Surfing Waves

Hey im planning on buying my first surfboard and need some advice. I have had surf lessons in the past on big foam surfboards and can catch unbroken waves and surf down the face of the wave. I am looking to buy my first surfboard and need some advice on whether to buy a fish and what size i should go for. I am 15 years old 5,7ft and 57kg. I was wondering what size of fish i should go for and whether or not i should go for one at all. I dont want a huge longboard as i feel it would be difficult to move around with in and out of the water. i generally learn quickly when it comes to board sports and i want a board that will allow me to advance my surfing. Any advice would be much appreciated

If you know a shaper or a retail board maker then you might talk to them about what kind of board you should get. They could make one for your size and physical condition and account for a little growth and make it for the waves you intend to use it in. I think a board made just for you by the shaper would be the best. I also think a fish is maybe not the best design for a beginner although it should be ok they tend to be more difficult to do rail to rail turns because they are so wide in the tail. A funboard or fungun would be better in my opinion as they are wider for a beginner but still narrow in the tail allowing easier turning.

The pertinent question is what sort of waves are you going to be riding?

Positives. Age . Check. Adaptable and a easier to learn quickly
Weight. Good can go short.
Stage. Very beginner , all good. Ready to move off foam barges
Height. Good may grow some so board will become relatively shorter
Recommendation 6 to 6'6" well volumed fun shape not a wide tailed fish
Look at the 7S series to get the idea look across similar boards in other brands

Can I say, though, that at 15 you are 57kg but within 2 years you may well be 70kg.

If you are surfing regularly, then your skill level should improve to the extent that you can surf a board that suits you now (at 57kg) even when you are 70kg. In which case, as Jaffa suggests.

But if you are not surfing regularly (by which I mean at least weekly and preferably a couple of times a week), then I suggest you buy a board that is slightly bigger so that you don't end up struggling for years and years. So at least 6ft6 and probably closer to 7ft. The 7S series is a great option An alternative (a bit unusual but really good for catching waves) is the McCoy Nugget (however, probably more expensive than the 7S). In the 6ft8 to 7ft range. The NSP Elements fun board at 7ft2 is also an option

Btw, the 7S have boards called 'superfish'. They aren't really 'fish' in the strict surfer technical meaning of the term, but if you want something called a 'fish' then it will satisfy both your requirements and be a good board for you.

Thanks for all the suggestions i really appreciate it ... Im interested in going for a torq 6,8 heres the link to the site http://www.boardshop.co.uk/torq-surfboards-mod-fun-surfboard-6ft-8-matte-white/sbtqfun-68-wht/
Is this the right board for me and what are your views on the sizing ?

A number of guys who post here have Torq boards and rate them highly. I think they even have that board, but the 7'2 version. They might come along and post, but do a search for Torq on the forum and you should find something.

How often do you plan to surf? I'm tempted to suggest the longer version unless you are going regularly. But a 6'8 won't be a terrible choice given your age and weight

That is a good choice of shape and size, 7'2'' might leave a little more room to grow and bulk out and you will, chest and shoulders will get strong from paddling.
Test ridden and approved by a number of our forum, hang around and talk Torq with them they will have tips for you.

Thanks for all the advice i was wondering if you guys had any tips for paddling out on a 6,8 board as i doubt ill be able to duck dive it. Any advice would be great thanks:)

learn different ways to go through the waves and try to go around the break so you don't mess up the lineup for others and take needless waves on the head. Turtle roll, half duck dive or just plow through. I have about 10 or so different ways to go through waves and I can't duck dive my boards either.

I haven't read everyone else's replies but I thought I would share my experience when I was buying a fish.

The Fish can be ridden in a couple of ways, for a beginner that is to choose a Fish that is 6"1+ ( depending on your height, weight etc.), for an advanced surfer they would choose one that is either the same height as them or smaller.

I've been surfing for 6 months, I just moved to a 5"8 High 5 Fish. I've had my surfing instructor saying go for a bigger board. But with the right dedication I'll have the board down in no time.

Remember: it's gonna be hard, but hard isn't impossible.

Good advice might come from another that went from a 8'0" to a Fish too soon. Read Sirkook94 post "next step for a transitioning beginner "

"Quite possibly getting ahead of myself, I bought a 6'8'' x 21 x 2'7/8'' fish, thinking that I would be able to use it with my plethora of skills acquired in three short months. However to my surprise, I find myself struggling and getting a bit discouraged on the fish. I am not able to stand up. Wave positioning and my pop-up speed on the fish are something that I need to adjust to. So my question is, seeing as though the minimal seems a little easy to ride, and the fish is a bit difficult to ride, what should I do? Should I stick to the minimal for a bit longer until I get better, or should I tough it out on the fish, and get acclimated with the shorter board? I am very hard on myself for not being able to get up, and get very discouraged I love surfing, and would hate to get too discouraged because it is too hard tight now."

FISH boards are not the answer. Getting the proper board at your current skill level is better. If sirkook, meeems, Stuh99 would go down in steps eg. 9'0", 8'0", 7'2-7'6" fun, 6'4"-6'8" fish/hybrid, etc., they would be better stronger surfers.

I usually learn pretty quickly as well ,but surfing is definitely not one of those things. Like stated above, I think I stepped down too soon. Become well acclimated with the waves and your fundamentals before stepping down! turtle rolls are a good technique to break through the oncoming foam.

Get everything down on your longboard first before moving down. The school of hard knocks is teaching me! Happy surfing!

sirkook - On your first waves out on the fish, did you do "the step over the nose - get Credit Card swiped" or Missed the tail with the back foot - do the Chinese splits" ? Usually those are the two things that happen on the first pop up. Either way they both hurt. Going from a longboard to a short(er) board I see that happening a lot ( happened to me ).

waikikikichan- None of those happened actually. I'm just having trouble positioning myself on the waves (timing) with the shorter board, and getting to my feet is harder. The weather may have been playing a factor on my surf sessions (closeouts, choppy surface), but I know that fish boards are best used for those conditions.

As the saying goes, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian. Just got to get back out there and get at it.