WINTER BOARD TALK 2018

WINTER BOARD TALK 2018

Winter Surf Boards

In the colder months it's important to make sure you're on the right equipment. With the days being a lot colder and shorter than in Summer it's hard to get in the water as much as we'd like, so when we do find a window we need to make the most of it. Here are a couple things to think about when picking the right board to get you through the chill.
 

Volume:

 

In recent years volume has become a critical part of board design. Finding your ideal volume takes some time and effort as no two people surf alike. The best way to figure out how much foam you're comfortable on is by trying as may different boards as possible. If you don't have access to different shapes you can try an online volume calculator, we recommend the one from JS Surfboards that can be found here.

When surfing in winter  (mainly in the South Island) we have a lot of added weight due to our thick wetsuit, gloves, hoods and boots so increasing the litres of your board to counteract this can save you a lot of extra work in the water. There are some people out there who will have a board tucked away in summer and only pull it out when the water temp drops and the heavy neoprene comes out.

 

Step Ups

Winter also often means escaping the cold for warmer climates. If you're heading to Indo or the Islands then you'll want something more in your boardbag than your groveller or fish, this is where a step up comes into play. A step up is different than a gun; you're just looking for that extra bit of board to handle blistering highlines, giant roundhouse cutbacks and most of all, a roll in ---bottom turn --- speed check ---hand drag ---piiiiittted. YEW! A little extra board is going to lengthen your turns, cut through the bumps and give you heaps of speed once you're locked in on a drainer. 
  • Sizing: 1-3 ft overhead: add 2-4 inches to your shortboard, reduce your width by 1/8-1/4 inches and thickness by 1/16-1/8". You're a strong paddler so you're just stretching out your volume with a touch more float. You're not looking for too much lift, you want your rails nice and low for quick response.
  • 3ft-double overhead: 6-8 inches over your shortboard, add at least a 1/2 inch in width and 1/8 inch, if the  wave is stupid fast, the extra float is going to get you up to speed, and you're gonna need it!
 

 

A list of all our top winter boards can be found here: 

For anymore info that you need, you can call us on 03 3842813

 

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