I started surfing in the 1970s. What he describes is how everyone surfed back then. The first time I surfed a CI mid it felt like seeing a long lost friend.
This was like listening to my fighter pilot friend talk about flying. As Devon was talking I completely understood what he was talking about when sizing up from a shortboard. Don't attack at 12 o clock, tickle the lip and aim for 9-10 o clock and let the board get its speed. Great description.
I was 23 when I started to learn to surf and started off on a short board when I discovered or brought to my attention that there was a fun shape. It was a game changer a 70 or a 72 and I’ve been writing fun shapes ever cents 1988. I’m 59 years old now , and I still ride and I’ve had various fun shapes over the decades. I wish I had all this knowledge and explanation back then when I started so glad I stumbled across this video here on RUclips and I’m definitely saving it. Thank you so much !!
Wow, as a long time mid length surfer, this has been the most informative podcast I've listened to about differences between mid lengths and other types of boards. Nice one fellas!
Awesome Podcast!!! As a Surfer for 36 years as a short boarder/ Hydro Foiler/ Sup Surfer/ Long Boarder/ Wing Foiler/ Foil Drive. I really enjoyed this video. Legends Never Die 💯 Aloha From Hawaii Yeeee!!! 👊🏽🤙🏽😎🏄🏽♂️🏝️
Apart from great paddle and wave catching and smoothness, i love howvyou can just especially on your backhand really lean into your bottom turns as hard as you like and never spin out or bog rail. Then you ride out of way more turns cause of the flow and momentum. I love the 7 "0 js el baron. Has enough rocker. Brilliant board. As far as duck diving goes you just pull the board towards you a bit as you duckdive and that sinks it
So much great info. His comments about thickness really resonate. I’m 66 but on the lighter side at 160 so it’s really hard to picture riding a 3” thick board.
Just got a 7'6" egg the other day and it was love at first takeoff. The shaper calls it a speed egg but I think it is a bit wider than the typical SoCal definition. This video was super helpful and I can't wait to try out some of these techniques. Definitely a lot to soak in with this one
Loved this one. Happy to hear more info and knowledge on midlengths. I definitely feel like my technique has gotten better riding my 7’2 egg. Its given me a chance to slow down, feel the wave and engage rail. I like not having to think too much or be so critical on a midlength. You just flow.
Thanks @DulceCatania, We are actually in the works for more content on midlengths now! If there is anything in particular you would like us to cover, just let me know 🤙
Love mids with rocker precisely bc they ride more like user friendly shortboards when I need more paddle power. Also forces your turns to be more intentional. Only downside is harder to duck dive. Oh and don’t like it when it’s choppy.
Absolutely, way more paddle power and forces you to turn with more intention. I also like it because it can really help to draw out your turns and help with your technique.
I have a 7.11 twin pin with four channels that I believe Simon Jones had a hand in when my shaper was making it. SO fast!! For such a 'long' board it has a very short nose that let's you take a critical drop, but with the rest of the board being mostly tail, it just FLIES off the top! (Probaly helped by the subtle inside foil on the fins) Get the line right and you're able to keep the speed up right out onto the flats to get around a section no probs. And when the face stays open you can crank it off the top as well. Magic board! My other magic board is an 8.0 fish made by the same guy. I'm 6.3 and 210lbs (95kg) average joe. Maybe why I love them...
Torryn was riding for Ed Sinnott whose an absolute legend and not mainstream at all. He is so willing to experiment and create whatever board you want ❤
Amazing podcast! A lot of helpful information. If Devon comes back it would be definitely interesting to know more about backside riding and duck diving thing, or how to get past the break on big days. Thank you so much!
@@Gosurfbasis yeah in hawaii we call longboards tankers so fun board = mini tanker. Anyway id say for the average surfer theyre useless. Youre better off riding your 9'0" or a high volume, low rocker shortboard unless your devon howard. That guy can make an ironing board look fun.
Great video…! Am 5”7, and my new midlength board is the mini mid 6, 6”4 by Harley I., that board is perfection for me in small days, head days and overhead. The first one was the Pyzel midlength crisis 6”8 and it was a great way to introduce me to these boards, at that moment I was looking for something like a 6”6 but the 6”8 was the only one left so I took it. For sure It helps me to surf my short ones better, I can do better turns and am more in tune and relaxed on both boards. My shortboard for this season is the S Boss 5”7 and FRK 5”9 and I will be using my mini mid6 as a step up too so midlenght forever! Btw I live in Puerto Rico… Jesus bendice!
