Surfing Waves

My 10yr old finally got around to learning how to surf . We took lessons in Bali and he went to a local church surf camp. I'm looking to buy him a board so he can practice. He learned with on a foamie and fiberglass, a 8' & 6' foamie & 7'6 fiberglass, of course it was easier to catch a wave with the foamie. My question is should I invest in a 6ft foamie or stick to the 7'8 fiberglass we have at home? He preferred the 6' foamie since it was easier for him to carry.

I want him to eventually get used to shortboards (Is it true that once you get the hang of a shortboard, it's easier to ride other types of boards or is it ?

I would stick to the 7'6" fiberglass board. Bigger boards are easier to learn on and your son will catch more waves and get better sooner. Bigger boards also float much better and are more stable than shortboards, and therefore are easier to learn on. He can always go down in size later, but don't be in to big of a hurry.

Ditto what Tony says.. at 10 years old he'll be on a shortboard in a couple of months anyway.

IMinCA wrote:My 10yr old finally got around to learning how to surf .

I want him to eventually get used to shortboards (Is it true that once you get the hang of a shortboard, it's easier to ride other types of boards or is it ?

Just make sure that he is having fun and feels comfortable with whatever board he is on, don't go another foamie, be on hand to encourage and mentor and let him know that as he gets better a shortboard is next.
For now the 7'6' is ideal.

Thanks everyone..I'll keep him on the boards we currently have. I'll help him with speed until he can paddle effectively on his own.

The 7'8 at home is my sister's so I have to highjack it from her.

Jaffa, you mentioned don't do another foamie, can I ask why? I, myself, is currently using a foamie, should I ditch it?

IMinCA wrote:Thanks everyone..I'll keep him on the boards we currently have. I'll help him with speed until he can paddle effectively on his own.

The 7'8 at home is my sister's so I have to highjack it from her.

Jaffa, you mentioned don't do another foamie, can I ask why? I, myself, is currently using a foamie, should I ditch it?

The thing I believe about foamies, and remember it isonly an opinion not a should, is they eventually have limitations, they are great stable platforms to begin with but they are greatly short of performance as you progress.

Our local example is a guy who has been in the local break for about 4 years now and for about 3 1/2 of them on a foamie, it looked a reasonable shape longboardish , but at about 2years in his progress became static the boards would not support any further progress, earlier this year I spoke at length to him and he pgot his other board out (an 8ft longboard ) and his progress jumped a number of notches.

There are soft boards and there are better soft boards!
Things I think are problems with soft boards.

Too floaty, difficult to duck dive or turtle roll , at some stage your son will want to go out and catch green waves getting out can be a problem.

Softboards often have rubberish fins so as not to cut the surfer..... but they tend to fail and warp under the pressure of a turn.

Depending on the brand of soft board quite easy to break also filling up with water problems but that counters the too floaty bit.
They can generate dreadful body rashes through sheer abrasion , happens a bit with wax too!

My counsel is to use the boards you have, just get the happiness and enjoyment happening for you both, instill love of surfing first, board selection and progress follow naturally. (just reread your post and I see you don't have a foamie currently so it might help keep his interest if he is struggling with the 7'6")

As for you surfing a foamie, try a standard board a couple of times and see for yourself, just try on a longer board so you don't have the transition to shortboard trough to fall into.

BTW your son's progress will different and most likely faster than yours and for him even a short board will be longish.

At what level are you surfing? It's fairly pertinent as that too will hfactor into your sons progress.

I now surf with sons and grand children which is great, so I sort of have an understanding.
finally just enjoy!!

If you are concerned about safety with a standard board, have a look at the pro teck range of fins and, of course, teach your son to fall properly and to 'cover his head'. (btw, ignore the stuff on the pro teck website about the fins being 'for intermediate and experienced surfers' - they are good for everyone)

Thanks Jaffa! I'll keep your posts in mind.

I, myself, is a newbie on a Wavestorm foamie. Able to catch white water and limited green waves ~ paddling is my biggest hurdle IMO. I need to build upper body endurance.

I purchased my board on impulse as I needed a board quick and didn't want to spend $$$$ while trying to figure what will work for me.

I was thinking of getting him the 6ft foaming because he seemed encouraged that he was able to catch white water on his own, but I see what you're saying about the foamie. I guess he can use my 8ft until I can permanently take my sisters.

dtc wrote:If you are concerned about safety with a standard board, have a look at the pro teck range of fins and, of course, teach your son to fall properly and to 'cover his head'. (btw, ignore the stuff on the pro teck website about the fins being 'for intermediate and experienced surfers' - they are good for everyone)

I didnt even think about the fins! I've always used a foamie so it didn't even occur to me that regular fins could be more painful. Good to know!

I wouldn't get too hung up on the danger factor of real fins, the performance far outweighs the risk. Fin cuts do happen, but bad ones are rare, and usually only happen if you are hit with one while someone is actually riding the board. I have had several little nicks from fins in the past, and none of them required medical attention. As said already, as long as he learns to cover up until he is aware of where his board is, they shouldn't present any real danger.