Surfing Waves

6'3"
18" wide
2 3/8" thick

It was difficult for the first week, but then I caught on.

When I started I had a lesson on some 9ft SoftBoard which was so easy to surf on. Then I bought a 7'3 x 21 1/4" x 2 1/2" BIC mini mal to learn on. Then I moved onto a 6'10 Funboard...and then about 2 years later a 6'3 x 19" x 2.5" custom made shortboard.

Foamie. 7'11 pop-out. 7'4 funboard. 6'10 shortboard. 6'6 fish. 6'3 shortboard... still learning

7'3'' Bic 7'2''Mal, 7' Fat Boy, 6'10 not quite shortboard, 6'6'' Fishy Thing, 6'5'' Quad.

A picture is worth a thousand words.



I started in 1972 for the record.

^^^ that board looks awesome

i started on a 6' 1" WRV with glass ons that i fooled around on a couple years in middle school. put that away for a few years, then wanted to surf again so i went to the only surf shop in town at the time and bought the only board i could afford - a 6' 8" NSP funboard for $270. learned on it for a year then bought a 6' 8" JS shortboard. now i really, really need a smaller board to progress more on. i sold the wrv last winter for booties and gloves, but i miss that board now.

started on a 7'4 , 21" , 3" thruster took it out again about 3 weeks ago for a laugh and destroyed the nose - miscalculated a pier shoot

sometimes I find it hard to ride my surfboard. It's too late to change now, though. Some days I can only ride 1 wave, others I ride 4-6. haha.

I learnt on a 6'4" 19 12 14 2 3/8. I was only a skinny grom at the time so it was ideal. Still got it in the shop, it must be knocking on 17yrs old now! Still, wouldn't recommend learning on a shortboard, would be a much better surfer now If I started on a mini-mal!!!

maxilion wrote:sometimes I find it hard to ride my surfboard. It's too late to change now, though. Some days I can only ride 1 wave, others I ride 4-6. haha.

Me two, still learning something new each trip. Very large foam board from the surf school , 7`3" bic, 6`8" fat boy.

Notice the pattern emerging , the only time in your life when you want whats between your legs to get smaller

northswell wrote:7'3'' Bic

yeah I completely understand the spewing there. Im on a 7'2" BIC which is waaaay cooler

still very much learning obviously

Sar wrote:

northswell wrote:7'3'' Bic

yeah I completely understand the spewing there. Im on a 7'2" BIC which is waaaay cooler

still very much learning obviously

I'm going back, way back, here. I had a Bic for about eight months/maybe a year. I learnt nothing, the first time i surfed was on a hire foamie St Ives 94 The Bic i bought aafterwards improved what i did in a day by zero.

When i swapped the bic for a pu board the diffrence was a total contrast. So much lighter, so much easier to catch waves.

Thats why i don't, and won't stock bics nsps etc.

Sar flogg your bic, get a second hand pu board and i'd bet your surfing improves loads, its also a bit of billy's boots too.

The whole thing about bics and other generic surfboards being indestructable is sh!te too. If its your first board your going to look aftre it.

northswell wrote:The whole thing about bics and other generic surfboards being indestructable is sh!te too. If its your first board your going to look aftre it.

Ha! Thanks for the advice but I am rather clumsy! As I walk down the steps to my local break the back of the board goes....'ding' ding' ding' on every step all the way down to the beach. I dont think I should be allowed a proper board until I can learn to take care of it properly!

I do know what you're saying though, once I can pop up and fly down the face of the wave a bit more regularly I will get another board. I dont even know what I want yet though....I want to become a competant enough surfer to be able to recognise the difference between them first. Otherwise I'll be just asking: "can I have a 7'3" board, kinda BIC shaped please?" . I dont really see the point in moving on just yet, but when I get my first proper board, I may well be going back on tose words - funds do not permit at the moment anyway.

"billys boots" - is that a northern thing?

From foamie to bic 8ft4, the bic was like a "magical pair of footie boots"

I'm just starting to stand up/ catch some waves regularly on a 7'4'' x 24'' wide x 3'' thick custom funboard. With 24'' width it is very stable for a newbie just getting his feet under him, but turns about as sharp as a Greyhound bus! All in all its a great beginner board.

I borrowed a 6'4'' x 18'' by 2 3/8 shortboard for a 2 hr session and couldn't catch a thing. It would take alot of practice and patience to stick with that board for a beginner.

Started on a 7'8 x 23" x 2 7/8" mini mal. Flat rocker, but with a fair bit of tail kick. Generally it was good as a learner board, except that it didn't facilitate duck dives.

Now I ride a 6'6 typical thruster.

p.s. I'm 6'2 and weigh ~75kg.

Jimi wrote:Started on a 7'8 x 23" x 2 7/8" mini mal. Flat rocker, but with a fair bit of tail kick. Generally it was good as a learner board, except that it didn't facilitate duck dives.

Now I ride a 6'6 typical thruster.

p.s. I'm 6'2 and weigh ~75kg.

I've ridden an 8 ft. minimal (rounded nose instead of pointed) and had a rough time in my paddle outs because I couldn't get under/cut through the waves. The waves were a little too large for my beginner ability that day (probably 5-6footers) and I got knocked around and off my board quite a bit which was a frustrating day. I sometimes wonder if a little shorter fun-board really would be better for beginners just for that reason, to avoid the pounding and getting knocked off the board more frequently on paddle out on the larger rounded nose board that can't slice through the waves & white water. Thats been my findings anyway.

I dont know but in my case i automatically wanted something smaller so in that respect i suppose if you start on a smaller mal in the long run it likely is beneficial

im learning on a 6'2 jb styles right now im 5'6 142 lbs and its workin out okay for me i say learn on what ever ure gonna ride im 14 and i skated before surfing so that helped with tha balance alot