***The Official Mid-Length Thread***

[One-Off]

Ando getting all Knosty on an 8'1". The interesting thing if you find mid lengths interesting...is that the shorter lengths and subtley different to the longer ones. According to Hayden:
"I designed the longer sizes in the model range 7'7”-8'7” to ride more true to a glider, and the 6'7”-7'1” to have a more forgiving and curved outline for versatility in smaller conditions.”

Ando seems to adjust perfectly to that board, like that’s all he ever surfs. Such good style. Compared to the struggle Dane had with one during his STAB in Mexico.

Speaking of struggles, I rode my short board a couple times this week and kept missing my foot placement which would lead to a weak first bottom turn. When I hit the right spot it felt great to be back on a short board, but man, those slightly off ones sucked.

 

[sdsrfr]

Speaking of struggles, I rode my short board a couple times this week and kept missing my foot placement which would lead to a weak first bottom turn. When I hit the right spot it felt great to be back on a short board, but man, those slightly off ones sucked.

im impressed whenever someone can successfully switch between mids and shorties. The pop up and where you land on the board is quite different.

 

[mundus]

im impressed whenever someone can successfully switch between mids and shorties. The pop up and where you land on the board is quite different.

This! The rare days I pull out the Ghost it is always hard offshore with somewhat technical takeoffs. Find myself taking off with feet totally wrong, back foot on rail, too much weight FWD or Back, etc. By the end of session I kinda get my act together then dont ride the board for a month going back to the fat fish or midlenghts. Alas the trials and tribulations of a middle age kook

 

[Maz]

I go from 5'10 to 7'2 to 8'6, and back and forth, regularly. Really like a long rail after days on a shorty, and smaller boards can be smashed around after rail turning a gun.

Faffing around with footplacement is a regular occurrence not matter what the board is

 

[One-Off]

Faffing around with footplacement is a regular occurrence not matter what the board is

Wish I could say the same. At my local beachies, in the time it takes to adjust foot placement, the wave is over

 

[Maz]

Wish I could say the same. At my local beachies, in the time it takes to adjust foot placement, the wave is over

Length of ride yesterday. Acceptable. (Edit: running the wrong way, of course, which is unacceptable but leads to some clumsy switch shenanigans)

 

[mundus]

Well I figured out the Ghost again after 3 sessions, man that board goes when you stand in the right spot.

 

[One-Off]

Well I figured out the Ghost again after 3 sessions, man that board goes when you stand in the right spot.

I rode my 6-3 today and had no issues. I was sans booties. Now I'm thinking the booties combined with traction pad was messing up my foot placement. Or I was just having a good day today.

 

[One-Off]

I took the Middleman out to Middles for its maiden voyage yesterday in overhead surf. It did what it was supposed to do. Looser than than previous iterations and no significant loss of speed. Still not a longboard beater but even with 20 people crowding the lineup yesterday I got my share.

Only hiccup was in the last third of my roundhouse cutback, as I'm aiming for the foam, it would get a little skittery. Partially technique. I think more depth in the double concaves would have helped (there's only 1/16"). I can't do anything about that now but next time out I'm gong to try either g-10 mains or bigger mains (bamboo).

Tomorrow surf bumps back up so we'll see with different fins.

Overall very stoked.

 

[Northern_Shores]

Length of ride yesterday. Acceptable. (Edit: running the wrong way, of course, which is unacceptable but leads to some clumsy switch shenanigans)

what does it help the beach is 552,62meters wide? You surf to the beach, short rides.

 

[One-Off]

Second go out on the Middleman. My first few waves were like, "Yeah baby! Rock n Roll!" just swooping and carving and having a good ol time (no crowd because of the rain ).

Then on a couple cutbacks I got that skittery feeling again. Then on one end section where I went to put a lay back punctuation on my ride the board just hung there and didn't redirect. Finally on a few lefts I was all off and I was thinking it was the booties messing with my foot placement again.

Finally, one other guy paddled out and said he saw me get some good ones and asked if my board was a Hess. Then he asked if it was a single fin ( I don't know how I feel about that question ). I said, "No. Twinzer," and held the tail up out of the water to show him the fin set up. He asked, "Did you mean to leave one fin out?" What??? I looked and a canard was gone. At least now I had an excuse for the off moments, but I was really bummed because the canards were Greg Griffin originals and now I can never get a replacement.

