First surfboard advice needed!

[mikegleasonjr]

Hi, I have been surfing for a year now in Morocco (Rabat, Oudayas).

I am 39 years young and I have done sports all my life. I originally am Canadian so I done a lot of snowboarding. I weight 80kg (175lbs) and measure 6' (180cm)

I consider myself pretty good for my level.

My wife gave me for my birthday a coupon so I can buy my first surfboard and break free of the schedule at my local surf school.

I surfed a couple of months on the longest foam board. Then a small 5'? foam board for a couple of months (smaller than me). Since then I surf on a 6'7 Bic in Dura-TEC, not foam, but not epoxy. Like this one (SHORTBOARD 38L) https://world.bicsport.com/surf/boards/ ... -surf.html

With this board I catch a lot of waves, I am able to turn and pump for speed, I am paddling pretty well and I sometimes even duck dive properly. I do surf like 2-3 times a week.

So here I am, I went to the Ripcurl shop in Rabat where my wife took my coupon. They have those epoxy models. After trying a lot of volume calculators, I can't decide between the two. Most of the calculators give me 40-44 liters) Or maybe I am way out, I need advice. I was looking at these:

Superfrog 6'4 CARROT CAKE 40L
https://world.bicsport.com/surf/boards/ ... -cake.html

Superfrog 6'8 HYDRO FISH 44L
https://world.bicsport.com/surf/boards/ ... sh-sf.html

I don't want to buy another board in a few years and I don't mind struggling a little while I get used to my new board. I want to have fun making sharp turns and pumping to get speed!

Sorry for the long post, wanted to give as much information as possible ! Thanks.

[Big H]

Any other choices besides Bic?

[mikegleasonjr]

First, thank you very much for your help! It is overwhelming the amount of infos out there.

They have other brands in the shorboards section, like Pukas. But it is out of my league. And in that range they have brands that I don't know and can't find infos like Victory and Storm (but aren't epoxy): https://www.facebook.com/pg/RipCurlMoro ... tn__=-UC-R

[mikegleasonjr]

Oh apparently in other stores they have those (Blanks): https://www.facebook.com/pg/RipCurlMoro ... tn__=-UC-R

I would like to see this one: https://www.facebook.com/RipCurlMorocco ... =3&theater

[Big H]

If you're just starting out and relatively new, it is hard ask to get one board that will work well in all conditions for the next few years. If I had to say one board that would work well in all conditions it would be longer than either of those.

I don't really know how your waves are. The first board is more of a good wave board, second would work in a wider variety of conditions, so I'd go for the second board, hydro fish if it was an absolute choice between the two. I don't know how competitive your lineups are, how hard you have to fight to get a wave (tooth and nail here, you better have a strong paddle engine, tricks and not miss waves), how your waves are shaped, how good you actually are, what size the average waves are that you get and are comfortable/able to ride, but I'd guess that you'd most likely be better off on a mid 7' something fun board, pointy nose or not, for a couple more years at least rather than either of these, even though that is not what you want to hear.

By the way, can you go front side and backside and bottom turn/top turn going either way, and cut back frontside and backside? Pumping is nothing; these are the basics and if you can't at your stage it's normal but you'd be better served on a bigger board to learn how.

I won't even ask about catching waves and pop up; if you are seriously considering either of these boards you should be able to catch and get up on just about every wave that comes through your catch range, be able to adjust by paddling in or out and getting on.

Here, the beginner intermediates on shortboards tend to come out on certain wave sizes and tides that are on the soft and small side. They ride waves that are barely big enough for the board choice and skill set they have. And if any better surfer is around, they lose out on the set waves that they've been waiting on and have to settle for shoulders, scraps and dropping in (BTW, the hydro fish is apparently a great drop in board; video stud at :37 mark).

Maybe it's different there, but why struggle? What do you think that you're gaining in a shorter board is the question. I'd scrap these two choices and go for something more like this:

https://www.torq-surfboards.com/fun-72.html
https://www.nspsurfboards.com/product/e ... -funboard/

[mikegleasonjr]

Thank you very much for the reply..

Here are the waves this week at my spot: https://magicseaweed.com/Rabat-Surf-Report/246/

Usually in the winter we are a couple of guys in the water, no competition and a lot of space.. I mean a lot. It's rare I've abandoned a takeoff because someone was in the line. In the summer it is another story but I go less often.

I pretty much do every thing except cut backs!

So I guess looks like a fun board in the 7 range is the way to go! Price is also affected when choosing a longer board.. Ièll see what they have in stores.

Thank you very much.

[mikegleasonjr]

> What do you think that you're gaining in a shorter board is the question.

I'll be honest: my thriving for improvement and rapidity of learning in the last year (changed boards 3 times), price, car, apartment space, look.

[jaffa1949]

Have areally good read of why multiple experienced guys try to advise you to go longer, rather than shorter in your first years of learning to surf!
Length is a very useful learning tool and you will not outgrow it in a few years, BTW doesn’t matter what you ride, how cool it is, you will be judged in the water from the moment you paddle, kook on cool looks a fool!
Really it is about developing skills and ifbas you say you can’t cut back yet, you are beginning grade, nomshame in that we all have been!

