Getting out to bigger waves - Smaller board the answer?

[angryandy11]

Hi there everyone, my first post here!

I went surfing for the first time last week for a few days and absolutely love it, I used to skateboard but now I'm 25 people look at me like I'm an idiot and I feel surfing can now replace that love for an exciting sport on a board!

Anyway, I was on a hired Bic 7'9 which on my last day I was constantly catching waves and standing up, but I found my problem was the constant pounding of large waves (with the huge boat like Bic Board in my hands) prevented me from getting out to the bigger more challenging waves that I could have rode along.

I'm only 5'8 and weigh just under 10 stone (140lbs?).. with my skateboard experience do you think I could handle learning on a just as floaty Bic 6'7 or is that too much of a change? I want to buy rather than hire because it will save me a fortune in the long run. I just would like some opinions on if you think a smaller person with good natural balance etc could handle a 6'7 as a first board?

if not I'll have to go for the 7'3 but I feel I'll be stuck fighting against the tides and missing out on clean waves.

Thanks

Andy

[tonylamont]

Getting outside on a bigger board can be tougher but to take advantage of a smaller board you need to learn how to duck dive, which is a skill unto itself. As a beginner, I think you will be better served by using a bigger board initially. Easier to catch waves, stand up, etc. Even if you are already catching inside waves, there is still a lot of learning once you start trying to catch bigger, unbroken waves.

Catching waves and popping up is a lot harder on a shortboard. I wouldn't go to a shortboard just to have an easier time paddling out - and I'm not sure how much easier it will be initially until you learn duck diving. Developing the skill / conditioning to get outside in larger waves is a big part of surfing.

My advice is to stick with a funboard or longboard for a few months at least. Once you are getting outside and riding waves, turning etc than maybe go smaller.

[angryandy11]

Yea I did manage to catch some un-broken (is it green waves?) however that was only on the last day when there were prolonged periods of no waves, so I could get out and wait for them.
The more I think about it maybe the 7'3 is more right for me, as the 7'9 is definitely too big for me.. how easy is it to turn on a 7'9? I found because the BIC is sooo floaty it seemed difficult to direct the board where I wanted it to go.. although this could be because I'm treating it like a snowboard/skateboard and need to learn how to manipulate a surfboard with my balance/feet.

Anyone else have any opinions?

Thanks tonylamont

[behindThePeak]

You could learn on the smaller one and a smaller board may play to your other skill-sets like you hope. Problem is that you'll have a tougher time paddling out, catching waves, and standing up before you even get to that skateboard / snowboard feeling your after. In other words the shorter you go the more you'll be extending the learning curve on those crucial surf-specific skills. That said, it may be worth it to you if you like a challange, have the time, and you value the instant feedback if a loose board under your feet.

Tony is right, if you can't duckdive a smaller board isn't much easier. You'll have less mass to wrestle with, which is nice, but you'll be giving up a lot of paddle power and it's not worth it. You can learn to duckdive easy enough; again, just a question of how much challenge you're up for. But I don't know if a guy your weight could even sink a 6'7.... I'm bigger so I don't know but I consider that close to the long end of my range before I start just turning turtle.

My $0.02: when learning you should go really long or really small. Probably in that order. Learn to turn turtle and take advantage of a longboard's paddle power while your learning to read waves, paddle, stand, turn, ect. Then go super short, learn to duckdive, and progress on something nice and responsive. IMHO all those funboards in between simply bring together the worst of both worlds: you can't paddle or duck them

[angryandy11]

just as I think I might have made a decision on a 7'3 a 6'7 has come up pretty cheap local to me... which is rare when you're 3 hours from the sea!haha If I was closer to the sea and knew I had more time in the water I'd probably go with the smaller board, but I'll only be able to get there every few months for a few days so I'm guessing I'm better off going bigger and enjoying myself, even if it is on smaller waves.

Are there any other brands that are cheap, floaty and indestructible like the BICs? NSP?
or does anyone have a 7'3 or similar going?

Thanks again for your help guys.. I'm sure you get questions like this all the time

[tonylamont]

Are there any other brands that are cheap, floaty and indestructible like the BICs? NSP?
or does anyone have a 7'3 or similar going?

NSPs are definitely pretty indestructible, although you won't hear a lot of praise for them from experienced surfers. Those boards don't really perform like higher end boards, but they are good to learn on. I rented NSPs for a while and they served their purpose, but when I bought my own board I noticed a big difference.

So fine to go with either, but I wouldn't sink too much into one - if you really want to do skate-inspired stuff you will be wanting to move on to another board pretty quickly once you have the basics down. And I agree with behindthepeak re: longboards being the best. you'll learn the basics faster on a 9-10 foot longboard than anything else. Plus if your local beach has inconsistent / small surf, a longboard will catch waves that nothing else will.

Good luck!