First board, what should i get?

[GoFish]

Im new to surfing, i've always loved the idea and now where i live it would be very easy to surf every day if i wanted to. The only problem is i have no surfing experience and i have some storage and transportation constraints for the type of board i get. I have looked at what to start with online and it seems the best would be a long board, the only problem is that a long board would be way to big to fit in my car and in my room (i live in a military barracks)

Aside from size i also wouldnt know what to get based on my height and weight, im 5' 5" and i weigh 165 lbs, 72kg for some. Any help and advice would be very appreciated.

[oldmansurfer]

perhaps you should mention what size of a board will fit in your car or barracks? One thing is you can get surf racks to put your board on the roof of your car so may be that will help with that problem.

[dtc]

Get the biggest board you can, I guess. If you cant get a longboard, get one that is wide and thick and longboard (mal) shaped. I'll wait until you answer oldman's question before saying much, but there are a few shorter boards around that, while not as good as a longboard, are better than others for your situation.

Are you in the US? That might guide what boards are available

[GoFish]

perhaps you should mention what size of a board will fit in your car or barracks? One thing is you can get surf racks to put your board on the roof of your car so may be that will help with that problem.

I cant really put a rack on my car, its a Mitsubishi eclipse convertible, if i were to get a long board it would be sticking out of the top of my car about 5 feet.

[GoFish]

Are you in the US? That might guide what boards are available

I am in the US, east coast.

[oldmansurfer]

well so you want to get the biggest board that will fit in your car so perhaps a starting point would be to borrow or rent a board and see how it fits in your car. Then you want to get one that is as long as you car will handle and extra wide too. The problem lots of beginners have with learning to surf is having trouble catching waves because the board they are riding is too small. It's not impossible to learn on a short board but it does present a much steeper learning curve to get to the point where you paddle and stand up and actually ride a wave. With a long board you will likely stand and ride a wave on the first day but with a shortboard you may not for several times out. Lot's of beginners who try give up on surfing instead of persisting enough to learn on a shorter board. So try to figure out what fits in your car and rent a board that size and see how it fits then maybe try it and see if you can catch a wave with it

[dtc]

I think you need a new car if you want to surf!

As Old man says, see what will fit in the car. Passenger seat down with board in footwell, some protection and a few straps and you can fit a reasonably long board in there...If you are on base, you might be able to borrow a board or two from other surfers to test it out.

Realistically you are going to want at least a 7ft board (9ft preferably). Have a look at the 7ft2 walden mega magic; this would be the smallest board you should realistically look at (noting: you can start on a shortboard, it just makes for a much steeper and more frustrating learning curve. However, if you are able to surf 3-5 times per week and are willing to flail around for a while, a few months probably, then you could go shorter so long as you appreciated the downsides)

[Kris]

Go for a longboard 8 or 9. (Rent a place for your board or join a Club)

Put on some car roof racks and remember to SECURE your board Well!

Paddle out in small surf in the beginning, and never alone.

When you Think you are a Real surfer after half a season, and your arms are ready to bring your body safe to shore after a large wave rips out your leash, then you have improved and then you will understand and respect the ocean.

Surfing is the Greatest there is to Living, but safety and respect is important when you're new to the surfing lifestyle.