It looks like summer is starting to shape up. I recently purchased airline tickets and a new surfboard. I will be pairing the two for a vacation at my usual spot in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in late July. I'm ready to enjoy the energy coming out of the southern hemisphere and get into some punchier surf. I know my trip is still a few weeks away, but prospects look good. I think the timing of one swell from the next is all I'll really need to worry about.
In between now and then, I hope to enjoy living on the beach, here on the south shore of Massachusetts. I need to catch more waves in my own backyard. I'm way behind on wave-count for 2018, so I'm itching to get wet and catch myself up. After looking over my stats from the past couple years, I've caught <100 waves on shortboards since July 2016. Mostly from a lack of surfing in general, but it seems about time I get back to my shortboard roots.
Recently boards have been trending towards hybrid shapes with higher volumes- and since they're using computers and machines, the shapes are precise and consistent. This is a good thing for me because finding a stock board to suit my abilities isn't as difficult as it once was. There is no spring in my pop-up anymore, rather, it resembles an elderly person attempting a push-up. So I buy boards these days knowing that I need a little more floatation and paddle power, but I resist going too thick, because I know once I'm planing water... I GOTS TO SHRED.
I ended up deciding on a stock board from Lost that was in line with my 80s roots but also compensated for my mid-40s dad-bod physique. Thankfully, I haven't lost my razor-sharp hand eye coordination ;) I'm looking for boards that catch waves easily, but won't get in the way once I'm up and shredding. I was really comfortable two summers ago on my 6'3 x 19.75 x 2.25 Lost V2 Round... but I've gained some pounds since then and I need more board. I was already a little squirrelly on the 6'3 V2, so it was time to beef things up some more.
Trip Forman, owner of REAL Watersports in Waves, NC recommended the Baby Buggy Round from Lost since the V2 model was no longer being shaped or stocked. Trip is super dialed-in on these boards, with quite a few video reviews on the REAL website. I've bought a half dozen boards from his online shop since moving to Massachusetts. They always arrive undamaged and on-time. With Gee Rainbow not making boards anymore, and me not trusting local shapers, I needed to go with what I know works. Lost surfboards just work for me, off the rack, no custom order needed.
If you're local and looking for a new surfboard, Warm Winds in Narragansett, RI has a nice selection of Lost Surfboards, along with Channel Islands, Sharp Eyes, and Rustys. They carry other names too, but if you're buying stock, you're better off sticking with the reputable manufacturers to hold some resale value. Warm Winds also has an amazing selection of longboards and a ton of surf accessories. This the best shop in New England, hands down. The waves in Narragansett, eh... better off checking the cams on Surfline for Matunuck or heading over to Newport on most days!
My new 6'4 x 20.5 x 2.65 Lost Baby Buggy Round with FCS II XL Performers and Carvers to try out
