Went back to Wise. Stared at boards.
Kept staring at boards.
I found one that has the same feel to it as that Arrow I liked, but in a styling I really like. It’s a Stewart Hydro Hull. Squashtail, little bit of v on the bottom. Medium rocker. Like this one:
Here’s Sherm’s board chilling in his yard:
But in this style:
It’s a blue green all the way through, no fade, with a slight white pinline around the rails and a wood stringer.
This board is versatile (I could learn to nose-ride or I could learn to turn, the board won’t dictate my style like more specialized boards would), good in a variety of conditions, with beveled rails and a thinner tail it should be good for my height/weight. It feels good to hold. I like the color and the styling. Dave at Wise says his wife has one and loves it. All her boards are Stewart and they are smooth, easy rides.
The cons: It’s fiberglass. I’m nervous about dinging and mangling a nice board because I’m clumsy and new. It’s also $850. I was hoping if I spent that much, it would be on an epoxy since they are stronger. The epoxys just haven’t felt as good in my hands as the fiberglass. They’ve felt bulky. But then I’m afraid I’ll be so nervous about hurting a fiberglass board that I’ll whack it on something. That adds up to $$ on ding repairs and time out in the shop instead of in the water.
My other, rather silly fear, is getting a top of the line board while being a beginner surfer. I feel like I haven’t earned it. That it will seem ostentatious to be out on a high end board and falling left and right.
While I want to scrape around craigslist looking for a $400 board I can whack into rocks and things, I’m worried a board that’s not right for my build and the things I want to do will just frustrate me in the end and I’ll wind up having spent $400-$600 on a board while pining away for something I like more, or worse, not getting any better at catching waves.
I know whatever board I get, I’ll keep forever. I’ll try to be as good to it as I can. I’ll ride it as much as I can. It’s still hard as anything to commit.
Ooh, that first Stewart is gorgeous. Teeheehee. I’m glad I can be up commenting on your surf blog while I think about what to do with my free time next semester.
Hi Tracey,
my name is Sherm, and I was the owner of that Stewart chilling in the yard! I was doing a bit of googling myself and I found your blog.
Without assuming you know nothing about surfing and boards (from your post you’re obviously well ready), but let me throw in my 2 cents. Just get a used board in fairly good shape. I started with that Stewart and then bought the 7’6 Quiet Flight. They were both used and the most I paid for the Stewart was 250. Go ahead and get a fiberglass board and don’t worry about putting dings in it if it’s already used. Also, ding repair kits aren’t expensive and are very easy to use!
Stewarts are truly great boards, and I miss mine incredibly since moving away from coastal waters. They are indeed as you state versatile and can catch any type of wave, even the dinkiest wave since its a longboard. It’s not the fastest board of course, but the ride is super smooth. My 7’6 is actually quite a fast board too. I’m not sure how much of a beginner you are, but I wouldn’t recommend anything shorter than a 7’6
Last I heard, Stewart was the latest company in falling to the pop outs phenom that has been occuring all over the board industry. If you can find one that’s used and still one of the customs, it’ll have so much more character than a pop out from thailand!
I hope this helps, and I’ll be sure to check up on your blog from time to time! Beginning to surf was one of my greatest accomplishments ever! Good luck!
Sherm
PS could you try and have my photo actually show up instead of just having the link? It’ll give me a great sense of pride just having my pic on your blog. Strange, I know.
Hi Sherm,
I’ll switch it to show your pic rather than just link to it. Since I hadn’t asked for permission, I just went with the link. 🙂
Thanks for the advice. I have been scouring craigslist for boards. I’d really prefer a used board. Partially because I feel like hitting the beach with an $800+ board at my skill level kinda makes me look like a fool, and partially because I think a much loved board in good shape would be less intimidating. I don’t have to worry about heel dents if they are already there. You’re right on about the dings, I really liked the feel of the fiberglass boards and dinging (/learning to repair) a board that’s already got a few would be better than me freaking about a new board.
I’d been looking at newer boards mostly because it was easier and because I wanted someone in the surf shop to help me size up the boards. Plus they are pretty. I think my inability to commit to any of the boards I’ve seen has been due to the price and the mangling up a new board factor.
The downside of craigslist is I’ve been having trouble finding boards in the size I want and models I know enough about to feel comfortable picking.
I want about a 9ft board, preferably around 22 inches. I like the more laid back cruising and I’ve been having trouble getting waves on anything shorter. Plus what I know of my self, a slower ride where I can learn to cross step and do some mellow turns would probably appeal more to me than ripping on a short board. At least starting out.
I’m 5’10” and 140 lbs so I’m not totally sure if that’s the right size for me. I want something big enough to make catching waves easier, but not totally unwieldy when I’m on the beach. It’s been a challenge. There’s a lot of folks selling 9’6″ and lost selling under 8ft. Not that many 9’s or 9’2″.
I know the frequency of my board related posts probably doesn’t sound like I’m patient (I had a week off work unexpectedly and wound up OBSESSING) I’m content to keep hunting till I find something just right.
Thanks again for the input and the well wishes!