

 

[griffinsurfboard]

When the go narrower phase was beginning
I was Sooo happy hearing another shaper telling his customers to go narrower on their bigger boards .

Those customers were a real pain to surf with and that trend put them at a big disadvantage . :jam_on:

Lets hope everyone takes 6'2-3 s out on 10' days :wave2:

 

[92122]

Good feedback by all, thank you.

Casa it sounds like you sized it about as they recommended... same length as your standard shortboard, but 2L more volume and a 1/4" wider. Seems like you'd want to go narrower in a biger wave board, but what do I know..??..

Not in the market for a step-up, just really interested in the design aspects of all boards (Snowboards, Surfboards, and yes, even Bodyboards) and like to make sense of all the jargon and numbers people throw out. I have a really good understanding of Snowboard specs and intended use... Surfboards, not so much.

 

[everysurfer]

Your step up is going to have a more continuous rocker curve, while you regular normal day board will have an area in the middle with less rocker. That's going to help with speed, while you step up us fast enough because of more wave energy. The nose and tail numbers may be the same, or close, but the distribution of rocker will be different.

 

[rowjimmytour]

S

Good feedback by all, thank you.

Casa it sounds like you sized it about as they recommended... same length as your standard shortboard, but 2L more volume and a 1/4" wider. Seems like you'd want to go narrower in a biger wave board, but what do I know..??..

Not in the market for a step-up, just really interested in the design aspects of all boards (Snowboards, Surfboards, and yes, even Bodyboards) and like to make sense of all the jargon and numbers people throw out. I have a really good understanding of Snowboard specs and intended use... Surfboards, not so much.

Surfing really comes down to personal preference and level of confort hard to agree on anything even wave size or hell how to measure a wave :smokin:

 

[tedshred]

I think the stub step ups have a place for ledgy barrels where you don't want the length to fit in the barrel however the extra rail line on a traditional style HPSB step up still feels better for big rail turns on open faces.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

i agree with Tedshred. For SD stepup waves I would consider the blackbird. It handles all overhead conditions well whether it's clean and throwing or bumpy and slopey. I've been shocked at how well it surfs the "tweeners" (chest high or so). I'm pretty darn happy with it and oddly enough I ride it mostly as a quad . I'm not a huge quad fan unless on my Groveler.