Please tell me what I want.

[Archy_is_God]

You will still see a hundred longboards for every hull/transitional/alternative board around here. Surprised that you don't see more, really, but I'm sure that will change.... I just wanted something to use in tiny surf that fitted in the car

Currently have an PU/epoxy 6'2" shortboard on order through JP, not my first (probably my 50th or 60th TBH) and it will certainly not be the last... When they become trendy, I'm looking forward to acting like the kid who has been listening to the band waaaay before they got famous.

[VillageIdiot]

I don't see what's so wrong with 'trends' anyway, when they bring new or neglected board designs to the forefront. It's good to see innovators like Liddle and Simmons finally getting some recognition. Discovering the Hull experience re-ignited my stoke for surfing, I've never bonded with a board to that extent before and I'm too old to be a Hipster. Shit, I'm starting to mist up...................

[poodleparlourpam]

What about a 8'6 version of this. this ones 9'6 x 23 x 3 but i've been pondering scaling it down recently (with a wee bit of tinckering in all the right places), think it would make a really fun mid length. Keep the single fin (i ride this one with a 9" larry allison volan flex),no concave, gentle roll in the belly, and very subtle bit of vee through the tail. The widepoint on the template on this is slightly pulled back, rails are really pinched 50/50's, its fast...very responsive, and turns on an absolute sixpence! it has a very relaxed step in the nose, but i'd loose that for the mid length. keep it all about the trim, glide and turns volume and width can customised, so this can be easy as you want it to be

mag sea 9'6 temp.jpg (54.02 KiB) Viewed 842 times

mag sea 9'6 2.jpg (67.36 KiB) Viewed 842 times

i've had plenty of people trade boards with me a saunton, and get cracking rides on this first time...its a 'get on and ride' board...no extraordinary skills required, BUT its also fun and exciting to ride...i think the flex fin is essential...but then it was designed with that in mind.

anyways...its just a thought! You have so many options, and there are so many boards out there. ...enjoy the hunt

[VillageIdiot]

Now that's what I'm talking about Pamelar. Just think how much more fun Saunton would be, if everyone was riding shorter boards. No more five-to-a-wave bullshit.

[slipslide]

Hulls can be really fun boards, when I got my Liddle dad looked at it and just went shit that's what we were riding 40 years ago. It all comes around. That blacker I have is his version of the son of Sam and the trim on it is amazing fast and smooth, like a hull so they certainly have there place. But for me again only my opinion, if you want a daily driver then there are more useful boards out there than a TRUE hull. Cracking luxury boards yes. I have an 8ft diamond tail quad kind of a Simmons/fish outline great board.
Of course you could get on a hull and just click as village idiot said he has never had so much fun. I felt like that when I discovered quads, I have always had singles I do t like thrusters but quads I really like.
Different strokes rule the world. Oh yes they do. (Is quoting different strokes admitting that I'm old?)

[Philchapman]

To Archie and Village idiot.... Sometimes Tim replies to P.M.'s on here, sometimes he doesn't. I know excatly what Tim has been through, in more detail than you probably do. We have chatted about it at great length over the years. Fact is he's still not delivered on a fin for my board, after promising one "next week/month" for about two years now, and I'm pissed off with it again. I'll no longer be pissed off when I get the product that I paid for years ago.
Is that too much to ask? Despite what he's been through he's still selling boards/fins to others... so where is my fin?

[splinter]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h377/lecky941/DSCF2704_zps6093f7b8.jpg
Steve at empire made this hull for me cos i was wanting something different from a 9ft board all the time,at 7ft its goes suprisingly easy in small stuff due to the volume, reckon it would be really nice at 8'6..

Sweet looking board that fella. I've been drooling over the pics of it on Steve's blog for a while.

I do like a nice mid-length and sometimes miss my old egg. So versatile, great for big, rippy surf, small days or just when you are feeling a bit paddle-lazy. Can almost compete with the hoards of longboarders too.

