Buying new shortboard

[JakeO]

Last year I went to Spain for a week to teach myself how to surf and I have to admit that it was a lot easier than I thought. I asked some experienced surfers how to start and read a lot on surfing. In my first day I was able to surf on a softboard, but the same day I decided I wanted the 'real' thing, so I took a shortboard 6"6' and managed to surf with that one. The next couple of days I trained my paddling really hard and caught some "big" waves ( 2 metres... ) and even managed to turn and 'really' catch the waves, not just the straight surfing. At the end of the week I had the feeling I could really surf.

Now a year later I want to go on a surfing trip and I'm considering buying my own Board and Wetsuit. For the wetsuit I already decided on a O'Neil wetsuit 3/2mm, but the board is a lot harder than I thought.

As I said, I have some experience with a 6"6', but I had the feeling that it would be nice to have a smaller board

I don't want to have to buy a new board every year since I don't have that kind of money, so I want to buy a board that'll do for the Waves in France and Spain...

What would be the best buy for me?

I read the information provided on this website, but still I can't figure the best dimensions...

Thanks in advance!

Jake

[drowningbitbybit]

At the end of the week I had the feeling I could really surf.

Aw, bless...

[oldmansurfer]

Surfing is all about the pleasure you experience. Some times you just need to try it out and see if it gives you pleasure. The smaller the board the more difficult it will be to learn on. Maybe you can rent a board and see how it goes?

[JakeO]

Perhaps a good way to find out. I have read a lot on the Channel Islands website and calculated that my board match for most* of their models would be from 5"8 up to 6", now I'm stuck at the volume, since the places I'd go to don't have waves above 2m everyday... . Am I correct to say that 23L would do for me? I'm 5"8 and weight 140.

[Lebowski]

You're pretty light, but if you buy a 23 litre shortboard after just one week of surfing then you'll probably spend all your surftrip flailing around catching nothing and looking stupid.

If you were surfing ok on the 6'6 before, then get something similar to that. Why do you feel you have to 'upgrade' after one week?

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick and you're more experienced?

[JakeO]

You're probably right. As mentioned above, I'll just hire a couple boards and test them, and after that I'll buy a board that fits me.

Lebrowski, how much would you say I need? 23 is not enough, but what is? I really appreciate your answer.

Thanks in advance!

[dtc]

I think you are being misled by the CI volume calculator which, frankly, gives ridiculous results. For example, there is a junior pro surfer called Kai Hing who is 150lb - so only just heavier than you - and surfs 24L boards. Why anyone would suggest you should be on a lower volume board is bizarre.

Secondly, if you plus your stats into the Firewire Surfboards volume calculator (on the firewire website), or this CI one http://vol-app.com/ChannelIslands/ you end up with a result of 40 - 50L, which is a much more sensible result. For a start, keep in mind that you are a beginner - you might think you can surf, but an intermediate surfer is someone who has done perhaps 5 years of surfing 3 days per week. That isnt you, no matter how naturally skilled you are. Secondly, your fitness level might be excellent but you arent surfing fit (because you havent been surfing). Finally, you havent surfed for a year. It might not be as easy as your memories make it. So you are a beginner.

So look for a board of at least 40L. forget the 23L board, i dont know anyone who surfs a board that small who is older than 13. And even if you are 13, you havent been surfing for 5 years like they have. Indeed, 40L is the minimum.

Secondly, volume is a highly debated issue in surfing but there is one thing everyone can agree on: you do not start your board choices with volume. Volume is used as a 'check sum' ie having selected a board that is of the size, width, outline, rocker etc that you think is suitable for your skills, the waves and so forth, then you check the volume of the board you have chosen as a final matter to ensure you have made the right choices earlier on.

for example, each of the following boards has the same volume, about 32 L. But they range from 5ft3 to 6ft10 - clearly totally different boards for totally different purposes. Volume tells you nothing about which board is suitable for any particular need

5ft3 32.4l.png (97.65 KiB) Viewed 1566 times

6ft10 32L.png (31.1 KiB) Viewed 1566 times

5ft7 32l.png (65.25 KiB) Viewed 1566 times

So what you need is something wide (21inches+) and fat (2 5/8+) and at least 6ft6 (to be honest, probably closer to 7ft) and preferably with flat rocker. Look at some the JS boards (eg blak box) or the firewire boards (dominator) or other egg or hybrid/fish type boards. Then having found a board like that, check the volume and make sure its at least 40L or more. I dont necessarily suggest those boards I named are the ones to buy (indeed, they are both boards more suited for an intermediate), but they are the type of boards you should be looking at, not some 5ft nothing potato chip.

