Surfing Waves

Hi Guys!

I'm new to surfing and I've been taking lessons for 2 months now in Currumbin every week till the end of December.
My craving for my own surfboard has become really big... I always had a preference for old school boards. So I found Dead Kooks (shaper in Gold Coast).
At this point I'm doubthing between a hellhound http://www.deadkooks.com/surfboards/hellhound/ or a stubby model. http://www.deadkooks.com/surfboards/stubby/ They are single fin boards, but the shaper would place at 2+1 setup as well for me.
I've been thinking about a longboard as well, but I want something in between. At home (Belgium) the waves are really small, so I need an allrounder. Also a board with enough volume to make my peddeling easier.
I'm a woman and 5.8 ft tall. The shaper recommended me a hellhound 6.8ft - 20 5/8 - 2 3/4 thick, but what do you guys think?

Thank you in advance for giving me a honest answer!

I'd strongly suggest of the two a 7'6" stubby set up as a 2+1 the pintail on the other is not suited to weaker waves, Ithink going up to something in the eight foot range would be even better.
Enjoy your Aussie summer of surf!

Breesarrazijn wrote:I'm new to surfing and I've been taking lessons for 2 months now. I always had a preference for old school boards. So I found Dead Kooks (shaper in Gold Coast).
At this point I'm doubthing between a hellhound http://www.deadkooks.com/surfboards/hellhound/ or a stubby model. http://www.deadkooks.com/surfboards/stubby/ They are single fin boards, but the shaper would place at 2+1 setup as well for me.
I've been thinking about a longboard as well, but I want something in between. At home (Belgium) the waves are really small, so I need an allrounder. Also a board with enough volume to make my peddeling easier.
I'm a woman and 5.8 ft tall. The shaper recommended me a hellhound 6.8ft - 20 5/8 - 2 3/4 thick,

If you have a preference for "Old School", then don't try to modernize it by adding side bites/fins. Keep it as a single how it was designed to be. Normally i would say listen to your shaper since he knows you better than us. BUT....... I don't understand why he recommended the Hellhound when it says "Built for forward trim, high lines, tight arcing turns and enjoys hollow waves more than most."
1) Can you hold a high trim line ?
2) Are your turns tight ?
3) You said your waves in Belgium are small, but are they "Hollow". ( i heard there's enough energy to pull 2cm. airs )
Of the two choices, the Stubby seems better. But i think they are too advanced for you right now and should serve you well as your next board.
4) What size board are you currently learning on now ?

Currently i'm learning on a 8ft, sometimes 7ft depends on the waves...
After reading this, a mini mall (not a dead kooks one) of 7-8 ft would suit me better?

Currently i'm learning on a 8ft, sometimes 7ft depends on the waves...
After reading this, a mini mall (not a dead kooks one) of 7-8 ft would suit me better?

So you're surfing in Australian waves on a 8'0" ( sometimes 7'0" ). How do the waves compare to the "really small" waves back home in Belgium ? If you're paddling, catching and riding the waves ( not the wave catching you and going straight in the foam ), then maybe 7-8' is okay. ( you did say "Also a board with enough volume to make my peddeling easier", so that means you're not a strong paddler ) But 7-8' is fine right now in Australian waves, what happens when you go back ? What size boards/type boards do the locals use at the Belgium home break ? I still don't get why the shaper recommended a 6'8" pin tail ? What specific info did you give him, for him to come to that conclusion ?

I’m currently traveling trough Oz, afterwards I’m going to Bali to surf as well. I live in Belgium and the surf over there is small, but enough to cruise on a longboard… So I need a board that is a good allrounder, to have fun in the most situations and most kind of waves.

Reply: I'd say a 6'8 Hellhound would work well, fits a variety of conditions.. dims would be 6'8 x 20 5/8 x 2 3/4. it'll foil out nicely.

Back home, they mostly use a mini mall/ longboard/ fish...

My peddeling is okee, but it needs to be better.

