Still Unsure on What board to get (First Timer)

[baflow]

Hello everyone,

My names Bryan and I recently graduated college and one thing i have always wanted to do was surf. Now that i am done with school and it is summer i would like to start surfing. I am 6'1" and 200lbs and i live in the northeast of the US (Long Island). I have read the charts and the other topics and i still am unsure of what size and type of board to get as i have never surfed a day in my life. My debate is between and longboard and a short board. Part of me wants to get a shortboard for the challenge, and to learn how to pop up on a short board since its different than a long board. but i guess a long board is better for a beginner, any help from you guys and gals would be greatly appreciated

[drowningbitbybit]

I am 6'1" and 200lbs ... i have never surfed a day in my life....debate is between and longboard and a short board. ... challenge,

Longboard. Full stop, end of story.
You're a complete beginner and a big guy. It'll be enough of a challenge on any board let alone a short board. Noone needs learning to be an extra challenge as then it just gets frustrating and boring.

[oldmansurfer]

I guess it depends on the level of fitness and determination you have to learn to short board and how much time you can spend in the water and how much waves there are over there. Basically it will take you much longer to learn to stand on a short board whereas a longboard you should be able to stand the first day. If you really want to ride a short board and are determined to stick to it then go for the short board but plan on spending a lot of time not catching waves initially. If you are not fit then the longboard is better or plan on even longer time not catching waves. Besides learning how to use a board you need to learn about waves so if you are already familiar from boogey boarding or body surfing then this would shorten the time to learn on a short board. The thing is if you want to really ride a short board after riding a longboard it will still take a while to learn to short board but that time may be less if you got more fit and learned about waves more while riding a longboard. I quit surfing for a long time after surfing a short board only for years. When I restarted I was out of shape and out of practice and basically I had to learn all over. I started with a 9'6" longboard planning on going to a short board however I got an 8 foot fun gun and don't think at my age (60) I will go any shorter although it's possible. I can surf my 8 foot fun gun close enough to what I want to do on a short board so I am happy with it. so that might be another option (an in between sized board). It will be a little more difficult than a long board but still much easier than a short board.

[dtc]

As Old Man says, if you are going to surf a lot and have determination and persistence, then you can try a shortboard.

But even people who start on long boards find that they need to have persistence and determination, its not something that comes in one or two sessions. Surfing is 'all or nothing' - either you get everything working and surf a wave, or you miss the wave or fall off or whatever ie you arent surfing. Its like riding a bike - you are either riding or laying on the ground; its not like (say) golf where you can hit the ball but not very well when you learn but still sort of be playing golf. In other words, the easier it is to get to the point of actually surfing, the better, the more enjoyable and the less frustrating. Not being able to get to the point of being able to surf for a long time (ie starting on a shortboard) may be just too much for some people, particularly if you have never surfed.

A longboard will last you 12 months to several years, depending on your frequency of surfing, before you will even start thinking you want another board. You then may wish to get another board, which is fine - but dont plan for what might happen in 2 years time, pick the best board for now. Then figure out the best board when you want to buy it in 2 years. Every beginner thinks they want to surf shortboards and therefore will buy their dream board straight away, 99% of them never get to the skill level required without then buying another longer board to actually learn on. Those shortboarders you see flying around on the surf generally have been surfing since they were 10, have been surfing for 15years and surfing 2-3 times per week. Once you have done that, go for whatever board you want!

The best board for now is a longboard. 9ft x 22 inch x 2 5/8 or thereabouts. One or three fin probably doesnt matter too much. Even a cheap longboard will be fine. Those measurements are approx

At your weight, even good (ie very experienced) surfers will be surfing pretty big boards - I mean, they might be only 6ft6 long but will be pretty wide and thick - not your standard white pointy nosed shortboard that you see 100s of in every shop. Those shortboards are for 160lb short guys who can already surf. Even if you want to go short, those typical shortboards are absolutely the totally wrong thing for you, you need something much bigger. Plus once you have your 5mm wetsuit and gloves and booties and hoodie etc, you will weigh even more!