Surfing Waves

Hi all,
Whilst I feel I have read an overload of information about all different boards I seem to still be stuck on knowing which to pick!

I am 165 cm, weigh 62 kg and am a beginner surfer. I've surfed long boards before and this goes well besides that I find paddling hell and there is no duck diving with it! (turtle rolls take the life out of me!).
I appreciate that it would take some time to adjust but I feel I am ready for something easier to handle and was hoping you guys have any tips. Tips with good board sites/stores are also very welcome!

Many thanks!
Welmoed

Fitness is the key to handling getting hit by waves. That and learning how to avoid getting hit. I don't turtle roll much these days. I have become more and more a fan of the "duck dip" or half duck dive that I do since none of my boards allow me to do a duck dive. I tilt forward and shove the board under and end up getting my head under the wave but my rear and the rear half of my board is sticking out of the water and when the wave hits it the force pushes my rear down and I pull up on the front of the board. To avoid the surf I go to the side and out instead of trying to go straight out. For fitness I surf 2 x a week and hike up a steep hill 3 to 5 times a week and do various other exercises but really it is cardiovascular that is most important.

In order to successfully duckdive, you'd need a board a lot smaller than a longboard at your current weight.

This is a bad idea in my opinion. Duckdiving through relentless whitewash is also exhausting and is a skill which needs to be mastered. It is not a case of buying a smaller board and then immediately motoring out back with ease. You would be best sticking with a longboard and building fitness as well as observing carefully the best places to paddle out. Continue with your turtle rolling and try to master that first.

I have a 7'3 minimal as my first and current board, its very good to learn because isnt that big like a longboard or short and unstable like shortboard i can duck dive it. But all is about speed and fitness with some good paddling when you passing the wave breaks.