Hah....down to a 6'8" now. That board is flat out too small for someone who has only been riding 2 months and is shopping for Belgium, even at your size. You say lessons every week; that means once a week, so 10 lessons so far more or less and another 8 or so to go? Lessons include I assume the instructor showing you where to catch the wave, periodically herding you to follow him back to the original position after you drift out of it, then possibly pushing you into the wave? Once you start to do these things on your own you'll be paddling ALOT more since it suddenly becomes a lot more difficult and you'll wander a fair bit out back searching for the"spot". Smaller board means you really have to hit the spot on the head to catch as well. WKK said before that getting a board too small too soon is like trying to learn to ride a bike with flat tires....why make it hard for yourself and lengthen your learning curve?

Follow the advice already given and you'll thank them for it going forward.

That's why I'm asking what kind of board would suit me best. I already understood that the hellhound is not a good option for me.

So again: would a mini mall of 8ft be better then? What about a longboard?

I'm not you. You're not me. You don't surf where I surf. Waves are always changing. You want concrete answers. There are so many types of boards, shapes and sizing ( not to mention rocker, rail, tails, fins ). But you want an" all-around board for many conditions", well go back to "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears" advice. No too big, not too small but just right. Where that is depends on the surfer and their level. But from the info you gave us so far, 7'2"-7'6" Fun board seems to be okay.
BUT.......... you have a preference for "old school" boards. Is it about the style/look of the board or the "ride" ?

Given your needs and that you are travelling and so forth, I think an epoxy mini mal is the best option. Harder to damage, a bit lighter to carry around, the right size etc. The Dead Kook boards look nice but are they ding resistant?

something like the 7'2 or 7'6 in this http://www.naturalnecessity.com.au/surf ... board.html

The 7'6 is probably a better choice but it is a bit longer obviously so a touch harder to travel with

I really like the looks of an old school board...
Oke yes, i reckon a fun board would indeed be best.

Breesarrazijn wrote:I really like the looks of an old school board...
Oke yes, i reckon a fun board would indeed be best.

They do look good, but how do they ride ? Do you have the old school classic style of riding ? If you do or hope to, then stay on that path. Single fins are harder to figure out than modern 3 fin/thrusters but in the end will make you a better all around surfer.

You did say they ride longboards, Mini-mals and Fishes back home. There is a difference between a Funboard and Mini-Mal. Though they can come in the same height, usually a Mini-mal has a fuller nose and less rocker than a Funboard. How about another "be-tweener" board like a Big Fish ( we call them whales at our shop ), like a 7S super Fish or a NSP 7'0" Fish. And those are molded-epoxy good for traveling like DTC recommended. But they're not old school.

You mean something like this: http://www.surfindustries.com/surfboards/i_7S-super-fish-3-cv.php ? With 5 fins? I do prefer a smaller nose and bit more rocker... so maybe a big fish would be better. Although I love the old school boards, and I would really like to have that style as well.
Maybe as first board i should consider a fun or big fish board? What about the fin setup? And after maybe an old school single fin board...

I'm always a little curious about this sort of to and fro in a question post!
I'm curious as when someone asks a question about what is suitable for them and shows their choices and their reasoning, other good advice is argued against.
It happens a lot, .
Is it a request for approval of your choice or a genuine question of what would suit your needs?
Most of our long time experienced surfers are advising boards that will fit your needs , not fashion statements or because they look good.
As always, in the end the choice and the result are totally yours!
A slightly hard rant but true!

Why does it seem that most novices on this site wants to ride a shorter and more high performance than they should? Is it some powerful advertising scheme perpetrated by the surfboard industry? I'm just curious as to where this strange desire comes from.

Thanks everyone for the advice!
I would love riding a bigger board, but currently I'm traveling (for a whole year) and traveling with a longboard for example doesnt make it easier...
I just want to have fun, trying to surf most of the waves.

Check with your airlines for the max dimensions for check-in surfboards. When you measure your own board to see if it meets the requirements ,Remember to include the travel bag or box's dimensions, not just the board. From there, you can decide what size board you should get for your travel needs.

That, about the airlines I can fully understand! Some airlines are just so anti surfboards and charge ridiculous prices.
When you get back to Europe look at Torq surfboards and of course Surfing Waves own shop!
Until going back , surf, surf and surf!