Surfing Waves

Hey,

I've got a 7,0 minimal (sideways bullet). It's designed to be a bit thinner to allow for turns than anormal mal. I want to get a foam or soft board so I can surf in between flags. my 7,0 is 21'' x 2 13/16'' (46.5 L). I'm just wondering if a 6,6 foam board will be as stable as this 7,0 or more stable due to its extra volume, etc.?

I just don't want to buy something that is too small for me in terms of stability

Best,

Lachlan

Lachy what you are asking for is really bad etiquette, looking for a soft board to ride in between the flags.
The flags are designated swimming and body surfing zone, the only soft boards that can there are body boards.
At your level of skills putting you amongst swimmers is irresponsible.
Why do you want to surf between the flags? Is it so the lifeguards can see if you get into difficulties?
By all means get a soft board but FFS learn to surf where and how you won't put other people at risk.
You day will not be made by injuring someone and softboards can do that too!

Getting a soft board to surf in between flags is unbelievably common in Sydney. In fact, on most websites selling soft boards that is one of the most exaggerated selling points.

In addition, there are areas that you can only surf if you have a soft board. For instance, North Bondi, or between the flags on any beach.

http://surfboardsdirect.com.au/pages/ch ... your-board
http://redbacksurfaustralia.com/index.p ... ducts.html (two examples of places selling boards and talking about how they are good to surf between flags)

Stability will have more to do with size of the board than with volume....width in particular, length as well but not as much. A bigger foot print will be more stable. That being said, the softech boards I saw yesterday were all designed for as much stability/ user friendliness as they could manage it looked like. As far as volume goes, I've ridden some shapes that felt really unstable that were short and high volume.....boards that squeezed too much volume into a small shape and sat high on top o the water as a result...the selling point term is "skatey" or "loose"......felt like surfing a bar of soap to me so yeah, when choosing fat little grovel boards can err in the direction of too much volume as well as too little.

Oh well there goes the neighbourhood, sad. I can understand , softboard only areas, but I have a dislike of grown men on softboards hurtling among swimmers and bodysurfers. ( guess in this case just out of touch with things)
I still wonder why you would want to surf between the flags.........
For children perhaps!

Are the "flags" setup in areas for no surfing all day? If that's the case I can understand the need to look into a foamie. However, if it's time restricted(like a blackball, no surfing between 11-4/10-5 etc) I agree with Jaffa and see it as bad etiquette on your part regardless of how common it is. I'd say go find a break without the restriction and surf a "real" board in that case.

The flag set up in Australia on patrolled beaches marks a zone where swimmers and body surfers can swim . The area is selected by lifeguards where there surf is the safest that day for swimmers. Marked by red and yellow flags, on either side of those flags is a buffer zone marked by blue flags beyond which surfcraft are allowed.

Crossed red and yellow flags means the beach is closed and unsafe for swimming.

Bondi is a dangerous beach as it is Sydney's beach closest to the CBD, it has been publicised ( wrongly) as Australia's iconic beach so every non aware tourist goes there for their Australian surf experience.

Chaos ensues, there is a rip called the "back packer" because it is right in front of the hostel in spite of signs in many languages in they go and out they go!
Often the same people are rescued several times. There are several surf schools in Bondi, the beach can have thousands of swimmer, learner surfers, self clueless dunker. Drug. And alcohol effected people. Perverts trolling the crowd, thieves.
Bondi is a beach that focuses southerly swell and can be dangerous beyond the crowd.

North Bondi is swim and soft boards yes but again flags are put up here for a safer swimming area.

Australian beaches do not do a blackball like the US, patrolled beaches usually set up during business hours on less frenetic beaches and longer hour at Bondi. Outside the cities and big towns outside of weekends in summer, beaches are self policing and self safety.
Aerial and drone surveillance and buoys are doing shark checks somewhat. Almost every beach has a surf lifesaving club but only patrol summer weekend. Fortunately the lifesavers are guys that also like to hang around the beach and might spot a problem and save someone.

Specifically now injuries from soft boards. Concussion, facial lacerations and contusions, broken noses, lost teeth. Fingers degloved
All less severe than a hard board injury, like leashes learners assume the boards are safe and they are are safer but they still cause injury.

I have given Lachy a hard post as I really don't think an adult should be riding among a swimming crowd especial at the skill,level he is at.
Just an awareness of others!

I understand your concerns. However, I am simply abiding by the surf etiquette that is standard down here in Sydney. While this discussion is useful, it'd be great if I could get some answers to the actual question I posted about stability, etc.

Cheers.

Thanks Lachy for being even handed about my posts!
About the boards , you can come down a little in size maybe 6" at most as the material buoyancy makes them a better floater , the fat rails do not engage in the wave face as well, the flexy rubber or soft plastic fins bend under pressure, I'd look at what is near to your hard board shape and buy that. Don't go down to what they are now advertising as beater board, as unless you are short board skilled they are just bigger boogie boards.please hang around on the forum as we really are here to help your journey into being a capable surfer

I appreciate your advice and no need to worry about being even-handed. It's a fair concern to raise!

There is no point getting a 6.6 foamie if your learning, with a shorter foamie you need to be in the critical part of the wave all the time. Why purposely surf where there is a crowd let alone the flags where it is a designated area for everyone but surfers.