Surfing Waves

so im a very begginner surfer, i am 150 pounds and 6´3. i have obviously read and heard that the longer boards like 7ft and up are better for begginers to learn which i am aware of. but just want to get a concentive if its really neccessary to get a long board now if im going to purchase a short board later, would it be really that much harder to start surfing on a short board, because i really want to get into tricks and such and i live in florida were wave heights are not that big most of the time, please give feedback thank you. and if you can basically point the type of board and height and etc i can get than that would be appreciated, if you are as tall as me then i would love for you to share your board specs or your first board.

Yes, you need a longboard. And at 6'3 with the small waves of florida, think 9'+, not 7ft.
It's not about tricks yet, and wont be for quite a few years to come. Trying to learn on a shortboard, particularly on small waves, just leads to frustration.

thanks for the reply, but another question that has been bugging me for a while. because of such cheap prices i want to buy a board at ron jon, i do know that they are pop outs but would it really matter much to learn how to surf for a year or 2 on a pop out surfboard or should i really buy a hand shaped board?

btw why does small waves inflict on the decision for a 9ft+ just out of pure curiousity.

Are you ready Eddy, the simple reason that long boards are suggested over and over again in the various, what board should I choose is this;

The shorter the board the harder it is to paddle simple and straight off, short boards are the Formula 1 boards they work at high speed and skill level ( that doesn't mean a good longboarder is less skilled).
Because short boards require the skill the speed and paddle power beginners struggle for a lot longer to get up to abilities that allow them to be a part of the lineup.
This is especially so in small waves as there is not the power to drive a shorter board unless you are highly skilled.
As for tricks, sorry, most of things people do are manoeuvres that position and work for their riding on the wave, aerials may be considered tricks by some, but they out of reach of most average surfers as they can't generate the speed or control to do them consistently.
What are the tricks you want to do

Some of the pop outs are OK to learn on for a couple of years, if the guys at the shop seem to know their stuff talk to them if you have friends who surf go with them to the shop. As you progress you will know more of what you want to do in surfing and in board type.
But since you are a tall person I suggest until you get capable, go long a short board is more frustrating to learn on.
Have a read through the posts other beginners have made, might help you a bit too.

ok thank you but the other question i had asked do i really have to go so high to a 9ft or can i comfort my self with a 7.6 or an 8?

I suggest if you really don't want to get into longboarding, try a fish! Maybe around 5'8-5'10 in size. It's nice and wide and floaty with lower entry rocker than shortboards yet you can still whip it around and make turns and cutbacks when you're more skilled. Plus they're cheaper than longboards so you can go with a good new one from a good known shaper. My suggestion, go find a local shaper that knows the local surf and what best suits it, knows your story and your size and have him recommend what would be best for you and he can shape you something exactly for what you want. I concur in steering clear from shortboards if I were you because you'll only use them on chest high days anyways when you're more experienced.

here's a pic of Rusty's version:

eddy2258 wrote:ok thank you but the other question i had asked do i really have to go so high to a 9ft or can i comfort my self with a 7.6 or an 8?

ya you don't nessesarily have to go completely longboard if you don't want. If you don't go fish like I said above or don't go full out longboard (which are a BLAST! I'm 155 lbs and have a 9'0 longboard and LOVE it to death!) you can go mini mal (basically a mini longboard in shape) with an 8'0 or maybe as low as a 7'6 but what we're saying is that with a good 9'0 or so you can start right away catching surf and continue to refine and hone your skills over YEARS getting better and better because longboarding is complex. There's so many different aspects to it. And I think after you get the hang of it you'd feel much more secure then ADDING to your collection a shorter board like a hybrid or a fish. Really unless you plan on traveling a shortboard won't do you much good anyways.

Old song, "do what you wanna do be what ya wanna be" by the Easybeats comes to mind for Eddy,.
Really mate look at information, you've already made up your mind so don't worry about a consensus of opinion it's all been laid out for you just go surfing and find out for yourself now.

Drowning, hand me the brick wall emoticon

Z mann R2 wrote: if you really don't want to get into longboarding, try a fish! Maybe around 5'8-5'10 in size. [/img]

Possibly the worst bit of advice you can give to a learner.
Fish arent suitable for beginners even if they are floaty - they're skatey which is fun in skilled hands, but just means wobbly to a beginner.
Also, fish arent great for tall/heavy people. By the time they can float someone 6ft+, they've lost the advantages of the small dimensions.

Oh, and jaffa... click on 'view more smilies' and then you too can

...but, i want to be cool like Kelly...
...i been skateboarding down mountainous hills for years...
...my girlfriend likes the pointy nose on shortboard...
...i ride mountain bikes really fast in the forest...
...i can't swim well, but that doesn't matter...
...i'm fairly tall so a potato chip-sized board is OK, right?...
...i can pay less for shortboard than longboard...
...longboards are big ol' white things; i want a colorful short board...
...only a shortboard will fit inside my car....
...i don't know anything about surfing, but that doesn't matter....
...well, in Chinese "yes" means "no" and "no" means "yes"...
...i've never even been on a lake, what does it matter?....
...i rode a snow board once...
...my cousin's second-best friend's friend showed me a picture in a surfing magazine and said, "surfing is so easy that even llamas can do it"....

billie_morini wrote:...but, i want to be cool like Kelly...
...i been skateboarding down mountainous hills for years...
...my girlfriend likes the pointy nose on shortboard...
...i ride mountain bikes really fast in the forest...
...i can't swim well, but that doesn't matter...
...i'm fairly tall so a potato chip-sized board is OK, right?...
...i can pay less for shortboard than longboard...
...longboards are big ol' white things; i want a colorful short board...
...only a shortboard will fit inside my car....
...i don't know anything about surfing, but that doesn't matter....
...well, in Chinese "yes" means "no" and "no" means "yes"...
...i've never even been on a lake, what does it matter?....
...i rode a snow board once...
...my cousin's second-best friend's friend showed me a picture in a surfing magazine and said, "surfing is so easy that even llamas can do it"....

