User-Friendly or Favorite Board for Noseriding?

[SD_PB]

I have heard some mixed reviews about dedicated NRs in this forum and just wanted to provide a counterpoint. Learning to and turn a noserider well can be incredibly fun and rewarding. I, personally, really enjoy laying hard into my tail and performing strong turns on my boards.

I learned how to longboard on a 10'6 big, heavy, volan glassed log with a D Fin before stepping down to more modern logs which, for me, made the latter feel very maneuverable and fun. You may not be smacking a lip but coming off a noseride, going onto the should, and then performing a solid wrap is a great feeling. You just need to give it time and set your expectations appropriately.

 

[Souvlaks]

Wide tail, wide nose, pivot fin and you'll get it. I feel the trade-off with really wide and noserider-focused boards is that the overall bulk can make the board hard to maneuver and thus harder to "set up" for the noseride. For instance, the Bing Noserider, I had a 9'10, was a sidewalk and noseriding was so easy. However, it was slow to react and I felt like I was always trying to get into the pocket and not riding the wave all that well. My cooperfish nosedevil was a good compromise.

This is exactly the mental dilemma I’m dealing with. There’s a 9’8 Davenport noserider for sale down the street that is tempting me but my daily driver is a 9’10 Unhinged Peto Pig and a 9’10 Thomas Wizl before that. They are both so versatile and you remember noseriding isn’t the only aspect of surfing. In fact, it’s usually a very small part when the wave allows.

 

[stopchewingplease]

Grant Noble’s logs, like the Wilbur model, balance maneuverability and tip time very well. Paddling into a wave can be difficult, though, if you’re used to being able to sweep in early. Yet, in this defect is a huge benefit: it teaches you to position yourself at takeoff closer to the pocket, where you need to be.

Honestly…. My main question back to you would be: Can you comfortably cross step? If not, the board you ride matters less than getting a longboard with wheels and gaining the control you require first on pavement. On pavement because it is arguably less stable and because you don’t have to waste a good wave or wait for one.

After control: you’ll get tip time on most any board if you know where to position yourself. But my recommendation remains a log from Grant Noble. Especially if you’re surfing faster waves.

 

[Yosh]

Elmore provides exactly what you’re looking for. Get his HotDog. I have his Samz and man it’s so so friendly and still lots of tip time.

 

[DJR]

Don’t forget Levitator. Talk about a sidewalk.

 

[SharkzCove]

The hybrid noserider shapes seem to be in vogue right now. Here is the Tim Stamps' version of that style that I'd consider getting for my next board: http://www.surfboardsbystamps.com/bridge. With any decent technique, you should be able to noseride a board like that pretty easily even if it's not a 100% dedicated noserider. It seems like it would be a bit more "user friendly" like you were asking about, but it still has many of the elements that a noserider board has. I'm sure he can also put a square tail on that board if you want that instead of a rounded pin. Also, there's the whole rabbit hole of fin choice and fin placement that you could get into. The right fin can make a world of difference when it comes to noseriding.

 

[michael]

Creme fat cat fits the bill

 

[ks77]

The hybrid noserider shapes seem to be in vogue right now. Here is the Tim Stamps' version of that style that I'd consider getting for my next board: http://www.surfboardsbystamps.com/bridge. With any decent technique, you should be able to noseride a board like that pretty easily even if it's not a 100% dedicated noserider. It seems like it would be a bit more "user friendly" like you were asking about, but it still has many of the elements that a noserider board has. I'm sure he can also put a square tail on that board if you want that instead of a rounded pin. Also, there's the whole rabbit hole of fin choice and fin placement that you could get into. The right fin can make a world of difference when it comes to noseriding.

I had a Stamps Bridge and it was a great neutral board, easy to surf, but did not noseride well. The hard edge in the tail made it just a bit too fast to set up for and hold a noseride well. But, it turned great and was good making sections.

 

[jory]

I’m going to quote myself to say........

“In reality, (& ive posted this a million times on here) you can noseride almost anything, its just footwork and positioning which only comes with lots of purposeful practice. Theres no magic bullet”

I’ll add that I would love to try a peto pig or an Elmore Sam. The grant noble logs look fun too.

 

[SharkzCove]

I had a Stamps Bridge and it was a great neutral board, easy to surf, but did not noseride well. The hard edge in the tail made it just a bit too fast to set up for and hold a noseride well. But, it turned great and was good making sections.

Sounds like my kind of board, my favorite wave is a fast sectiony wave (for a longboard) so a fast board can match the speed of the wave if you time your nose rides right.

But I also learned to noseride on a hard railed HP longboard ages ago, you just gotta set up your noserides early so you’re on the nose already as it speeds through the section. Not quite the same feeling as the lift and levitate noseriders though.