Surfing Waves

Hi everyone

I'm currently looking for my first board, preferrably a funboard.
im 5'11, 170 lbs, male, muscular, no experience. planning on surfing once a week, just catching waves, nothing extreme.

What is the ideal size?

I've found a used 7'6 Osprey epoxy funboard and a 7'6 Clayton Evo Hybrid but i'm worried they might be too big.
Thanks.

SJ welcome and welcome to planning your surfing start.
Don’t worry too much, I would suggest youread through the heaps of advice in surfboard advice.
Contrary to what you are thinking the current wisdom is to go longer,for ease of catching waves first and foremost.
A way to see the validity of our suggestions is to take an opportunity for a number of lessons on boards of differing sizes.
See what you think!
Have fun and with a little more insight then you will be ready to,splash cash on a board.

1) Since you said you have " No experience " , does that mean you've have not taken a beginners lesson yet ?
If you did take a lesson, what size board was it you learned on ? Usually lesson boards are 9-10 feet.
2) since you are 5'11" usually I recommend "learning" on a board 3 feet over your head. After you mastered positioning, paddling, catching, riding straight in and starting to do slight turns, THEN you can think about getting a board 2 feet over your head. A board only 1 foot and half over you head is too small.
3) Who told you ( shop salesman, friend ) or where did you read ( other surf forum, makers website ) that told you to get a 7'6"
4) Where do you surf ? Certain dumping beach breaks call for a shorter board, but there in is not good for beginners to be at.

As the others have said, no one will advise you that 7'6 is 'too big'. Its certainly not the worst board you could get, but its not the 'best' - best in this context meaning the board that will make your learning experience shorter, less frustrating (but it will still be frustrating!) and get you up and surfing.

LOL too big........you really don’t know.


I don’t get how you can have developed a preference if you’re a beginner.

Rent or take a lesson on a 7’6” and then on a 9’ board. You’ll see which will better serve really quick.

I think the most important advantage of a longboard (3 feet longer than your height) for a beginner is that it's a much faster paddler. You can move into the lineup faster and you can sit on the outside catching waves without having to surf on the inside where there's traffic. The other nice advantage to a longboard is that you can surf mushburgers with it and that gives the board longevity. When the surf is crap, you can always grab your longboard and get some anyway.

Usually I wouldn’t recommend this, but since you plan to surf one a week and it’s is an ideal board for catching tons of waves, a Costco wavestorm. They tend to be overlooked because they can be often established as beginner boards, but you will maximize your wave count, and this will cause a jump in your progress. Also, you can sell these board easily, and they are very cheep to buy. I will take this board out before school just to maximize my wave count, and this has actually helped with my shortboarding, because as I attempt to do more advanced moves with a larger board, I am able to then transition back onto my small board and do those turns with ease. This is the board I would recommend to a beginner looking to improve as much as possible with as limited time in the water as you may have.

My teenager was about your size when he learned to surf. His transition was from 8’ Costco wavestorm to 7’10” minimal. It was pretty easy for him being fit and more intuitive at reading waves. Another but younger kid went from the same wavestorm to various 7’ fun shape boards, struggled enough and finally having a blast by being on a 9’ longboard. I’ve done similar to the second kid recently moved to a board 1.5’ longer than my height after 2years of once weekly sessions. I might be a slow learner but I don’t think I could have make the switch that much sooner. Just a few anecdotes.