Bali Board
Keramas and Uluwatu are pretty different waves in my experience (but both are outrageously crowded). If I was mainly surfing Keramas I'd take the quad - if it was mainly Ulus.. probably the single fin.
You should be able to tell if you will have a big swell before you leave - so keep that in mind too. If Ulus gets 6 foot, will you surf it on a 6' quad? Or conversely, if it looks like the swell will be tiny, will you want to surf 2 foot Keramas on the 6'5?
Why not both?
If not both single would handle bigger probably. if the quad can handle overhead well id choose that but most wide tail high volume boards dont go well in overhead waves, sometimes they do but most dont. You'd be unlucky even if for a week you didnt get some quality overhead to double overhead waves in bali.
Keramas gets a fair bit of swell, not all swell but a lot of it.That said theres a lot of flat-tiny days too.
The swells are powerful even at one foot, as in have a lot of period and some push so high volume wind swell boards arent needed so much.Less power than WA though.
If you have a spare $150 -$300 you can pick up boards around poppies 1 & 2 for around that price, sell it easily before returning.
One of my mates rides nothing over there but a 5'11 pin thruster and charges anything on it. So smaller boards can work too, but he is a freak.
Groooaaan! I just thought to check the WCT tour schedule and the week I'm there is pretty much the entire waiting period for the Keramas event. Every single wave in Bali is going to be heaving (even more so than usual)! Fuck. My first OS trip in a decade and I run headfirst into the WC-fucking-T.
Groundswell - the 'why' is not important - I can only take one. The quad has yet to be tested in anything over shoulder high, so I couldn't testify as to its capabilities, but I built it with the plan that it would handle up to OH with the right fins in.
Dandandan (is that too many dans?) - I won't be there long enough to be 'mainly' surfing anywhere. If I'm lucky I'll get wet three times while there and want to make sure I have a board that's versatile enough to cope with a variety of situations.
I was expecting there'd be a chance that it could get to serious sizes and with that in mind, I'm angling more towards the single I think. Given that the ASP circus is going to be in town, I can pretty confidently rule Keramas OUT.
Single fin and a couple of Hail Marys to send everyone up East to watch the world's best, while I sneak into a solo session at 8-foot Ulus. You listening Huey?
If you're a goofy SS, take the quad.
If It's high volume and you're on your forehand at Ulu or Padang you may not get that deep, but you'll still be able to get into the waves early and you'll have a ton of fun out on the face.
dan x 3 probably summed it up best, prior to going if there's a big swell on the cards, take the 6'5". if it's middling, take the all rounder.
Either way, hope you get some nice waves. Have fun.
Seeing your only going for a week, id wait right up to the day before you go and check the swell forecast on a few sites, and obviously if its going to be small take the quad and if solid and you want to surf solid waves take the 6,5.
If its looks like its in-between id take the board you feel most comfortable with day to day.
Hey SS, you're going to have fun at Keramas at the last week of June. All the ASP WCT crew and associated hanger ons will more than likely still be there.
Either way, have fun.
I did two weeks in July last year with a 6'0" roundtail quad - perfect allrounder really, coped well with 2 ft beachies to solid 6 ft G-land. Bigger, stiffer fins for the bigger days. Will repeat the dose happily this year!
Good advice all-round, thanks folks. I'll definitely be checking the reports right up until I have to pack the car for the trip to the airport. I trialled the quad in clean OH beachies this morning and it did just fine, so it should be ok as long as it doesn't get up to DOH.
Worst comes to worst and the forecasts are inconclusive, I'll just toss a coin and let fate decide. Either way, I'm looking forward to some warm water. The dawn raid is starting to cool off down here in SA...
Ok, here's my thing. I'm going to Bali for a week at the end of June and I can only take one board. I have to choose between a 6'5" single fin - with a 70s outline but more modern rocker - and a 6' quad - wide body and high volume. These are the only choices.
Which would be best for a lightning dash to Bali?
Please don't bother telling me that neither are any good, or that something else would be better. It may be true but it's not really relevant to this conversation (nor particularly helpful).
Having just watched Morning of the Earth again, I'm leaning towards the single fin. I'll most likely be surfing Keramas, but the lure of Uluwatu would be pretty strong if it's on while I'm there.