Surfing Waves

i am a beginner and ive been wondering whether i should learn on a longboard or a shortboard. i play football and i was named the best athlete at my school so im very well built and my balance and flexibility are very good as well. many people say that beginners should start on longboards because its easier for them to balance and to paddle. im already a great athlete so should i even bother with the longboard stage?

Longboard or funboard, untill you've been out on a few boards you have no idea what its like.

Dont buy though, rent a few first & get some lessons.

Start with a 9ft popout, bic or NSP, most rental places will do em. Then see how you get on & try out something 6.5ftish and compare.

thanks bro ill take your words into deep consideration
any more sugestions

being a great athlete does not nesecarily mean you will learn surfing any quicker. Just thought i should mention that. Having high expectations can cause frustration

Speaking of fitness or other sports translating into surfing ability... I was a bodyboarder for 5 years before i picked up a surfboard so i knew how to paddle, the physics of duck diving, the waves etc etc... but this meant nothing. i learnt with my brother and he hadnt been in the surf since he was a kid, and we both learnt at the same pace... actually he prob did better than me. i put this down to him having a longer and much much thicker board. i've got a 7'4 minimal with extremely thin rails, like thinner than a 6' shortboard! He's got a 7'8 minimal that is thick as and hence is easier to paddle, and easier to stand up on.

The moral of the story is that you will learn faster on a longboard, and the bigger the better.

it sounds good and well to buy one shortboard that will last you for life but the reality of it is that even when you get good, you will want your big board for those tiny days, build up a quiver it feels good

Football makes you good at surfing, everybody says so.

The reason you need a longer board to start with in surfing is not 'athletic ability'.

Surfing is (i think) 60% knowledge, 40% althetic ability.

Things like wave selection and getting into the wave are only learnt by practice. If you start with a short board you'll not be able to spend as much time on these.

Also as mentioned if you start with a longer board then you have something for small days.

being goof at football athletics n such means nothing when learning to surf. i was like you when i first started to surf. i was probably the best runner at my school n could run forever. i played football a lot. yeah i was fit. dont think that means you're gonna be the next kelly slater.

surfing works so many different muscle groups and skills. basically get a longboard like everyone else. the only thing a good athlete has over other new surfers is probably aerobic fitness. paddling will still be really hard though.

Yup, you're about to learn about a whole bunch of muscles you never knew you had...

what if i were to start on a funboard? would i then still need to move to a longboard or could i go to a shorter board?

If you can manage ona funboard then stick or go shorter.

But we dont all say start on a longboard for no reason.

Ebby go long board to start. I guess you know enough that you want to get to a short board but believe me when I say being in the Wilmington area you will want a long board handy. I would go 9' - 9'6" to start. Go talk to the guys at Sweetwater Surf Shop at Wrightsville Beach. They will point you in the right direction.

i would recommend buying a used longboard/funboard. i tried to learn on a shortboard but i ended up buying a longboard anyways and that set me back on my progress because i was trying to learn on that shortboard for awhlie before i finally gave up and bought a longboard.

im not saying it is impossible to learn on a shortboard but take it from me, it seems damn near impossible. ive skateboarded for 7yrs before learning to surf and was pretty athletic but man was i wrong none of that translated. even standing up was awkward at first.

so anyways, go with my opinion. ive been surfing for about 3 years now and ive progressed to a shortboard. it will come in time. dont even worry about looking like a kook on a longboard because youll look like a bigger one on a shortboard