7 yr old's 1st board- 6 or 7 foot? Fish or longboard style?

[hallam]

So took my kid surfing for the first time, & on the 2nd day on a 7 foot Swell board with me pushing him in to the waves from his waist/chest height, he stood about 3-4 times in approx. hour and a half (holding it for a good few seconds) & that's with me not always getting the board straight in the wave for him causing him to fall off. He found looking after his board in the water a bit of an issue when he came off but then those "Swell" boards are heavier than standard foam boards & he did get slowly better with more time in the water.

So although next couple of visits I'll keep him using a Swell board, we're looking to go enough over the summer that his own board makes more sense than hiring, surfing probably 2-3 foot on busy beaches.

He's 29 kg & almost 8 years old.

From what I can see online, a 6 to 7 foot foam board would be best. 7 foot better for volume on smaller days & keeping him on his feet but 6 foot easier for him to control in the water after he's come off (& maybe easier for me to fit inside the car & not have to use a damn softrack on long motorway journeys).

It's not that clear whether standard longboard shape or fish shape would be best. I'm guessing longboard shape best as more stability but fish shape would be good if he progressed quickly & wanted to gently turn in the water. It's guesswork from me on how fast he will progress from here.

Also with foam surfboards, are all makes equal? If I pay more, is it just branding or will there be something in the quality of the board itself.

I'm an intermediate surfer with a high volume 7'2 board myself & I haven't had a go on a fish yet.

Thanks,
Hallam

[dtc]

If he gets good/interested, will you keep him on a foamie or let him get a short board? I think the period of potential use should guide you to some extent.

Foam boards aren't all equal - the bottom end are just large body boards, can flex and poor fin systems etc. but once you get to a board that has a proper stringer, above that it's only minor benefits (ie they are better and longer lasting etc, but probably won't matter for a young kid). If you are in the USA then a wavestorm (Costco) is the ideal option.

As to size - it's doubtful many kids under maybe 10 will be able to handle any board in the surf, so that isn't really a solvable problem (freakish daily surfing grommets excepted). A longboard shape is the safer choice for the reasons your stated; I've seen 7yr old pushed onto waves on 9ft proper longboards and be able to turn forehand and go down the line. Small waves of course and they are out thrrr quite often, but it is possible. Also consider that your kid will grow; a 7ft longboard will be useable for a long time even if he doesn't improve much. You can even use it as a beater board (although the fish might be better)

Anyway - no real answer. You seem to want to go with the fish and I can't say you are wrong, only that it will be harder in the short term. In the long term it might be more useful; but if he wants his own proper board then that won't matter

[waikikikichan]

He is 29 kg. and 8 years old. BUT how tall is he and what is his wingspan ? Why ?

on a 7 foot Swell board with me pushing him in to the waves

Until HE is catching the wave by himself, it's doesn't really matter the shape. To me, a longboard outline will be straighter and not as wide. A Fish shape will be wider to make up for the lose of length and I'm not sure if he can get his hands deep into the water. But that's why with you pushing him, it really doesn't matter.

Also with foam surfboards, are all makes equal? If I pay more, is it just branding or will there be something in the quality of the board itself.

Equal ? NO, Brands like INT or most of the softboards that use FCS or Futures compatible fin boxes are built to a higher standard and perform better compared to the bolt thru-deck sponge boards. But with the higher performance comes higher price. Sooooooo......... Wavestorm, Liquad shredder, etc. are comparing apples to apples.
Speaking of Costco and the Wavestorm softboards they sell, from what I've seen they have a ;
8'0" long board - 3 fin
7'0" Kids SUP "Taquito" - box single fin Max weight 120 lbs. / 45 kgs ( that I was thinking to use as a surfboard, )
5'8" Fish "Sushi" - 3 fin ( it's actually under the CBC California board company brand ) I ridden and seen many adults ride it, so think this will be a good board for him .

I seen on-line a 6'2" Fish and a 7'0" longboard shape , but they don't sell it at Costco.

[hallam]

Thanks for the replies DTC & Waikikikichan, I've been thinking more about it & I think patience on my part is key. After a few more Swell board sessions, I need to hire a 7 ft foamie for him (& maybe a 6 ft foam fish after that depending on how he does) a couple of times then make a choice. I will probably end up with the 7 foot longboard-style as even though it will be more difficult to transport, it will be thinner & easier for him to paddle as you say (he's already trying to paddle in as per his first lesson) & he will always have a better chance of catching more waves & enjoying it more, which is the bottom line.
I think although the 6 ft foam fish would have it's advantages if he really progresses quick, it would also be a bit of a toy for me so who knows, maybe I'll end up with both eventually & then I use the one that's left over on small, crowded days.

Now I've been driving for a year, I'm considering going from our small car to an MPV or midsize van which if it can fit my 7'2 will also fit his 7 ft foamboard & solves the softrack issue.

I'm UK-based & will probably go with CBC as it looks like their boards tend to have more stringers.

Thanks again,
Hallam