Board for choppy+wind+current conditions

10 months ago
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Sideshore
Sideshore
324 posts
324 posts
10 Sep 2026 7:05am
colas said..

Sideshore said..
Another doubt for Colas. I don't understand why Gong says in their complete website the mob 7'6" or 7'11" need bigger waves than the NFA 8'0".




In my experience, the flatter rocker makes a lot of difference for taking off by mere paddling power, "gliding" (or some people call it "motorboating") into the waves. Single fins help also by reducing drag while paddling.

Boards with more rocker paddle noticeably slower, but it is not a problem for taking off if you can feel the "bump" of the wave lifting the board and push on it with your legs with a good timing.

So, if the waves are too soft to provide a well-defined "bump", or if the rider does not have the experience to exploit it, lower rockered boards like the "short longboard" shapes will help a lot.

Also, bigger waves travel faster, so for big and soft waves, boards with a high paddling speed will have a noticeable advantage if you cannot use their "bump".


Hello Colas

I've tried the gong NFA 9'0" XS and I don't like how it surfs. You need to be in the tail if you want to make it turn. I like to turn in any moment even if I'm not in the tail, though I have to be there for tight turns, for sure.

I'm thinking of buying th NFA 8'0". My question is does the NFA 8'0" turns similar to the 9'0" XS? and regarding stability is the 8'0" more stable than the 9'0" XS?

THanks.
colas
colas
5405 posts
5405 posts
10 Sep 2026 2:48pm
Sideshore said..
I've tried the gong NFA 9'0" XS and I don't like how it surfs. You need to be in the tail if you want to make it turn.


The NFA can turn from the middle, as it is a kind of hybrid do-it-all shape between a retro and performance longboard.
You may want to switch to a thruster setup, with the center fin quite forward, or even better twin fins + trailer to enhance its turn-from-the-middle behavior.
On the opposite, a big single fin with or without side bites in the rear of the box will turn the dial towards retro, pivot turns.

Longboards that can noseride are designed for the rider to walk (cross-step!) from the nose to the tail and back. That's an essential part of the fun of longboarding.

If you want a long board that turns from the middle, you will have to get shapes with more rocker, but sacrifice glide, there is no free lunch. Guns have this kind of rocker, as they need control, not glide. Gong does not make them currently (people wanting a gun will get a custom Alley: the Zero is a design fro bigger waves, but still with a longboard feel), but for instance JL has the bombora and the stun gun.

The NFA XS is narrow, so not as stable as wider boards by design.
The NFA 8'0" will have the same feel, as it is a mini-longboard. It will turn a bit easier because it is shorter, but I wouid definitively advise you to get a a Karmen instead, a stable but easy to turn shape.
if you do not want to get on the tail, you will not like longboard shapes.
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