I reckon they are a very worthy addition to any quiver and I can see myself getting something like the above off Steve next. Getting ahead of myself though as yet to take delivery of my next custom order!

[splinter]

forgot to also ask - what are the other dims for that 7'0 Hull..?

[lecky94]

The dims are 7x22x3 plenty of volume so it was easier to come across from my longboards , iv only had it out in waist/chest high waves at the moment so looking forward to getting it into some good size swell to see how it really goes.

[dogtowatch]

Whey too many pretty shiny shiny toys there Archy.

[dixie]

fat, flat (ish), n super smooth n loose

im 15 stone n ride allsorts of waves on it
and its available now...

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=37151

[dogtowatch]

Another sexy beast Dixie but want something longer with more girth to satisfy my needs.

[gavtheoldskater]

i'll throw in my 2p worth...

i've got two boards in the mid length range, both utterly different, both great.

8ft campbell 5fin bonzer egg - this one sits in the garage roof waiting for the few days of the year one of my local spots works and when it does its generally a rolling shoulder high wall. short boards can't get into it, the board below struggles, so the 8ft is spot on.

i like this board because its more shortboard than log, step back and it turns nicely indeed. great fun.

as a do anything board thats really versatile its a good call.

7ft linden journey (google it) - this is a stunning board, big old velzy fin on it. if ever i'm feeling a bit flat on surfing i grab this board and remind myself its just about the slide. super easy to catch waves on, and because its only 7ft is remarkably loose.

if i had to keep one, the linden because its always fun. but i don't think its as versatile as the bonzer.

[dogtowatch]

The weed duff spoil me with so much info on the many headed beast that is the mid length, but there are still a couple of you mother lovers out there who have still to toss their tuppence into the hat.

[mrkmrk2842]

OK, I'll bite...had a fair few midlengths... I love hulls, love the feel of surfing them but although I surfed them for a couple of years as my daily drivers wouldn't advise it... They are limited and you have to work hard at dialling them in if you want to do much more than trim a high speed with a bit of rollercoasting from top to bottom thrown in.. I really like the v-bottoms and really liked the hot gen but feel that you are limited with all of the ones that i've owned (8'2 hot gen, 8' skip frye original '68, 7'2 Linden Journey,8' Gato Heroi) once it gets around head high. I really like the eggy midlengths of skip frye/larry mabile/bob mitsven as an all round fast versatile shape...been surfing an 8' triple stringer Larry Mabile Magic model as a single and 2 + 1 and it does it all - as fast as a hull but turns so quick...really fun in the small stuff (which i have found is where a lot of mid lengths fall down e.g. bonzer eggs... had a few and brilliant when it's pumping but dreadful when it's slack) and excels in bigger hollow stuff with a bigger fin...magic! The only problem is that it sits a litle too close to my 9' Mabile Phil Edwards (which is my current favourite board) so I've got a narrower 7'6 on the way...incidentally the 8' will be available soon if anyone is interested in a bit of mid length magic.... these boards are a great all round board and what i really like is that you can walk all over them if you want or alternatively surf it off the tail the whole time if that floats your boat...
At the end of the day it's all such a personal choice that you just have to try, buy and and run with it...swap and trade where you can and experience as many boards as possible...you will gradually start to narrow down the choices....

[flacky]

8ft seems to be the magic number for so many. It's the thing that's missing in my shed, and I'm sorely tempted to ditch something to make way for one.

[Chris F]

Every time I see this thread I think of this;

A good board for a change,
To see the dogs I've had would make a good man turn bad
So please please please tell me what I want this time.

Haven't had a good surf for a long time.
See the waves I've had can make a good rider bad

So for once in my life tell me what I want

Lord knows, it would be the first time
Lord knows, it would be the first time

[mister-griffster]

Hey Archie - I wondered who had that HG'ish shape - glad you got it mate - looks a stunner!!!

BTW - For a longboarder wanting something in the 8-9ft - for my money it would HAVE to be a HG - no brainer.

