Time to compliment my 9'7 Creek, help me choose.

[ospreysup]

Time to compliment my 9'7 Creek, help me choose.

It took me some time to find a board that offered the stability and performance I was looking for to grow my surfing. I found the 9'7 Creek and my love for the board runs deep. However, the board needs some juice to shine. This summer has been mushy and small on the Jersey Shore magnifying my need for adding a board to the quiver.

So some background, like many as I progressed my choice was to drop volume and size. This only led to me buying and selling boards that were way too unstable to be fun. I am off the go smaller kick. My priorities are stability first and performance second.

SPECS:

55 years old and not getting younger.
I have been surfing for 5 years.
6'2 250
Intermediate Surfer defined as can bottom and top turn in each direction and occasionally hit some cutbacks. I need to get better at getting back on the tail.
The 9'7 Creek is stable in full winter gear. Added bonus I love the toughness of the Sunova. The lift Sup is problematic in the winter.
 I surf NJ beach break from 1 foot to about 2 feet over head max.
The 9'7 Creek feels smaller then 9'0 boards I've been on.

Two boards sing to me as stable, performance and match my wave. A L41 custom ST and the Foote Triton now by Flight boards.  I know they are very different boards. There are boards in the Sunova family that meet my needs and I can demo them but nothing jumps out to me as the 1 board compliment to the Creek.  I would consider long board style but I find them to narrow to offer the stability I want and not my style of surfing. Obviously having Kirk build me a board is enticing.

It is near impossible to Demo many of these boards on the East coast. My question , if you were going to have a two board quiver and one was a 9'7 Creek what would you compliment it with?

Thanks for the help.

[supthecreek]

Hi Osprey
Thanks for the thoughtful comments on your Creek.

No a specific board recommendation, but some thoughts that may be helpful.

These days, what I gravitate to when not on my Creek’s or Point Break, are low rocker boards. I find they compliment the performance rocker perfectly.

My 2 favorites are traditional surf shapes, both relatively low rocker.

Smaller one is 9’0 x 31”  133 liters, which is lower volume than my 9’1 Creek but the flat rocker really shines in low power waves. Super snappy.

The other is 9’5 x 31.75” at 150 liters. Very smooth and easy to ride in any low power surf.

I am finding the key to my happiness in these boards is a small “pivot style” center fin. (4 to 4.5” low rake fin)

I rarely ride “longboard” shapes anymore, because I simply prefer to surf more “shortboard” shape no matter what size board.