Surfing Waves

Hi guys,
New here, searched the web for info but there are mixed signals and so much confusion, I come from snowboarding and it’s much simpler there.
So I am 40 (180cm 70kg) got into surfing about 6 months ago but since being a father and COVID I didn’t have much time to progress but until recently I feel like my 8 soft is pulling me back and it’s time for me to move on. So I don’t know what level I am exactly but I catch waves (not just white water), I can take a turn but that’s pretty much it.

I live in Israel, next to Tel Aviv, we mostly have beach brakes and the swell is 7sec apart on a good day, wave are relatively weak.

It’s funny but I’m really struggling to get pass the break line when it’s above 2.5 feet with my fat foami and it kills me.

I started looking for my next board two weeks ago and I have 3 types of boards as options (actually it’s 4 but depends where I am reading the manual from)

I would say, that I want to compare where I am going to with surfing to my snowboarding style, I’m not in the park all day(Very very little in face) but when I’m on the piste I am always looking around for stuff to do, a small jump, a d-tour through offpiste(always prefer an offpiste/powder to piste) so with surfing I want to have fun and catch as many waves as possible.

In terms of volume I estimated my preferred volume as 44-50, do u think that’s ok?

So my options are:
1. Performance soft, in example softech flash 6.6 44L Or a softech bomber.

2. Mini mal
3, hybrid.
4 fun board- some places it’s written as a hybrid in others as a mini mal and some site it’s a shape on its own.

I would love to get some advice here, and what to look for in the details when looking for a board since the variety is insane

Thanks and sorry if this is too long

Yoav400 wrote:I catch waves (not just white water), I can take a turn but that’s pretty much it.

wave are relatively weak.

It’s funny but I’m really struggling to get pass the break line when it’s above 2.5 feet with my fat foami and it kills me.

So I am 40 (180cm 70kg) got into surfing about 6 months ago.

1) Anyone, even myself would struggle to get out 2.5 meter beach break, but are you correct in saying 2.5 feet ? Are the waves waist-chest high ?

2) If waves are "weak", what type/size boards are the other local surfers using ? Can you borrow a 6'6" board from a friend to try ?

3) If you can not do turn downs and turn ups and starting to do simple cut backs, then you shouldn't go smaller yet.

Yoav400 wrote: In terms of volume I estimated my preferred volume as 44-50, do u think that’s ok?

Forget about VOLUME. Stick with something 2 feet over your head until you can do turns backside.

Even 50L volume is pretty low for someone your size, age and particularly level of experience, given the waves you surf in.

Paddling out wont be much different with a hard board. Unless you can duck dive it (requires a much smaller board than you should use), you need to learn to turtle roll and/or paddle smarter (go through the rips/channels, paddle wide and then around to where the waves are, learn to time your sets etc). There is no magic solution.

Mini mal and fun board are pretty much the same thing - maybe for some people mini mals are boards with slightly rounder/wider noses, but usually the term is used to mean the same thing.

As waikikichan says, for your level and your waves, something like an 7'6 - 8ft funboard/mini mal is what you should be looking at (or even longer - nothing wrong with a 9ft long board). Dont go for a hybrid as yet, they are a lot less stable than funboards.

If you want to catch a lot of waves, then bigger, longer, more volume is your friend.

Yes it is 2feet around 70-80cm high and I’m blocked, can’t go in.

In terms of turtle roll, I tried, doesn’t seems to work right yet, will try again.

Ill have a chance to try my friends 6.6 in a week, definitely will give it a try.

I think I am starting to understand what board I need to go to next, though I will probably won’t do it until I’ll get a bit better and try my friends board.

Really, 50L isn’t enough? Damm

Have a look at this

https://surfsimply.com/surf-coaching/vo ... s-updated/

From what you have said, you will be mid/upper level 2 (this will make sense when you read the link)

That said, you shouldn’t struggle with 2ft waves - that sounds like your paddling and possibly wave reading needs some work

dtc wrote:Have a look at this

https://surfsimply.com/surf-coaching/vo ... s-updated/

From what you have said, you will be mid/upper level 2 (this will make sense when you read the link)

That said, you shouldn’t struggle with 2ft waves - that sounds like your paddling and possibly wave reading needs some work

Yep, according to the 'tree of knowledge" I agree I am level 2 and according to his weight to volume calc, I should be getting something between 70 to 63L

I am tired of this huge F***ing board...i mean, look at it

I think i will start opening my eye around for a mini mal around 63-67L at 7'4, and in the mean time keep practicing... does that make sense?

someone who's 55 and got back to surfing after many years told me to get a smaller softi since moving to an epoxy board in winter is tough... do you agree?

what do you guys think of this in 6'10 60L

https://www.softechsoftboards.com.au/pr ... 0517411910

Yoav400 wrote:what do you guys think of this in 6'10 60L

Yoav400 wrote: I am level 2 and according to his weight to volume calc, I should be getting something between 70 to 63L

I think you answered your own question.

Again forget about VOLUME. There is so much more to a board than just VOLUME. Case in point, the tail design. The 6'10" Softech has a pin tail which I wouldn't recommend for a beginner. Get something at least in the 7'6" - 8'0" range, preferable with a squash tail.

Once you try your friends 6'6", you'll understand. ( are there lifeguards at the beach ? )

Lifeguards dont care about surfers here, just children...

