Beginer boards, look here if you wonder what to get

[jaffa1949]

Good Basic board doesn't look to be any yellowing. You'll just have to power up to carry.
if it has travelled for SA to NZed then a much loved board. .
PS hope you weren't too disturbed by Kiakoura's earthquake you were a good way distant.

[Zoefallsdown]

Yeah, manawatu, so all good, but it felt pretty big! Thanks for all your help, I'll try the board out this weekend!

[sway218]

Hi All,
Looks like there is some great advice on here...so maybe you can send me in a good direction. I have been riding the 8ft foamie Wavestorm board. I can paddle in and catch unbroken waves and easily catch whitewater. I can popup confidently (most of the time) and turn a bit. I am looking to transition to a "real" board as recommended by the past 2 instructors. They think the foamie is holding me back from improving, but did not have clear guidance on a new board. I've tried a funshape 7'3" board without much of an issue, but it felt a bit clunky.

I am a 39 yr old, 5 ft, 110 lb, mom of two little ones, getting more in shape everyday, and newly obsessed with surfing. I started in July 2016 in SoCal and have been working out everyday since to get better conditioned. I don't mind a challenge and once upon a time I competed in wakeboarding/trick skiing. I am going on my 29th day of surfing...I know it must sound pathetic. I live in Florida (USA) with small dumpy waves (3-4 ft) most of the time. I got a taste on Hawaii and it is inspiration to work my butt off to get good enough truly surf it.

My challenge is finding a board that will allow me to work on turns and is appropriate for my size/weight. Just like everyone on this forum, I want to shred it on a short board someday...but I am realistic and want to take the right steps to improve.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

[Tudeo]

Something around 8' epoxy longboard shape, with not too much rocker, that works best in little surf. If you later go to a shortboard it is always good to have a longboard for if the waves don't have enough power.
Epoxy board are more ding resistant, that's an important feature for beginners

[saltydog]

I'm close to your body size and age and I started out on wavestorm about 1.5 years ago. After a while I went on to a 9' longboard for a while then mostly rode/still ride boards between 7' and 9'. I've been told it's the rider that make a board turn and I agree with that. So if "clunky" means hard to turn then as you practice more you'd be able to maneuver it better than now. If 7'3 funshape has worked well then that might be a good size and shape to look for in your next board. Down the road, you can always keep it as your small wave board or sell it to make room for other boards. Going short too soon can cause quite a bit of frustration as well as slower progress.

[saltyridersco]

Hi all,

I first took up surfing a few years ago and started on a fish but found it was only hindering my progress. Unless you are able to get out in the surf a few times a week, I wouldn't recommend it. I ended up purchasing a minimal and progressed so much quicker after this. My ride time increased ten fold which is really what you need when learning!

I have done up a blog post comparing the pros and cons of different beginner boards. Check it out if your not sure what surfboard to go for: http://blog.saltyridersco.com/surfboards-to-fast-track-your-learning/

Happy surfing legends!

[Rmartins25]

Hello
I'm new at surf and at surfing waves forum.

I ride (try) a Manual Board 7.0x21.1x2.5 epoxy with 42l since 1 month. I start with foamy then go to 7.6 and 7.0 torq models on surf school. Now I bought the Manual Board and it's been hard to surf...very hard work to paddle and catch waves. I surf every weekend in Angola...Cabo Ledo left waves. Chest to head waves, slow but but very nice to learn.

I'm thinking maybe I went short to fast or bad choice with shape choice.

Maybe you can comment this and try to help me to understand if I need to change board.

Cheers to all and thank you for the comments and help.

[theascen]

If I'm diaper waste after this then so be it ...but hear me out without snowballing me or pulling my leash on the drop in.

Synopsis.
Not your usual surfing analytics.

Stats Overview.

Age: middle aged..
Race: lol..as if that...Serious tho..
Weight: 140lbs (wet and suited)
Ability: Agil, balanced, lightly agro unless I get super pumped on a perfect day street or mountain, in which I get super agro and flawless. I can sk8 & sno circles around my age in my area or even within a younger generation gap. Call me a knuckle dragger with swagger. I'll take what I can get.
Experience: "surfing" last wave caught...1989, 3-4 waves, spring trade swell... 7-8', outter banks NC, with a rented "In the Eye" 6'. I don't remember shape, width?, tri fin. I finally stood up once, then got leashed yanked by a 2x older jealous nut tard wave pirate that tried to snake me on my drop in. All that drama trama to the side.

I know a fish board is what I need cause I will progress quickly if waters and bogarts are civil.

I'm sure my sideways experience and style is a huge leap in being directed towards the right board. If those who never really surfed at first but loved the other board sports before.

I'd like to hear from all who were experienced in street and pipe sk8ing & snowboarding; who ripped it up back in the days, but want that same catch on quick agro feel in a once a month 4-7' glass-choppy all around surfboard till the next level. I do like ollies, 180, grabs, reverts, cutbacks, floats slides or grinds. Even old school hang tens walk the plank or hand stands if enibrated enough.

I hope this helps. Ask away. I'm sure to relate and listen. Even it means down grading to a fun board.

Thx

[oldmansurfer]

Are you saying you haven't surfed from 1989 and want to start up again? It's not real clear. Perhaps you need to be more precise? Snowboarding skateboarding doesn't translate well to surfing so however good you are plan on being lousy surfing for a while.

[dtc]

90% of surfing is to get to the stage where you are standing and surfing along a wave face. So you are probably around 5% there with your previous history.

But I'm too old to interpret most of your jargon, so I may be wrong.

