what board to buy

[ronrico19]

Hi, I'm just getting into surfing, I'm 5'9 165 lbs and I'm not sure what size I should get? Any help would be great. I was also wondering if anybody has rode or heard anything about these boards. If any of these would be a good size and set up for me please let me know.
I found all of these used for around the same price and all are in good condition. So let me know any feedback or what you think the best starter board out of these would be. Thanks
6'1 Anacapa Pro Standard
6'1 Channel Island Flyer
6'2 JS Fly boy

[heychief]

all those boards you listed are great boards. however these boards are great for intermediate-advanced surfers but are a beginners worst nightmare. I can promise you that if you buy one of these boards you will hate and quit surfing within a week.

buy a longboard. get the longest, thickest and widest. from there is where you start.

[ANZAC]

Lots of foam dude.... lots of foam.

[ronrico19]

I have a dumb question? How similar is wakesurfing and wakeboarding to real surfing? If I'm pretty good on a wakesurfer and wakeboard, could I start surfing on a shortboard or should I stay with a foam board? I'd prefer to save money and just buy a short board, but if it is too hard to learn on one i'd get the foam board.

[jon.biarritz]

Learning on a shortboard depends on you, your motivation, age, body type, how often you're out surfing, how fit & strong you are, how well you can swim and paddle. If most of those criteria are good (you're stoked, surfing daily, super fit, strong swimmer/paddler) then a shortboard might not be too steep of a learning curve. I've been learning on shorties after a first month on a mal, but it's a slow and demanding way to progress. I also know people who tried a few days on shorties and gave up surfing because it was too difficult. So it depends.

Rent a bunch of different boards before buying anything. Delay buying. Then buy your first board used, that way picking the wrong board, surfing over rocks with it, breaking it, or outgrowing it will cost you half less There are so many variables that go into the right board for you -- length, width, rocker, tail, nose, rails, deck, shape, materials, etc -- that you have a very low chance of finding that board without buying, renting or borrowing a whole bunch of boards -- and that's once you know how to surf. And then, the right board will be different according to the water conditions and the way you want to surf. That's why lots of surfers end up with a large quiver of boards. I know guys who always have ten to thirty boards at any given moment, or who buy a bunch every year and also sell a bunch -- trying, changing, evolving. What I'm saying is, don't even dream of your first board being the be-all, end-all board if you surf much. It's just the first of many.

[ronrico19]

Hey thanks everybody for the help so far. Ya about the motivation and fitness. I've played sports my whole life and I run, bike, and workout a lot to stay in shape. So i'd say i've got the in fitness part. I've also been skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, for a long time and I just got into wakesurfing. I doubt all those will help much, but maybe a little bit for balance. I want to learn bad and doubt i'd give up. But the tip about renting and trying a bunch of boards first is a good idea, and i'd for sure buy used first. Ya those three boards I listed are all used, but still are in good shape and they're all a good price. I'll probably hold out though until I get the basics down then go buy a used one.

[drowningbitbybit]

Learning to surf is all about learning how to paddle, how to catch waves, and how to be in the right place at the right time. It's also about learning how to use the water to get out back, to get onto a wave, to be safe.

Learning to surf really isnt about learning how to balance on a board and carve along the face of the wave.

It will eventually be about that, but it'll be a bit longer down the track. And it'll be a lot further down the track if you're on an unsuitable board.

So wakeboarding etc will be of use to you eventually, but absolutely no help at all at first. So essentially you're in pretty much the same situation as everyone else. So all the advice above is good stuff - start on a bigger board, rented preferably, and spend some time getting the basics down before investing in buying a board.

And the point about a quiver is very true - there'll never be one board thats going to be suitable for all the different stages of learning and all the different conditions you'll surf.
So dont think too far ahead - get one (when you're ready) thats good for how you're surfing at the time and pushes your limits a little bit. Flapping around in the water not catching waves is the most frustrating thing imaginable.

[jon.biarritz]

Totally agree with that. (Great post btw).

Being fit helps but you need to develop loads of muscles that you don't normally use otherwise, both in terms of developing endurance and also explosivity in the water. Lying down & arching while paddling on a narrow shortboard, maintaining steady breathing, comfort and balance while paddling, without touching your shortboard except with your ribs, groin and upper thighs, feet in the air, shoulders and head up, isn't the most natural position. In the beginning it's just exhausting at first. It takes a while, surfing daily, to build that strength, endurance, explosiveness, water sense, comfort, balance and having it just become natural while duck diving, paddling, pulling into and out of strong rips, catching waves, staying on your board while paddling out, falling away from your board when wiping out, getting back out fast when you're caught inside, and so on. I thought I was pretty fit, but it took me months to start getting to that point on my smallest boards (the ones in my avatar), basically months of daily surfing, body fat dropping from 12% down to 4%, body getting ripped, veins popping out everywhere, where I started feeling at ease and stronger in the water, things getting easier, and keeping up with guys with more experience or bigger boards in the water. Not surfing like them yet, mind you, just starting to keep up. A few more years' water time in the ocean -- to know where to be and not to be -- won't hurt. Just my thoughts anyway, as someone who has a suitable board or two but for some masochistic reason surfs every other sesh on totally unsuitable ones ...

[IB_Surfer]

You want to surf a 6'1" surfboard as a begginer? Nope, what you'll end up doing is getting frustrated, which is what happens with most that buy a small board as their first board.

Buy something bigger, and used, then sell it and buy the 6'1" once you can stand up. I started on an 8ft funboard but quickly went to a 7'4" fat shortboard, was surfing 6'6 boards within 2 years, now my smallest is 6'3" at 200lbs

[trifish]

body getting ripped, veins popping out everywhere

Ha, sorry this had me cracking up for some reason. Im glad im not sharing any waves with you at my local break



Listen to the advice people are giving you and go for a bigger board with more float. It will help you get your stoke faster.

[heychief]

great post drowningbitbybit

[HJ236]

Yup....

6th day surfing on a short*board,

Very frustrating, but not going to give up!

I have to say, I've kinda stood up ,

But I still have a long way to go, been out every day for about 1-4 hrs a day.

The board I have is kinda think and floats really well, so I believe that has helped me a ton.

And I thought I was in good shape, really good shape actually.
But its a new element your body has to get used to, and I think I'm getting a lot better from where I started.

[esonscar]

A difficult bit can be looking back over your shoulder when paddling for a wave to see where is the best position to try and take off !