Surfing Waves

Hi all, my first post on this forum. I have a quick question for ye all...

I've recently taken up surfing...been at it about a month now. Doing pretty good, well, by pretty good I mean I can catch a wave and get standing 3 out of 5 times.

So I'm looking to buy my first board (been renting up to now). Looking at BIC boards, either the Natural Surf 2, which is 7'9, or the Magnum, which 8'4...which should I go for?? I know the 8'4 might be easier to surf with, but would there be much of a difference in 7'9?? I don't wana by the 7'9 if it will be too advanced for me and I'll spend my days falling off...and I don't wana get the 8'4 if I'm gona out grow it too quickly...any thoughts??

Thanks in advance.

All the best,
Jamesy, Ireland

Neither. Buy a second hander as it will be cheaper and to be honest your first board shouldnt be a brand spanker

If you buy the bics i would probably go for the 7'9 as it will likely have more room to grow into to.

well whatever about the board's condition...im more interested in the size i should be going for...will i not find the 7'9 to big a step at this stage??

thethirdplace14 wrote:well whatever about the board's condition...im more interested in the size i should be going for...will i not find the 7'9 to big a step at this stage??

Thats debatable as everyone has different opinions on that. if you are a lightwieght guy up to 170lb and young/fit then theres absolutely no reason why you wouldnt progress good on a 7'9. If you are older and heavy set then to be honest the bigger the better.

if at all possible beg borrow/ rent different size boards and see how you get one. Or buy a cheap secondhander and if it dont work you can just resell it and probably you ont lose much if any money

I mean, according to https://surfing-waves.com/beginner_surfboard.htm a good size for a beginner is 8ft...which would lead me to believe that the Magnum is slightly too long and the Natural surf is slightly too short...

I think you're right to say I should rent / borrow for a while and see...I rented a board last week which I really liked the length of...might try that again at the weekend and if I really feel comfortable will find out the size and go with that...

How big are you? Your weight will be a factor.

I'm about 5'8, 190lbs...

How good it is to hear someone doing the right thing and going for a sensible sized board to start with.
Sounds to me like the 7ft 9 will be ok for you with your weight and height.
Alos if you are really keen for your surfing then it shouldn't be too long before you out grow the bic and then you will be glad you took isaluteyou's advice and bought second hand as you'll be thing about upgading to something a bit swooshyer!

KS

kitesurfer wrote:How good it is to hear someone doing the right thing and going for a sensible sized board to start with.
Sounds to me like the 7ft 9 will be ok for you with your weight and height.
Alos if you are really keen for your surfing then it shouldn't be too long before you out grow the bic and then you will be glad you took isaluteyou's advice and bought second hand as you'll be thing about upgading to something a bit swooshyer!

KS

Are BIC Natural Surfs geared toward beginners??

ps. i know what you mean about guys going for unsensible boards. my buddy got himself a right fancy yoke altogether, and it's really short. he can barely stay balanced when lying on it let alone standing!!

I'm a bit bigger than you and started on a 7'9 BIC. Definitely won't have any problems with it.... whatever people say about BIC boards... I still love mine. they are bombproof plenty of float and are super stable.

where in ireland you from and where you surf?

I've been through the same process.
I ended up buying the natural surf 7'9" - Which I regretted, because I found it too much a of a step from a foamie.

However the biggest factor is how often you are getting in the water, and for how long. You'll pick it up eventually, as i did. But it took me a long time. I spent too many hours frustrated in the water, when i could have been having a lot more fun, catching a lot more waves and progressing more quickly. I was getting in the water once a week, for about an hour at a time.

I wish I had gone for the magnum, as the limited time i had in the water would have been much more productive and fun.

I subsequently bought a second hand magnum for about £150 (Ebay), and it is great. They are indestructible so 2nd hand is fine. I have since moved on to owning a second hand longboard 9'0 which is also great fun. But i still love using the magnum, it rides well in waist to shoulder high waves. I probably use the magnum more than my longboard.

My advise would be go for the magnum, you can pick them up second hand on ebay for about £150 or new for about £300. If you buy new, the resale value will mean you can easily get a year or two surfing for about £150. (but i'll bet you keep it - like I did!)

Incidentally I am about the same weight as you. I also love Bic boards, I've surfed on epoxy, bic, and fibre glass. I'm not sure why there is the general stuffiness against them, they are great shapes.

Good luck!