Gun
A gun carries around twenty per cent more volume than your everyday board, because the point is getting in early: roughly 50 litres for a 176 lb (80 kg) surfer who would ride 38 on normal days. Lengths run 7'0" to 9'6".
Length7'0"–9'6"
Width22 %
Thickness2⅜"–3⅜"
Fill0.52
A gun looks contradictory: more volume for waves with energy to spare. The reason is entry. On a big wave you cannot wait for it to break, you have to be at speed beforehand, and that takes litres and length. Once you are in, what saves you is the narrow tail and the pointed nose.
If you landed here looking for your first big-wave board, the honest answer is that the board is not what you are missing.
Gun size chart
| weight | vol | length | width | thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 lb | 32 L | 7'1" | 18½" | 2⅜" |
| 154 lb | 37 L | 7'7" | 19⅜" | 2½" |
| 176 lb | 42 L | 7'7" | 19⅜" | 2¾" |
| 198 lb | 48 L | 7'7" | 19⅜" | 3¼" |
| 220 lb | 53 L | 7'8" | 20⅛" | 3⅜" |
Who it is for
Upper intermediate and above, and only if you are genuinely going to surf waves over six feet.
Who it is not for
Anyone whose paddling and wave reading are not already sorted. In big waves the board is the last of your problems.
Which waves
Six feet and up, and the more wall, the narrower the tail.
A gun and a step-up are not the same board
The most common mix-up is calling a gun a step-up. A step-up is your everyday board stretched three or four inches with slightly fuller rails, and it is for good days at your usual spot. A gun is a different design: pointed nose, narrow tail, plenty of rocker and 7'0" upwards, built for waves you would not surf on your normal board even stretched.
The rule of thumb shapers use is wave size: up to five or six feet you ride your own board; six to ten, a step-up; above that, a gun. The steps are not linear either, because the problem is not flotation but reaching the speed of the wave before it goes over you.