Surfboard for a beginner while travelling

[Jac]

I'm 5'6, 108lbs, above average fitness, female, still fairly a beginner.

I've had experience on a 7'2 funboard in Siargao (Cloud 9, which is a super awesome place and everyone should visit) and can pop up successfully 90% of the time and turn (with a lot of effort, damn the board was tough to manuveur) to ride the face of the wave instead of whitewater. Granted there is lot of room for improvement on my paddling and I have yet to grasp reading waves but I hope this comes with experience! Was there for about a week clocking in 4 hours a day on 3ft (4ft on the better day) waves.

I live in the city so there are no waves near where I am hence I usually take surf trips out to neighbouring countries. I'll probably only be riding small waves for a good long while.

So... I was thinking of getting a custom board in Bali (where I'll be heading next) which is about a million idr. As I'll be travelling quite a bit to Maldives, California and back to Siargao again I wanted a board that I can easily check in (probably max 6'2). Question is, would it be wise to purchase in my situation? And also would 6'2 be a suitable length? I know I should probably rent boards and get more time in the water but board rentals are usually ex unless it's places like Indonesia or Phillipines.

[dtc]

You have a whole raft of competing needs and requirements - which is not unusual, its just that somewhere you need to make compromises.

At your height/weight, something around 7 - 7ft6 is a good starting board; and is a good board for smaller waves.

However, if you don't want to travel with a board that long you are hitting your compromise. Do you want a board that is harder to surf or a board that is harder to travel with? 6ft3 is a pretty short board even for a light person like yourself at your stage of learning; and its not necessarily a great board for smaller waves. However, there is no doubt you can learn on a short board and there are plenty of threads on the topic. Its just harder - and since you are surfing periodically and still learning, extra hard. Perhaps too hard?

Most airlines will take 6ft6 boards, many will take longer boards - some are fine for up to 9ft. So have a look at the airlines you are most likely to travel with and start from there. eg Air Asia allows 9ft boards; flights into known surfing destinations usually cater pretty well for surfers.

Personally I would aim for a 6ft10 to 7ft funboard shape. I know you found the one you use hard to turn, but that's more your skill level than the board's fault - sure your weight is a factor as well, but women your size can surf and turn 9ft6 longboards so its not totally the board. You could go more a hybrid shape (which is a wide board like a funboard, but with a more pointier nose)

If you don't want that length, then the widest board you can get for the length you want, with a flattish rocker ('nose curve') and a wider tail. So a fish style or an 'egg' board. Stay well away from pointy nose high performance boards for the moment

[Jac]

Thanks dtc, that was helpful.

I know, should probably grab a longer board to ease the learning curve but I'm taking Tiger air to Maldives and they limit sport equipments to 190cm x 60cm x 80cm. But I think I'm dismissing custom and will probably try some variation of boards in Bali before purchasing from a shop? Is it wiser?

I am definitely staying away from pointy nose high performance boards haha but would you have any specific board recommendations?

Thanks man

[dtc]

Where are you planning to surf in the Maldives - I've never been there but understood that it was mostly reef breaks; some ok for lower skill levels but not all

Anyway, if you are getting a board custom made then the shaper should be able to help. For example, and keeping in mind that dimensions alone aren't everything, NSP has a hybrid board that is 6'4" x 21" x 2 3 /4" - something like that is what you are looking for (http://www.nspsurfboards.com/surf/produ ... ybrid--6-4). Not saying get the NSP, you can get a custom built one in Bali probably for less money that will be a better board; but that kind of shape and dimensions etc; or their funboard http://www.nspsurfboards.com/surf/produ ... s/fun--6-8 (this is probably the best, but it may be too long) or fish http://www.nspsurfboards.com/surf/produ ... /fish--6-4

I only picked the NSP because they were easily to hand plus NSP tend to make boards for the average surfer rather than the high performance or experienced surfer. Which is perfect for most of us; I'm only use them as examples not as recommendations (although they may well be suitable boards)

A decent shaper should be able to take your requirements and come up with something. I'm just saying keep it wide and thick, not to foiled (the thickness goes all the way through the board, there isnt a very thin nose for example) keep the nose wider than 'pointy', flattish rocker. I would stick with a thruster (3 fin) set up. Don't let the shaper push you into a higher performance board than you want - most wont but some will just try to get you onto their standard design regardless of whether it suits you or not

[Jac]

I'm staying at Hudhuranfushi for a few days so I've got access to Lohi's and a few other breaks around (Sultan's, Chicken's) but I'll probably see how conditions are when I get there. Not too worried about reefs as Cloud 9 was a reef to but I will definitely be extra careful.

I just afraid I won't have enough time for a custom board so I'll probable be on the look around for an NSP (or something similiar) then. But hey those shapes are pretty helpful, probably leaning towards the fish or hybrid.

Questions though, high performance board are dictated by? I have been under the impression that as long as a board is 'fat' and has sufficient volume it should be alright to ride for normal surfers, like Firewire's Potatonator. But then again Firewire boards are made for high performance no? I see the term high performance being thrown around everywhere.

[benjl]

Hi Jac

I brought a board in a surfshop in Kuta (just a few streets back from the main kuta beach) for only $390 and it included an epoxy board with carbon stringer, tail pad, fins, leash and a board bag! They had a tonne of really nice fishes like the nsp for the same price- good, strong glassing on them too (mine is 12oz on top with 10oz bottom).
The same package here would be like $900+ and the quality seems good.

Let me know if you want directions there? The shop had lots of different variants and I remember being tempted by one of their 5'10 x 22 1/2 x 2 3/4 fishes myself.

