Surfing Waves

While I grew up around surf (Cocoa Beach), I never surfed. However, as an adult now, I've helped guide my son into surfing and now I have the itch. I've tried a few times and rented a foamie even getting up a couple times. Now I think I'm ready to take the plunge but I need help on board selection. I am about 6' 250 or so I need a board with some float. I live in panhandle FL so our waves are generally pretty small and mushy.

My question is: While I know I need alot of float (at least 80+L or so) should I go for something like a new (most expensive route) torq (my some has a 7'6) 9'6, maybe an older style (probably slightly less than the torq) Stewart Longboard at maybe 9-10ft range, or something else? (I found what I think is a great option but would like to hear other opinions as well: $400 Ben Aipa Fish 8'4x23 1/4x3 3/4: Has the width and float and should turn in our tiny waves, but exactly how much does length matter ( ).

Thanks again!! (BTW, after using this site for a while this is my first post here)

At your weight and height and age length matters , even more so in weak waves. A short board does not turn easier for a novice it just wobbles.
9' 6" would be a minimum Imwould suggest for your weight and about 23" wide and at least 3 to 3/4" thick.

Good paddle power and a good deck to learn on. The Ben Apia fish is not suited to you yet unless you can surf the board rail to rail.

A Stewart in the range you are thinking of is more likely to be the best bet. Have fun

Jaffa, thanks for the reply. Yeah forgot to mention age, I'm 37 btw. I was thinking longer was better but the Aipa seemed liked such a good deal. Is that maybe a board I should purchase in hopes of getting to that point? It is wide and floaty and will turn a little easier (thruster setup as well)?

Any other brands/boards someone might recommend?? TIA!

NateHutch wrote: I was thinking longer was better but the Aipa seemed liked such a good deal. Is that maybe a board I should purchase in hopes of getting to that point? It is wide and floaty and will turn a little easier (thruster setup as well)? Any other brands/boards someone might recommend?? TIA!

You are correct about the Aipa. It is a very good board, but NOT for you at your current level. If you have the funds and long term storage for it, it's a good board maybe 2-3 boards from now. As for it's turning capability, it has no potential on its own. Thruster / three fin setups don't by itself make a board easier to turn either.
For recommendation if you currently like the molded-epoxy construction and durability of the Torq, you could also look into the NSP 10'2" or 9'6". My friend has the 9'6" and it catches everything. The 10'2" will be more suited to your weight though and if the waves are none-to one.

This advice to you and others looking for boards to suit. A good deal is not a good deal unless it enhances your surfing and learning curve.
If a board is so good why is it being sold. Every learner needs to read through the advertising hype.
The Stewart boards and that ilk are really your best bet... BTW I'm 68 and 200lbs surf a 9'1" in everything Brent the shortboard,revolution when it happened, and now see the fashion pitches.

In Australia there are more surfers over 35 than under......... more surfers over 50 than under 15 , guess where the market demographic is still pitched under 20?????

Thanks for the info gents. Chan, I'm open to whatever is my best bang for the buck. It doesn't really matter whether its Poly or epoxy, just trying to stay away from foamies. I'm leaning towards finding a used Stewart/Walden or something along those lines (9'6+).

Quick note on anything used, Nate. I started with a used Stewart that I got for $300. I weigh 200 lbs. The 9' Stewart would probably have been ideal new or in better shape, but it had taken on lots of water over the years, and especially in weak waves, I found myself surfing in water up to my shins.

Used boards are great deals . . . when they're great deals. But watch for dark spots, cracks, hollows, etc. I've got an old longboard now that has been kept in excellent repair and it rides great. If I hadn't found it, I'd be looking at something like a new Torq, though. Boards that float make all the difference for big people just starting out.

RobSF, thanks for the help. That's pretty much what I'm kind of looking for something in the $300-400 range (preferably a Stewart or Walden or something comparable). I agree though you gotta be careful when buying a used board. I bought a used 6ft Aloha Bean for my son about a year ago that looked fine only after purchasing and him using it we come to find out it had needed to be repaired (it buckled previously but you couldn't tell with all the wax on it) and that set me back about $75 more.

If you were purchasing a board, would you go used Stewart/Walden at 300-400 or go nrr Torq/NSP at closer to 700? Just wondering what the consensus says. Thanks again!

It isn't impossible in the Bay Area to find a good used longboard for $3–400 (so shouldn't be impossible where you are, either), but you need to look at them without wax. I got super lucky with my last one and just happened on a guy right at the beach who was ready to get rid of one and even let me ride it. So I did, and fell in love. Paid him $180 (which was insane, don't even dream of usually getting something ridable for that pittance). Sometimes you find them in shops, sometimes on Craigslist. Shops will be a little more expensive, but the good ones will be good about helping you out if you're not happy after your purchase. There's a guy here in San Francisco I know who buys used boards, repairs and sells them out of his garage, guaranteed me if I rode a longboard he sold me and didn't like it, he'd find me one I would.

New boards are the safest bet, of course, but it's money. I mean, there are guys here will tell you you just can't surf unless you're willing to spend it. True enough, but surfing shouldn't be an elitist sport. It's hard enough just to learn, it shouldn't mean you have to take out a second mortgage. I was definitely looking at Torqs and may have gotten one if I hadn't come across that guy at the beach.

One last idea is a new foamie. Although they only last two or three years with weekly use, their buoyancy is incredible, and there is nothing that will give a brand new surfer more confidence in less time. After fiddling around for a year on my waterlogged Stewy, I started using my wife's 8' Greco and was incredulous. I couldn't not surf on it. It became my board of choice until I happened across that $180 miracle board. A soft-top is $300 or less, and a guarantee. I know it's not exactly the Ferrari of boards, but between a new foamy and a sexier looking hardboard that doesn't float, the foamy's the winner.

Good luck, guy.