Surfing Waves

I have been surfing on a longboard since the age of 12 but never as regularally as i would have like coz i live on the otherside of the uk to the good surf (by uk standards). Now i have been able to start spending some a lot more time on the board and on a more regular basis.
Now i want to make the leap to buying a shortboard but i was looking for some advice about what type of board, what size etc. would be best. I'm 180lbs (12.5-13 stone / 82kg), im 6ft 2in and im looking for a board thats gonna make the transition easier. i generally surf fairly rough conditions but im also looking it to take the board with me to other great surf spots.

So im looking for a shortboard thats fast and fairly stable and have enough manvourability for the big carves on waist to head high surf but that can still work wonders on bigger surf.

I personally like the sound of fishes especially the channel islands fishcuit, is that a good idea or am i completely deluded.
Looking for some advice so please reply coz i want to get this board as soons as possible so i can get surfing

bigger fish or a fatboy shortboard would be ideal for your purposes. probably steer clear of twin fin fishes tho as they don't handle the steep stuff too well. tried out one on a head and half day once and board kept spinning out. might have been my ability or just wasn't used to the board but definitely hard to handle.

doubt you'll find one that works wonders in both.... more likely you'll find one that works wonders in one and can just handle the other. so really for an all rounder you should probably get one that works wonders in the surf you surf most frequently but can still handle the other. then down the road.... get another board.

cheers mate, any suggestions on wot board.....?

depends on how much you wanna spend... should get something pretty decent from a shaper for €400. or see what's around 2nd hand if that's too much. won't be worried about thrashing it then. shape is more important than the brand. you'll know the right one when you have it in your hands. I'd be aiming at something 6'8 x 20" x 2 1/2" if you go for the fat boy and I'm about your weight (couple inches shorter though). I'm a massive fan of swallow tails in this size of a board just to loosen it up a bit. might be different for others, just my preference.

Thing to remember above all else, is that this board isn't the be all and end all. if it has enough float for you, you'll have fun on it. might be some things you'd change etc. but you'll know for the next board you buy. they're not meant to last forever and you'll learn something new from every board you surf. have fun!!!

perfect cheers mate

hey felix,
let us know how this goes for you.
good luck,
billie

decided to go either with rusty piranha 6'4, surftech soul fish 6'6 or a MR supertwin 6'6.

thanks for the help, will let you know how they get on