Q: I have a protruding chicken bone in the middle of my rib cage where the rib cage meets. When I’m surfing, the bone starts hurting from rubbing on the board. Have you ever heard of this before, and do you think that a pad placed chest high on my board would be workable? Thanks, Richard

A: Hey Richard, I’ve never heard of someone having this problem before but I’m sure there are a few options to remedy the situation and get you to surf pain free. I guess the easiest and quickest way to solve this problem would be to do exactly as you say and velcro a piece of padded foam to your deck directly underneath your chest (you should lie on your board and see where you need to place the pad). Another idea would be to talk with your local shaper and have him create a concave in the deck where your protruding bone rests on top of the board. It sounds weird but having the concave would not affect the performance of your board and would effectively allow you to ride pain free.

Has anyone else out there experience something similar?

Q: Hello my name is Sara, I am a beginner surfer looking to have a custom shape that fits me and i’ve heard from a friend that you can help. The board I have now is a 7.0 longboard thruster. It’s 21 and a quarter wide and 2 5/8 thick. I find that it is hard to paddle, and impossible to duck-dive this board. What i’m looking for is a shape that will be easier to paddle and catch waves with. Yet I don’t want a longer board. I want a board that’s good for a beginner but that I can grow with.

Can you give me some advice?

A: Sara, I’m assuming that a ‘7.0 Longboard thruster’ is a really short longboard/mini tank? Now I see you’re looking for a shape that will paddle and catch waves better without getting something longer. You’re not going to find a board that will paddle and catch waves better than a mini tanker. You could technically get a board around 7ft long and go a bit wider and thicker, say 22″ wide and 3″ thick but you’ll lose some maneuverability. Regarding not being able to duck dive your board, you won’t be able to duck dive it unless you weigh 200+ pounds…there’s just too much board to sink….you’ll have to learn to turtle your board through oncoming waves (flip your board over and hold down the nose will underwater and let the wave pass over your board).

Be aware that the type of board you get is really determined by your skill level and average surf conditions at your local beach. If you’re surfing gutless waves most of the time, I would definitely recommend getting a longboard as you’ll be able to catch a ton more waves, stand up and actually ride the dribbling surf, and have more fun. On the other hand, if you want to stick with something around 7’0, make sure it has enough width and thickness and just keep at it and surf as much as possible. Becoming a competent surfer takes time and lots of practice.