Surfing Waves

Hey there, I am looking for a new board but a bit lost on what I need.

I'll give you some info:
I live in Italy, so the swells are not super clean and to surf you need long paddle-outs and many duck dives, to reach a somewhat clean zone;
I've 17yrs snowboard experience, 2yrs surfskate/skateboarding 1 and half of not very regular surfing;
I live far from the sea (2hrs), but I plan to move closer to surf more;
I've only done one surf trip to canaries where I learnt;
I am 177 cm and weight 79kg, I have good muscle strength and generally fit;
After the 100Lt softie, I've used a bic mini mal 7.3'' to learn (46 LT) and I now can catch unbroken waves also 6ft high, however I tend to loose a lot of speed when turning and trying to learn to cut the wave (also with the swelltech surfskate): I feel that I cut 56 Liters too early and couldn't learn properly the turning technique that is rather different than both concrete and snow;

Also I can ride unbroken waves but with the conditions here, I often get so tired from paddling and duck diving that I get just 4 good waves and then I have to rest a long while.

I am looking at a wide fish about 6.8''-6.10'' (like this https://www.torq-surfboards.com/tec-bigboy-fish.html) that gives me some more volume and stability when paddling, but at the same time should allow tighter turns than the bic.

Do you have any suggestion? Is my reading on what I need correct?

[Shall be moved in surfboard advice I guess.. sorry ]

Two questions: how old are you?

Secondly, is this your board?


If it is, it seems like a pretty good board to be on. If you’re needing a little extra paddle ability for those long paddle outs, and if you’re bogging out between maneuvers, you said yourself that maybe you went too small too fast. Why not get a board like the bic just a little bit larger? Or even the buc but just in a larger size? If you’re worried aboit being able to turn, don’t be. The tail size and rocker are going to help you, definitely not get in the way or slow your progress.

Thank you for the answer I'm 29, and started surfing very late, but I have also been able to transfer quickly the basics from snowboarding and skating (live very close to a steep bowl where I learnt the drop in with a surfskate).

Yes should be that, having checked the measures this is my board (https://www.ricardo.ch/it/a/bic-mini-malibu-73-surfboard-1198719578/) and I am quite satisfied by it, because it allowed me to build a lot of strength in paddling (although I had to close many sessions that were just training in paddling and zero waves) and I've also learned how to duck dive and do some sharp turns. I now ride 95% of the waves I paddle for, the problem is that I paddle too few of them . However, yes I recognize that it was too much of a jump, but with the conditions that I've found in these years on beach breaks, with the larger 7.9 bic I could not learn to duck dive and had to turtle roll a lot and getting out of the break zone would've been a hell of a workout.

The options I am considering is to sell it and get a slightly larger size, or keep it and get something complementary. But if I go with this second I cannot understand what would be better between a longer minimal with more volume or a somewhat shorter, but wider and thicker fish. I thought about the fish because I feel that my difficulty in paddling is stability, with the board being not so wide as my ability would require when I paddle I loose a lot of momentum by oscillating.

The bic is plenty wide enough for stability. Wider board in the size and volume you’d get to address paddling fatigue most likely will be harder to turn and more piggish to paddle. Stand on the tail of the bic and it will turn plenty easilly. The key to better stability is not at the cash register, it’s you. Develop your paddle technique, posture on the board and most importantly the muscles that support both. Tine in the water is the best way but there are exercises you can do that will help. Building muscle via time in the water will help your endurance as well. Quick fix is a bigger longer board but the real improvement you need and want is hours of paddling/time in the water. No real substitute.

Personally Id just keep riding what you’re on until you can stay out longer and feel quick and stable in that board. Get there and you’ll be improving.

BTW, turtle rolling will help your fitness levels come up as well.