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?
Casso,
Considering an 8 inch itch.
After surfing Piros's 8'8 Ron House at Burleigh last Friday maybe the itch is very near.
Considering dropping down from 9'6 PSH WR to something around 8'8/10.........mmmm.
Waz
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 ...
You'd better give that a good scratch, Wazza - before the summer heat sets in (it'll only get itchier then).
I intend to do just that..... but it starts to become an expensive itch!!
Still riding the 9'3 PSH ripper Casso as much now you got the new DC?
Waz
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?
I'm going in the opposite direction. Got down to 9'6 but wasn't having as much fun so went up to 10'. Now I've just ordered a 12 footer. Imagine the fun I'm going to have on that!
Th0m0
I'm not boasting but I have a 23" itch.. .. I'm thinking about dropping from my 11'4" to the new Naish 9'5"x 31".
DJ
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
DJ,
9'5" x 31" sounds pretty good.
Oliver,
You make SUP sound like a religion and a new board like eating pork
One thing is for certain, can't scratch for ever. My itches have gone away completely. I dont have the ability to ride smaller unless I lose some weight. I spend all day falling off already and if I stop paddling, they sink tail first. Interesting thing I have found also is that I am not that sure my 8'8" turns that much slower than my 8'3" but both are similar in volume. Both slightly different, one feels a bit fishy and the other drivey.
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.