"Get something at least in the 7'6" - 8'0" range, preferable with a squash tail."
in other words, stay with my foamboard...
I don't recall seeing a board that big with a squash tail...

found this, they have one board left in stock: https://sicmaui.com/surfboards-24/darkhorse-7-4-surf-board-vortex.html

or just stay with my shitty board (i dont even think it got stringers inside)

Not knowing what is available where you live, but there are literally 100s of choices for a 7'6 - 8ft funboard squash tail (or thumb tail) - every major manufacturer (from Bic, Torq, NSP to GSI to CI, Firewire, etc etc) has a board that meets those requirements. that website you linked has them - https://sicmaui.com/surfboards-24/shape/malibu.html . No idea about the board you linked, its sort of an odd hard/soft combination, but its about the right size and shape, so if its something that you are interested in then its undoubtedly better than your current board

got back!

I tried two boards from my mates, a 6'6 44L and a 6'4 around 60L...
on the 6'4 I have managed to catch a wave but had trouble finding room for my legs as tried to pop up my back leg found her place outside the board.

to conclude this weekend, had a lot of fun, spent hours in.

regarding a mini mal, I can get a bic let's say a 7'6, but it will not get to 63L(by surf simply its the minimum volume that will help me progress according to my level) its actually around 51L, is BIC any good at surfboards? I read it's not soft, not epoxy but some sort of plastic... I believe I can get a 2nd hand 7'6 epoxy around the 50L, but should I?

Let me add another twist, my better half has just picked up surfing, been out 3 times on my softie, will she manage a mini mal (mine)as a starting point? or should she stay on a softie for now?

btw, I talked to a surf guide, and she told me it is what it is, you need to buy/sell/buy/sell till you find the board you love... I find it insane...

Yoav400 wrote:btw, I talked to a surf guide, and she told me it is what it is, you need to buy/sell/buy/sell till you find the board you love... I find it insane...

How many girls did you date before you found “ your better half “. Why did you waste your time ( and money ) courting these other girls ? Why didn’t you just hook up with the current one in the first place ?

Yoav400 wrote: I feel like my 8 soft is pulling me back and it’s time for me to move on. So I don’t know what level I am exactly but I catch waves (not just white water), I can take a turn but that’s pretty much it.

I live in Israel, next to Tel Aviv, we mostly have beach brakes and the swell is 7sec apart on a good day, wave are relatively weak. It’s funny but I’m really struggling to get pass the break line when it’s above 2.5 feet with my fat foami and it kills me.

What is it about the 8 soft that's holding you back? If it's the 7 second period at your beach break, make your paddle out in between sets, look for a channel or rip current, work on the turtle roll, and watch what more experienced surfers are doing.

The board you have looks good for now. The size, volume and shape will help you catch more waves and get more surfing experience than the smaller boards you are considering.

BoMan wrote:

Yoav400 wrote: I feel like my 8 soft is pulling me back and it’s time for me to move on. So I don’t know what level I am exactly but I catch waves (not just white water), I can take a turn but that’s pretty much it.

I live in Israel, next to Tel Aviv, we mostly have beach brakes and the swell is 7sec apart on a good day, wave are relatively weak. It’s funny but I’m really struggling to get pass the break line when it’s above 2.5 feet with my fat foami and it kills me.

What is it about the 8 soft that's holding you back? If it's the 7 second period at your beach break, make your paddle out in between sets, look for a channel or rip current, work on the turtle roll, and watch what more experienced surfers are doing.

The board you have looks good for now. The size, volume and shape will help you catch more waves and get more surfing experience than the smaller boards you are considering.

I dont know, something about it doesnt feel right, it might be an "oversized" 8 for schools so it's even bigger than a standard soft 8, I cant realy tell what is wrong with it, I tried a 7'6 a week ago, and it was nice, way smaller than my 8 and is should be just a bit, so, maybe it is a dimensions, the fact it is sooooo heavy, I dont really know.

Update from the 2nd hand market,
There is a nsp 7’2 elements fish.
Though the headline is fish, it’s not really is one, it carries a thruster fin setup, and in 7’2 its 22” wide with lots of volume (51l)

What do you think? Is this that far off a mini mal 7’4 or 7’6?

Yoav400 wrote:There is a nsp 7’2 elements fish.
Though the headline is fish, it’s not really is one, it carries a thruster fin setup, and in 7’2 its 22” wide with lots of volume (51l)

What do you think? Is this that far off a mini mal 7’4 or 7’6?

Correct it's not a Fish, but a big fish or what we call at the shop, a "WHALE". I have the same model in 6'4" and it's great. IF you look closely at the outline, it has a bump swallow, so wide hips but loose when you need it. I think you can make steeper drops and get more radical on it than on a mini-mal.

waikikikichan wrote:

Yoav400 wrote:There is a nsp 7’2 elements fish.
Though the headline is fish, it’s not really is one, it carries a thruster fin setup, and in 7’2 its 22” wide with lots of volume (51l)

What do you think? Is this that far off a mini mal 7’4 or 7’6?

Correct it's not a Fish, but a big fish or what we call at the shop, a "WHALE". I have the same model in 6'4" and it's great. IF you look closely at the outline, it has a bump swallow, so wide hips but loose when you need it. I think you can make steeper drops and get more radical on it than on a mini-mal.

Do you think it’s a good option for me as a second board after a foam 8?

https://www.cisurfboards.com/board/the-water-hog/

This is a great board that seems to fit what you're looking for. I got back into surfing over the summer after 5 years away. Spent a few months trying to figure out how to ride my shorter boards again and it was frustrating. Folks on here rec'd going bigger to get back in the swing. Nabbed a used one of these and it helped a ton. Has a bit of rocker in the nose and tail for when it gets bigger/steeper. Soft rails and lots volume for stability. Can't recommend it enough.