Shortboard advice

[RinkyDink]

Five times a week for three years....that is more or less the timeline I got from Bruce Hansel, the time it would take before I should think about getting anything under 6'10" (surfing 5x per week here in Bali)....the more that I surf the more that seems about right.

Well, I plan to test that assumption. I'll let you know how it goes.

[drowningbitbybit]

My main objective with regard to surfing is to get tubed. That's what I want to do most.

Getting barrelled is about skill, not the board. Newbies gain those skills by surfing on waves, not by paddling for waves and not catching them. Even if riding a tube is a beginner's one and only goal, I'll still recommend learning on a bigger board to gain the necessary skills first.

[RinkyDink]

My main objective with regard to surfing is to get tubed. That's what I want to do most.

Getting barrelled is about skill, not the board. Newbies gain those skills by surfing on waves, not by paddling for waves and not catching them. Even if riding a tube is a beginner's one and only goal, I'll still recommend learning on a bigger board to gain the necessary skills first.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll be riding my longboard for a while. I just plan to pull out 7'2" board along the way and see how that goes. I just wish I could get some glassy 2 foot waves with an offshore breeze to practice on.

[drowningbitbybit]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll be riding my longboard for a while. I just plan to pull out 7'2" board along the way and see how that goes.

When I learnt to surf, many years ago now, I did a few days on a foamie here and there, and then a summer on a 7'11 mini-mal that I'd stolen from a friend (while he flailed about on a 6'-something shortboard), and then progressed onto a 7'4 funboard, which was great to improve on. Enough foam to help a newbie get onto the waves, but short enough that it wasn't a big ol' hunk of board to handle. Wish I hadn't sold it!

So I don't necessarily say that a longboard is always the way to go, just as long as there's "enough" foam to assist the beginner. As long as you've got the pop up and the first turn sorted out on the longboard, your 7'2 will be a good place to start your tube journey

I just wish I could get some glassy 2 foot waves with an offshore breeze to practice on.

Don't we all!

[benjl]

Following on from what Dbb was saying, I've got a 7'2 torq minimal which is just perfect and is the only board I've owned for over a year (sold 22 boards in the last 1.5yrs).
I would highly recommend one. Super strong but awesome volume where it counts and then some nice rails and tail for when it gets well overhead.
I've had days where I swapped my 6'2 short board for the minimal and had both more fun and more waves. Also still manoeuvrable enough to turn.
When u go to a short board after getting used to whipping a minimal around you'll be flying!