From Kendra:

Question: Hey, so im in hawaii for 10 days we just arrived…looking to buy a used surf board, i suck…something cheap and for beginners…im thinking maybe a “fish/long or short” around $100.00..where is the best place to do so?

Answer: You should check out our used surfboard listings and contact the individual selling the board. Keep in mind that it costs upwards of $60 to ship a board back home so you may just want to rent something to avoid the hassle of packing, wrapping, and shipping your surfboard. Here are two places that offer rentals:

http://www.surfboardshack.com/quality-surfboards.html — rentals + used surfboards

http://www.california.surfboardshack.com/oahu-surfboard-rentals.html — rentals

From Jason:

Question: I am going to be on Oahu for three weeks in early January and would like to purchase a used surfboard….as opposed to renting one. I grew up in Hawaii but never really surfed.
I noticed the used Roger Hinds ($225) board on your site……7′-3″length and 2 7/8″ thick……thinking this may be a good choice. Do you have many other used boards at your shop that would be good for me? (6′ and 180lbs)

Answer: Regarding the size of your board, you’re a pretty big guy and I always recommend that beginners learn to surf on a longboard (something over 9’0). The longboard will allow you to paddle much better than the funboard you mentioned and the good thing about a longboard is you can catch tiny waves (the surf isn’t always good). I firmly believe you’ll improve faster and have more fun during the process with a longboard, though it’s not to say you can’t do it with a smaller board…it’s just a lot harder.

All of the boards listed on our site are sold by individual sellers. If you want to pick up a used board and don’t mind traveling all over the island to find one, you should contact the individual selling the board. While finding a board through our used surf board listings can save you quite a bit of money, you’ll lose a lot of time visiting each seller. Because you’re on vacation and time is limited (I’m assuming), you should go to a surf shop in Honolulu and get a used board off the rack Feel free to visit our partner Quality Surfboards. They have a unique selection of boards for sale and rent. Just remember that if you buy a board here, you’ll have to pay a fee to have it shipped with your luggage which could cost over $60 depending on the size of your board.

From Gary:
Question: Will be in Waikiki in 2 weeks. would like to learn to surf and found u through Google. Can u tell me where u are and what I can get in the way of lessons and rental or purchase?

Answer: Please contact either of these two shops for rentals:

http://www.surfboardshack.com/quality-surfboards.html
http://www.california.surfboardshack.com/oahu-surfboard-rentals.html

For those who have questions on finding a used surfboard on your next trip to Hawaii, or if you have questions about rental surfboards, please email us.

I have a “Coastal” surfboard, single fin, good condition. How do I get information on the history and value of these boards? Looking to sell… my son has gone to skateboarding. Thank you, in a advance , for any help.

Anyone have a clue? Please post a comment if you have information. Mahalo!

So I decided I wanted to try shaping a surfboard (after years of buying them) and coincidentally my favorite twin fin was on its last legs with most of the deck delaminating. Luckily for me my girl friend’s dad has been shaping their boards for years in a garage and while his boards aren’t of Wade Tokoro caliber, they work well and pretty damn good for a lawyer. So, the two of us set on our mission of recreating that retro fish and after two days of mowing foam, airbrushing, and sanding fiberglass, we cranked out a pretty close version of my favorite fish.

This board features dimensions around 5’9 x 20 x 2.5″ (hey it’s not exact when you don’t really know what you’re doing). Being the anal perfectionist that I am, I admit that this board has a bit too much nose rocker probably because we used a 6’6 shortboard blank (board shaped a few months after Clark closing and major foam shortage). We forgot to build up the trailing edges which is why the board doesn’t feel as crisp in turns. Overall, this board works pretty well and everyone who’s tried it said it works great.

I think all surfers should shape at least one board in their lifetime to see how much work, dedication, toxic fumes, and fiberglass dust it takes to make a surfboard. You’ll respect your surfboard shaper that much more, which I do, especially after this holy experience.

I recently tested Kent Senatore’s personal Rocket Fish quad as we had very clean conditions and a fun swell last week. While I have my own Rocket Fish with a thruster set-up, I was eager to try Kent’s board which he claimed was much faster than a traditional 3 fin setup. This particular board also featured slightly wider and thicker dimensions than my own board: 5?9? x 2? 3/8 x 19? 1/2

I’m quite accustomed to riding loose boards as I normally ride twin fish fishes and I was expecting the board to be relatively easy to get used to. Boy was I wrong. Off the bat this board felt ultra loose and slippy but with a surprising amount of drive and speed. It took a few waves to get the hang of riding the board as pushing too hard on the rail lead to near spin-outs. I was amazed at how fast this board worked in relatively slower waves and hard cutbacks and snaps felt a bit easier…without center fin drag, I really felt like I could whip this board around and turn quicker in the smaller surf.

As a faithful twin fin rider, I was very much surprised that it took me a few sessions to get used to the looseness of the quad. Perhaps it’s attributed to the fact that the Rocket Fish quad features a much slimmer outline (more ‘short-boardy’) than the wide body retro fishes of the past which I predominantly favor. In my opinion, quads work really well in smaller/slower surf because the generate much more speed than your traditional thruster. As the wave size increases as does its power, both quads and thrusters begin to work equally well although some of Northern Cal’s top big wave surfers on Stretch boards will argue that quads work better in 2ft to 40 ft surf.