Love that for you 🤙 So many surfers notice that they can draw out their turns better and are more in tune with the wave once they go back to a short board
Interesting focus on fins. There is a big focus on twin fin + trailing fin and channels which look cool. Would be great to hear more about the return to channels since the 80's
please tell me the secrets to noseriding Devon! Tuck the tush and push the bush?! 🤣 Its been so terrible for such a long stretch here in SoCal this summer, that i now have a Roger Hinds 9'4" pin tail single, and ive been trying to figure out how to longboard. Ive got the shorties and my CI TPH figured out. Getting there on the log. I think style and flow are connected and go together. Great content and interviews @Gosurfbasis.
Midlength are dope for open minded people. Who wants to shredd on midlength ? Nobody, it's only about connection with the wave, the sea, the nature, the earth, the universe. Midlength are for Silver Surfers 😁
5'10 and 205lbs, and usually ride anything from a 9' log to a 12' glider. Had a friend shape me a 7'10 mini longboard shape, basically a mid length with almost no rocker and fairly thick with heavy glass. I find it really difficult to paddle this board much less catch a wave. There is no perceptable sweet spot to paddle this board straight and level in the water without either the tail sinking or the nose sinking. Quite literally half an inch too far forward and the nose sinks like a rock, half an inch too far back and the tail drags and the wave washes underneath. The few waves i have caught i almost had to intentionally pearl the nose while i was paddling into the face to get it to engage and hopefully come up on plane so i can stand up. In hindsight i would have went with an 8'4 or maybe even an 8'6, this was my foray into going smaller but I can attest that there is no such thing as a one size fits all when it comes to mid lengths, you really need to have someone who shapes the board for your body weight and your body geometry.
I have a question, I just bought a 6’11 x 20 inches, it has a pretty thin pointed nose and a fish tail, is this considered a midlength or have a accidentally bought a gun😢
Guns aren't 20 inches wide. More like 18 1/2 -3/4. Depends on the other measurements. Gun tails are often full pin tail or rounded pin. If it's a fish tail it will be a small fish tail, not wider like a swallow tail on short boards
Midlengths are generally between 6’8 to 8’0 range, with a fuller shape than a shortboard, but more pulled in and performance orientated than a full blown mini mal.
Being a small frame female, ive probably always have ridden boards too big for me. I enjoy midlength but still need a light one....when i bodyboard, i tend yo move like how Devan describes shortboarding...i like to rip the wave....makes me want to ride a smaller board....im 64 yrs...heehee
Maybe for a wave with really steep take-offs where you have to be under the lip. Otherwise great board for getting on early and getting lots of speed to set you up for a tube.
I wish this was a bit more inclusive to women. I feel like the baseline here is guys and their arm length & paddle strength. As an average size woman with these calculations I come up with a good midlength for me being a 6‘5. That doesn’t seem to be that mid-lengthy. I wish there was more talk about this, and not just use dudes as the baseline.
You don’t need to use guys as a baseline. And you don’t need to follow his advice on sizing. You could surf any CI mid from a 6.8 to a 7.4 and enjoy it. My 7.0 was my favorite size so far
@angelinadobler79 I appreciate your feedback, and I’m sorry if it felt like our advice was more tailored to men. We strive to be inclusive for everyone, and you're right, surfing isn’t a one-size-fits-all. As @co8539 mentioned, there’s a lot of flexibility in board sizing, and it’s really about what feels right for you. A mid-length board anywhere from 6'5" to even a 7'6" could work well depending on your preference. If you want more paddle power, a larger board with extra volume might be the way to go. Ultimately, it’s all about finding the board that suits you and brings out the best in your surfing.
