You’ve heard the old sayings: every snowflake is different or no two fingerprints are the same? In the northwest, it seems no two waves are alike! That’s because we are filled with forever changing beach breaks and sand bars. Sand moves around every day and constantly adjusts what we can expect from our favorite spots. We are also affected by large storms that form relatively close off our shores, and swell has very little time to clean up before it reaches us. This means every day is different, from the swell size to weather conditions. You can never properly predict what the conditions will be like, so any dedicated surfer in our area needs to have a diverse board quiver at their disposal.
You might be someone who likes to ride their shortboard every day, but some days that is simply not the right board for the conditions. Likewise, your favorite board might be a Bing 9’4 log, but for the vast majority of days during the fall, it simply isn’t the proper design. Having a range of boards to handle our diverse conditions is key to maximizing your wave count. So we are starting a new series on our blog showcasing the quivers of our favorite local surfers. Our hope is that you are not only entertained by seeing what other people are riding, but it helps educate you on how to build your own quiver. Every surfer is different and what they ride is a reflection of their personality. We will try to show a wide range of individuals in the hope that maybe one or two will resonate with your own style. First up will be our shop owner Jeff. Hope you enjoy……..
"I am a shortboarder at heart, so even on the smallest days, I pull out my favorite fish or groveler. I am 5’11 and weigh 168 pounds. I get to surf regularly, so the volume of my boards are a little less than the average Oregon surfer. Hope you enjoy the breakdown of my quiver."
Board 1
5’5 x 20.75 x 2.44 - 31.34cl. Lost Puddle Jumper. This is my summertime small wave groveler. Usually chest high and under. Floats like crazy but turns similar to a performance board. Makes riding 2 foot dribblers fun!
Board 2
6’0 x 18.63 x 2.25 - 26.43cl. Lost Psycho Ward. My go-to shortboard. I have had about 6 of them over the years and been able to dial in the exact dimensions I like. I ride it all year whenever the waves are clean and overhead.
Board 3
6’2 x 18.63 x 2.25 - 26.97cl. Lost Taj Whiplash Mini Step-Up. My favorite travel board when the waves are going to be good. I will also ride it at home on those very special days. As you can see, the wax is really clean on it. Those days at home are very few and far between.
Board 4
6’0 Bing Sun Fish. Summertime small to mid-sized wave board. This twin fin is my replacement for a longboard, but the more I ride it the more I realize its capabilities. It can handle a ton of different surf. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Board 5
6’6 x 18 5/8 x 2 3/8 - 29.8cl. Channel Islands Proton Step-Up. When the waves are well overhead and pumping, this is my board. I love it. Strictly a Fall and Winter time board, I get excited when the report actually calls for conditions that warrant paddling it out!
Board 6
6’0 x 19 x 2.30 - 28.32cl. Lost Sub-Buggy. I like riding this board when I need a little more volume than my standard shortboard. Shorter period swells that have some size, but not enough strength for my Psycho Ward. I get a performance outline but with some float.
Board 7
5’5 x 19.25 x 2.25 - 26.1cl. Lost Round Nose Fish Classic. This is my guilty pleasure board. It is in my quiver simply because I wanted one. It’s the board that started the whole shorter, wider, flatter design craze. It is fast, fun and performs a lot better than you would think.
