if my board is too big...

lyle
October 2008
hi guys. i have never surfed with anyone that i could look up to, so ive had to figure things out for myself. i got myself i new ride alittle while back. i used to ride a 42'' board. this one was 42.25. i thought .25 wouldnt make much difference. but i suspect it is abit big for me. i battle to duckdive and since i got it, i battle to launch up and out. are these symtoms of my board being too big for me? i can hold the rail fine, but it has 60/40 rail and cresent tail. holds better than what i used to ride- 50/50 with bat.

what size should i be looking at as someone told me i should be looking at 41.5 at my weight. i weigh 70-75kg (havnt jumped on a scale for awhile) and im ave height. never measured myself. ive always riden a 42'' board because i bought my 1st sponge in durbs about 8 years ago and the dudes told me it should come to my belly button. a 42'' is spot on my belly button.

i also read up the pros and cons of bat vs cresent tail and ive seen thousands of arguements on sixty40. but the article i was reading suggested hub tail is the mix between the two tails and is the perfect tail if shaped right. holds well and has control, like a cresent but also lets go and has the speed of a bat. any thoughts on this???

shot brothers

Bodyboarding 4,461 views

12 Replies

Elementree
October 2008
Ok...here goes my uneducated opinion.

I am 1.8m tall and weigh in the region of 70-80kgs depending on how much junk i eat and these days it's a lot.

I currently ride a 41.5" and it is just big enough for me, but it borders on being too small.

I tried a 42.25" and it was too big...well it felt too big and it had a PE core and when you''re used to PP core it makes a hell of a difference. I also mainly ride 42" boards and they seem fine, but i would like to try a 41.75"

Bat Tail, in my opinion helps make a smaller board feel a heck of a lot bigger - it almost feels as if there is an extra 0.5" to the board.

I am currently riding a Crescent Tail and have been doing for over a year, before which i had a Bat.

I don't know enough about Bats to write a thesis, but i'd say that you are pretty much spot on about the differences.

The only thing i don't like about Bats is how loose they are. I sometimes lose my tail when pulling into steep pits, whereas with a Crescent that rarely happens.

I will be trying out the new McCarthy board within the next few weeks, so i am interested to find out if the Delta Tail does anything different.

At the end of the day...and this has been said countless times before...board shape, length, width, nose to wide point, tail shape and rails are all down to personal preference and the only way to know what does and what doesn't work for you is to try.

So now you know that 42.25" just doesn't feel right...

Happy hunting...

Hows the farming coming along?
Jmo
October 2008
It sometimes helps to think of the absolute middle ground and work out details from there. So for example, if you took a board that was the most average size and shape for you, eg. if it measures to your navel, etc. Then you choose to push typical board features to define your ride:

You want a more flexible and lively board (but less durable, especially in warm water) choose PE core
You want a more durable and stable (less bubbles and banana) but sometimes too stiff in cold water. choose PP core
You are heavy for your height, or want more float or speed on smaller waves. Choose slightly longer board, or bat tail at same length
You are light for your height or ride heavy, hollow waves with less paddling involved. Choose shorter board or crescent tail at same length
You like boosting airs, riding with speed and doing moves. Choose a bat tail
You like carving and tuberiding and handling hollow waves. Choose a crescent tail.
You mostly ride DK. Choose DK outline (narrow nose, lots of outline curve, wide point further back)
You mostly ride prone. Choose prone outline (wide nose, straight outline, wide point further forward)
You destroy boards. Choose a stringer
You like to pose. Choose a bottom skin with a graphic that compliments your fins and rash vest.