Wow wow wow... Let's not make a midlength into some novelty its not. It's beyond pretentious. The most extreme performance features on a surfboard are on a shortboard, and you surf it with every bit of intention and body movement. You cannot go all out, flying out of the pocket into the lip or do tight turns in the pocket like a shortboard. There's stability and control in the pocket and off the lip that only comes with a smaller high-performance shortboard. A midlenth is a much more forgiving board, and all your motions are drawn out. You can become a smoother surfer by riding bigger boards--shaped for your size. You can become a better surfer all around from riding all kinds of boards. Some stepups that look like midlengths with wider outlines (ghost..) are really good for bigger waves. Everyone gets stuck thinking they need to ride a shortboard, but a bigger board (aka high-performance midlength) goes good on big points, lots of water movement, and long walls. All that said, if you're NOT riding a board sized right for you, you cannot access the features of the board. Rails may be too fat to use properly, width might be so much you're planing instead of using rails etc... An example is riding a shortboard 2 or more liters above what your weight calls for. At that point, a midlenth will work better for a higher volume to weight board. Sadly, some shapers make their stock dimensions "friendly" by making them closer to the width and volume you need for a midlength. If you need paddle friendly don't ride a shortboard, get a fish or midlength. Everything's a compromise. Ride them all.
@@Gosurfbasisnot at all, frustrating at best. They go into turns with lots of speed but mid lengths fail to accelerate out of turns, yes there is an art to them but generally speaking you have to surf them very measured and slow. I'd rather ride an old single fin at the same size because it's a lot easier to figure them out.
Midlengths are pure misery at a beach break. Nowhere to put that rail. But with room to roam, the classic transitional era shapes are enlightening… and in my experience FireWire’s have great flex. Different than PU, but superior to what normal epoxy feels like.
Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down, video library, and newsletter 👇 www.surfbasis.com/
I started surfing in the 1970s. What he describes is how everyone surfed back then. The first time I surfed a CI mid it felt like seeing a long lost friend.
Funny how surfing can be full circle like that. Love that for you 🤙
I’ve watched Devon since he was a local grom. I love his leadership and proponent of mid length surfing. Much more appealing to the eye.
He's got a lot of flow that's for sure
This was like listening to my fighter pilot friend talk about flying. As Devon was talking I completely understood what he was talking about when sizing up from a shortboard. Don't attack at 12 o clock, tickle the lip and aim for 9-10 o clock and let the board get its speed. Great description.
💯💯💯
Best episode for me yet! Love how Devon explains surfing
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I was 23 when I started to learn to surf and started off on a short board when I discovered or brought to my attention that there was a fun shape. It was a game changer a 70 or a 72 and I’ve been writing fun shapes ever cents 1988. I’m 59 years old now , and I still ride and I’ve had various fun shapes over the decades. I wish I had all this knowledge and explanation back then when I started so glad I stumbled across this video here on RUclips and I’m definitely saving it. Thank you so much !!
You're welcome! @shirtlessGraveler305 🤙
I am 22 learning to surf grateful for this vid lol
Wow, as a long time mid length surfer, this has been the most informative podcast I've listened to about differences between mid lengths and other types of boards. Nice one fellas!
You're welcome @andrewhowes3842 🤙
I have been riding a Chilli Midstrength for a couple years now and it’s brought sheer joy to my surfing.
So good to hear man 🤙🤙🤙
Have a look at the Chilli full strength, looks interesting 😜
Had one for a week and literally in love with it!
@@ozsilversurfer Yeah I’ve seen it, looks rad for bigger waves/better conditions.
This why the internet was invented
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Thanks Guys, I am a Mid Length rider this interview is so good, it has been so helpful.
You're welcome @waynepark8227🤙 🤙 🤙
great content. detailed discussion and a focus on the essence of surfing (joy and connecting with the wave and ocean)
Absolutely what it's all about 🤙
I picked up a 7’6 m-23 some weeks ago. Sick board
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@@Gosurfbasis what is the difference between the CI mid and the m-23?
Awesome Podcast!!! As a Surfer for 36 years as a short boarder/ Hydro Foiler/ Sup Surfer/ Long Boarder/ Wing Foiler/ Foil Drive. I really enjoyed this video. Legends Never Die 💯 Aloha From Hawaii Yeeee!!! 👊🏽🤙🏽😎🏄🏽♂️🏝️
Thank you dude 🤙
Apart from great paddle and wave catching and smoothness, i love howvyou can just especially on your backhand really lean into your bottom turns as hard as you like and never spin out or bog rail. Then you ride out of way more turns cause of the flow and momentum. I love the 7 "0 js el baron. Has enough rocker. Brilliant board. As far as duck diving goes you just pull the board towards you a bit as you duckdive and that sinks it
Nice, same reasons I like to ride a midlength 🤙🤙🤙
This podcast was absolute gold! Love the sizing and fin set up tips. Thank you!!
