New to surfing help with board

[Trevnc]

So I'm new to surfing and need some help deciding on what board to buy. I know that I want to surf shortboards and I don't really want to start off on a foami or heavy punch out. I know this will make it more difficult but I plan to spend a lot of time in the water and can handle the frustration. I'm 6'1" and my weight varies from 175 to 185 lbs. where do I begin? Thanks in advance

[oldmansurfer]

How old are you?

[Trevnc]

I'm 29. I also forgot to mention the surf here is usually 2 to 5 feet on average

[waikikikichan]

I know that I want to surf shortboards

You hope or wish to one day ride a short board. You DON"T KNOW, that is why you think you can ride a short board.

I plan to spend a lot of time in the water and can handle the frustration.

Of that time you spend in the water, 90% of it is paddling, actually riding the wave is 10% ( in your case a lot less ). So that is why as a beginner you need a board that paddles well and catches waves easier. Short boards are for high performance surfing, by high performance surfers. Are you at that level yet ? Save the frustration and humility and start off on a bigger board. Surfing should be fun.

[oldmansurfer]

There is really a lot that goes into learning to surf. The least of which is the simple mechanics of paddling standing up and riding a surfboard. Knowing which wave to catch and where to lineup have to come first. I suggest before purchasing a board that you get some lessons and see how it goes. Or if you have already been surfing what have you been surfing on and how have you done? People often look at pro surfers doing these incredible maneuvers and think I want to do that but it takes years to get to that point and realistically at 29 you aren't likely to get there, They started surfing at a very young age.

[Trevnc]

Ok thanks for the input. I never looked at the pros and thought I can do that lol. I just wanted to be able to cut instead of ride a straight line. I know my age will make it more difficult but then again I'm in great physical shape

[jaffa1949]

Ok thanks for the input. I never looked at the pros and thought I can do that lol. I just wanted to be able to cut instead of ride a straight line. I know my age will make it more difficult but then again I'm in great physical shape

Prepare to be humbled, which is all part of your journey. You can turn radically on a long board you can ride waves big as you are prepared to go on a longboard. Whatever! Don't think high performance is limited to short boards only!

This is a 66 year old 200lb coming off the top on a longboard.
No straight line on this wave!

[Big H]

You won't get any waves unless you get a big board.....your fitness is not paddle fitness and will mean little for months and months until you do build those muscles. I don't know how much a lot of water time means, but unless it's a couple of hours a day for several months it won't be enough.

Something else to think about:
To ride a shortboard, you need a decent wave.....when decent waves come out so do good surfers.....they won't be very amenable to you clogging up the lineup and spoiling wave after wave trying to learn where you shouldn't. In fact, it could get to the point that you won't be allowed to paddle for a wave as someone with good paddle fitness will block you off, "stuffing" you before you can ruin another wave. Fair or not fair, that's the reality...you are NOT in good shape to surf....you will see. If you are in good shape you have a foundation that can be built on, but you need time in the water to strengthen the big power muscles and the smaller stabilising muscles that will allow you to maintain balance on the board with your head high and feet on the surface not dragging in the water slowing you down, maintain that balance so that you can put full effort into your paddle stroke which you will NOT be able to do at first as you will fall off the board if you try to paddle too hard so you will temper your paddle while your energy holds out and miss waves because you have poor form, not enough strength and can't hold yourself properly on the board..........this is as described for those using a longboard at first....God help you on a shortboard as all of those paddling woes will be multiplied.....

Then you have to deal with the problem of finding the wave, finding out where to start to paddle, how to hold position in currents using shore lineups, boils, noticeable shading differences in the reef to make sure that you are on the spot you need to be in as recognised from the shore and confirmed on closer inspection......yeah, you need to be able to read the wave from the shore, understand what will go on as tides come in and go out, how that will affect the same break on different days, when you should go out and when you should read a good book instead.....

