New “first” board after pregnancy

[LandlockedDave]

Hi, I am currently looking for a new board for my wife.
The last time she really surfed was four year ago, because we got two kids in the meantime. On our last surf trips she was either pregnant or a few month post-natal.
The last time she surfed, she was at an advanced beginner level. Catching first green waves up to chest high. Riding the board to the beach or doing first angled pop-up trimming along the wave. Back then she just transitioned from a foamie to my beginner surfboard (Bic 7’3 Mini Malibu with 46liters). I was quite happy with this board and as she was the same size and weight (180cm and 72 kgs) we thought, it is a good board for her too. Back then I did not know, that is on the lower end of the recommended volume range for our weight. Without bragging, I think I did quite well because I had an above average fitness level and paddling power.
My wife instead had a hard time catching waves with this board an the relatively small nose for a mini malibu made the BIC quite difficult to paddle for her. In hindsight we should have bought her a different board, but we thought she just needs to try a little harder and get better. She tried my 6’2 Egg with 38 liters and liked it much more. Especially the wide nose and the much easier paddling. Despite the lower Volume she almost got as many waves with the egg then with the mini malibu.

The last time she was on a surfboard was two years ago, a few months after giving birth to our older sun and it was absolutely frustrating. Catching not a single wave with the BIC 7’3.

This summer she want’s start surfing again. And we are thinking about buying her actual first board.
Obviously she gained some weight and is now at (78kg at 180cm – she is hoping to loose some weight until the summer). She had two C-sections so her core-strength is not that good and she has still a below average fitness level.
I know the best thing would be renting a board this year. Maybe even a foamie and doing some white waves to get back into it and then trying some different boards and shapes to find something that really suites her. But I know her and she would surf much more if “her” board is lying around then renting a foamie.

We are surfing mostly smaller mushy Atlantic summer waves.

My thoughts are:
- Board between 51 to 59 liters
- Wide nose for easy paddling and catching waves
- Not a too long board (She hated doing nose dives on her 8’0 low rocker foamie in steep Atlantic waves – so I think a little bit shorter boards reduce this risk?)
Obvius choices would be something like to torq funboard
- Either as 7’2 softop board with 52 liters (But the dimensions of this board are almost the same as my 7’3 and has also a quite small nose. The extra Volume comes from the soft-top)
- Or as the 7’6 hardboard with 52 liters (still a little less Volume)
So I thought maybe the Torq V+ 7”4 with a wider nose and more 53liters
https://www.torq-surfboards.com/midlength/v-plus.html

Or something like this: Shorter more egg-like funboards with a high volume

Buster Magic Glider 7’2 with 53 liters
https://www.buster-surfboards.com/surfboards/mid-length-shape-surfboard/

And I found this beautiful board. But I never heard of “next” surfboards before. The wide nose, squash tail and the high volume could be perfect. Could the thick rails be a problem in smaller to medium waves?

https://nextsurfboards.com/flow/

Either as 7’0 x 22 x 2 7/8 53.2L
Or as 7’4 x 22 1/2 x 3 ….. 59.1L L

What are your thought?
Thank you Very much.
Dave

[oldmansurfer]

A shorter board requires more skill to ride, more accurate positioning better paddling, quicker popup. In addition a common reason for the wave pushing the tail up causing the nose to go under is that you aren't paddling well enough to get onto the wave before the lip pushed the tail up. A shorter board will not help for that problem.

[LandlockedDave]

Hi, thanks fore the advice. I'll be looking more into the longer boards.

I was considering the shorter boards, because she felt much more comfortable on the shorter high volume boards, when paddling out. But there is no short cut on getting better and in the end where surfing to catch waves, not making it into the line up