Thats how I see it in the mess that is my head anyway and I am in no way claiming this to be the bible of board choosing criteria.
lyle
October 2008
thanks for the input. but i dont want to start up another bat vs cresent debate. i just want to know if peeps have heard/read/ better yet tried a hub tail?? like i said, i know the differences between bat and cresent. and what jmo said makes sense. but is the comment about the hub being the perfet tail true to some degree??? offering both???

http://www.bzproboards.com/hubbgraphic415.html

the tail on this board is what i understand as a hub tail.??? a bat with sharper points. i cant explain it in words.
October 2008
hey lyle,

Yamo the shaper for BZ has about 5 templates he uses for bat tails. The one you see in the link you posted is the bat tail that hubb uses himself. There is another BZ personal template that Yamo has created which i preferred on my custom boards from BZ which you will see as follows. Either way both tails are really good and dont think Jeff would be riding one if it wasnt that great Personally like the sharpness of the tails as gives more drive and line when needed where others are a bit rounder and smoother which gives nice all round flow esp for SA waves.....you need to remember that Jeff is charging mad surf all over the world so wont make much difference here as we dont really have waves you can compare to overseas as pretty much all our waves are very week and not perfect line ups...so if it comes down to 10ft pipe then you will notice a difference compared to 2 - 6ft SA surf..

http://www.sixty40.co.za/displayphoto.p ... =14&s=desc
October 2008
oh by the way if you look how similar in dimensions the link i sent you were, that was some of my first custom boards while working on templates... the hubb boards used to be much wider and not as sweet and not what jeff road himself. Later on after tweaking my boards little further and you will actually find the dimension i gave to Yamo and went over when was in California he has now been using going forward... the ones from this link you sent

http://www.bzproboards.com/hubbgraphic415.html

is actually the dimensions i worked on years ago and gave to Yamo... funny how the next range changed and suddenly my dimensions became there stock board dimensions
peterbee
October 2008

Quote:
You like to pose. Choose a bottom skin with a graphic that compliments your fins and rash vest.

Jmo - you're wrong man, that's pretty biblical
craigtrilivas
October 2008
Ja I must admit I hav always been interested in trying the Hubb tail.
My younger bro has one of Hubb's old boards that I think Sacha brought into town a while back.
Its a 41 tho i think and altho I wanna try it badly to see how she runs, Im just scared that its gonna be too small and mess my sesh up.
Yo Mark what u think?
I mean I ride 42 normally and 41.5 works for me too.
My bro is alot shorter than me tho too

???
October 2008
hey craig,

whats your height and weight about?

im about a 1.8m and around 70 - 75kgs (depends if ive been eating out with elmtree .... and ride 41.5" board....for me 41.25 and 41" is just to small and not that comfortable on it. 41.75" i find just slightly too big also

jumping from a 42 to a 41 is quite a big size difference cause its not just the length but the board all round! some people preffer more board while others prefer smaller boards. think if its too small you will struggle a bit....how tall are you about and weight?
craigtrilivas
October 2008
Ja i hav taken a lie down on it at home and it does seem a bit too small allround.
I'll probly just end up drowning it LOL!!!

Weighing in at 72kg, at a height of 1.8m, he resides in Tamboerskloof Ape Town, boogying out of the blue cornerrrrrrrrrrrrr.......LOL!!!

Was just wondering as I've only ever really ridden 41.5-42 and 40-41 only in shories
Cant imagine u on a 41 dood
Ur taller than me and probly quite a bit heavier too

Just wanted to find out if anyone around my size & weight had ridden that size cos I cant see Hubb being smaller than me yo?
And if he could ride pipe on that 41 my boet has.......then?????

Thats what was on my mind really

B Kiff.
October 2008
hahahahhaa, too funny!

well im normally around 72kgs also and stay around there....on the road warriors last year was using speckers boards everynow and then which were 41" and they were small! too small i found, went well none the less but 41.5 is ideal for.... i rate the 42 might be too big for you.

remeber jeff is quite a small dude also and if not mistaken yamo mentioned that he rides a 41inch... so he isnt as big as he seems

now bring on the branders!
craigtrilivas
October 2008
Hmmm I see what u saying bro.
I ride DK mostly so the 42 is probly good and the 41.5 is probly good too as I,ve ridden both.
The 41.5 just seems to b alot more controllable in the bigger & rounder stuff.
U reckon smaller boards r easier to spin etc... or not?

Im entering Mens next year so need a nice setup
lyle
October 2008

Elementree wrote:
Ok...here goes my uneducated opinion.

Hows the farming coming along?

haha!! well i sold all my porkers to pay for trip(visa, air ticket, etc) to the uk. def keen on getting home to start farming em again!!! such a passion!!!!!

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