Stuck with my equipment? Bigger boards are too expensive

[muxz0r]

Hi my name is muxz0r and i'm 25, 5'8", 185 pounds (losing weight steadily) and only ever surfed closeout beachbreaks in Trinidad. I have been surfing since October 2010, i started going out with a surf school every week until May 2011 starting with a 10' and eventually working my way to a 8' with them.

The summer flatness, school and foot surgery interrupted my weekly surfing from May 2011 til Jan 2012 but i still managed to get in 2 paddle sessions a month on average on an oversized shortboard (undersized for me at the time) on a 7'2" x 20" x 2.5" with only a few rides in those times.

In January 2012 i ended up with a brand new Super Brand Superhuman 6'8" x 20.5" x 2.75" shortboard that i got for a great price and i have been going out every week with it for an average of 3 hours. Every session i get noticably more and complete rides down the line. And as of present i can duck dive, paddle to an open face and turn and catch 25% of the waves I attempt. I cannot carve a turn yet.

Do i really need a bigger board? I know this would be ideal but in my country taxes and customs apply to S&H as well, so 7'6" NSP could run me upwards of 800US and a brand new Lost or Coil up til 7' costs 600US max. I wish i could afford to a bigger board but I also hope i can progress with the equipment i have already.

Cheers

[drowningbitbybit]

A 7'2 to start is a little small, but do-able. A 6'8 is a good progression board, and you're progressing. So, no, you don't. Just keep on practising. It takes time for all of us.

[muxz0r]

thanks for the encouragement, the situation is so bad here that used funboards are very rare and still expensive. Ill keep trying but if a 7' something" comes up at a good price sometime i will buy it.

[IB_Surfer]

After 2 years of surfing catching 25% of your waves is normal. Keep at it, you might get to 30% by end of month, then...