Surfing Waves

My son is 14, 100# and 5"4" and has been "surfing" since summer. I put it in quotes because I don't really see him riding the face, mainly kind of angling in, i.e. he is pretty much a novice. I got him on a 7"2" windansea board, kinda like a fun board. But he is determined to go to a shortboard (Xmas present), so I did some research and the white diamond seemed like a reasonable way to go.

The dimensions are 5'6 x 19 1/4 x 2 1/4 of the one that seems most suitable to his size and experience according to the Roberts website.

We mostly go to La Jolla Shores/San Diego...

Thoughts?

Hi dkap, welcome to Surfing Waves!

Your choice of the funboard is a much better one for a novice. You really want to go even longer that that, not shorter. Kids eh, there's no telling them

Is this the board you are thinking of?
http://www.robertssurf.com/white-diamond.html

That's the one...

Well there's no talking him out of it. Is that the best SB for him given that getting a SB at all is not the greatest move?

would I be better off getting a larger white diamond? The salesman at the retail store discouraged me from a 5'10" saying "it's too much board", but given his experience level could that be the better choice than the 5'6"? I'm confused because the website lists 5-6" as the right one for a novice of my sons size...

dkap, you are in a difficult spot there with board selection and a 14 year being influenced by fashion etc. the board is a little narrow, and perhaps something a little thicker and wider may be more forgiving.
On the plus side at 14 he will be quite able to adapt to a short board but he will have a bit more frustration with paddling onto waves especially if he is heavy for his age.

You could make a deal, if he achieves some benchmark on the fun board( you and he figure it out) then he will be ready for the white diamond.

A really cool alternative is to go to several surf shops together and look at boards and hear advice together then decide, as you will both have a better understanding of what is available

dkap wrote:would I be better off getting a larger white diamond? The salesman at the retail store discouraged me from a 5'10" saying "it's too much board", but given his experience level could that be the better choice than the 5'6"? I'm confused because the website lists 5-6" as the right one for a novice of my sons size...

I wouldnt take the website table very seriously - it lists the novice board for my weight (180 lb) as 6'6 x 21 1/4 x 2 13/16. Now there would be remarkably few novices at 180lb who could do anything with a board that size.

As a comparison, have a look at the firewire website volume calculator (http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/surfb ... e_calc.php) and then click on the 'show boards of this volume' link (after you have filled out the form). You will see that all of their suggested boards are just a bit bigger and thicker than the 5'6 white diamond - not much, but noticeable (not saying the firewire calculator is totally accurate, but it gives you a comparison). And some surf stores seem to push people onto really small boards regardless - I dont know why, but they never seem to appreciate that not everyone is suited to a shortboard or forget how long it took to learn to surf.

Anyway, I reckon there are two options

1. as Jaffa has suggested.

2. buy the board and say 'its what you wanted, its up to you to make it work. If you arent having fun, come back and use the funboard for a while longer'. So while its an important decision, if your son chooses his board and thats the one he wants, then let him take responsibility for making it work. I was definitely like him at 14 - any sport equipment my parents bought was the 'wrong stuff'; I had to choose my own (golf clubs, raquets, boots, running shoes, bats, balls - you name it) regardless of advice.

But - I also suggest you take into account that, at 14, he will likely be at least another 20lb heavier within 2 years; so the board that 'fits' him now may be too small in the near future. Therefore buying a board that is a bit 'too big' now both helps for his current skill level and is a board that will be useful for longer.

That said - he will probably hit you up for another board next Christmas anyway, or the board will snap or get a rock through it or ....

Honestly, I would buy slightly larger and save that size for when he gets better. Get him a 6'1 board, it will still be small enough to be cool but large enough so he can catch waves and enjoy the sessions, the 5'6 would be better suited if he had started surfin at age 12