Beginer boards, look here if you wonder what to get

[pandarturo]

Holy Crap, I looked up the specs on the Bic Super Mag 9'4". 27.5" across?? How do you turn that thing?

Very slowly lol

[jaffa1949]

For the guys commenting Lorez is 6'3" and 224lbs, the 27" is excessive 24 would be better and another board at 9'6" or 10 ft would be better than a Bic but Bics are what Lorez is considering!

Anything under 9 ie super magnum would an exercise in frustration!

[lorez]

Thanks folks, it was the price of the bics that had me interested due to tight budget. Think I might try & find somewhere with a trial board before trying if its like a canal barge. I'll also scout the 2nd hand longboards on eBay & gumtree.

[jaffa1949]

That Lorez will suit your journey. Just enjoy!

[cwall]

Yeah, Lorez, I don't know if you have Craigslist out wherever (I'm in California), but I highly recommend whatever similar list server for used gear. Its a little bit of a crapshoot because you never know what shadiness someone is trying to make a buck on (sure its water tight!), but you can get some great deals. I have six months in the water and I'm on my fourth board. The first three were too small or too narrow or whatever, and I was able to sell them for almost what I paid for and then try a new board. Finally ended up on a 10'x24" Walden Magic that I got for 375$ US and am really stoked right now.

I don't know anything about "Bic" boards, but I think you could find an NSP or a some other used board for cheaper. I've looked at a LOT of board specs in the last months and I haven't seen anything remotely close to a 9'4" that is 27.5" across. I don't know a ton about boards, but that seems like some really weird dimensions and at 500$, it ain't that cheap......The market may be different out there, but I was able to find a lot of boards used in the 9'6" range in pretty decent condition for around 300-350, some new pop-outs for 350-400, and some customs by local shapers for about 450$ (he was just getting started and wanted to make some deals).

The only problem is that I got so used to checking the lists everyday that I still do even though I don't need a board anymore. Considering a 12 step program for this.

[lorez]

Call, & Jaffa thanks. We have gumtree which is like craigslist. Will search out. The foam 8ft hire boards I've been using seem narrow to me given my size so a little more width would make me feel a little bit more confident & stable.

[dtc]

There is an 8ft4 bic on ebay Australia atm, but its only worth it if you can pick it up. Its a bit dinged but if you get it cheap then might be something you can have a go on.

As you are in Aust, go and check out any of the surf shops around - they usually have some trade in boards that they sell second hand. Admittedly about 90% of them are 6ft white thrusters, but now and then you can find a longboard, or ask them to keep an eye out for you. The problem with second hand boards is that shipping is often not available or costs too much, so isnt worth it. Hence you have to scout around yourself to find something nearby - where do you live?

The Walden mega magic would be a great board for you, but its very expensive new (over $1000) so you will have to try your luck on the second hand market and they are pretty rare. Otherwise, as mentioned, NSP do some longboards ('modern blackbird' or their basic LB) and there are Aust company such as 'Sabre' and ECS that have cheap (about $600) longboards (no idea how good they are but if you wanted a new board).

[lorez]

dtc, I'm in Bristol England but thanks for the tips will check those out here in the UK

[dtc]

ah, I didnt realise gumtree was in the UK as well. I know there are some equivalent cheaper makes in the UK - cortez? and a few others. Anyway, checking out the surf shops is a good way to find a 2nd hand board no matter where you live

[SurfAllDay43]

i would class myself as intermediate surfer. i have been surfing 10 years around Bondi etc but i think my board would also be ideal for a beginner. my nick blair cab sav model is so easy to paddle and catches anything. find it easy to get up in the right spot with a Cab sav and it would be a good board for a beginner and once you progress it turns nicely so you wouldn't need to upgrade again.

[morfevs]

My advice:

Get a 7.6 NSP or similar epoxy funboard.

Its king in small waves, it does have a little rocker to take bit bigger waves.
Epoxy material is the best for beginners, very very solid, wont bend or crack (unless you hit it with a hammer! ) perfect for those knee take-off's.
Stable
And it does allow you to do some carving when you are progressing.

[leucogenes]

Halloooo, have read this with great interest, grateful to all those with experience offering advice!

I have some beginner's experience on big beginner boards, hard and soft. Made a stupid (but apparently common) mistake last summer and bought a cheap used board that was totally inappropriate (6'10" x 19.5" x 2.25 I think, shortboard style, sigh), so I'm going to spend some money on a proper minimal this summer!