[jaffa1949]

Tiger air is not particularly helpful with a 190cm board limit, 6'3"in the old money.
However this may be helpful
http://www.maldivesurf.com/en/maldives- ... ental.html
Out of Male the capitol Male. The Maldives are a much easier option than Cloud 9 and Lohi's is particularly good. I'd also suggest contacting the agent you booked the resort through and see if they know more about board hire.
It is pointless going for surfing trip when the airline policy stops you using a board for your ability.
I travel with 9ft boards and always do my home work on the chances of my boards getting there no board I fly with someone else
You will have great fun at Lohi's.

[dtc]

Questions though, high performance board are dictated by? I have been under the impression that as long as a board is 'fat' and has sufficient volume it should be alright to ride for normal surfers, like Firewire's Potatonator. But then again Firewire boards are made for high performance no? I see the term high performance being thrown around everywhere.

No, volume is one of the least relevant measurements when it comes to 'high performance'. Well, perhaps not exactly, as high performance boards generally have low volume; but you cannot tell either the 'performance' level or the type of waves the board suits or the type of rider it suits just because of a particular volume. Its only one measurement relevant to whether a board suits a particular rider or skill level.

Performance of course is a relative term; no one can say Alex Knost on his (high volume) longboards isn't a high performance surfer. Generally 'high performance', when used correctly and not as a marketing term trying to sell boards to overly confident surfers (which it generally is - stoking egos is a good way to sell something), means a board that turns easily and hence you can do a lot of manoeuvres with it. There are any number of factors built into such a board, including rails, bottom shape, fin set up, rocker and outline; length and width are arguably the most important (its easier to turn a narrow short board than a wider longer board - but too narrow or too short and you 'drop off' the edge of actually being able to surf on it). Light, short and narrow boards will have low volume - but there are trade offs as well. These boards don't catch waves very well, they don't generate their own speed, they are unstable and twitchy, they don't work very well on 'fat waves' (like a lot of point waves).

Turning to the other side of the issue, volume is important for paddling and wave catching, no doubt. But boards of the same volume may be totally different and suited to totally different riders (and conditions) - see the second thread linked below. So volume, of itself, tells you nothing about whether a board is suitable for anything; volume in conjunction with factors such as length, width, outline, rocker, nose and all the other fun parts of the surfboard (which you can read about in the 'gear guide' link at the top of this page) will help you select a suitable board for what you want. Volume 'falls out' of the other factors - just as a short narrow board will be low volume, a longer wider thicker board, which suits low to intermediate surfers, will be higher volume.

But you can have higher volume boards best suited to advanced skills, for example - designed to be very twitchy and turny and 'loose' on small waves - if you can handle that type of board, its probably more suited to your style than a longboard for small waves. But if you are learning, its just a piece of soap.

That said, going back to the potatonator, if you are looking for a short board it may not be a terrible choice. I don't know too much about it, but it has a pretty good outline and rocker and dimensions. I wouldn't go too short (probably you 'should' be on a 5ft8 or something with your weight), but at around the 6ft3 mark that you are looking at, I think not a terrible choice from what I can see.

a couple of other threads looking at volume:

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=23265&hilit=+volume

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=23339&hilit=volume#p173164

[benjl]

Great info there dtc! Another example (from what I can gather) and similar to my other post on high volume shortboard vs similar volume longer board is on that Lost RV groveller.

It's incredibly high volume for its size (48L for 6'3) and is also very wide and thick 22 2/3 wide and nearly 3" thick. Those would typically be dimensions found on either long boards or boards best suited for beginners as they provide good float and stability.
However to make it more 'high performance' from their other groveller boards, they said that they thinned out the nose and added a double flyer on the tail so it can still hold for bigger waves.
They've also added in a V bottom design up the front and back to help it turn from rail to rail easy but also channel speed when on bigger waves.

Therefore they say it goes from 1-6ft so it will cater for the small-wave but provide some turning performance. Due to the performance characteristics they also think it is better suited to an 'intermediate-beginner' all the way to an expert as opposed to being best suited to a learner.
Perhaps also check the net for this board?

[drowningbitbybit]

It's incredibly high volume for its size (48L for 6'3) and is also very wide and thick 22 2/3 wide and nearly 3" thick. Those would typically be dimensions found on either long boards or boards best suited for beginners as they provide good float and stability.
However to make it more 'high performance' from their other groveller boards, they said that they thinned out the nose and added a double flyer on the tail so it can still hold for bigger waves.
They've also added in a V bottom design up the front and back to help it turn from rail to rail easy but also channel speed when on bigger waves.

If you need 48L (either due to wave size or surfing skill) then most of those 'high performance' details are entirely irrelevant, at least to the average surfer. Unless you're very very good, a tweak to the tail here and a change in the bottom channels there is going to make exactly zero difference as you try and control 48L of thick wide surfboard down a 6-foot face.

Remember that surfboards (particularly from big companies) are just as liable to marketing speak as anything else. The RV Lost is 48L of very thick surfboard... the rest of it is cupholders and go-faster stripes.

[drowningbitbybit]

But if you are learning, its just a piece of soap.

Genius.

[Jac]

Hey benjl, hit me up with the address! I'm not familiar with Bali anyway and was gna just walk round Poppies and see how it goes but I'm super worried about getting ripped off haha.

Hey Jaffa, that's a pretty good alternative, thanks! And I'm so glad to hear Lohi's is going to be fine, practically bouncing off the walls with excitement now. I booked directly with the hotel and rental rates are at USD50 per day. Does not sound pleasant after burning a bunch of holes in my pocket over accommodation and transfers. But yeah I totally made the mistake of booking my flights and thinking that board rental was going to be as decent as Philippines oops.