Step-up recommendations

feralseppo

Billy Hamilton status
Feb 28, 2006
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Looking for recommendations for a step-up for my kid. He's about 6'0/6'1 165 lbs. Current board is a 6'0" 1/2 x 18.82 x 2.34 (28.1 or 4L) Lost Driver, which is a little under stock dims. I watched him take off on a set wave this week that was about double over Duffy and wipeout trying to control his board making the bottom turn. He said the board was going way too fast to turn it. I tried to get him to try a bigger board on our trip, but he was sticking with the Driver as his one board quiver.

What say the ErBB braintrust? Ghost or Blackbird? Probably look around for a used; hesitant to go custom because he's still a growing kid, but may bite the bullet.
 

rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
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Ghost works great. Maybe a stock 6'1 or so.

Or I guess you could get a custom round tail driver with a little more beef in it.
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
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blackbird would work no doubt. Never ridden a ghost.

very composed getting in and tons of control. handles chop and backwash like a dream. makes a difficult day much more reasonable in all aspects and doesn’t punish you on the shoulder high inbetweeners.

im similar dims as your son and been riding a stock 6’2 through this run of swell. I have a slimmed down 6’3 (29.5) but like the stock 6’2 more. my usual short boards are around 28.5L.
 

rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
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If you're used to riding a modern 6'0, a 6'8 is going to feel huge and strange.

I have hung on to an old 6'8 for awhile that I used to use as a step up. My 6'0 Ghost handles the same size surf. Modern wide point forward step ups surf like older boards that were 6 or 8 inches bigger.

kid has a 6-0 and you suggest a 6-1 for doh?

get the kid a used 6-6/6-8 off cl. he'll be stoked
 
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doc_flavonoid

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 27, 2019
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If you're used to riding a modern 6'0, a 6'8 is going to feel huge and strange.

Modern wide point forward step ups surf like older boards that were 6 or 8 inches bigger.
sure they do. paddle same too, huh?

good advice from the marketed tools rubbing elbows in the kiddie pool.
 
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rgruber

Miki Dora status
May 30, 2004
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I really don't give a f*ck if you believe me or not.

I grew up riding regular step ups. My 6'8 is an Aloha made in the mid 90s, it's a traditional step up. You could cut 6 or 8 inches off the nose and due to the narrowness and rocker it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

Ghost paddles just as well and probably has same effective wetted rail length. But go ahead and be an *sshole.
 

tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
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I'm 5'10 x 185 and just picked up a used 6'3 x 19.37 x 2.59 Blackbird that I've been enjoying in this week's swell. I believe it's 32-33 Liters and it allows paddling into waves earlier, but also pretty easy to duck dive and feels like a beefed up, confident shortboard. It works just fine in non-threatening head high surf too.
 
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oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
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I just did this ghost vs. BB thread last month:
In the end, I snagged a used 6'3 ghost that popped up on CL. It's great, but really needs a cleaner wave than I usually surf on OH swells. I'll probably still reach for my 6'8 BB more this winter and will probably end up ordering a 6'4x20 BB at some point.
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,857
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I just did this ghost vs. BB thread last month:
In the end, I snagged a used 6'3 ghost that popped up on CL. It's great, but really needs a cleaner wave than I usually surf on OH swells. I'll probably still reach for my 6'8 BB more this winter and will probably end up ordering a 6'4x20 BB at some point.
If you plan to sell that 6’8... lmk.
 

mundus

Duke status
Feb 26, 2018
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Had the same question, went with a stock 6'0 ghost, only rode it once in overhead heavy beachbreak and it went well.
 

jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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Couple of things....

1) Younger people can ride smaller boards in bigger waves no problem.

2) You can get away riding smaller step-ups at most SoCal waves. North of Point Conception, longer boards are really helpful in navigating the crazy amount of moving water that can exist.
 

need 4 speed

Phil Edwards status
Nov 1, 2003
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^ I'm not naïve I know that there are some/certain waves you can surf "double OH" on 5-6/5-10
but where I surf being on something that short in double OH :socrazy:
if you could even make it out, there aren't many out when it's true double OH anyway
 
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sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,857
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San Diego
Couple of things....

1) Younger people can ride smaller boards in bigger waves no problem.

2) You can get away riding smaller step-ups at most SoCal waves. North of Point Conception, longer boards are really helpful in navigating the crazy amount of moving water that can exist.
location location location! we got a winner.

im also not convinced we all call DOH the same thing. DOH Duffy is seemingly bigger than DOH some of the rest of you. :poke:
 

feralseppo

Billy Hamilton status
Feb 28, 2006
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Good to get some ideas what other people the same size as my kid ride. That size board for me is a foreign concept. We switched boards the other day so he could try my 6'4" twinzer egg and my shoulders were almost submerged on his Driver. I could barely keep my mouth above the water paddling it. The session that prompted the thread took place at the next point south of Point Conception. Messy conditions and lots of water moving around in every direction. Friend with the boat had his 6'2", saw the conditions and went back to the boat to get his 7'2" and he spent about 25 years surfing the North Shore.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,988
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I surf a Driver as my daily.

I've got a 6-5 ghost and a 6-10 blackbird.

Both are great designs. I think the longer BB is more versatile because the length just makes things easier for us mortals when it's legitimately big.

The Ghost will handle a lot of size and be more fun when it's a just overhead and tubing but the shorter length means it's not going to move through the lineup as well or get in early like a more "traditional" step up such as the blackbird. Although I'd argue the BB is more of a modernized step up with the outline being fuller and there being some foam carried forward along the stringer. Even the rocker is fairly moderate and it's much more user friendly and functional than the potato chip step ups of the 90's.

If your son is a strong paddler and doesn't want to ride a longer board because he still wants to rip when it's DOH, the Ghost is the call. Maybe an inch or two over his height and thicker than you'd think. The rails are very foiled and a little extra foam doesn't hurt for a step up. If he's on 2.3 thick, maybe 2.5-2.6.