I'm a 5'9, 147lbs girl with skinny arms and no paddle fitness. I can pop up and ride, even turn, but paddling out is still impossible, as is duck diving with giant beginner boards of course. Get a bit frustrated stuck in the tumble cycle in the whitewash, but I guess I just need to keep working on paddling like a ninja so I can enjoy the free rides..

Torn between a option (A) and (B):
A) 7’2” x 21 1/4” x 2 3/4”
B) 7’6” x 21 1/2” x 2 7/8”

Whaddya think? Thanks

[MJSURF]

I am 75 KG/5'9

I have surfed a bit on foam-boards, mostly just whitewater surf. I will be surfing in January in HK ("Big Wave Bay"). Read that that waves can be there "messy/choppy?"

Will be surfing 2-3 times a week.

I have been thinking of a 7'6'' Mini Nose Rider Width 22.25'' / 57cm Depth 2.90'' / 7.3cm http://www.bicsportsurfboards.com/produ ... ,1217.html

or this http://www.surfers.se/vagsurfing/surfbr ... board-2015
NSP ’6” x 21 3/4” x 2 7/8” But might be a bit too pricey for me. It is a bit more narrow so worried about my pop up.



What do you guys think of it? Thanks for your help!

[dtc]

HK surf is generally wind swell and not very powerful (typhoons signal 8 aside). So you want as big a board as you can have - doubly so when you are learning, but even more experienced surfers will want a big board from time to time in HK (you can certainly surf shorter boards but less often). I know, however, that there are transport limitations relating to board size in HK, so unless you have your own car or can store the board nearby, you may be forced to have something shorter.

If you don't have size issues, at 75kg I would suggest a 9ft 'standard' longboard (if you can get one). You can go shorter but I would suggest go as close to 9ft as you can or are willing. As you will be able to see if you read around on this forum about beginner boards, go too short and its much harder to learn - not impossible, and if you will be surfing 2-3 times per week for several months then maybe a 7ft6 could be ok - but the end of those months you should be up most of the time. But if you are going to surf 2-3 per week just for January, then go longer.

Given the crowds, and I rarely say this, don't discount buying a good quality softboard. Softboards range from terrible to pretty good, so you will want a good one; they aren't any cheaper than a regular board though.

[MJSURF]

If you don't have size issues, at 75kg I would suggest a 9ft 'standard' longboard (if you can get one). You can go shorter but I would suggest go as close to 9ft as you can or are willing[...] if you will be surfing 2-3 times per week for several months then maybe a 7ft6 could be ok [...]

Given the crowds, and I rarely say this, don't discount buying a good quality softboard.

Super thanks for your superb reply. I would be surfing from Jan till end of May and then 2 weeks in Bondi. Do you know of any good stores in HK that have an online presence?

Any good long soft-boards? Would it not be more difficult to paddle out in choppy waters if the board is very big?

I was thinking of http://www.bicsportsurfboards.com/produ ... o,491.html What do you think of this one? It is the soft-board type
9'0"/ 274 cm Width 23.75" / 60 cm Thickness 4.20" / 10.5 cm

Despite if I surf very often, a 7'9 is still better than a 7'6 from what I understand from your reply.
http://www.bicsportsurfboards.com/produ ... 2,480.html
7'9" /238 cm Thickness 2.90 " / 7.3 cm Width 22" / 56 cm Weight 15 lbs / 6.7 Kg

Would you know anything about the lockers at big-wave bay? I guess I would be more limited to where I can transport my board if I have a very big board.

Cheers!

[dtc]

Sorry, cant help you with lockers or shops, its been over 10yrs since I was living in HK. when I was there, there were basically no surf shops, but a few rental places at times.

In terms of boards, have a read of this thread

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21997

For the soft board, the issue that leads me to recommending something different is that it only has soft fins. These are good if you run over someones head, but not great for surfing. to be honest you probably wont notice it too much in the first few surfs but then the limitations will cause issues, even if you aren't aware of why they are causing issues. Soft fins don't give the board drive ('power') and make turning much harder.

I prefer a softboard like the surftechs, which have replaceable fins compatible with 'normal' fins.

If you are planning to surf 2-3 times a week for 5 months, and I'm not sure whether there is surf in HK for all of that time, but anyway assuming there is something, then you may as well get a proper board.

When you get to Bondi in May be prepared for some bigger waves...

In terms of paddling out, a wider nosed board (like a longboard rather than one with a pointy nose) is harder to paddle in choppy water. However, a longer board is easier to paddle - well, less effort because the greater volume of the board supports your body weight much more than a shorter lower volume board. So the paddling benefits of length outweigh by a long way any disadvantages, particularly until you become surf/paddle fit. Longer boards also are much easier to learn on, so the minor paddling issues are more or less irrelevant in the scheme of things.

there are a few posters on here who have surfed in HK; do a forum search for 'HK'. A poster called 'peazz' lived there for a while as he learnt to surf, so his posts have some useful information. He still pops around now and then so might be around to give you some tips.

