This info is so not true!!! I’m 50 years old  and surf 5’9” to 5’11” for every day drivers, and catch pretty much any wave I want. Length does matter a lot when it comes to small to average surf. The boards need  to fit the roll or curve of a smaller wave, a bigger board does not fit into a small pocket … period.  You can NOT surf a 7ft plus wave top to bottom in average Southern California surf, it will not fit the curve of the wave. That is just just common physics, the curves need to compliment each other. My whole board quiver are custom made by Matt at lost, 5’9” squash tail through 6’4” step up and they work great. I keep my cardio strength up by running 8 miles per day, as well as my physical strength. Doing that keeps me from needing a 48 liter plus board to have fun. Just because you’ve given up and decided to just move on to fun shapes doesn’t mean it works for everybody. If it works for you that’s great, but your info is not one size fits all,. As far as lost boards suck, that’s not true!! I would say 99% of the time it’s the surfer , not the board or the shaper that sucks. If I’m having a bad session I never blame the board, only my short comings that day.

Welcome to Oz mate enjoy surfing life here. I surfed qld alot when I was younger lived at Kirra.  Down south coast now nsw. Great surf lifestyle. Love your channel iam 50 and everything you say is correct with many years of hard learned lessons.

This was a big help. I’m 39 years old, around 210lbs and struggled to find the right board.

Many of us don’t have the desire to spend $1k to see how a board works only to realize it doesn’t and then have to sell it. I’ve been in that situation so many times that I decided I was over surfing and I took up mountain biking.

I surf in Oceanside where the waves are steep, fast and hollow from the pier on south to Carlsbad. They start getting mushier and fatter in Carlsbad. Your video made me realize how one board won’t work for both faster/steeper waves AND fatter slower waves.

So I guess for my return to surfing and building a quiver I need something like a 949 for Oceanside and something with less concave for waves in Carlsbad or Encinitas. Gotta build that quiver.

Great video!  Thanks for passing along your knowledge and experiences.

Bro, from Peru... excellent video!!! You are right in everything

Congratulations 🍾 on your move down under!

Did the same, got rid of my concave boards and replaced with mostly convex boards (belly and vee).  The rail to rail is just so much more responsive and pleasant with convex bottoms, especially since I'm biased to surfing off my front foot.  I moved from epoxy back to PU.  I like the way PU sits in the water, and how smooth it rides.  I also decided to get rid of most of my HP thrusters and substituted with single fins, twin fins, and quads (regular and split keels).  I keep one thrusters for those sucking steep Manhattan Beach days.  Although the parking, dumping break line, and crowds tends to persuade me to avoid the break all together.  I pretty much have a board for most breaks between County Line and SD.  Mahalos.

You are absolutely right. The board must suit the conditions. I'm just a holiday surfer with average fitness but with quite ok board feel because of years of all skateboarding. I'm mainly surfing a mellow beach break in southern spain. And after buying some "wrong" shaped surfboards with the right amount of volume, I bought a yater tuff lite with just a flat bottom contour and it works just beautiful in slow beach breaks. And I'm glad a found a board for these conditions without beeing an expert in board shapes.

Thanks for mentioning the 949. I had a Stewart Hydro Hull and loved it at 8'6".  It turned so much shorter than it was. Might head on down to San Clemente and check it out.

Can’t wait to be up there where you are soon. 57 this month, 6”0 and 110 kg. Riding a 7.0 Hypto Kripto and 6.10 softech bomber and 9.6 mal👍

Flat boards with vee for mushy waves. Concave for square barrels. Hawaii

I just turned 17 and have been surfing a lost 5’10 thruster for a year and I live in SoCal. Going out to seal beach jetty everyday and the local breaks I can really only get 3 or 4 pumps in and a snap of the lip and the waves over within seconds. This has been the only board I’ve had after I just learned to surf a year ago but have been going out every day and after being so pissed off watching all these long boarders catch these long waves into the jetty I wanna start riding single fins to get some longer rides and really start having some more fun in the waves. I watched all your how to single fin videos and I’m about to pick up this 70s single fin pin tail board from my uncle and I’m so stoked for when I get to use it soon. I was wondering if you could make some more videos on single fins and how to ride them I’m really interested in getting into them. Maybe some videos of you surfing and breaking down what you’re doing like your other videos. So thankful for your YouTube channel your the only guy I can find talking about how to ride  single fins. So glad your back on YouTube now and enjoying surfing in Australia it sounds so sick

I’d love to see a video of you going “straight up”

I believe having the right board for the right wave, and a little more foam will help with speed, flow, and overall fun.  Long board, mid length, step up you name it.  No one board will work in all conditions.  I used to ride an 8' 949. Good board fast and loose for a five fin but not enough rocker for me.  949 Comp may be a better option for rounder waves. I wouldn't buy a low volume board just so you can dip it.  But getting caught inside and rolled on a big day at a heavy reef break with a 50L board you'll wish you did.  So buy your short board, but if you can swing it, pick up a Mid length groveler for small days, an HP long board, a gunnier step up.  Have fun!

Thanks for the perspective. We are same age. I too started surfing single fins in the early 70s. Since I was about 50 years old I’ve been surf a 7’6 Stewart funline 11. Awesome surf board. In 2019 I got a 6’10 Lost Smooth operator which is the best all around board I’ve ever had. Flat in the front of board and double concave at the back of the board. Lots of rocker in the tail. It has glider outline. You can surf the crap out of it from the tail. It would be great if can your hands on one of these boards and do a review.
Thanks

i’ve surfed lost boards for the past 10 years and they are phenomenal.  You have to make sure you know the volume and dimensions that suit your abilities.

Hi there. Thank you for that valuable info. Im a beginner surfer as well and im on the same boat, kept on switching boards finding the right board to surf in NJ conditions where its fast and steep. I was on the takayama in the pink LB and i felt that didnt work for local conditions here. How will the 949 work on fast and steep 1-3ft waves in NJ? Thanks

If you choose boards based on volume..... you'll be riding a boat in no time.    It's not about  the canoe......it's about the Indian🤙🏼

How do you feel about with a fish or groveler shape. Im a young guy, 25 next month, but i personally feel like i can get away with less volume a lot easier on a shape like a groveler or a fish or especially something more hybrid like a mini simmons due to the outline. I get the same exact feeling where i can sort of surf the board with my feet just about anywhere and still do a decent turn. I also feel that they paddle a lot better even in chop because you can control the board better having all the volume packed tight under your weight allowing a for much larger and forgiving center of gravity. I typically ride about 28-30L at 160lbs in a lot of my high performance short boards but i live in cali and we have slow mushy fat waves even when it barrels just not the same amount of power, waves are totally different than when i've gone elsewhere. But yeah any thoughts?

According to their website there is no 7 ft 4 Stewart 949.