If you wanted my honest opinion, I would recommend you get get a 7ft mini mal. You will have much more fun much quicker. You will catch more waves. you will learn much faster - you cant learn unless you can catch waves.You can learn to trim and turn on a mal.

I appreciate that you dont have the money to buy multiple boards, but almost every beginner says this and my answer is

1. if you get into surfing big time, you will find the money if and when you need it. You just will. And if you dont get into surfing big time, but just recreationally, then getting a bigger board that lets you be unfit and out of practice and still able to surf on is a much much better choice than some high performance board you will never be able to surf properly.

2. it is extremely unlikely that you will get to a skill level that exceeds what the board can do within 5 years ie you can surf the board you buy for 5 years. that is not to say you wont want another board, or feel some limitations (eg if you are surfing 9ft longboards), but it will take you a long long time to be more skillful than your board can handle

3. as you get better, you will be able to surf smaller boards. But you cant jump straight to the board you might be able to surf in 5 years. Think of it like, say, maths at school. After 5 years of high school maths you will be able to do calculus (or whatever!). But if someone puts a calculus question in front of you in grade 7 and doesnt teach you anything else, will you ever learn to do calculus? Probably not, because you dont know the stuff that lets you understand calculus at all.

Finally, if you are still growing then you can probably expect to put on a bit more weight over the next few years - so a board that seems 'big' now wont be big by then.

[jaffa1949]

One equation where you are missing the point. Wave in France or Spain , are as varied as waves anywhere else,
.big , little weak strong , fat , barrelling The board you are looking for will not fit all of them length and decent volume will allow you to experience and learn on a wider range of waves.

[JakeO]

@dtc, I meant 32L, sorry. The calculator says that I should take 32,9L for any of their surfboards. I do understand that I must take a more beginner-type board and that the volume isn't all that important. But when it comes to duck-diving, isn't more volume harder to duck-dive with, as goes for the length?

The boards you show in the examples show the variation of length and width. When I say I want a shortboard of 6"4 in length, what would be the best width for me? I can imagine that turning on a wider board will be harder than a small board. Or am I wrong about that?

Anyway thanks a lot for your time and information!

[dtc]

I still think you are getting way ahead of yourself, thinking about variations to turning ability and so forth. All boards turn, some are easier to turn but they are less stable or harder to paddle etc. But you arent at the level where that really matters too much, you have to learn to catch waves, ride waves, do small turns etc.

My advice is get the widest board you can (if its under 20 inches wide honestly think that is too small) and something around 2 5/8 thick and however long you are going to get (which sounds like its shorter than most people recommend but that is your decision, so go for it). Not too much rocker.

Try it out, let us know how it goes. The first board you buy wont be the last one and is highly unlikely to be the perfect one either.

[JakeO]

Very helpful, thanks for all the advice. I'll let you know how it goes within a month or so!

[samwaterman]

It all depends on what you like in a a board and what you want out of a board,

likelihood is its going to be a smaller wave board that can also be used on the odd bigger day

something easy to paddle light and epoxy for a great price from that step up beginner board to short board beginner i would suggest
SBS Motivator 5'10-6'0 tonnes of float super easy to catch waves with and a good price.
Hayden Shapes hypto cryto i see more and more of these around the more i look quite steep price range though,
SBS also do a similar board called the sbs Predator allot more affordable
Quiver fony a great little fat board under appreciated shapes these kinds of boards i think.
or just any nsp board you can give them a bit of a battering and they will hold there own

good luck hunting for the board though