How good a swimmer are you? Can you make it out back? Can you swim back to shore if your leash breaks when you're out back? Shortboard means you have to go where the waves are and they are NOT on the inside in waist deep water.....you can't practice on whitewater inside.....you have to get out back, sometimes hundreds of meters from shore to get a wave suitable for a shortboard.....have you been on a little board 300m from shore in waves that you can't see over and currents pulling you around? Ready for that? You can't build up to it; you have to go out and get that steep bigger clean faced unbroken wave if you want the speed to be able to plane and stand up on a shortboard at your height and weight (nearly the same as me BTW). How about your pop up? Can you do it from your knees, no feet, in one quick movement, putting your feet in the same landing place each time? Of course you can't.....but you need to be able to if you want to ride a shortboard otherwise you will bog it out, cartwheel, nose dive, fall off the back or get stuck in a power crawl as you careen down the face.....if you can't pop up in correct trim that doesn't wash off speed in a quick movement with exact timing WITHOUT LOOKING DOWN (you not only have to catch the wave but you need to wait to stand up at the precise exact moment otherwise you're over the back or in the flats)...if you can't do that you're not riding that short board anywhere.......


You CAN practice all of these things with a board that will give you more forgiveness to allow you to learn from mistakes.....you still won't be able to ride it for awhile (controlled, delayed falling for a few months of 3 second rides) but you will be able to progress.....paddling that you currently take for granted will be bearable as you develop the necessary muscles on a bigger board....getting enough speed to actually catch the wave will be attainable on a bigger board.....missing the takeoff spot by a few meters will be ok on a bigger board.....standing up clumsy with a knee to help at first, feet all over the place, too far forward or back will be ok on a bigger board and you will still muck out the wave and get a ride.....and once you are riding you will learn just as you did when you learned to ride a bike.....many things that can't be put into words but you will learn the more that you are actually riding......if you cannot get up and actually ride the face you will not learn and you will not have fun and you will eventually quit because who would stick with that no matter how stubborn they are?

Get a big board.

[Big H]

Look at this....all the turns you could want....btw if those waves look big, that's about where you would start to make a shortboard work at your size (6'1" 185lbs).....for your size those waves are small.

[Big H]

Continued musings.....

Waves that beginners normally ride and where other surfers tolerate bookishness; breaks at the wrong tide level, close out waves, the inside reforms, the whitewater broken waves that beginners normally practice on to develop their skills so that they aren't thrown out of the line up proper will not be an option for you on a short board......so you will find yourself in a very frustrating situation as the only waves that will be good enough for you to learn how to surf using a shortboard at your age and all the trial and error that you need/must/will go through, those waves will be off limits to you because beginners get the defacto boot from good waves by better surfers.....you will be literally shown the door or you just will never have a wave that someone doesn't also take.....they will back paddle you to be in priority position and then you're dropping in.....do you know what that means? You will because that will be what you will be told EVERY time you try to get a wave because someone better than you will always be deeper (closer to the peak) and you'll be dropping in (not for long) out on the shoulder (smaller part of the wave that will be more attractive to you though it is actually harder to catch with a shortboard......uncomfortable reality again)....kids can get away with learning amongst the lineup....they are kids and rip after a week on a board....a kooky 29 year old who misses 85% of the waves he paddles for and pearls on the last 15% will be as popular as.....well as popular as a kook in the lineup.

On a bigger board, you will at least be able to practice in beginner slop then when you join the line up, while you will be riding straight you will at least make the waves sometimes....a beginner on a longboard is tolerated much better than one completely deluded and out of their depth on a shortboard.....and don't worry, after a few paddle strokes the entire lineup will know your skill level so don't worry about being found out because they will see you coming a mile away.

[Big H]

Last thoughts....


I don't want you to be one of those guys who I see here on vacation with their new shortboard looking sunburned and dejected, bobbing around the lineups stepping all over etiquette rules, not able to control their boards, and not getting any waves for one reason or another, usually all the reasons stated above.....would like for you to keep your stoke and actually learn how to surf....you asked for advice and are universally getting one answer.....your choice now.

[Trevnc]

You won't get any waves unless you get a big board.....your fitness is not paddle fitness and will mean little for months and months until you do build those muscles. I don't know how much a lot of water time means, but unless it's a couple of hours a day for several months it won't be enough.

