looking for new board

[loudelectronics]

I am looking at getting a new board. I currently have a tsunami but want something that I can rip harder on. I can not seem to get any pop on this board. I want to be able to get air and do spins.

I weigh 180 lbs and 6'3".

My problem with the tsunami is that it always wants to sink. It does not carry enough speed to pop of the wake no matter how hard I try. It could possibly be me but I kinda hit a wall this summer and can't get any more out if it so looking for something different. Maybe I am crazy I do not know.

Have been looking at the inland surfer sweet spot, moss and pearls but not sure what I am to expect from each. Open to other suggestions too.

[jdj06c]

I'm in the same spot. I have a Triple X Thrasher which is great to learn on but I am ready for an advanced surf board.

If you want air, I think you've got to go with a surf style board. I'm looking at ShredStixx Thresher and James Walker Signature (walker project).

[Surfdad]

Aerials are the function of a few different things. One is drive - you have to be able to pump the board and develop a quick burst of speed. A sluggish response will hamper your efforts. That is sometimes a matter of fins, but is also as much about a properly sized board as well. It's difficult to be a "perfect" fit for a stock shape. Another item is weight. A 4 or 5 pound board will allow you to pop off the lip easier than an 8 or 9 pound board. The next area is rocker. Aerial boards have significant nose and tail rocker. An aerial, behind the boat, is almost identical to a skateboard ollie, you'll need to roll the nose of the board up, while lifting your leading foot. A flat'ish board with minimal rocker makes that difficult. One last board characteristic is release. Sharp rails and a full wide'ish tail help with release. Lastly, you need a solid/crisp lip to ollie off of. If the lip is rounded or very soft you won't get that pop or kick, the board will tend to slice through the wake.

The height of an aerial is mostly associated with how high you can pull your front leg up into your chest, once at the apex, you suck your rear leg up and rotate off your front foot.

One of the problems for tall guys, is their stance. Tall guys with long legs can usually generate more height, but you'll need a slightly longer board as your stance gets wide as you're pushing down with that rear leg and sucking the front leg up.

At 180 and 6'3" - I wouldn't recommend less than a 4'8" or so length.

SS's premier aerial board is their Comp 1 and they have a new Elevation, I think it's called, that should be out in 2010. Both of those are solid aerial boards. TWP's Bullet or my son's signature board also work well. Both SS and TWP can make you boards customized to your height weight and wake.

[jdj06c]

Thanks for the info and tips on doing an aerial, I used to skateboard so that makes a lot of sense, I am also an avid snowboarder but haven't really brought those same principles into getting air off the wake yet. I have been getting most the board off the wake but not really the tail.

I'm going to work doing an ollie off the tip of the wake to get the tail to pop up and really pumping the board to gain speed this weekend. The size of the ollie in skateboarding is as you said going to depend on how high and quick you can lift your legs up - Defiantly need to concentrate on doing that.

I just started wake surfing in Sept when I bought my boat, so I have a ways to go but feel I am progressing quickly, too bad the season is coming to an end. Going to be in the low 80's this weekend in Central CA though!

[jdj06c]

That Shred Stixx Comp 1 board looks sick. Not cheap though at $785. How is the Quad fin setup on spins?

[Surfdad]

The quad takes a different methodology to spin effectively. You have to get the trailing fins out of the water. An Ollie 3 is straight forward, but for a surface 3 you're going to need to spin it off the lip. Up on the top, the trailers will be free of the water and then the re-entry will be solid and the rotation will stop. It's not all that much harder, but it's not very forgiving, so learning it can be quite the challenge.

[loudelectronics]

Thanks for the info SD.

Where can I get info for TWP? I can not find a website.

Your analogies are right what I am feeling. I pump hard coming in but can not get the board to release. I have very small fins though (chicklettes)but the wake feels good and is large and hard. Got lots of time to figure this out. Most likely a christmas present.

[jdj06c]

TWP is in reference to 'The Walker Project':
http://www.thewalkerproject.com/

[Surfdad]

@jdj06c - the XXX Slasher has almost no tail rocker. The tail is also a little narrow for serious aerials. It tends to sink as you're pushing down. If the tail get's below the surface, the water will wrap the rails and you're pretty much done. Does it feel like the tail is suctioned down to the surface? Also without a decent rocker line, it's fighting you to get the nose in the air.

[Surfdad]

@loudelctronis, the Tsunami has a few problems for aerial work. The tail is really narrow, without the knife edge of a skimboard. In fact that tail is designed to sink to make the board more stable'ish. With that semi-pintail, the kick pad is forward, so you're not getting the same leverage as you can off a board that I mentioned earlier...imagine on a skateboard trying to ollie with your rear foot foarward of the rear trucks, just not all that easy. Definately time for you to get a new board.

[jdj06c]

@jdj06c - the XXX Slasher has almost no tail rocker. The tail is also a little narrow for serious aerials. It tends to sink as you're pushing down. If the tail get's below the surface, the water will wrap the rails and you're pretty much done. Does it feel like the tail is suctioned down to the surface? Also without a decent rocker line, it's fighting you to get the nose in the air.

Yes! It does feel like the tail is suctioned down to the surface. I haven't been able to get it off the wake and thought working on a ollie off the wake may help.

[Surfdad]

Yeah - no doubt you'll get the tail free after you get your skater skills working the ollie off the lip, but you'll find a world of difference once you get on a board with some rocker and a wider tail, as well as, some fins for drive. Do you know of anyone you can borrow a SS Thresher or Comp 1, or a TWP Bullet or JWSM? I think you'll find your aerials are a breeze on any of those boards.

[jdj06c]

No, I wish, I would love to demo one. I did put some long surf fins on it wich provide a lot more drive and power then the small wakeboard fins XXX throws on there.

[loudelectronics]

Ok this is making tons of sense. You have nailed everything that I am feeling on my board and can not get around. I realize I have a long ways to go but at that stage to start doing a lot more.

So you think I should look at a surf style rather then skim? This makes sense, cause me and spinning do not go well but getting air, yes. Been working on 360's but I just sink. Leave that to my bro and his hand stands.

What is the difference between the bullet and the Walker pro board?

[Surfdad]

@jdj06c The depth will help, not sure if you were able to get the cant and toe in - THOSE two adjustments will make a ton of difference.

@ lodelectronics - You don't have to give up your 3's with any of those boards, on the SS's just remove the trailers and it will rotate fairly easily. You'll find with that wider tail it won't sink as your coming around. A skimmer will spin easier, the difficulty is in stopping the rotation. If it's not one thing, it's another.

The differences between the Bullet and the JWSM are pretty subtle. The outline is a tad thinner in the nose on the JWSM. The tail treatment is slightly different on the JWSM. If you get the perimeter stringers option, it uses the better blank. The concave on the JWSM is slightly different - more aggressive than the Bullet. Lastly, the JWSM comes with what Mike calles the stinger fin system. It's a cross between a Twinzer and Rusty's C-5 without the trailer.

Oh! and it costs more!