Patronising doesn't help, we were all new once. If your post brings nothing productive, is it worth hitting the submit button?

drowningbitbybit wrote:

Z mann R2 wrote: if you really don't want to get into longboarding, try a fish! Maybe around 5'8-5'10 in size. [/img]

Possibly the worst bit of advice you can give to a learner.
Fish arent suitable for beginners even if they are floaty - they're skatey which is fun in skilled hands, but just means wobbly to a beginner.
Also, fish arent great for tall/heavy people. By the time they can float someone 6ft+, they've lost the advantages of the small dimensions.

Oh, and jaffa... click on 'view more smilies' and then you too can

BS! My pops got me a floaty fish when I was little and I learned on that. Did I eat it a few times getting the hang of it? Yeah. But anyone with a sense of balance can learn on those. I don't believe every answer for a beginner is "get a longboard".....thousands of surfers have learned on shortboards/fishes/funshapes/etc......

It depends on if you're a fat loaf of an old man with no sense of balance or a young lil kid or a mid sized dude with good athletisism and balance or whatever! You learn on what fits you best and from what this guy is saying, he's only 150lbs and seems like he's got a decent amount ability to help....he'll be fine on anything but a shortboard in that surf

Z mann R2 wrote: You learn on what fits you best and from what this guy is saying, he's only 150lbs and seems like he's got a decent amount ability to help....he'll be fine on anything but a shortboard in that surf

HI Eddy and everyone else on this thread, it sure is about learning on whatever, just some whatevers are a little easier.

Eddy why don't you let us know your choice after all the advice and keep us posted on your progress.
In fact a learners progress diary would be almost more helpful than years of experience because maybe,just maybe we've forgotten what it was like to learn.
For bigger guys it's about volume for float, and as we all find out somewhere surf fitness is different from other fitness.
Anyway let the old hands squabble about how to do it now and just go surfing on your choice and tell us how you go.

Dunno, Ricky, maybe we should take a poll.

Lots of great info here guys. I enjoyed reading your posts. I myself have just moved to the gulf coast, 5'9" 165 pounds, athletic but very very minimal surfing experience. Looks like boards in the 7'10" - 9' size is what I need. Any suggestions on BRANDS for boards in that size range? and conversly, brands NOT to buy? A local shop has suggested 7S (specifically superfish II x2 model) and NSP funboards. Thanks!!!

PS... ideally something I can "grow into" a bit. I'd like to avoid buying a board only to want a new one within a few months.

I have always been taught to obtain a surfboard two(2) to six(6) inches taller than my own height.
I have surfed the resin of many a 'board as specified above, even while learning.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the boards I started on.
I thoroughly enjoy the boards I ride now.
I am not nine foot tall.
I now possess a nine foot gun.
I also possess nine six longboard
I now make the ultra short pocketboard ®

Sooooo - I reckon get a custom board a foot over your height and then go do some paddling and use the board as wave tool to get you surfing.

Glad to be of assistance ! lol.

My $00.02

Thanks. Again, would like some brand/model suggestions. I'm sure I'll end up with several boards as esoncar (above) has, but I'm trying to avoid buying a board that is SOO beginner that I'll be bored in no time with it in no time. As with most of you, money IS an issue. I'm not going to spend a thousand dollars on a first board nor do I have a ton of money to buy multiple boards within a short period of time. Looking for a decent, respectable board, catches good waves in this gulf coast mush, stable but not a bear to turn without breaking the bank. (I know, I'm wanting it all, lol) Any help is appreciated!

captainmatt wrote:Thanks. Again, would like some brand/model suggestions. I'm sure I'll end up with several boards as esoncar (above) has, but I'm trying to avoid buying a board that is SOO beginner that I'll be bored in no time with it in no time.

Firstly, there is no such thing as a board that is soo beginner that you will get bored with it(well, apart from foam boards). There are boards that are better for beginners, but experts will and can and do still ride them. I suspect almost everyone has a long board tucked away somewhere, even if its only used for the 1ft days and its easy to find some impressive long board surfing on youtube. So dont worry that you will outgrow a board, its not like a bike with training wheels.

Both of the boards you suggested are ok, but I would lean to the funboard over the superfish. The superfish is often the board you move to after you learn to surf - ie in about 2 years time. This may suggest to you that getting the superfish is 'better' because you can 'grow into it'. My view is that this is sort of like (to continue the bike analogy), deciding at 10 to buy a bike you can grow into, and therefore getting a full sized racing bike. Sure you will grow into it; but you will struggle for a lot longer than buying a proper sized bike.

The funboard (really a mini mal) will be more stable, easier to paddle and easier to catch waves with. It may be 'slower' and harder to turn than the fish, but take it on trust that you are at least 150hrs of surfing away from worrying about that (so 6 months if you surf every day; 2 years if you are a weekend surfer).

If you nonetheless want the superfish, makes sure you get at least the 7ft3 and highly recommend you get the 8ft version.It wont be a bad buy.