I'm looking at getting a narrower longer gun for bigger waves and am interested in peoples experience with them. I'm 90kg and on my SB 8'5" by 29" 2011, riding double overhead waves the board is hard to bottom turn and bounces about a lot.
Having a board 27-28" wide seems to makes sense to cut through chop and bury in the turn, while keeping the length down to get it on a plane may be important ... (I've only ever flown with short boards)
There seems to be a few guns out there:
SB 9'6" by 27" looks great but for my weight I'm thinking I need something a little more stable for the exposed reefs.
Naish 9'8" 27 1/8" looks similarly small.
Naish 10'8" by 27 1/2" a bit too big.
Jimmy Lewis Baby Bomb 10' by 28" looks about right but haven't heard anything about it on forums.
I would consider a custom board but haven't found shapers making performance SUPs in WA (any suggestions?)
I'm interested in what other people (around my weight) use in bigger waves

Hi - I have the starby 8'5 pro - im 85 kgs - my step up board is 9'8 pro - its the perfect step up size at my weight - i used to have a 9'1 but it was too close to the 9'8 in performance and the 9'8 has a touch more glide in speed - its a super directional board - really holds its rail on face and also when paddling in holds its line - the 9'6 looks really nice but the 29 wide on the 9'8 is good enough at my weight i think - if you want something for the uber big stuff - 10'3 gun is sick

Hi Snorton.
I'm close to 90kgs ride the 8'5 naish for short board and had the Jimmy lewis 12' bombora gun.
While it was great having the paddle power getting into bigger waves dropping in and starting your bottom turn I was wishing I had some thing smaller.
I sold it and now looking at the baby bombora.

Those new Naish Guns look like "Super-Guns", in terms of wide point in forward, and a quite pronounced "Pin Tail". A real Pin Tail, not just a Rounded Pin, Semi-Gun style.

Another thing that is important to look at, is the amount of tail rocker. And the amount of final tail rocker through the final 1 to 1.5 feet of the board.

Tail - Final tail rocker adds to your maneuverability (tough word to spell!!)... But minimal final tail rocker should deliver you more speed, but the board will likely feel much "stiffer" through turns, including off the bottom. Especially if paired up with bigger fins. Pin Tails also tend to have this feel/effect.

Fins on Guns... for small waves, bigger fins can usually give you more drive. But if you are on a big wave, the actually drop should give you all the speed you could possibly want, so the big fins are going to stiffen things up a little when you turn... I would suggest slightly smaller side fins in big waves (compared to your regular side fins). The side thruster fins should also be set-up with less toe-in, but that's usually the shapers responsibility.

Note - Toe-in seems to have been eliminated on the new JP SUP's.

Disclosure - my preferred big wave weapon is a 9'6 McTavish Longboard Gun.



Also note that guys were successfully riding big waves on Single Fins for many decades, before the advent multi-fins. If you are even in Torquay, take particular note of the Ian Kanga Cairns Waimea Gun that they have in the museum.

Snorton, i ride the starboard 8'0" as my main board and I use the starboard 9'6" x 27 when its big and fine the stability fine, havent had it past 6 foot yet but its got plenty of paddle speed and rekon I could paddle it past the size that i would be physically comfortable to be belted in (or drown). The longer guns definetly make paddling in easier.

c4 batwing 9'0 x 26.75

goatman said...
Hey Snorton, I'm 80+ kg and have a custom 9'1" x 27" but is only about a 100 litres.

The trouble with all the popouts is that the volume on em is pretty high IMO. I reckon the less volume the better when ya trying to get down a monster. Unless you are surfing massive open ocean bombies I don't know why you would want to go much bigger than 9 foot for up to 3 x OH.

Hey Simondo isn't the term Longboard Gun an oxymoron

At 108kg the volume is appreciated

Cheers for the responses.
Hilly - I think I saw you out the back on that board a couple of weeks ago – it looked good. You may have seen me bouncing along some faces and going for a big swim up sh!t creek with this useless paddle
Fm1 – I thought about the 9'8” but I've got the feeling taking some width and thickness out could be pay off once I get used to it.
Simondo – nice pic. I agree SUPs are more difficult in larger waves but that's the challenge, taking the good with the oh sh!t! Anyone want to buy a Redline?
glennc – I'm interested to hear how you get along if you get the Baby Bomb or Ltd ed JL
Scotty Mac –That 8'0” is a tad small, wondering how heavy you are you?
Goatman – Sounds good, do you know any WA SUP shapers?
Owen – I definitely would like to have a go some time, next week? ... ooh. Just got to get the planets to align and get down there… swell, wind and no deadlines at work

snorton , i am 88kg. Wouldnt go bigger, pretty comfortable on the 8'0". Going to upgrade to 2013 which is less volume but flatter deck apparently. See you ride the 8'5", i hear is a good board.

Not to be disrespectful but that wave does not require a gun. It is fat and only about double overhead.

This needs a gun

Just need someone to take some pics from the water.
Next time your down I will bring out my Olympus.

goatman said...
Hey Simondo isn't the term Longboard Gun an oxymoron

- No!
Mate, I got the wave of my life on that board during our September Sessions this year at Winki (next to Bells). I'll take that ride all the way to the grave with me...

If you guys are looking for some entertainment, check this site out, it rocks!;
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Surfing/Longboarding/

hilly said...
Not to be disrespectful but that wave does not require a gun. It is fat and only about double overhead.

This needs a gun

Double overhead?? What does that mean exactly? One person standing on your head to reach the top of the wave ...or another person standing on his shoulder in order to get the "double" effect ?