Something else to think about:
To ride a shortboard, you need a decent wave.....when decent waves come out so do good surfers.....they won't be very amenable to you clogging up the lineup and spoiling wave after wave trying to learn where you shouldn't. In fact, it could get to the point that you won't be allowed to paddle for a wave as someone with good paddle fitness will block you off, "stuffing" you before you can ruin another wave. Fair or not fair, that's the reality...you are NOT in good shape to surf....you will see. If you are in good shape you have a foundation that can be built on, but you need time in the water to strengthen the big power muscles and the smaller stabilising muscles that will allow you to maintain balance on the board with your head high and feet on the surface not dragging in the water slowing you down, maintain that balance so that you can put full effort into your paddle stroke which you will NOT be able to do at first as you will fall off the board if you try to paddle too hard so you will temper your paddle while your energy holds out and miss waves because you have poor form, not enough strength and can't hold yourself properly on the board..........this is as described for those using a longboard at first....God help you on a shortboard as all of those paddling woes will be multiplied.....

Then you have to deal with the problem of finding the wave, finding out where to start to paddle, how to hold position in currents using shore lineups, boils, noticeable shading differences in the reef to make sure that you are on the spot you need to be in as recognised from the shore and confirmed on closer inspection......yeah, you need to be able to read the wave from the shore, understand what will go on as tides come in and go out, how that will affect the same break on different days, when you should go out and when you should read a good book instead.....

How good a swimmer are you? Can you make it out back? Can you swim back to shore if your leash breaks when you're out back? Shortboard means you have to go where the waves are and they are NOT on the inside in waist deep water.....you can't practice on whitewater inside.....you have to get out back, sometimes hundreds of meters from shore to get a wave suitable for a shortboard.....have you been on a little board 300m from shore in waves that you can't see over and currents pulling you around? Ready for that? You can't build up to it; you have to go out and get that steep bigger clean faced unbroken wave if you want the speed to be able to plane and stand up on a shortboard at your height and weight (nearly the same as me BTW). How about your pop up? Can you do it from your knees, no feet, in one quick movement, putting your feet in the same landing place each time? Of course you can't.....but you need to be able to if you want to ride a shortboard otherwise you will bog it out, cartwheel, nose dive, fall off the back or get stuck in a power crawl as you careen down the face.....if you can't pop up in correct trim that doesn't wash off speed in a quick movement with exact timing WITHOUT LOOKING DOWN (you not only have to catch the wave but you need to wait to stand up at the precise exact moment otherwise you're over the back or in the flats)...if you can't do that you're not riding that short board anywhere.......


You CAN practice all of these things with a board that will give you more forgiveness to allow you to learn from mistakes.....you still won't be able to ride it for awhile (controlled, delayed falling for a few months of 3 second rides) but you will be able to progress.....paddling that you currently take for granted will be bearable as you develop the necessary muscles on a bigger board....getting enough speed to actually catch the wave will be attainable on a bigger board.....missing the takeoff spot by a few meters will be ok on a bigger board.....standing up clumsy with a knee to help at first, feet all over the place, too far forward or back will be ok on a bigger board and you will still muck out the wave and get a ride.....and once you are riding you will learn just as you did when you learned to ride a bike.....many things that can't be put into words but you will learn the more that you are actually riding......if you cannot get up and actually ride the face you will not learn and you will not have fun and you will eventually quit because who would stick with that no matter how stubborn they are?

Get a big board.

Not trying to say I know for sure but I have paddled white water in kayaks and here and the coast for about 20 hours a week for the last decade. I also swim laps everyday day at the gym so j think my "paddle" muscles are in better shape than you may think, however I know I will still have to develop this to surfing. You have me convinced I need a longboard. I will not piss anyone off and will have the upmost respect for surrounding surfers. I have friends that surf that are willing to help me. I won't be able to go everyday but will likely be able to put in 20 to 30 hours a week. Thanks for all this great advice it has truly helped me in so many ways, I can't thank you enough

[Trevnc]

Thanks for all this great advice guys you have opened my eyes to the reality of surfing. I was semi pro freestyle skier for years (not that this applies to surfing) but I understand the dedication it will take and the "rules" I will need to follow among fellow surfers. I want help from these guys not to piss them off. Where should I start with a longboard?

