Surfing Waves

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum. Hopefully you can give me some good advice.

I have been surfing for about 8 months now, about one - three times a week depending on the swell. I have been hiring a 7'3'' soft top from the local shop during the winter. I have also been surfing a bic magnum 8'4'' (a barge that I hated), and the 7'3 bic minimal.

I want to buy my own board now but I'm a student so I can't afford to buy a nice board from a local shaper yet. So I am looking for what the best mass produced funboard is. I think I can progress with a funboard then move on in a year. My budget is about €350/€400 I don't want to buy a bic, i've heard the nsp range is not the best either.

I've found a brand called Global Surf Industries (blue), I like the sound of their 6'6'' funboard but i've never heard of them before today.

Have you any recommendations of a good 6'6'', 6'8'' or 6'10'' funboard?

Cheers Ken.

for that price you could get a pretty decent board and if you're surfing regularly you'll probably out grow the pop outs pretty quickly so may be worth getting something a little better so you can surf it better when you progress a bit

^^^^^^
Yup. Get a real board.

All pop-outs are pretty cr@p - BICs and NSPs are much the same as any other. So get a proper board - second hand, off the rack, or even custom. For €400 you'll be able to get something very nice.

If you've been surfing softies and pop-outs mini-mals, a real board will be a lot harder to catch waves and will be much faster once you're up and riding - so dont go too short. Depending on your height/weight, you should go with something like 6'8-10. Less than that and it'll be a real shortboard and a whole 'nother level of difficulty.

Cheers, I'm 5'8/5'9'''' in height and weight 9.5 stone. Cool thats great to hear i'll start looking online.

Theres laod of threads are here to help you choose the right board.
Im in a similar position to you at the moment

This might help you
https://surfing-waves.com/beginner_surfboard.htm
Im 5"8 and 9 stone and im looking for somthing around the 7"
Go for a second hand board, avoid the factory line boards and with your budget you could get a Awesome board

or for your first board, you don't have to go new. Not sure where you are, but check out http://www.secondhandboards.com They sometimes have decent boards at good prices. There are loads of other sites around too, so have alook see.

Q: The best pop out funboard?
A: didn't know there could be a best pop out board.

Besides, fun boards aren't fun. Buy a nice & real used board. That is what I do (3 boards) and i can afford whatever I want.

So, €400 = $560

for $400dollars you can get one custom shaped in the U.S., then pay $150dollars to have it shipped. Go with a good board. Or, if you find a local shaper, I bet you can get a great board for €400

billie_morini wrote:Besides, fun boards aren't fun. Buy a nice & real used board.

Um.... do you know what a funboard is?

Q: Um.... do you know what a funboard is?
A: Yes. Do you?!

billie_morini wrote:Q: Um.... do you know what a funboard is?
A: Yes. Do you?!

Er, yes, I do.
And I know that a funboard is the best next step from a mini-mal. Certainly a lot more fun than jumping on a potato chip shortboard and flailing about in the water for a couple of years getting nowhere.

In what way are they a) not fun b) not real?

Read THIS for a good explanation of why a funboard is often the perfect choice of board. The explanation mixes funboard and what they call retro rocket, because they're in principle very similar with respect to outline etc.

Bought myself a nigels semmens 6'8'' squashtail shortboard second hand in mint condition with fcs fins, tailpad and new leash. Love it!! Thanks for advice.

I've got about half a dozen boards in my quiver, none of which I bought brand new. They were all second hand purchases off eBay or from my local surf store. It's the way to go I reckon. I've been surfing for a couple years now and I'm now getting to the point after all that time when I think I might get a board made for me by a local shaper.

Just go second hand. Preferably something that has had little or no repair work done on it. My best purchase was a sick shortboard by Mike Woo, which I got off a desperate Yank in Bali for about $50.

I got one from Global Surf Industries and I like it . Fun board. I even bought it off the rack from "The local shop".
I rented two boards first, the pop out (superfish) and a "Real" board. I had more fun on the superfish. So I bought one.

So I ask, what is so wrong with this board ? What makes it "not a real board?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvjZw9VxFXQ
Again, I like mine very much.

donhoe wrote:I got one from Global Surf Industries and I like it . Fun board. I even bought it off the rack from "The local shop".
I rented two boards first, the pop out (superfish) and a "Real" board. I had more fun on the superfish. So I bought one.

So I ask, what is so wrong with this board ? What makes it "not a real board?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvjZw9VxFXQ
Again, I like mine very much.

Still waiting.......Well.... ?

where about you living kenneth... tom dodge harrison is shaping boards down in doolin near lahinch. he'll shape any board you want for €375 without artwork or €400 with.
knows the breaks over here pretty well, really nice guy, handshapes them, and if you tell him you're a begginer he'll put on extra thick glass, and think he mentioned something abolut harder foam.
mine took an almighty whack trying to exit the water at high tide over the sea defence barrier and barely a scratch.
pm me and I'll give you his number.

kenneth coughlan wrote:Bought myself a nigels semmens 6'8'' squashtail shortboard second hand in mint condition with fcs fins, tailpad and new leash. Love it!! Thanks for advice.

Good deal, hope you enjoy her

Dear Mr. Drowningbitbybit,
Apologies for not responding to you in July 2009. Had much work to do. This is first time I've logged in to forum since then.

Have made sufficient posts in past about funboards not being fun or real. Not going to repeat. Had read your "read THIS" link long before you directed me to it. No apologies here, either. I disagree with it.

All that matters at this point is:
a) Original poster, kenneth c, still has the stoke
b) donhoe continues to enjoy his funboard
c) you continue to share your extensive knowledge related to surf and surfology. It's dedicated web and wave surfers like you that make forums like this so valuable. Please recognize you are respected as evidenced by 4 months' rememberence to respond to your post directly to me

Cheers themathteacher, i do.