Choosing the Right Board! (Beginner)

[tbst9hi]

Hey guys. Im new to surfing and I have been trying out some foamies.
Not so sure if I am pickiing correctly. I currently have a 6' 6 longboard.
I am a 125 lb 5'1 girl and I am still a beginner.

Advice very much appreciated!

[dtc]

6'6 is probably the shortest you would want, you probably will find it slightly better to go over for something 7-8ft. But if you already have the 6ft6 keep in and give it a go - as long as you don't plan on growing too much...if you have a choice, try something larger (if you are near a Costco, the Wavestorm board, at 8ft, might seem huge but is a good choice and pretty cheap). The general rule is that a larger board is easier for beginners, because its easier to paddle (you get less tired), its easier to catch waves, its more stable and its more forgiving of mistakes (such as slow pop ups or bad positioning). It doesn't make learning easy, of course - just easier.

With a softboard (foamie) there are boards that are basically terribly constructed (just large soft bodyboards with rubbery fins) and some that are pretty good quality (with stringers and proper fins). Make sure you are getting a good quality one - a poor softboard is a waste of money and time.

If you intend to surf a lot then think about a 'real' board to start with rather than a softboard. A good softboard is a totally reasonable choice for a beginner, but softboards are designed more to stop you hurting others in your surfing class/hurting yourself from board impacts than they are designed to be good surfboards. So while Ok for surfing, they are designed more for safety than surfing quality. A solid second hand 'hard' board will probably be no more expensive than a softboard

Once you are past the beginner stage, you probably wont want to keep using a softboard.

However, if you are surfing only a few times a year, a softboard is almost a better choice than a normal board, because of the safety benefits.