To all those who have Griffin g10s- tighten your grub screws before every surf!

 

[Retropete]

Sorry for your loss. Pretty sure the warning to check your screws with GG's G10 fins has been given in the past (By GG himself I believe).

 

[One-Off]

Sorry for your loss. Pretty sure the warning to check your screws with GG's G10 fins has been given in the past (By GG himself I believe).

For sure. I lost one of his fins once and he made a replacement. I lost that and he refused to make me a second replacement.

I just get all jiggy when the surf is good and forget....yesterday when checking the surf the fog was so thick you couldn't see the waves. One guy came up the trail and said it was really fun and there was only one other guy out.


Also, while suiting up, I see two young ladies start down the trail, decide it was too muddy, but then decide to go down barefoot. When I went down, about half way, they were off to the side and one was half nude, like the bottom half and the other was taking picutres or video taping, when they saw me they just laughed and said, "Never mind us."

 

[sushipop]

For sure. I lost one of his fins once and he made a replacement. I lost that and he refused to make me a second replacement.

I just get all jiggy when the surf is good and forget....yesterday when checking the surf the fog was so thick you couldn't see the waves. One guy came up the trail and said it was really fun and there was only one other guy out.


Also, while suiting up, I see two young ladies start down the trail, decide it was too muddy, but then decide to go down barefoot. When I went down, about half way, they were off to the side and one was half nude, like the bottom half and the other was taking picutres or video taping, when they saw me they just laughed and said, "Never mind us."

You forgot to log in as the sensual writer.

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

C-Bucket vs. Vaquero?

 

[billypilgrim]

C-Bucket vs. Vaquero?

Vaquero all the way for me. C-bucket, if surfing top to bottom waves and you're looking to do some exaggerated bottom turn to kick stall combos, a la Alex Knost or if surfed in lengths of 8ft plus as a mini glider. Had a 7'0" and sold it.

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

Vaquero all the way for me. C-bucket, if surfing top to bottom waves and you're looking to do some exaggerated bottom turn to kick stall combos, a la Alex Knost or if surfed in lengths of 8ft plus as a mini glider. Had a 7'0" and sold it.

I’ve heard that the C-B likes a smaller fin

 

[jory]

yep. Smaller sizes like a 7.5 skip.

aesthetically it’s a shape I love but it does like the knosty lines described above. I have other boards of similar length that draw more exciting lines.

The vaq is a user friendly hull shape. if that’s the feels you want then go for it. Personally I’ve preferred the cj Nelson outlier which is a less hully more versatile version of the same thing.

the c bucket is different. More single fin egg, more glider feel. Less slippery roll. Likes a small fin but needs you to engage lots of rail to balance lack of fin size.

for reference. Own a 7’2 c bucket and 7’6 outlier. Sold a 7’10 vaq cos it was less fun than the outlier.

own a 6’10 twin egg ( think squash tail ci twin mid) that trumps them all in nipple high plus

 

[billypilgrim]

I’ve heard that the C-B likes a smaller fin

It is true. I rode it with a small volan skip and a small takayama. I liked the fuller foil of the takayama better and would have liked to try a Wayne Rich Power template in the board.

In my mind, the board had a lot of positive design features, but at 7'0" I felt like the area loss through in the template was too extreme, even for hollow waves in the Outer Banks. At least for my tastes. I wouldn't say it felt sluggish, but it didn't feel all that dynamic. Made me feel like I was stuck in the past, riding a 70's pocket rocket, which I don't think was doing my surfing any favors.

The board did go really well backside for a single fin and was super stable in the barrel. I have a buddy with an 8'6" or 8'8" and the additional rail line seems to balance better with the pulled in outline. Looked like a fun board, even in weaker Wrightsville Beach, N.C. waves. If I were going to ride a shorter Christenson Single, I would hunt down an OG Flat Tracker. Would love to have one of those in the quiver.

 

[b.r.]

My favorite old mid length back when I was more skilled was always a 6 8 to 7 2 round pin thruster.