Surfing Waves

hey, ive surfed probally a total of 20 hours in my life..but all of it was in hawaii on a 8 foot long board..i was wondering if a AL MERRICK FLYER was a good choice for my first shortboard...i would go probally 2 times a week...im 6 foot and 200 pounds, n im a good swimmer, i was thinking about the 6'4" tuflite flyer, that way i dont outgrow the board skills wise for a while....would this be a good idea , i live in the santa barbara area, so its not to often it gets over head and half high..so do u think its a good starter, and if not what would you reccomend?

I think an al merrick would be a good place to start generally the thinner the better.. you'll progress quicker and be able to learn tricks you couldnt do on a minimal or beginner board.

i think they go down to about 6ft, but i'm not sure

thnks, so you dont think it would be to hard standing up on a shortboard thats the same height as me...?

i dont wanna burst ur bubble but, starting on a shortboard is really hard..it's a little frustrating at times, i think..i suggest starting on a funboard..but if u really want to start on a shortboard, go ahead, just be patient and go out at least, 4 times a week..just my 2 cents

no, it would be a very bad boad to start on especially for a guy your size.
At 200lbs youll find it difficult to ride that board well even if you already can surf. Maybe add about half a foot to a foot to the length and go for a funboard shape (more volume in the nose - half way between a thruster and a minimal), youll catch more waves, find it easier once youve caught them, and progress faster, therefore have more fun.
And its not thinner the better either, a thin board with little volume will so your progress, you need volume to get up and out of the water for paddling and for riding, i should know im just above your weight and a few inches taller.
If you have your heart set on a thruster then get the biggest one you can find with plenty of width and thickness, but expect lots of frustration. Alternatively go for a funboard or even a minimal and youll have more success. It is perfectly possible for you to get onto shorter thinner boards later on, but you wont outgrow a funboard skills wise for at least a couple of years.

the guy at my local shop suggested an 8ft. M13, so i think im gunna go with that, unless you guys really disagree,,, to bad you can't "test drive" boards..

What you need is a fish!

you can, o alot of shops and some shapers will let you hire a board to try it out.

An Al Merrik flyer would be fine, but up in the 6'10" foot range, so I'd actually recommend the M-X (if you're set on Channel Island), as it's a wider and thicker hybrid that'll be more forgiving to a heavy beginner's back foot lean.

Lots of people will yell that you can't start learning on a shortboard, but it just ain't true. It may be a bit harder, but you'll be able to progress more.

Going from shortboard to longboard is way easier than going from longboard to shortboard, once you know what you're doing. Plus, if you're just starting out and are going to work at it, the payoff of a shortboard is lots of fun and manuverability.