Surfing Waves

So I am going to learn how to surf this summer. I am 15 and will be at the beach for a week. If I buy a board I want to be able to use for many years as I progress. What board should I get? I know longboards are the best for starting out but do you think I could start out with a fish board? Thanks so much!

fish aren't usually a good board for a beginner. If you get a longboard you will be able to use it for years. Why don't you take some lessons borrow some boards and see how it goes then make a decision about what kind of board you want?

What size are you and how often will you be surfing?

If you are only surfing once or twice per year (for a week each time, say), then you wont 'progress' much past a long board for some time. A wavestorm (if you can buy one) is probably ideal.

If you are surfing once a week, and arent too big, then you could probably get a mid length board (as you get bigger, you get more skilled, so the board stays a good size).

hhaudrich4082 wrote:So I am going to learn how to surf this summer. I am 15 and will be at the beach for a week. If I buy a board I want to be able to use for many years as I progress. What board should I get? I know longboards are the best for starting out but do you think I could start out with a fish board? Thanks so much!

Actually, if you're looking for a board with longevity, then the longboard is what you should focus on. A good longboard will last you a lifetime. I have a 7'4" board I really like, but there are days that I long for a classic performance longboard. So, I'm on the hunt for one. If I could do it all over again, I would have bought an awesome longboard first and then added other board types as I progressed. I'm convinced that's the optimal way to start because it's the most efficient way to gain surfing skills. If you learn to rip on a longboard, then the learning curve on other board types will only be about 1/4 as long and, I suspect, in some cases maybe a day or two.

Fishes like to be ridden rail to rail. They aren't good riding on the flat bottom going straight ( which most newbies will do ). If you have to change board every 6 months, then that's great. It's showing you that you reached another stepping stone. My advice, learn on board 3 feet over your head, own a board more than 2 feet over your head, don't go down under 2 feet until you can turn backside. A Fish even one foot over your head is not right for the time being. ( but better a board than no board )

I've only taken my long board out 3 times but it's the best thing I've done so far in my short surfing career.

It has made things just that slight bit easier than on my foamie like paddling out and turtle rolling, when it comes to catching waves I've found that I can go for them that little bit earlier where as I was falling off the back or nose diving. When I'm on the wave I seem to have that little bit longer on it or I can go out in poor conditions and still catch a wave or two.

The only downsides I've found so far is transporting it and turning it round when I'm sat out the back quick enough to catch the wave.

Millsy82 wrote:The only downsides I've found so far is transporting it and turning it round when I'm sat out the back quick enough to catch the wave.

There are tricks on turning the board around quickly. One of the method that I used to be able to do easily. Was while sitting on the board, pull the board closely to my chest and let the board/tail dig deep into the water. I then turn around quickly and let go of the board so it lunges forward out of the water. This gives me a short burst in paddling speed.

However I can't do that now because I don't surf as much.

I will give that a try tomorrow hopefully depending on work.

I think I sit too far in the middle so I'm stable but when I need to turn it took forever so I moved myself back a bit so I was less stable but could turn that little bit quicker.

aah, but do you want to be one of those people who sit with their board noses out of the water or a 'cool' person who sits with their board really flat...

you can turn with your feet from the middle - just a kicking/paddling thing (rather than having to lift the board up and move it around). slower I guess.

Hello there

I'm still a beginner myself but what I found good at the very beginning was to rent various softboards until I found a preference. Size and maneuverability were really important for me and I found myself quite comfortable on a smaller board which was contrary to other advice. It would be best to try things before you make a purchase as you might get soletrhing you can't catch waves on !! That's my advice anyway, I hope you enjoy your time.

I have no idea of it.

Rayonel25 wrote:I have no idea of it.

Here comes the spam....

dtc wrote:aah, but do you want to be one of those people who sit with their board noses out of the water or a 'cool' person who sits with their board really flat...

you can turn with your feet from the middle - just a kicking/paddling thing (rather than having to lift the board up and move it around). slower I guess.

I thought the cool ones were the those who turn their boards around between sets and make a makeshift, douchey floating lounge chair out of their board, smooth styling until they are tossed by the first set wave coming through which they missed seeing due to concentrating on their abs under the gaze of three slightly overweight Russian honeys.....


....that might have been too close to home.

dtc wrote:aah, but do you want to be one of those people who sit with their board noses out of the water or a 'cool' person who sits with their board really flat....

In my last sesh, the cool short boarder in our lineup sat on the nose of his board. It was weird seeing fins bobbing out of the water but it helped with stability in the choppy sea and didn't slow him down when he paddled to hunt waves or takeoff.

Big H wrote:I thought the cool ones were the those who turn their boards around between sets and make a makeshift, douchey floating lounge chair out of their board, smooth styling until they are tossed by the first set wave coming through which they missed seeing due to concentrating on their abs under the gaze of three slightly overweight Russian honeys.....


....that might have been too close to home.

No russian honeys down this way. Although the other day I was in the water with 4 French, 2 spanish and 1 japanese backpacker. And a local (female) teenager who just ripped

I learnt to surf on a fish surfboard but I would not recommend it. I ended up buying myself a minimal and progressed much quicker.

If you do not want a longboard (which may be too big to transport considering your age) you could try for a minimal.

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Spend two months befor your trip working on cardio and upper body strength.And I mean really working out two hours cardio and look up workouts that target shoulders lats and of course your core. And stretch stretch stretch , if you Into yoga all the better!!!!
Now you can spend more time in the water and work your way down much faster.
Foam is your friend especially in the nose of you're board! It will help you catch waves and drop in.
Good luck OMC

And I mean five days a week!
And look at the design on an old rusty dart surfboard. You do not have to go longer to get the foam you need.

OMC you need to go back to the original post by a 15 year old new surfer who has got a week of surfing to look forward to. The longboard answers were tailored to those needs.
A Rusty Dwart would not be suitable for the levels of ability we are fostering so your advice would confuse.
Note to all posters of advice, read back a little in the thread often newbies have been told to start on fish and other advanced boards all of which do them no favours.
appropriate size design width and thickness , to give a good chance at paddling and skills then developing from there.
Surf shop people rarely give appropriate advice "buy a fish, they're the trend!" "short board paddles just like a long board". "The one the Pros prefer" but most of us are not pros,

The fitness advice is great , what a difference in his life a 15 year old would get if he took up yoga as early as that,

No.