[mikegleasonjr]

I take it

I am just wondering why do I surf on a 6'7 relatively comfortably right now. Is it the material? Dura-TEC floats better and acts as if the board is longer? Really genuine question...

I will check out the 7-range fun types of boards at the shop!

[mikegleasonjr]

Oh, and they have this one (6'6 at 58L): https://www.theboardbarn.com/product-pa ... s-longstar

"The LONGSTAR is the perfect board if you longboard and want something with tonnes of volume that feels like a longboard underfoot but fits in the car."

[jaffa1949]

True an EPS or BIC Dura tec are designed with more float, so paddle somewhat better.
There is an alternative, more surf time, lots of paddle fitness, shortboard timing is different to longboard, contrary to longnadvice determined people have succeeded, but a half effort will be very counterproductive so we advise the preferablebway.
Read a post by eraserhead on his short board learning experiences, browse a bit in the forum and see

[mikegleasonjr]

Thanks guys, looks like a privilege having feedback from you all! Looking forward to have fun in the water!

[jaffa1949]

Hang in there, as more forumites read, more advice will come!
One thiing we do. appreciate getting feedback on advice and how your journey is going!

[Tudeo]

I surf on a 6'7 relatively comfortably right now.

Maybe the way to look at a new board is then, what do you experience as the downsides of this board, if any? Then you can look which of the boards on offer compensates that best.

[mikegleasonjr]

After reading around I came to my sense that I wanted a shorter board because It looks cooler and I fairly am a competitive person (with myself)

So now I am looking around in Morocco for a Torq 7'0 or 7'2. I have contacted the main distributor and he gave me some shops, a shipment is supposed to come this week.

I'll keep you guys informed and thank you again for all you experience and advices!

EDIT: I will post updates as soon as I can get my hands on one and I have my first surf session with it!

Mike

[RinkyDink]

It sounds like you have pretty good skills developed. You got your popup sorted out, you can pull off turns, you have a sense of top-to-bottom surfing, and you're in good shape (I personally believe that 85% of surfing competence actually depends on having the fitness and flexibility to perform maneuvers rather than the actual difficulty of the moves themselves [keep in mind that I don't have any experience performing advanced moves . . . so that's just my hunch, but I suspect there is no beginner or intermediate skill that takes more expertise than the popup . . . yeah, okay, I'll end this sentence or whatever it is now).

The question for you is where do you want to go with your surfing? For me, I'm satisfied to reach the level of the guy in your video from the .19-.30 second mark. I'm actually not too far away from that level of skill (if the waves and crowd are right), but I've already decided when I reach that skill level my next stop isn't more radical turns; it's bigger waves. I like the thrill of surfing on a bigger wave, but I don't really have the need to eviscerate the wave with maneuvers. I want to get barreled regularly rather than pull off airs. Don't get me wrong, radical turns are fun, but I don't need a shortboard to achieve my current goal. I think you should think about what direction you want to take your surfing and what kind of maneuvers you want to begin focusing on. Once you have your skill development figured out, then you need to match the best surfboard to get you to your goals.

[mikegleasonjr]

So first of all thanks again for all inputs. I read them and re-read them carefully and I also took your vast experience into consideration.

I also promised to get back to you guys so here it is!

I bought the board YAY. My first board.

So I wanted a Torq 7'2" (7’2” x 21 1/4” x 2 3/4” 47.2 ltr) as per recommendation and coming to my senses. Read a lot on Epoxy vs PU and I want to keep it for long. I always take a really good care of my things. But anyway. I found one but they only had one color. It was this design: https://www.tikisurf.co.uk/wp-content/u ... -web-1.jpg. It looked very dull in person and the red was more of a brownish so I didn't like it. I am not ashamed to say that I want a board that looks great.

But they had a Torq performance fish 6'10" (6’10 x 22” x 2 7/8” 45.6 ltr) in white. Beautiful. Price was lower than in Europe (which comes not often in Morocco, usually everything is 20-40% more expensive when imported). But anyway, it's winter and shops are getting rid of their merchandise and ordering new stuff in march-april. It is pristine and gave me the fins (thruster) and the leash.

I went with the 6'10 and went surfing this morning at this spot (1.7-2.7m, primary swell 2.4m at 13s, Air 19°c Sea 20 °c): https://magicseaweed.com/Rabat-Surf-Report/246/ I have to say the spot I was in is a little protected from the bigger waves. So I am more than happy !! I am so thrilled I have to say I went despite having a cold so I was struggling when paddling, getting tired real fast. But the take off and standing was pretty easy on good pushing waves. I missed a lot I have to say. Been a month since my last session. But I turned and came back to stay in the pocket (doing really long turns, not like the inter-pros). Took lefts and rights.

It sticks under me like crazy when paddling and it is super light to hold when facing waves while going out... which is a big difference with the Bic dura-tec which is a lot heavier. Sometimes with the Bic I was having a little pain in the interior of the elbow.

Guys at the shop were happy for me and said that was a good size for me and it will be fun to ride for along time. The wife also was happy to see my smile when I got home (this was her present for my birthday).

Will keep you updated on the progress !

Thanks again.