How long to catch fat waves in offshore wind

Been riding my 8'5" Starboard Pocket Rocket for the last year and loving it but somedays (today!) struggle to catch waves. Today was perfect, big sets lined up at Waratah Bay, 10 or maybe 15 knot offshore wind, clean and theoretically rideable OH set waves forming beautifully for at least 100 or 200 metres out before they broke. Do you think I could get on them out there - no way! Ended up catching them 20m before they broke when they were really steep.

Need something to complement the PR but how big?? I'm 66kg, thinking of 9'1 x 29 Pro or 9'8" x 29 Pro or even 10'3 x 29 Gun - only looking at Starboard so these are the choices. Had a 10'5 x 30 but it just felt a little 'dead' compared to the skateboard feel of the PR - probably because I don't have good enough longboard skills to get the most out of something like the 10'5 x 30. I'm a very average surfer so "rippin it up" isn't on the agenda as much as catching the wave out further and doing some cruisy bottom and top turns. Can't work out in my mind where the happy medium is between more glide and speed onto the wave into the wind and too big to enjoy once I'm on the wave.

Of course I've been spoilt by the way the PR turns super easily so anything too long and gunny may be a bit of a shock! Any advice most welcome

Hey Jonathon.

My son has a 9' 5" Mana which I have used a few times (including in waves a couple of feet overhead) and, as you know, I caught a few waves on your PR the other week when we swapped boards. I have found that the wide nosed boards are much more affected by an offshore or, in bigger waves, the "updraft" up the wave face on take off.

In my humble opinion, I don't think you need to go too long because of your weight, but you should be looking at something a bit narrower and with a "pointy" nose. This should give you better glide into the takeoff and the board will be less likely to hang up in the lip.

My 2c, anyway.

Agree with you Hilly, thinking 9'8 or Gun, I'm going to keep the 8'5 because it's so much fun in anything but offshore wind. New shapes will be "pointier" so I'm sure that will help.

I think you are right Roscoe, the updraft of the bigger waves is an issue too, the waves today were bigger than the ones at the 'secret spot' the other day and there was the full on updraft rainbow shower thing happening. I was initially thinking of the 9'1" x 29" but really wonder if the glide of the longer board (9'8) would make all the difference.

Simondo, the late drops were no problems it was the 100m of perfect head high wave I was missing out on before the drop that pissed me off! Tried leaning forward paddling my guts out but was only getting about 20% of them. The really sad thing was that there was no one else out and unusually for Sandy Point there was a really long wave period between them!

Thanks for the input guys.

Wish I was out there with you. Alas, some (most) of us still are forced to earn a dollar!

Are you back in Melbourne on Friday? I'm seriously thinking of taking the day off and I think there's a good chance that the secret spot may be working.

Hey Jonathon,

Like you, I'm built like a pocket rocket...70kgs.

Spent most of last summer catching waves on my red rocket.(McTavish 9'0" x 29") and loved it!! Decided a quaddie didn't quite suit my surfing style, so I opted for a ......you guessed it, a 9'1" x 29" Starboard Pro.

Wave count is insanely decadent,due to better board speed and glide and oh so chuckable!

You're welcome to borrow it anytime, though technically it's my wife's board.

Midweek, ahhhh, she won't know.

Not sure yet Roscoe at the mercy of my kids when we come back to Melbourne. Thanks Warwick, that would be great