🤝🤝🤝
So much great info. His comments about thickness really resonate. I’m 66 but on the lighter side at 160 so it’s really hard to picture riding a 3” thick board.
Absolutely, Devon has so many great tips in this pod 🤙
I’m 72 mate and 3” thick is no problem at all 😜
Just got a 7'6" egg the other day and it was love at first takeoff. The shaper calls it a speed egg but I think it is a bit wider than the typical SoCal definition. This video was super helpful and I can't wait to try out some of these techniques. Definitely a lot to soak in with this one
Nice one @sunsleuth618 glad you found it helpful, there's a lot there to unpack 🤙
This content is pure gold.
🔥🔥🔥
Loved this one. Happy to hear more info and knowledge on midlengths. I definitely feel like my technique has gotten better riding my 7’2 egg. Its given me a chance to slow down, feel the wave and engage rail. I like not having to think too much or be so critical on a midlength. You just flow.
Thanks @DulceCatania, We are actually in the works for more content on midlengths now! If there is anything in particular you would like us to cover, just let me know 🤙
So many golden nuggets in here! Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome 🤙
Love mids with rocker precisely bc they ride more like user friendly shortboards when I need more paddle power. Also forces your turns to be more intentional. Only downside is harder to duck dive. Oh and don’t like it when it’s choppy.
Absolutely, way more paddle power and forces you to turn with more intention. I also like it because it can really help to draw out your turns and help with your technique.
Awesome! I've been riding a 7' and just got a 6'6 and found this episode super useful.
Glad you found it useful!🤙🤙🤙
Got to say really enjoyed this podcast one of my favourite of yours so far
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Really enjoyed this one ! I ride a Mid Length & just love how he explained things. Less is More! :) 🌊
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What a legend✊🏽
💯🔥🔥🔥
I have a 7.11 twin pin with four channels that I believe Simon Jones had a hand in when my shaper was making it. SO fast!! For such a 'long' board it has a very short nose that let's you take a critical drop, but with the rest of the board being mostly tail, it just FLIES off the top! (Probaly helped by the subtle inside foil on the fins) Get the line right and you're able to keep the speed up right out onto the flats to get around a section no probs. And when the face stays open you can crank it off the top as well. Magic board! My other magic board is an 8.0 fish made by the same guy. I'm 6.3 and 210lbs (95kg) average joe. Maybe why I love them...
This hits home
Glad I could hear this to confirm so much that I was thinking
Glad to hear man 🤙🤙🤙
Torryn was riding for Ed Sinnott whose an absolute legend and not mainstream at all. He is so willing to experiment and create whatever board you want ❤
Amazing podcast! Really enjoyed the chilled vibe while getting really good tips at the same time! Appreciate it.
thank you! @ruben8114
Great interview Van. thanks to Devon for sharing.
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Absolute gold.👍
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Good upload! I like watching good midlength surfers.
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Amazing podcast! A lot of helpful information. If Devon comes back it would be definitely interesting to know more about backside riding and duck diving thing, or how to get past the break on big days. Thank you so much!
Glad you find it useful! 🔥🔥🔥
so good especially the FIN talk and sizing guide. Thanks
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I love my mid-lengths, but I am also stepping down to a short board.
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Great video, been a fan of Devon’s surfing for a while, studied his videos as how to ride one but this is next level info!! Thanks braddah
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PURE GOLD! Thank you.
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Thank you. That was great listening.
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Late 80s thru 90s in hawaii we called em mini-tanks. Had a few from glen pang 7'10" thruster glass ons.
Nice, that's the first time I've heard them called that, very fitting. 🤙
@@Gosurfbasis yeah in hawaii we call longboards tankers so fun board = mini tanker.
Anyway id say for the average surfer theyre useless. Youre better off riding your 9'0" or a high volume, low rocker shortboard unless your devon howard. That guy can make an ironing board look fun.