[dogtowatch]

Yo cap'in griffster, what is this HG pleasure craft you speak of?

[mister-griffster]

The Hot Generation chap - Mrkmrk mentioned it way back in the thread, but easy to miss as he has owned such a plethora of stunning boards you'd be dazzeld

It's one of these



Essentially it's a Magic Sam with a foot lopped off - much more neutral than a hull, with rolled entry to panel vee just in front of the fin - you can ride it from the back like a shortboard, or middle / upfront like a hull. Personally I find it the easiest transition from a longboard, and it is such a willing board, even in marginal surf. The added benefit seems to be that you can take any line you want - long flowing turns, to sharp pivots and changes of direction. You don't loose much paddle power either. Obvioulsy loads of mid-lenths to choose from - just sayin this would be my choice - and my choice of a general travel board

[dogtowatch]

That's the shape for me.

[Archy_is_God]

Hey Archie - I wondered who had that HG'ish shape - glad you got it mate - looks a stunner!!!

BTW - For a longboarder wanting something in the 8-9ft - for my money it would HAVE to be a HG - no brainer.

Yes, I am indeed the lucky recipient and your description of the ride is spot-on.

It is a joy to ride in little peelers, but I was also blown away by how it goes in broken up mush! You can just connect sections and have the luxury of choice of turn when you have the opportunity.

My enjoyment may be bittersweet though.. Current household budgets may mean that it could be up for sale, along with my prized widowmaker...

Drop me PM if keen.

[mister-griffster]

Archy - EXACTLY my initial findings (and I've only had a handful of waves) - goes unbelievebly well in mush (one reason I got rid of my simmons) - Kirk3 advices my mate that they go so well in less than average conditions - and he's so right. Pound for pound a very versatile board. A couple of hipster loggers are riding em now, so expect them to be the next 'big thing' but for the average guy, they work. Sure, you won't win any world comps on one, but if you're into evolution style surfing, they're just the ticket!

BTW Cuttlefish -- you're certainly no hipster - they've been all over the shortboard Revo for a couple of years now (they're of the age group they were just being born when the whole channeled twin-fin / early thrusters took off) - Strange how in all trends we go back to what was in fashion around the times of our birth... nope, next up is the Slater models - early 90's kids coming up fast...

[VillageIdiot]

Still got the white pony Arch ?

[Archy_is_God]

Hey VI,

Haven't had the Pony for a couple of years now. It had a touch too much rocker for me and was a bit too niche. Heaps of fun in tiny, sucky waves and bigger slopey ones, but not the best for little crumblers. Interesting ride though and really fun on the backside for such a wide-tailed twin.

[VillageIdiot]

The Diplock Round Nosed Fish that they had in Loose Fit for a while seemed to bare a passing resemblance.

[mister-griffster]

There's a few rolled bottom / vee / HG / Midlength threads running - so couldn't think wehere best to put this - so it's ended up here...

The Original Hot Gen board - possibly shaped by McTavish while he was shaping at Keyo - be interested to see if this board was before or after his Fantastic Plastic Machine as that had a wide square tail, probably 17-18" or so... anyhow, iif you;re intested

http://davidplattsurfboardrestorations.blogspot.co.uk/2010_08_01_archive.html

[dogtowatch]

Tis packing a faire bit of girth that one. Still not done the deed due to potential loss of job in the next 4 to 6 weeks, but if I weather that particular storm, its down to Steve at Empire or one of the lightly used beauties that are out there.

[mister-griffster]

Fingers crossed for you mate - tricky times for all. Hope you get what you're looking for

I just picked up a V Bowls - haven't had it out yet (sukinng fruking rastard rick rastadly - in finest Mutley voice) - but very intruigued to see how the 'reverse' hull goes

[dogtowatch]

oh my that looks like a chunky ole unit too, what's the dim's chap? we are living through interesting times for sure but hopefully I can exchange some pretty green for a mid length for the summer.