The Choice of the Board

Back to back surfing on saturday and sunday. Saturday was a medium grade surf session. I was struggling ! I was actively looking for a solution to shift my surfing up a notch. So I went back surfing today, and usually I take the go'ol 7'10" bertha NSP board.  Well, today, that board was not available. I had the choice between a 6'4", 6'8" and there was a broken 7'2" board in the corner. My friend Hugo proposed to fix that 7'2" board and it would take 30 minutes. So I said yes. I dont like short board they do not float enough for a tough guy like me. So 7'2" it was. The repair took a solid 42 minutes 37 seconds and I was in need of surfing.

What ensued was the best surfing session and a couple of findings about the logic of the board lenght. So, A shorter board is more responsive. The board allows for greater control in direction. Control is critical in river surfing. A more responsive surf board is good news. I've been surfing that wave for a while and I know what traps are to be avoided.  However , the 7'10" board was not responsive.  Alright, 7'10'' is ok to start with. It's floatability is unparalleled. But that's ok, once you understand the mechanics of surf equilibrium you can sacrifice float for control. That's right.

Now the next choice will be about the form of the board :fish ? quad ? Normal ? I really do not know. I know the answer will come and I will eventually end buying the right board for river surfing.
For now, this week I will be turning the surfing up a notch and I will embarking on a surf marathon, probably go 2-3 times after work in order to maximise the benefits of the new board. 

Good bye 7'10"