Great video…! Am 5”7, and my new midlength board is the mini mid 6,
6”4 by Harley I., that board is perfection for me in small days, head days and overhead. The first one was the Pyzel midlength crisis 6”8 and it was a great way to introduce me to these boards, at that moment I was looking for something like a 6”6 but the 6”8 was the only one left so I took it. For sure It helps me to surf my short ones better, I can do better turns and am more in tune and relaxed on both boards. My shortboard for this season is the S Boss 5”7 and FRK 5”9 and I will be using my mini mid6 as a step up too so midlenght forever! Btw I live in Puerto Rico… Jesus bendice!
Love that for you 🤙 So many surfers notice that they can draw out their turns better and are more in tune with the wave once they go back to a short board
I’m love 8ft Ricky Carrol …my favorite board
🤙🤙🤙
Interesting focus on fins. There is a big focus on twin fin + trailing fin and channels which look cool. Would be great to hear more about the return to channels since the 80's
For sure, we will keep that in mind for upcoming pods 🤙
Truly inspiring interview 🙏
Thank you 🤙🤙🤙
Thanks for this podcast G O L D
🤝🤝🤝
So helpful !! Thanks ! 👌
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please tell me the secrets to noseriding Devon! Tuck the tush and push the bush?! 🤣 Its been so terrible for such a long stretch here in SoCal this summer, that i now have a Roger Hinds 9'4" pin tail single, and ive been trying to figure out how to longboard. Ive got the shorties and my CI TPH figured out. Getting there on the log. I think style and flow are connected and go together. Great content and interviews @Gosurfbasis.
Thank you! @jamesk9087 Long boarding is definitely another can of worms, maybe well have to get Devon back on for that one 🤙
Great interview, chock full of knowledge. You didn’t touch back on the duck diving and getting out to the lineup, so maybe next time? 😁
Thanks for pointing that out! We'll have to bring him back on
Midlength are dope for open minded people.
Who wants to shredd on midlength ? Nobody, it's only about connection with the wave, the sea, the nature, the earth, the universe.
Midlength are for Silver Surfers 😁
For sure. It's not all about throwing the biggest buckets🤙
Also a generation of surfers that are getting older and can’t ride a low volume short board
Absolutely, if it means you can keep surfing for a least a few more years then why wouldn't you
good podcast
Thank you 🤙
shouts out kings glassing
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5'10 and 205lbs, and usually ride anything from a 9' log to a 12' glider. Had a friend shape me a 7'10 mini longboard shape, basically a mid length with almost no rocker and fairly thick with heavy glass. I find it really difficult to paddle this board much less catch a wave. There is no perceptable sweet spot to paddle this board straight and level in the water without either the tail sinking or the nose sinking. Quite literally half an inch too far forward and the nose sinks like a rock, half an inch too far back and the tail drags and the wave washes underneath. The few waves i have caught i almost had to intentionally pearl the nose while i was paddling into the face to get it to engage and hopefully come up on plane so i can stand up. In hindsight i would have went with an 8'4 or maybe even an 8'6, this was my foray into going smaller but I can attest that there is no such thing as a one size fits all when it comes to mid lengths, you really need to have someone who shapes the board for your body weight and your body geometry.
It might be because of the lack of rocker compared to other midlengths. I definitely wouldn't give up on them just yet. 🤙
💙
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Cool hat.
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Thoughts on the CI Mid in Epoxy?
Very Un-Dude
I have a question, I just bought a 6’11 x 20 inches, it has a pretty thin pointed nose and a fish tail, is this considered a midlength or have a accidentally bought a gun😢
If it really pointed it could be a gun. Send a photo on Instagram and I can confirm for you 🤙
@@Gosurfbasis that’s would be great 🙏
Guns aren't 20 inches wide. More like 18 1/2 -3/4. Depends on the other measurements. Gun tails are often full pin tail or rounded pin. If it's a fish tail it will be a small fish tail, not wider like a swallow tail on short boards
What lengths classify a “mid length” board?
Midlengths are generally between 6’8 to 8’0 range, with a fuller shape than a shortboard, but more pulled in and performance orientated than a full blown mini mal.
Being a small frame female, ive probably always have ridden boards too big for me. I enjoy midlength but still need a light one....when i bodyboard, i tend yo move like how Devan describes shortboarding...i like to rip the wave....makes me want to ride a smaller board....im 64 yrs...heehee
His word choice makes it easy to visualize...great job, a lot of work.
