Surfing Waves

Hello all, I've been a skater for 16 years, mostly street but more recently a lot of transition/bowl stuff. when looking for my first board i was wondering if any of that history will help and maybe i could get something a tiny bit shorter then your standard long board.
if you what do you guys suggest that will be fun and i wouldn't have to trade in so quickly

mostly surfing spots in md, de and va, but i work for an airline and can travel.
I'm 5'6" 190 pounds

It won't help really. Skateboarding and surfing are vastly different, particularly in the early stages. The main things that make beginners crap at surfing:

No paddle fitness
Inability to read waves and know where to be
Inexperience

Prior boardriding skill is a tiny factor overall. I've taught skateboarders to surf who were rubbish, and taught non boardriders who picked it up quickly.

Just get a regular beginners board. You're quite heavy so go larger.

I guess if you're planning on having your own first board, go for a minimal 7ft is good for your height, make sure you one with a big deck or thicker rails since you're a bigger guy but what I do suggest is just renting out a board during your early stages then go and buy a more performance oriented board not something crazy like a 5 11 shortboard but something thicker and bigger like a fish when you get to your intermediate stages, skateboarding will only help you with turns and having to commit, I have friends that went from skating to surfing, they tend not to back out of waves compared to other people but that's pretty much it, you still have to learn to time your takeoffs, read waves and etiquette of course

Longboard....esp. for the waves around there and your weight.

Thanks for your input guys, I appreciate it. My buddy and I are starting and he bought a shorter board and is pretty set on starting with that, I myself am going to look for a cheap used longboard that's good for my size and our waves since I just want to get to surfing and having fun instead of having a super gnarly learning curve on a shorter board .

Esmith5488 wrote:Thanks for your input guys, I appreciate it. My buddy and I are starting and he bought a shorter board and is pretty set on starting with that, I myself am going to look for a cheap used longboard that's good for my size and our waves since I just want to get to surfing and having fun instead of having a super gnarly learning curve on a shorter board .

Smart move, your friend on the other hand is going to suffer since he has to build up paddling strength, endurance and also burn his first 10 sessions on trying to get on the board.
Be sure to check youtube for tips on surfing, that's where I learn everything

You should ask your buddy why he bought a short board. I bet it's because of ego or 'that's what the pros surf' or so he 'doesn't outgrow it'. Then consider whether he is a pro or a beginner.

I think it's a pretty safe bet that any sk8b0arder with 1337 skillz removes the trucks and surfs their deck.