Surfing Waves

I can Body Board very well and have a good understanding of the waves, breaks, and everything, and have been surfing as well on and off for about 2 years on a 7'2 board. I've completely mastered this board and it's length bothers me soooo much! Recently I've been going surfing/body boarding ALOT more and am DEFINITELY going to keep up! I use the 7'2 board pretty much everything below chest and I body board everything above that. So I am 5'5 and weigh 125lbs and want to go for a about a 6' shortboard. The only problem is I don't really know what I should get and have been looking around and talking to people with no luck. I know I can take the frustration and will put in work to go down to such a smaller board.

So what is a board I should I get?

Just depends on where you are and the wave you're planning to ride. I know it sounds silly but get with a local shaper and check what they think you should get.

I'll be surfing in chest high to overhead waves.

Get a full on short board then!

*Sigh* I DONT know what dimensions I should get or what brand/model or whatever.

Well do a Google search for shapers in your area...if you want to get generic with it just get an epoxy pop out. I hear good things about FireWire although I've never ridden one. You gotta be willing to do the research yourself seeing as how you haven't really given a specific location. If you were on Oahu I'd tell you to go to shapers alley in wahiawa. Or even visit the surf factory outlet in kapolei. But once again all you've said is you'll be surfing in waist to overhead. What kind of waves will they be mushy? Or clean throwing barrels? Are they slopey or are they pitchy, these are all things yout should be able to get from your local shaper, so DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Side note a typical shortboard is only a few inches taller than you to a few inches shorter than you.

Thanks man, I have been researching INTENTLY. And I wish I lived on Oahu!!

I reckon go something 6ft4 to 6ft6 and reasonably wide (20 inches or so). This wont be your last board, but to transition down from the 7ft2. Then you can go for the full on shortboard, 18inches wide and so forth after that if you want. Keep the rocker reasonably low, thruster and tail is up to you (rounded pin or square I guess). Once you get below 7ft/into shortboard shapes, things change a bit so you will need a transition board.

Almost every surf shop will sell second hand shortboards and there seem to be 100s of them for sale. Just find one that looks about right and buy it and surf it. It wont be perfect but it will give you an idea of where you are at and where to go next. The guys who know what board they exactly want are the guys who have been surfing for 15yrs+ and have used 50+ different boards and surfed 100 different waves. Having used only 1 board in limited locations, you honestly will have no idea what works for you best, no matter how much internet research you do.

So I wouldnt go too short, stick somewhere around the low to mid 6ft, and dont go too narrow or too thin (although at 125lb you can probably not worry too much about thickness). You arent looking for the board kelly slater surfs, you are looking for a general medium performance board.

Then in a year or whenever, or after you board breaks on the 8ft re-entry, you buy a new one. Or sell your board back to the shop and swap for another one. And then you will know a little bit more about yourself and what you like, or didnt like.

Also a thing to watch out for don't go for a mini gun!

dtc is spot on for a transition board. at 125lbs you can surf 6ft boards no problem, but if you get a thin narrow one you will get frustrated as heck in the beginning. So, start with a longer thicker one as a transition from 7'2, then down to the 6ft board you are supposed to ride.

6'4 is good, if you go 19 1/4 to 19 1/2 wide and 2 3/8 to 2 1/2 thick you should be fine. The good thing is that this 6'4 will eventually become your step-up board once you go down to the 6'0 (or smaller) size.

For your weight and size, if you were more experienced, would be 6'0 x 19 x 2 1/4, or 5'10

Thanks guys, being fairly new to surfing it's more of a challenge finding what's right really. And I'll be going to a local surf shop tomorrow so if I get a board there I'll post it!

Hey Padoodlez,
What country are you located in and what breaks do you regularly surf?
billie

Try this volume calculator out on the Firewire website http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/surfboards_volume_calc.php and I would either find a board you like from FW or buy a new or second hand that matches the spec for your ability. Its a good starter.

billie_morini wrote:Hey Padoodlez,
What country are you located in and what breaks do you regularly surf?
billie

I'm located in United States and surf beach breaks.

Padoodlez wrote:

billie_morini wrote:Hey Padoodlez,
What country are you located in and what breaks do you regularly surf?
billie

I'm located in United States and surf beach breaks.

Don't be shy the States has 2 1/2 Coast + the Great Lakes where will tell us how to advise you better.
East, West,gulf, lefts, rights we know they are beach breaks large variety there!

jaffa1949 wrote:

Padoodlez wrote:

billie_morini wrote:Hey Padoodlez,
What country are you located in and what breaks do you regularly surf?
billie

I'm located in United States and surf beach breaks.

Don't be shy the States has 2 1/2 Coast + the Great Lakes where will tell us how to advise you better.
East, West,gulf, lefts, rights we know they are beach breaks large variety there!

I surf in Rhode Island and mainly Second Beach. I only go out when the waves are chest or higher.

Some nice breaks to challenge your game the boards Dtc suggest are the go get a little bit of body in something 6'3 to 6'6 that is 22" wide and 2 3/4 to 3"thick . get your game going and hit Ruggles in SE swell with NW winds and you will fly!
for an OS trip I'd be looking at Old Harbour at Block Island some good choices if you want to drive on the Narragansett down to Point Judith.

BTW if you know your etiquette and can surf at a int3ermediate level try some of the points consistency in take off points and wave behaviour really helps up your game!

jaffa1949 wrote:Some nice breaks to challenge your game the boards Dtc suggest are the go get a little bit of body in something 6'3 to 6'6 that is 22" wide and 2 3/4 to 3"thick . get your game going and hit Ruggles in SE swell with NW winds and you will fly!
for an OS trip I'd be looking at Old Harbour at Block Island some good choices if you want to drive on the Narragansett down to Point Judith.

BTW if you know your etiquette and can surf at a int3ermediate level try some of the points consistency in take off points and wave behaviour really helps up your game!

That's a big board, ALOT of volume! You don't think it's a bit much considering im only 125/130? I would think it would be a challenge to duck dive under oncoming sets?

No you can trim down if you feel confident that is the upper range of size , check out the firewire volume chart and go from there,. I'd say this if your instincts are saying no to a size and shape don't consider it.Go with your gut feelings. You have enough experience so you probably really know best . And yes the greater the volume the harder to duckdive
Enjoy