Board shapes for good small waves

ron's picture
ron started the topic in Wednesday, 5 Sep 2018 at 4:19pm

Just curious about peoples opinions on boards for small waves but with good shape?
I find myself surfing 1-3 foot offshore days around here fairly often. Usually these days are decent quality in terms of shape, not super sucky but not fat. Sometimes you need a bit of paddle power to get them in the 1-2 foot range but once surfing there's no problem with speed like fat mushy waves.

I usually find the wide small wave shapes are designed more for getting speed in fat surf. The wider boards tend to feel too slow rail to rail and i have to nurse them down the face to not catch the outside rail, by the time i start to turn it too late to get up into the lip. My normal short boards are a little hard to paddle at 1-2 foot and feel a bit long to turn tight enough. Im 6'4 86kg.

Something short to fit in the transition but not too wide makes sense, wide point back to create allot of curve. What models are out there that fit this or am i on the wrong track?

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Wednesday, 5 Sep 2018 at 5:26pm

I've got a Sardine from JR that goes really well. 

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Wednesday, 5 Sep 2018 at 6:09pm

Simon 5 Spark set up as a quad fits the bill for me. Super fast, maybe a bit too loose through the top but it doesn't take long to learn when to power it and when to take it easy.

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 9:26am

Thanks will look both up.

Im down in Vic in the surf coast area. Wondering what shapes people are riding up at places like snapper etc when its tiny but still running down the point with shape?

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 9:34am

I believe the most popular model is the Yamaha FX HO Waverunner.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 9:35am

Very good

belly's picture
belly's picture
belly Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 9:38am

Dare I say a 5'10 Hypto 34 litres. I'm more intermediate than advanced and similar height but 10kgs heavier. I hear you on fitting into the wave, if it's chest high, shapely and clean Hypto goes really well for me. Any smaller or fat and I'm back to my 6'2 37 litre fish which has more width.

GuySmiley's picture
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GuySmiley Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 9:52am

good work ben

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 10:05am

Tried a Hypto, the pulled in tail and wide nose made it too straight down the line i think.

P'tai's picture
P'tai's picture
P'tai Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 10:16am

I'm on a DHD mini twin, 5'6" with Rasta Jute Keel fins, super fun.

rees0's picture
rees0's picture
rees0 Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 10:35am

Check out the lost uber driver. Looks like a hybrid on the performance side. Nose and tail pulled in with some width. A 5’10 is 19 1/2 wide but they have some rocker still which is what you need when your trying to get up and down as opposed to down the line.

Theres a guy on youtube noel salas he does really good reviews of all the major brands and explains the different features of the models really well.

Ive bought customs mostly but was pretty keen onthe uber driver after checking it out in the shop enough to have me considering one of the big brands. Also check out Js monstabox pretty similiar to uber driver except tiny bit more narrow for same length.

belly's picture
belly's picture
belly Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 11:04am

Good feedback @Ron Hypto comment - that's probably why I can't turn :-)

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Thursday, 6 Sep 2018 at 3:39pm

Was still fun in the right waves but was best with a face to get out on.

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Saturday, 8 Sep 2018 at 10:21am

watching the surf ranch contest and the 2 big guys on tour have both scaled down boards. Jordy looks to be on a sci fi or similar. Owen is on 5'11 after trying wilkos boards. Be interested to learn more.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Saturday, 8 Sep 2018 at 11:52am

Pretty simple they don't need to paddle and duck dive and keep in position etc like in the ocean.

Just catch the wave an easy takeoff and then ride, if surfing was only about once up and riding, which a wave pool is, you could greatly reduce volume, once up on a plane volume is not that important unless wave is slow fat and gutless.

cswells's picture
cswells's picture
cswells Wednesday, 12 Sep 2018 at 9:22am

I'll throw my hat in the ring, I use a DHD Double Shot (swallow tail). I absolutely love it. I'm a weekend warrior, and it serves me well at Maroubra when conditions aren't ideal, especially around the summer.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 12 Sep 2018 at 9:34am

Anyone own or ridden a Muzz Bourton 'Pinger' ?

Travis86's picture
Travis86's picture
Travis86 Wednesday, 12 Sep 2018 at 1:48pm

Have a look at Gary McNeils boards. I have a 6 foot Torus channel twin and it is a beauty

drodders's picture
drodders's picture
drodders Friday, 14 Sep 2018 at 4:27pm

Hot Buttered SoCal Twinzer, sloppy or hollow good from 1-4ft and I have tried lots of small wave boards. Very good in the barrel also

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Friday, 14 Sep 2018 at 5:08pm

I'm on the larger end of the scale too (6ft 90kegs) and the MC Dirty Dingo ticks all the boxes for me.

Channel Is. Biscuit if they still make them is a really fun board in small waves. Having said all that, currently enjoying my twin keel swallow-tail fish (5'10" x 21" x 3") Japanese shaped, probs similar to what Michael Mackie would put out. Really funin small clean surf.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Friday, 14 Sep 2018 at 5:12pm

Got a pic of the Jap shaped one Zen.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Friday, 14 Sep 2018 at 11:01pm

I can take one and put it up soon if you like Udo?

Ralph's picture
Ralph's picture
Ralph Saturday, 15 Sep 2018 at 2:33pm

@Travis86
Can you tell me please your approximate height/weight and what kind of waves your 6' Torus Twin goes well in? Thanks

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Monday, 17 Sep 2018 at 2:58pm

From Zen..

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 17 Sep 2018 at 3:19pm

Wax almost to the nose? Zen's throwing tail.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 17 Sep 2018 at 3:54pm

Fun looking little pig Zen Pacey....

