First Board? First Post (Helloo) !

[Rogue_Shadow]

Hey Guys & Girls of Surfing waves Forums
Helllooooo
Ive been reading over these forums for awhile now, But never got around to joining. But ive got a few questions That ive stored up if you dont mind answering..You'll be banging your heads with some of them (not that question again)
But here we goo

1) The first board - Ive been surfing about 3 -4 times now on a Swell/ Foam board. depending on the surf I can catch most waves into the beach, Standing up is 50/50 and so is falling down. However the only time i can surf is weekends, because by the time I finish work, all the Hire shops are Shut
So Im not rushing into this, I want to surf but honestly cant do it as much as I want to without my own board.
Sooo, Im a skinny lil guy, Im around 5'9 and weigh 9 stone...ohh thats 126 pounds for you guys across the shore.
I come from Cornwall, So i might as well take advantage of the surf around me right...
This is a board to last me awhile, it not so much a learning board. So am i looking around the 7ft mini-mal area?

2) Transport - Ive got a Saxo, not a Camper van any other way I can secure a surfboard to my car without needing a roof rack/bar etc.

3) Use the Surf - How can you guys determine if they surf is going to be good, I had a 4 day weekend last week and was hoping to surf, the wind was realllly high. But You didn't even have to be Jesus to walk on the water those days, STUPIDLY Flat! So how can you decide if its a beach day or not...or do you guys use faithful google?

Anyway Ive blabbed enough
Cheers!

[drowningbitbybit]

1) The first board
2) Transport
3) Use the Surf

1) Mini-mal. But go for around 7'8. If you cant stand yet, you'll need a big board. Particularly in the UK summer when the waves are small and weak

2) Soft-racks.

3) Now thats a tricky one. Surf forecasts is the easy answer, so look at sites like magicseaweed. Eventually you'll start doing your own forecasts using pressure charts, but to start you'll rely on other people's (or computer's) forecasts.
The (basic) things that you're looking out for...
Size of waves.
Period of waves - ie how far apart they are. The longer the better. <8s, forget it.
Wind - you want a light offshore breeze idealy, but in simple terms, the less wind the better.
Tide - in the UK the size of the waves will be bigger on the incoming tide ("on the push").

[Rogue_Shadow]

Thanks for your reply drowningbitbybit, I'll look into a soft rack online
And I guess going for a 7ft mini - mal would be about right for learning curve/ board life span
Gonna have to learn the weather aswell

[billie_morini]

The first board: I'm a huge advocate of 9ft longboard because they provide lots of flotation that beginers require, are very stable, and catch even small waves really well. You can search up a bunch of posts about this. By the way, we're the same height, but I'm a little heavier. I started with and remain on a 9ft longboard.

Happy surf to you.

[phillwilson]

welcome to the board, i saw your other post, im up north in yorkshire.

1. i would echo bille and say go bigger..i started with an 8' board but one i tried a kind loals 9+ I was totally hooked and had to lay out more cash to get one....totally worth it tho, i am having sooo much fun and its like a magic board to me.

2. i regulaly carry 2 logs around on top of a ford fiesta using nothing more then a softrack...they work well

3. god its hit and miss when you start. i keep a log of all my sesions ans what magi seaweed said vs if i thought it was good...there for i can start tring to go out in like for like conditions.

i will be heading down your way soon, will give you a PM

Phill

[Rogue_Shadow]

I'll Definately aim for a bigger board then and search for a decent Soft-track. The Surf around conrwall over the last week have been poor, So i'll start using magic seaweed and making my own guessing like you said Phillwilson.
I think everyone loves longboards on here I aspected everyone to completely hate the longboards and prefer the funboards and smaller. 7' minimum for my board then

[Rogue_Shadow]

anyone else got any comments?
Im looking into either a soft track for my board or get some straps, straps will be cheaper so im havn't decided if its worth getting the rack when they cost around £20

But board wise im still aiming for around 7ft although seems stupidly long to me, would this last me awhile or would I be limited by it early on?

[isaluteyou]

I think everyone loves longboards on here

Cant stand the things

everyones different and so are the consistancy of waves you will surf so being practicle a longboard would seem like the best bet. However if it is your object to eventual be shortboarding it then try to borrow/rent a couple of mini mals and see how you get on with them it may be just right or wrong depending that is why a little experimentation is handy.

[Rogue_Shadow]

Well i had a surf yesterday and was talking to the guy at the rent shop. He knows me quite well knwo cause ive been hiring from him a good coupe times now. He told me he fixing up for 8ft boards for me to work on. I didn't realise the Swell board i was using was actually 7ft, so it doesn't seem soo big right now. But im hopfully gonna be try out some diffferent boards. but if the waves are weak...i'll go back to the swell.
he taught me the technique to turn which was great and manged to do it a few times.
Best part of the day. I went to pop up but kinda popped forward, I leap froged the board landed in front of it and smacked me round the back of my head ha ha, glad it was a foamie. Post back when ive tried soem boards

[Rogue_Shadow]

Just an update for those who are reading this

Ive moved onto a 7" 3 fin'ed board, i think its still a foam board as such (foam top and plastic bottom) but its Alot light than the swell board. Ive been making good progress with it, Ive been able to catch a few waves with it, but Its alot more unforgiving for positioning than the swell board. So i need to get my positioning right and practice my pop up, I hesitate way to much with the pop up. Also does it matter if I cant do the pop up in one fluid movement? I tend to use one knee to start myself off.
Gonna have to wait till next weekend now till i can surf again I really want my own board now