[jaffa1949]

Great, you've been given the tough love start up speech!

The good things you can expect! Learning the beach and so a pertinent question is where do you plan to go surfing? The way to paddle out using rips for your benefit. No T bars or stuff here!
No standing starts, popping up from lying down paddling! Having to match paddle with the wave , yep at least that fast! Reading the wave face so you get knowledge of what it is going to do, so you can do from that!
There are moguls on the wave , but they change every wave. There are speed and slow sections and there are speed controls on your board. The weighting and unweighting is both forward and backwards as well rail to rail!

90% paddle 10% ride on a good day, the bigger the sloppier add to the 90% side.

Good news, the best fun you can have off the mountain.

Have a read of the rules surprisingly lot has been written about the unwritten rules of surfing, quite a bit of debate right here!

If you have friends going with you , even better.

If one of them short boards, try their board out, check out what we are advising!
Go and enjoy thoroughly

[Trevnc]

I'm surfing Carolina beaches. I live at wrightsville beach and close to Carolina beach. We have lots of sand bars and some strong rip currents. Soft sandy beaches no reefs. The surf is generally 2 to 6 feet

[oldmansurfer]

Ok thanks for the input. I never looked at the pros and thought I can do that lol. I just wanted to be able to cut instead of ride a straight line. I know my age will make it more difficult but then again I'm in great physical shape

I can see how you might think that longboarders only ride in a straight line but in reality all those longboarders riding in a straight line are beginners. I guess there aren't many longboarders who like to carve a lot of turns relative to the number of longboarders but that is because most people learn to surf on a longboard and then work their way down to a shortboard. Things were different long ago. I learned on a shortboard as did most of the people I knew (but they were very young) and I was ocean wise already and super fit due to bodyboarding and kneeboarding prior to surfing. Welcome to the forum. I hope you continue to post here and let us know your progress.

[waikikikichan]

I just wanted to be able to cut instead of ride a straight line.

At my MSF ( motorcycle safety foundation ) course, the bikes we used were 250cc. Honda Nighthawk.

Honda_CB250_Nighthawk_drum.jpg (36.47 KiB) Viewed 523 times

Totally lame. I was like " Where's the cool GIxxers and R1's ?! ", When are we going to learn to "Drag Knee like the GP racers do ?" But we learned how to shift, counter-steer, brake and control Safely. We also learned how to "ride in a straight line", which is actually hard to do. ( in Japan they make you ride a long a 2x4 for a distance, if your wheels comes off, you fail the test )

Don't be like those 15 year olds, buying 1000cc. super-bike crotch-rockets as a first bike and planting themselves on a light pole. Get your skills up first before you get in over your head.

IMG_3149.JPG (66.88 KiB) Viewed 523 times

Me "cutting" instead of riding straight.

[oldgrom22]

I suggest you go for at least a 9ft longboard with some foam(something like a 9' x 22" x 2 3/4" - 3"). That should be a good, stable platform to work on. Remember to not rush your progression. You'll want to be catching waves on your own, going down the line, trimming and turning on the open face before you'll want to move on to the next step down(longboards make all those things easier). But if you get that itch to step down too soon(been there before), the best advice I can give you is like Jaffa said, borrow a board from one of your friends you surf with and see firsthand how that shortboard feels in the water.

[oldmansurfer]

Look at this....all the turns you could want....btw if those waves look big, that's about where you would start to make a shortboard work at your size (6'1" 185lbs).....for your size those waves are small.

I love the way that guy Nelson Ahuna surfs.

[yumyumyellow]

I'm surfing Carolina beaches. I live at wrightsville beach and close to Carolina beach. We have lots of sand bars and some strong rip currents. Soft sandy beaches no reefs. The surf is generally 2 to 6 feet

I don't mean to pile on here, but if you're in NC (or anywhere on the east coast US) your surf is generally 0-2 feet, NOT 2-6 feet. It maybe gets 6 foot two or three times a year. 3-4 feet @ 10 seconds with light offshore winds is a GREAT day on the east coast. And at that size, depending on the spot and the tide, it can start to THUMP. At 180 lbs, you will struggle greatly on a shortboard on east coast waves.