smaller is better?

[1tuberider]

Hey zoners have you tried a really small board for surfing yet?

I now have an 8'5 pocket rocket and have ridden it around 4 times.  I know more time will even be better but what I have noticed so far is

My wave count has maybe increased.

It is easier to punch white water.

The 8'5 makes my 9'0 stinger seem stiff and its not

The balance spot is smaller.

Waiting for waves is a little bit more work.

The board is really fast but not as fast for going around sections and the paddle gets a little more work out but it still connects.

Surfing on the smaller board is amazing, the looseness, the snap, the speed and I see bigger air time coming as it is fun to smack the lip on these.

My daughter 2nd time out on a sup (first time was my 12' 6) was able to paddle out in the surf zone on the 8'5. Hard to figure out because she makes it look so easy and maybe it is all the martial art experience or dance experience but she has the balance. I then put her on the 9' 0 and had her paddle outside but she ran out of energy. If she could do it any one could, huh.

I surfed the board without the paddle and may enter the surf contest on it without the paddle.  I will also surf the sup event on it. 

I know long winded.  I weigh around 190 and have been surfing around 45 years. 

The smaller board is worth trying. I am now riding the 8'5 as my main board.

[vertseven]

I just got my 8'6" two weeks ago and rode it for the first time in last week's swell here in Florida. I agree it's much more loose and the volume really helps make it through sections, connecting, and added speed. I was hitting 4-5 snaps while guys on shortboards were pulling 2 at most before the wave died out in the mid break.

I love how quickly the board turns around without having to step too far back on the tail when setting up for a wave. But, yes, the balance point is extremely picky. I inch my feet around till I find the sweet spot. And it's extremely tiring when standing in chop. Some guy in the lineup told me that the board was too small for standup. Sure I was a bit squirrelly in the lineup. But once I was paddling, I felt fine. The key was to keep moving or sit on the board when waiting for a set.

At first I did ask myself "what have I gotten myself into?" Especially coming from 2 years on an 11' and have only ridden a 9'3" a few times in Maui and at a demo here in FL. But after 6 sessions, I'm loving it.

[Jon E.B.]

     "Some guy in the lineup told me that the board was too small for standup."

Boy, have I heard that before... 

[heave]

I rode my new custom 7'11"  for the first time yesterday.  I am really stoked now.  It went alot easier than I thought it would.     

[Deb]

The smaller boards are great training tools too -  riding my 8'10" x 26" really improved what I could do on my 9'6" x 27.5".

[1tuberider]

Deb I notice it to.  When I was riding my new 9 0 it was at first shakey, then I got better and broke the board which forced me back on the 9 8.  There was no way I was going to fall off because my balance skill got so much better. 

I notice the same thing on the 8 5.  first session fell off a bunch, but now I rarely kerplunk and when I stepped back on the 9 0 it was again like I was on a barge.

My small boards still need to do the long board thing. I like walking the board and nose riding so I will stick with the long board shapes, but this 8 5 is fun.  Yesterday I rode some fun surf and got to really feel the board.  I like it.  Nose ride a section, cut back, bring it back around and bounce the lip, go get another nose ride, ride to the beach then paddle back out and do it again. 

looking at the survey I see a lot of folks riding big boards.  I did to for a half a year and have been down sizing ever since.  I believe we will still have different sup style boards, but the shorter version will most likely end up being the board of choice. Big waves will still have their requirements that the shorties will have a hard time filling, but for normal size waves these short boards rip.