Help with choosing first shortboard

[joshuaheidrich]

Hello all!

My apologies if this has been asked multiple times but I'm currently looking to purchase and ride my very first shortboard! I'm new to these forums as well.

I've been riding a 7' fun board for almost 5 years in Santa Cruz, CA. The waves we get here can range and they could be shortboard worthy! I believe it's time to transition and learn how to ride a shortboard now. I've been constantly researching and watching videos of these boards. I'm just wondering what size I should get?

Body size:
Height: 5'5" / 167 cm
Weight: 120 lbs / 54 kg

Skill level:
Upper intermediate / Fun boarding
- I can easily pop up and ride waves
- Balance +
- Strength and endurance +
- Catching waves +


I'm not too concerned with the brand or material but rather the length of the shortboard I should be looking for? I was told a 6'1 - 6'2 shortboard would be best to start with but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?

Thank you all so much, this would help a lot because I will soon purchase one!

[tomthetreeman]

Sounds like you’ve got the tools and experience to step down... There are other, wiser folks on here who will hopefully chime in, but my guess is that you should try stepping down to a fish shape. Find a local shop you can trust (that’s not just going to try to sell you any old board), and see what they think for size, fin setup, etc. Merry Christmas and happy surfing!

Tom

[waikikikichan]

I 2nd Tomthetreeman's advice. Instead of jumping down from a 7'0" Funboard to a 6'2" Shortboard, how about a retro fish in a 6'4" - 6'6" ?

Something like this shape:

Skill level:
Upper intermediate / Fun boarding
- I can easily pop up and ride waves
- Balance +
- Strength and endurance +
- Catching waves +

I don't see anywhere where you put that you can do cutbacks both front side and backside. And also take steep late drop ins. If you can't do cutbacks currently on your 7'0" Funboard, then you are not ready to jump down to a 6'2".

[ConcreteVitamin]

Holy cow, in wkk's video starting 1min or so, the fish rider has much faster down the line speed than those longboarders...

[steveylang]

Holy cow, in wkk's video starting 1min or so, the fish rider has much faster down the line speed than those longboarders...

There's nothing slower than a beginner trying to surf a shorter board, but surfers that know how to generate speed are a different matter!

[tomthetreeman]

Omg that style and speed! Twin fin 4eva!

[ConcreteVitamin]

Resolved. I plan to dial in my current board in several years and size down to a long fish next.