[MJSURF]

I prefer a softboard like the surftechs, which have replaceable fins compatible with 'normal' fins.

If you are planning to surf 2-3 times a week for 5 months, and I'm not sure whether there is surf in HK for all of that time, but anyway assuming there is something, then you may as well get a proper board.

When you get to Bondi in May be prepared for some bigger waves...

Good tips, would it be possible to place soft fins on a 'regular' board?

Will keep a look for peazz and HK posts. You are right, seems it would be Nov till April, so I would be there only 4 months surfing and not sure if the waves are that often there.

I did learn the basics at Bondi before on a soft board

I think I will get a 8'6 foot softboard but surftech seems a bit too expensive for me. Was thinking either a BIC sotboard or a triboard softboard. Do you know anything about the triboards? http://www.tribord.co.uk/100-86-foam-su ... id_8303804

Cheers mate for the feedback!

[dtc]

Good tips, would it be possible to place soft fins on a 'regular' board?!

If you look on the softboard you posted, you will see the fins are held on the board by two screws that go right through the board and then have a screw cap that sits on the top of the board (the black round things you can see on the top). This is a proprietary system that basically only allows the fins that come with the board, which are soft fins. They also aren't held in with much strength, just the foam. If you look at a normal board, you will see there is a fin box fitted into the bottom of the board.

You can get softish fins for a regular board - look for ones with rubber edges. The best are from a company called Pro Teck, you can order online; I think FCS have a rubber edged one as well. Unlike with softboards the whole fin isn't soft, just the edges, so you get the benefits but not the downside. But these fins, like most fins, are about USD100 for a set.

Anyway, softboards are fine to learn on but aren't long term boards if you are serious. If you just want to learn and surf now and then and have some fun, totally a good choice. If you just want to buy something relatively cheap and 'give it a go' with the understanding that you may need a different board in 3 -6 months time, again a good choice - after learning you can spend some time trying to find a second hand board, for example (there are heaps of second hand boards in Sydney - it may even be cheaper to buy one for the time you are here rather than transport a board from HK when you fly - softboards are very heavy as well).

I'm not sure which of the softboards you posted is a better board. The BIC looks a bit better designed, but I'm just going on the very brief web descriptions.

[MJSURF]

Thank you dtc so much for your help! I will have to decide what I will be doing then to decide which board to get
Slightly learning on a 7'9 Minimal now + soft fins.

Are the fins the most dangerous part or is hitting someone with the nose as dangerous?

[dtc]

Thank you dtc so much for your help! I will have to decide what I will be doing then to decide which board to get
Slightly learning on a 7'9 Minimal now + soft fins.

Are the fins the most dangerous part or is hitting someone with the nose as dangerous?

The most dangerous part of the board is the rider...

I would think it far more common to hit someone with the nose/rails of your board than with the fins. Boards out of control (whether through falling off or not being able to control the board in waves) can go anywhere; and sometimes despite the best of intentions people will just get in your way. However, if you learn to properly control your board when paddling eg turtle rolls; and stay away from as many people as you can while you learn to turn, then you are minimising the risk. Also remember that if you are surfing an 8ft board plus an 8ft leash and your foot is 6ft from your head, then the board can hit anyone within a 22ft radius of where your eyes are. That's quite a big area - obviously you cant always keep everyone out of that radius, but if you know they are at risk you can adjust your surfing appropriately.

Of course, as a person in the water its also your responsibility to keep out of the way of people surfing - for example, don't paddle through or near the take off zone (where most people fall off); don't make unpredictable moves if someone is coming towards you etc.

Fins can cause bad injuries if they are too sharp. The back edge of some hard fins are made really sharp and if they hit your leg or something can actually cause a deep cut. Boards will generally give you an impact, bruising or perhaps worse around the face; but fins can be worse and can cause injury anywhere. However this is very easy to fix - just sand down the edges of the fin so they are about 1mm wide ie not sharp whatsoever. It will make absolutely no difference to your surfing (well, maybe its the difference between 99% and 100%, but none of us are at 99% so it will make no difference). Of course, they are still hard and can smack someone.

I started off using pro teck fins and even though I kept out of the way of people and found my own little quiet spots to surf (luckily I wasn't learning in HK!), I did find that having the soft edge fins gave me a little extra confidence, both in terms of not hurting myself and being less concerned about hurting others.