Surfing Waves

Hey guys,

So here's the deal. I've been surfing for 4-5 months, probably 2x's a week, so I'm still a novice. I've been using a 7'9 Bic mini mal pop out and I've been getting pretty frustrated trying to get past the bigger waves. I eventually do make it out there, but would like to spare myself from losing all my energy. I've tried the turtle roll... which sort of works... and duck diving is out of the picture. I'm about 5'5 and weigh 145 lbs. One of my guy friends did manage to wrestle my board into a duck dive, but I don't have his manly muscles. I'm going to the Outer Banks for the summer so I can surf all the time and I'm considering getting a short board. I know it'll be really difficult at first, but I'm getting tired of not being able to duck dive. I tried paddling out on my friend's 6'9.. it felt wobbly at first, but I think it's do-able after some practice. The question is... 1. Is it unwise to make such a leap from a mini mal to a short board? 2. What sort of size should I get? Any advice at all would be much appreciated. Thanks!

minmal - shortboard shouldnt pose a huge problem most people i know made that jump A shortboard with a touch more width and volume would make the transition even easier

isaluteyou wrote:minmal - shortboard shouldnt pose a huge problem most people i know made that jump A shortboard with a touch more width and volume would make the transition even easier

yeah just what isaluteyou said, get a larger shortboard and there's no reason that with the amount of times you'll be going out surfing that you'll make the transition.