The Five Inch Itch

The number of times somebody has emailed for advice on getting a smaller board is amazing.

- Hey Casso, I've got 10'5" but think I now need something around 10'0".
- I'm a bit over my 9'6", what do you reckon about a 9'1".
- Mate, I really like my 9'3" but think I would go better on a 8'10".

I'm calling this phenomenon the five inch itch - where one keeps wanting to drop another five inches in board length.

I've had this nasty itch a number of times and it's really expensive to get cleared up.

Anyone else suffering from the five inch itch?

Absolutely! I'm perfectly happy on my 11'2", getting heaps of waves and having a great time. I'm sure it's the ideal board for hitting the coast and handling anything I find there (including crappy conditions or no surf).

The best thing I could do to improve my surfing experience is to ... go surfing more often and work harder at getting the most out of the board and the wave.

Still, there's this niggling thought that something like a PSH 9'6" Wide Allrounder would be a bit lighter and more nimble and easier to carry down the beach for a fitness paddle in the off season ...

I have the itch BAD But im starting at the small end but within comfy limits

Went the other way got the 12er. 18 inches longer.

That really angered the gods as it has blown 20-60knots everyday since it arrived.

Weekend looks good and there should be some banks again.

The gods must be really pee'd off - have tried to satify the itch and nothing but flat water or gale force winds. So have hardly used the new toy.

Looking OK for the weekend and the banks should be getting a good reshape for the rest of winter.

I'm suffering from a wanting shorter board..

But..

From my windsurfing days, I saw people go from having wicked fun on bigger boards to tweaking and tweaking their gear down to "sinkers" which only perform in 600 knots of wind.

I remember a day when out on my 120 litre windsurfer watching the guys with the 60 litre boards standing on the beach hoping the wind would pick up so they could play too.

Somehow, somewhere, I also got bitten by the "performance" bug, and ended up being that guy standing on the beach with the hard-to-get-planing board watching others windsurfing.

Would be pox for that to happen with my SUPping, but I see the cracks starting already..

Does anyone think you can get too caught up with performance, and that one day, it's you who's cursing in the lineup because you can't catch any waves?

Go the quiver Laurie you know you want to!!

Yes. But I'm guessing there are a lot of old surfers and windsurfers here and we all have that race memory of going too short on boards. I know I would not consider buying a shorter board without trying it out first.

To extend the conversation, this makes it more difficult for local shapers. Unless it was a size I knew worked for me, I would have to try something of similar overall dimensions made by the shaper before committing to having a custom board built, particularly if it was much smaller than I had used before.

Interesting comparison in sports, I was in those windsurf years & did exactly what I am doing now, exploring the limits of what can be used & still have fun.
The only reason I have gone a bit longer with my board is because I found a new suplier of EPS whos sheet length is 8'2" instead of 7'10". The diffrence in length at this size board made no change in performance.
The trick is the width over all, & having a tail that is suited to your weight.
These short boards are much easer to use in a lineup than all the so called high performance boards I have made in the past. (9'x27"or so)The reason being stability, we dont have much fun wobleing around on narrow boards trying to jocky for waves. Short boards can spin very quick to turn & sprint for the wave, minmising that critical period. They ride ripples like nothing else....here in Vico we have had nothing but for most of winter so far. With longer heaver boards your basicly able to cruse around like a mal. Because of the width & lack of swing weight & board weight overall the short SUB's ride like a short surfboard on a jucy wave.
I have been surfing the 8' 2" about 3 to 5 hours a day since it was made a few weeks ago, I can't think of anthing better to make, I could never go back to any previous board.
Could I go smaller again? I dont think there is any reason... what could be more fun? I went smaller reluctantly mainly because of the attitude I think a lot of other SUP'ers have imagined, that it would make things more difficult, the fact is it's easer in waves. I thought nose riding that I love to do would be useless, but it nose rides faster & more stable than any other board I have, even allowing 10 over on a pulled in nose.
The only negative, slower paddling, I have been meaning to put the GPS on it and compare to my fast padding 9"4", I would think it will only be a k or so, instead of 8 it may be 7 or so? (I will post one day)
Going smaller on a sailboard did minimise its wind range & hence fun potential...going smaller on a SUB produces the opposite....try it....if you are a surfer.

I have a 8" to 10" inch itch!

Hi DJ,

Just interested to know if you have tried the 9'5 x 31 in the surf?

Phill

Wow DJ,without the famous 11.4, you can't let that baby go DJ, kind of saying goodbye to a member of the family

mac

The only thing I am itchy about right now Lacey,is packing the boards,leaving for indo on Sunday.So in saying that I will spare the forum from my dribbling oh just had a shower,not itchy anymore lol.

mac

Its a keeper in my book DJ

mac

That looks really nice, hey? Plenty of stability (31" wide) but short enough to throw around.

Casso,
If you rarely fall off and you can actually stand without stop paddling then you probally could scratch off another 6 inches.

I can only keep completely still on glassy days.

I am glad I have hit my personnel limit cos I can see your still ichy as.