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Monday, 17 Sep 2018 at 4:51pm

cheers Udo, it's a little rocket and a ton of fun to surf. Had a fun little sesh on it this morning.

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 11:05am

Thanks for all the suggestions. After some more thinking, reading and surfing im leaning towards something in a hi po shorty thruster shape with some meat but not too flat like a fish. The days i want it for is clean with a good pocket but only 1-2 foot. Speed isnt the problem its fitting the board into the wave. I notice younger kids on these days rip as their boards would be similar to mine if you scaled it up to a 3-4 foot day.

At the moment im thinking of trying a dumpster diver or something along those lines. Bit of volume to get you into them and get moving but also with plenty of curve in the outline and rocker to fit in the tight transitions. Anyone out there got one? Im thinking about 5'11 in stock dims which is 33.6 litres.

Ardi100's picture
Ardi100's picture
Ardi100 Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 5:19pm

Don't know if this is too outside your new parameters (not a hi performance shape), but I just got a FireWire Evo for similar conditions. I'm in the same area and since I got it I haven't surfed any 1-2 foot days, only bigger, but it goes great. At 33 litres you'd be on a 5'8.

I went down 8 inches and 9 litres from my previous board and I reckon I'm getting more waves. Its a lot of fun.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 5:42pm

9 litres less foam..thats a huge amount.....have you dropped a heap of body weight as well ?

Ardi100's picture
Ardi100's picture
Ardi100 Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 5:47pm

Not yet!

My previous board was 55 litres and I'm 102 ish kilos. New board is 46 litres but most of those litres are in the water - no pointy nose sticking out of the water.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 6:02pm

yeah you have to be careful when just thinking of volume cause sometimes a lower volume board can catch waves a lot easier than a thick railed board.Also rocker plays a big part,its a fine balance so sometimes less is more.

Hastoes's picture
Hastoes's picture
Hastoes Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 6:32pm

I'm on a tommo evo 5'8 @ 35.6 ltres . i'm 6 ft and have a fluctuating weight issue of around 87- 92 kgs . Loving the responsiveness of this board.

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 7:02pm

The evo does interest me, if i can find one used cheap id have a gamble on it.

Ardi100's picture
Ardi100's picture
Ardi100 Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 at 7:48pm

I looked for a long while second hand but couldn't find one in my size.

I bit the bullet and saved for a while to get one new. It was a big gamble but seems to have paid off so far.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Sunday, 23 Sep 2018 at 4:01pm
ojackojacko's picture
ojackojacko's picture
ojackojacko Sunday, 23 Sep 2018 at 5:02pm

yeah goofy. i’ve been looking at a lot of mini simmons (and similar, somewhat fishy) shapes recently, and stacks of videos of guys riding them. they look like heaps of fun

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Sunday, 23 Sep 2018 at 5:04pm

Especially coming into summer. Always good to keep it fresh

Travis86's picture
Travis86's picture
Travis86 Saturday, 29 Sep 2018 at 11:03am

**@Travis86
Can you tell me please your approximate height/weight and what kind of waves your 6' Torus Twin goes well in? Thanks**

@Ralph the board is 6 foot, 21 inches wide, 3 inches thick. I am 184cm and 84kgs I think the volume is around 37 litres. Goes well in any cleanish conditions. Two foot to four foot.

I rode it in Samoa this winter. Lots of drive off the bottom with speed to burn down the line. I’ll try to post a photo

Travis86's picture
Travis86's picture
Travis86 Saturday, 29 Sep 2018 at 11:00am

Here is a photo of the above board. Its the far left. The other photo is one of the better waves of the trip I caught on the Torus Twin. I pretty much rode it exclusively on all tides except for one day that was too large.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e128/TravisAUS86/1F8E650B-087F-4EB8-8F...

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e128/TravisAUS86/64C63B39-D7B3-4972-BC...

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Saturday, 29 Sep 2018 at 7:33pm

Solid little quiver.

memlasurf's picture
memlasurf's picture
memlasurf Saturday, 29 Sep 2018 at 9:45pm

Ever tried a Scifi? I rented one recently in Portugal and now I want to save up and buy one. I'm only a little guy, however it was a couple of litres more than my normal board and the same length at 5'9" and the thing was a wave hog being so easy to paddle and catch waves, fast, loose and didn't spin out. I was surfing small waves and often a bit mushy and it loved everything.

Ralph's picture
Ralph's picture
Ralph Monday, 1 Oct 2018 at 10:20am

@Travis86
Thanks

Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean Monday, 1 Oct 2018 at 10:58pm

Ron, first off where is around here?

ron's picture
ron's picture
ron Friday, 12 Oct 2018 at 5:07pm

13th beach.

keegs's picture
keegs's picture
keegs Saturday, 13 Oct 2018 at 2:47pm

Hey Ron, im in vicco (melb) and have a 5'9 evo - helium - futures boxes up on gumtree as of this morning.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Saturday, 21 Mar 2020 at 9:15am

Noel Salas just dropped his new vid testing the Sci Fi 2
2 different lengths and lots of Fin changes going on .

boykee's picture
boykee's picture
boykee Sunday, 5 Apr 2020 at 6:15am

Has any one got any feed back on the CI Pod Mod?
I’m looking for a small wave/groveller board
Can pick one up very cheaply at present
Cheers

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Sunday, 5 Apr 2020 at 6:37am

Boykee...haven’t ridden one myself but a mate of mine of average to good surfing ability had one which he liked on his forehand but it just didn’t work on his backhand.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Sunday, 5 Apr 2020 at 10:15am
boykee's picture
boykee's picture
boykee Sunday, 5 Apr 2020 at 2:34pm

Thanks for this