by Rickyroughneck » Fri Apr 22, 2011 11:31 am
Firstly, if you are a complete beginner I would reccomend against buying a surfboard. Rent a few different ones to see what you like!
I would not go for a longboard though, anything too long becomes unweildy and hard to maneouver in the water (turning to paddle for a wave etc). For your size I would try something in the 7ft to 8ft range; they will (shape permitting) be just as easy to paddle as a longboard and will have the added benefit of being easier to handle both in and out of the water.
Try to go as wide as possible for your first board.
Personally I would go for an NSP as your first board. There is a lot of hate against them on these boards, but they are good boards for beginner to intermediate and will be really easy to resell. One of my favourite rides was the NSP 7'6" funboard, and that would probably be a good starting point. They do surf betty surfboards, if that is your thing, but I think they are just recoloured boards from the normal range. I have never ridden one, but you could get a bic instead. If you go for a bic, try and go for the epoxy layered bics, (the boards without a plastic cap on the end). They are lighter, and created in a MUCH better way.