Thanks @kathleencopp1840 glad you enjoyed it 🤙
I have the ci mid. I read someone saying once that the board is terrible in a barrel. I can't see why given the shape. Is that guy bonkers?
Maybe for a wave with really steep take-offs where you have to be under the lip. Otherwise great board for getting on early and getting lots of speed to set you up for a tube.
Please remove this offensive video. Everyone knows you can only rip on tiny potato chip thrusters. 😁
🤣🤣🤣
I agree...we need as many people "shredding" on short boards as possible.
Plus it just looks way cooler walking down the beach carrying a rip stick.
is a 6'6'' 43L twin considered a mid length? im 6'1'' 86kg
Yeah there a 6'6" mid lengths, depends which board you've got
Never rode a mid length but it sounds like it’s almost surfed the same as a twin
A lot of them are either a twin fin or 2+1 set up so that's probably why they sound similar 🤙
Don't find the "fin jack"...
#makesurfingsickagain
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58:40
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Doesn’t he surf like a 6’10? Is that really a mid length?
I'd still call it a midlength, depends on the shape of the board too though.
I wish this was a bit more inclusive to women. I feel like the baseline here is guys and their arm length & paddle strength. As an average size woman with these calculations I come up with a good midlength for me being a 6‘5. That doesn’t seem to be that mid-lengthy. I wish there was more talk about this, and not just use dudes as the baseline.
You don’t need to use guys as a baseline. And you don’t need to follow his advice on sizing. You could surf any CI mid from a 6.8 to a 7.4 and enjoy it. My 7.0 was my favorite size so far
@angelinadobler79 I appreciate your feedback, and I’m sorry if it felt like our advice was more tailored to men. We strive to be inclusive for everyone, and you're right, surfing isn’t a one-size-fits-all. As @co8539 mentioned, there’s a lot of flexibility in board sizing, and it’s really about what feels right for you. A mid-length board anywhere from 6'5" to even a 7'6" could work well depending on your preference. If you want more paddle power, a larger board with extra volume might be the way to go. Ultimately, it’s all about finding the board that suits you and brings out the best in your surfing.
Performance crippler length...
Wow wow wow... Let's not make a midlength into some novelty its not. It's beyond pretentious. The most extreme performance features on a surfboard are on a shortboard, and you surf it with every bit of intention and body movement. You cannot go all out, flying out of the pocket into the lip or do tight turns in the pocket like a shortboard. There's stability and control in the pocket and off the lip that only comes with a smaller high-performance shortboard. A midlenth is a much more forgiving board, and all your motions are drawn out. You can become a smoother surfer by riding bigger boards--shaped for your size. You can become a better surfer all around from riding all kinds of boards. Some stepups that look like midlengths with wider outlines (ghost..) are really good for bigger waves. Everyone gets stuck thinking they need to ride a shortboard, but a bigger board (aka high-performance midlength) goes good on big points, lots of water movement, and long walls. All that said, if you're NOT riding a board sized right for you, you cannot access the features of the board. Rails may be too fat to use properly, width might be so much you're planing instead of using rails etc... An example is riding a shortboard 2 or more liters above what your weight calls for. At that point, a midlenth will work better for a higher volume to weight board. Sadly, some shapers make their stock dimensions "friendly" by making them closer to the width and volume you need for a midlength. If you need paddle friendly don't ride a shortboard, get a fish or midlength. Everything's a compromise. Ride them all.
Absolutely agree that everyone gets stuck thinking they need to ride a shortboard and riding all shapes and sizes will make you a better surfer
this video is for kooks
this is the opposite of sick
So... healthy? Sounds good to me!
kook
Don't ride them, frustrating at best.
Can definitely take some getting used to if you've only ever surfed short boards but can be super fun once you've got the hang of it!
@@Gosurfbasisnot at all, frustrating at best. They go into turns with lots of speed but mid lengths fail to accelerate out of turns, yes there is an art to them but generally speaking you have to surf them very measured and slow. I'd rather ride an old single fin at the same size because it's a lot easier to figure them out.
Midlengths are pure misery at a beach break. Nowhere to put that rail. But with room to roam, the classic transitional era shapes are enlightening… and in my experience FireWire’s have great flex. Different than PU, but superior to what normal epoxy feels like.