Surfing Waves

Hi folks,

This is my first post on the forum and I apologise in advance for silly questions.

I’ve been having lessons here in Northern Ireland (4 in total) on an 8ft skunkworks soft top board. I have loosely mastered my balance and most important I’m having great fun. I think now is the time to purchase my first board so I can get even more board time between anymore future lessons.

I’ve been advised to purchase a 9ft soft board as I’m 6ft 2 96kgs and not young lol 37 yrs old.

Unfortunately here in NI there is next to no used soft boards for sale in that size range and new would cost £200 approx. I can get the bic 8ft 4 magnum package which includes leash/bag/wax/fins for £350 approx.

Would this step to a hard board be too drastic at this stage?

https://www.boardshop.co.uk/bic-dura-te ... ckage-blue

In my non-expert opinion, those things are excellent beginner boards. One of the local shops here uses them for lessons, and they seem to float almost everyone. If you can avoid getting the one with the little molded handle in the middle, I would recommend that; from what I can see they may eventually take on water through that seam. Hope that helps.

Tom

There is nothing inherently better for a beginner about a soft board. Softboards are good because they are big and floaty, they dont hurt as much when you run over people and they dont hurt as much when they hit you on the head. But big and floaty is easy to find in a hardboard and, well, not running over people is a skill you need to develop, as is falling properly. The vast majority of people didnt learn on a softboard. They are not actually easier to surf, I personally find them harder because the bottom contours are generally terrible and the boards slip and slide and are unstable. Not that I've tried for a few years, so maybe today they are much improved

If you are surfing somewhere pretty crowded, then a soft board might be worthwhile; but if you are able to find a quiet spot to develop your skills (not necessarily no one, just places where you dont need to be able to turn to avoid hitting people), then a normal board is a better choice. There is a reason why most good surfers surf hard boards, and its not because soft boards are better to surf...

So, a big floaty long board is not only a perfectly fine option but (in my view) the preferred option for most people. Yes you might give yourself some bruises, yes you might ding the board; but its all good learning.

as to which board - the Bic you linked is a bit shorter than optional (probably 9ft to 9ft4 given your height and weight); however its very wide and thick (8ft 4 x 23.25 x 3.18 / 72L) so makes up for the lack of length. Its a pretty good choice. Bics are tough and heavy, indestructible. They are apparently fairly hard to turn, which is not surprising given their width, but great for catching waves and very stable when you are standing - why they are used for surf lessons (easy to catch waves, stable, hard to damage).

So really good as a beginner to low intermediate board; just potentially not the board an intermediate surfer would want, but you will be buying another board by then (trust me, you will...) so I wouldnt worry about it. (and if you are only surfing every few weeks or months, then its an even better choice)

bottom line - for the price its a good choice. In terms of the package being offered, the board bag looks ok (its not great but the BIC is hard to break so its totally fine); the leash is a bit of an unknown to me (I havent heard of the brand before). Personally i would buy a leash I knew about (my preference, but its an individual one - would be https://www.boardshop.co.uk/ocean-earth ... h-9ft-blue). But the supplied leash should be ok if you arent going out in bigger waves. The fins are fine.

(note that if you bought the same board and same bag separately, the O&E leash and some wax, it will only cost you £5 or so more than the package. Btw, the package cost doenst add up to the £381 claimed! Its only about £368. Although I notice the package is in stock and board alone is not. Anyway, for the save of a few £ i wouldnt worry about it, just get the package!)

Thanks guys ! Appreciate your feedback. Great detail dtc

I’ve another lesson on Tuesday so won’t panic buy yet lol.

Food for thought

I don't like BIC. Broke it pretty soon after the purchase. It looks cheap. And it is splinter/cut hazard when it snaps. I would not recommend it. Although some would disagree and claim that I have not that board friendly surging style. Torq or NSP is better. Both survived much longer in my possession (both fine and still surfable).

However, I would recommend starting with the soft one. Novices cannot see hazards properly and some collisions and friendly fire incidents are inevitable. And, a soft board begs for mercy and leniency and serve as novice indicator.

Oleg, though, managed to break 5? boards. Very few Bics get broken; they are pretty solid (and heavy). Still, they aren’t unbreakable

For Johnny- don’t be afraid to ask your instructor for recommendations.S/he might know someone who has a board or a cheap local shaper (beginners don’t need custom boards, but if the price is much the same then go for it)

I think the BIC 8.4 is a very good board. I (6,3, 90kg, 52 years) surfed it for two weeks during vacation two years ago and had a blast. I actually found it easier to surf than my new longboard, which has even more volume. And should you ever grow out of it, you can sell it easily.

I ride a Bic Minimal. It's very durable (6+ years of at once a week on average), a bit heavy, and not very maneuverable in the water. But you can learn to surf it well if you put in the effort and are humble.
For you size and ability the larger Magnum should work well and last you a long time. Foam boards don't last that long and fiberglass gets dinged easily. When you feel you have outgrown the board, you can lend it friends and not care much how they abuse it.