Surfing Waves

hey i'm a 17 year old girl who's about 5'6, and am torn between getting a full on longboard or just a funboard/minimal. Im not sure if something around 9'0 would be too bulky for me, and also, as im around 5'6, would i be able to treat a board of about 8'6 as a longboard (when i progress i would like to learn cross stepping etc) ? cheers for any help

Ella,
Funboards and minimals are not the same thing. You may receive some varied responses, but I'll provide my 2 cents.

My wife began suring at age 40 or so. We bought an 8-foot funboard for her. She learned to catch waves, but had a terrible time trying to stand up. I was learning on a 9-foot long board and advanced far more rapildy in ability. One day, I put my wife on my longboard. The difference was like night and day. She was suddently surfing. This is germane to you because, my wife is also 5ft 6inches in height and was beginning. Her weight was about 130 pounds. As a result, I tried the funboard. I discovered 1) the funboard rotated on its lengthwise axis very easily (the slightest pressure on either edge (i.e., rail) of the board tipped it, 2) more wave energy was required to make the funboard go, and 3) the longboard was extremely stable by comparison. Following that, I bought a 9-foot longboard for my wife and have always taught people to surf using a longboard. A longboard offers stability and lots of floatation. Floatation if very necessary for beginners.

A minimal has some design features that try to make it more like a longboard. A length of the board will be wide to provide stability, make it paddle easier than a short board, and catch smaller waves (like a longboard). Some of the other forum members can tell you more about this. But, I can tell you that a 9-foot longboard is extremely stable, which makes it easy to learn to stand up.

As far as carrying the board, my wife does it. And, an 8ft 6 inch board will only act like a longboard for you if it shaped like a longboard (not a funboard shape).

Funboards remind me of adjustable wrenches or things that are designed to be universal. They just don't work that well.

Cheers for the help! I'm now looking at buying a second hand 9'1 custard point board

Good luck to finiding a nice used board, Ella. I buy most everything used: surfboards, automobiles, televisions, power tools, etc. I finally bought a brand new wetsuit as a special treat to myself.

Don't forget to post a photo of your "new" board when you get it.