[jaffa1949]

Google translate doesn’t do drivel. Apart from our international forumites English is our first language.
But seriously you are probably like a lot of capable people in other board sports and need some serious downgrading of where you think you stand.
All board sports other than surfing you are all ready standing so no need of pop up skill , other board sports since you are already standing all you have to do is point down hill.

Surfing you have to paddle out to the break, through the waves, turn around match speed in paddling and adjust to the wave you are trying to catch ,catch it and pop up.
All capable surfers have been Ego busted and humbled in their early days.
Your street jargon makes me think you want to look and sound cool, like the YouTube gnarly dude. To all the surfers you meet in the water that will be totally unimpressive, you just look like a failing try hard.

Your previous experience of having your leash pulled and having aggression directed at you may have come from you being totally unaware of the etiquette and unwritten rules of surfing , about what dropping In is and snaking too.

Next your board, unless you can paddle well, pop up well, read the waves and beach, a fish of any is going to be a waste of your money, as you won’t be able to do any of those skills easily.
Fish are made for capable surfers who can drive the board from rail to rail with their skill.

You need a longer basic fun board at least 8ft in length.
Please get over yourself get a suitable board go out and have fun , with the attitude you have shown first off, your surf life will be a battleground if you carry that attitude into the water

[scommetix]

Hi. I am also looking for a beginer board. Any sugestions? :)

[jaffa1949]

Scommetix, welcome , some things to answer so we can help, age, weight height, current level of fitness, what beaches in what country?
How often you plan to go surfing, stuff like that.
Lots of advice already offered, so have a read around the forum! But hey let us know those details!

[riparoni]

Whats up guys. I have been trying to surf for about 7 months now and I have been skating around 11 years now. I probably get in the water 2-3 times a month. I am a 5'8" male that weighs around 135 and is 26 years old. I live in the bay area so I have been surfing pacifica, HMB, and ocean beach. I have a wavestorm 8', and two short boards that are too hard to surf right now. The other two boards I have are a 6'8" roger hinds and a 6' pearsons arrow. They both seem too hard for me right now. Should I keep surfing the wavestorm till I can surf the 6'8" or should I get a minimal thats between 7-8' and like 21" wide and 2 and 3/4" thick? How does the wavestorm hinder you from progressing?

My goals are to get barreled and do rail turns up and down the wave. Please let me know what you guys think. Thank you so much for your time.

PS if anyone wants to go surf with me on the weekends hmu! I need some surf buddies.

[jaffa1949]

Ripa, the wave storm is good for now, your assessment of the difficulty of the shorter boards is right on the mark!
The Wavestorm at your current stage is not a hinderance!
Wave catching. Basic bottom turns, surfing across the face, increasing intensity of top and bottom turns both forehand and back hand.
Then I would suggest something around 8ft and 22" by 3" with 2+1 fin set up to play with fins when your skills are progressing well.
The two boards around 6ft will be a work in progress and as you get surf fit and skill they will let you go further.

Compared to your skateability your progress may seems a little slow, but all of the boards you have can do all you see the skilled surfers do, you just need to develop a similar skill set
Enjoy the journey!

[riparoni]

Thanks so much Jaffa!

[surfkook]

Hey guys I've got a board question and would be happy about your input

I started surfing about 2,5 years ago, turned 30 years old a few months ago, and can only surf in my holidays - that's 5-6 mostly non consecutive weeks per year in the water - and am 5'10 (178cm) and around 170 pounds (77kg).
I surf mostly european beach breaks, most often in Portugal and the Canary Islands in normal conditions from 1-6ft approx.
As I posted in another thread I'm looking into spending 1 year of work to focus only on surfing, but that's probably a few years away, if it's at all possible

I've got a 7'10 NSP Funboard (22 1/16, 3 1/16 with 57 liters) and it's working good for me. I can paddle and catch waves easily and early, my take off is fine and I'm stable enough on the board so that I can focus on learning and improving the fundamentals like trimming, turning and cutting back to the peak etc..

The board is good for all that but it's also quite heavy and I've tried a few pu boards of similar size and like the feel much better than the epoxy sandwich construction. I'm also aware that it's nearly indestructable and therefore good for traveling as I always have to travel to get to the waves.

Still I'm thinking of getting a Fatum Buffer and would appreciate your opinion:
https://fatumsurfboards.com/product/boards/buffer/
I'm thinking about the 7'8 or 8'0 version.

I'm fascinated by longboarding and having started surfing so late I'm wondering sometimes if I really want to try and progress towards the shorter/hybrid/smaller funboards or if I'd rather get a longboard and trying myself at longboarding. I know of course that becoming a competent longboarder is as difficult if not impossible at my age as becoming a competent shortboarder.

But I don't want to get ahead of myself and want to focus on the basics.
I don't want to get a longboard right now, for travelling reasons but also because I believe it's harder to improve on a proper longboard than on my mini-mal.

Do you think getting a shortened longboard like the board I posted above is a sensible idea? My thoughts are that maybe it's forgiving enough so I can continue to learn easily and also try myself at some longboarding basics without having to get a full on longboard just yet?
I know i can always keep the NSP as it's working great, but still thinking about getting the much lighter PU mini longboard.

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas!

[dtc]

I don’t know that board specifically but it looks pretty good (the dolphin also looks reasonable). NSPs are, as you say, indestructible and heavy but aren’t necessarily the most refined boards

I too much prefer PU boards to epoxy, so agree with you there!

If you want light boards, FireWire boards are very light

[surfkook]

Thanks dtc!

[martajunquera]

Heyy, I´m an beginner-intermediate surfer. I would like to buy an around 6 feet funboard. Does anybody know any cheap brands?