Surfing Waves

I'm relatively new to surfing and am looking at getting my first board. I'm 5ft3, had a few lessons and can stand up (just about), and i'm looking to buy a board that will last me a long time and is good quality. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations as to what i should get?
Help needed!!

Hi Easyrider,
Need a bit more info really - what weight are you?
Are you thinking of going for longboard surfing or shortboard? Or a good all rounder perhaps?

And also - what's your budget?

Last time I weighed myself I was 7 and a half stone, so knowing me I'm probably 8 stone now Um, good all rounder definitely. Budget? Nothing over £200.

um.... youd need a used, But do you knowpounds?

Namino old chap. Us Brits talk in stone not pounds my dear boy.

Well for £200 you're going to struggle to get a brand new custom to be honest.

You have three options -
- get a second hand mini-mal - I'd go about 7'6" for your size and weight.
- get a brand new NSP or Bic board - if you click through the banner ad at the bottom of this page I think Boardshop will set you up with a 7'6" mini-mal plus free bag for £250 or so. Not as nice as a handmade board but far, far better than no board at all! Plus they don't ding too! It;s not a board to grow with you though
- keep saving until you have £300 or so and get a custom. I know places that will make you a corking good custom board for that money.

What you may want to consider is getting an 2nd hand board or NSP for the time being - save up over the winter and then next srping, sell you NSP or 2nd hand board and buy yourself a new stick for the summer. 2nd hand mini-mals are always in demand so you'll have no trouble selling it!

Anyone know an apporximent relation between the two?

yeah - I was just teasng earlier.
14 lbs to the stone.

yay, i know you were, but still its a good thing to know.

very true!

Ok, so how long will a BIC last me? Are they only for beginners, cause I'm kinda verging on intermediate now.

a bic almost certainly wont break on you. so it will last as long as you want it. it depends, people will disagree with me for saying this but theyre fine for beginner or intermediate, im somewher inbetween the two and i love my board, soulless though it is. however its kinda personal preference stuff and you might not like it/prefer another board. sup to you.

Itll last you till you out grow it... i do agree that it is a good begginer board, but i dont think it would be a good intermediate board, a nsp will be better then it, and still last a long time.

i am a bic rider myself, and definately still consider myself a beginner. one thing i can tell you about bics though is that they are very durable, almost indestructable. a 7'6" - 8'2" bic would work for ya. lots of people look down on bics cause they are factory pop-outs, and people like to support local shapers - which i think is great. my theory though, when you get good enough to buy a board from a real local shaper without risking tearing it to shreds every time you go out, go for it. until then stick with the bic. when you are ready to move up - you will have no problem selling your bic and getting you money mostly back on it. sell it to the next beginner on your block. put an ad in your local paper, they sell like hot cakes around here.